My Anti-bonkers Scheme!

"Do we have to do school today Mum?"

"Can I just play with lego?"

"I'm really tired today"

"This lesson is too hard!"

I'm sure we've all heard these delightful persistent comments as home school mummies at some time or another! 

Or maybe you've heard this? ...

"What do I have to do again?"

"I can't remember what you said to do"

"I was just looking at this picture ... I'm almost finished ... almost"

"What subject am I doing now?"

"Oh, no, I didn't get that quite finished ..."

 I was beginning to hear myself giving too many instructions and reminders time and time again, and I thought to myself ... this has got to stop or I'll go completely bonkers!

I planned and initiated an intense, organisational program, that I completed in one month, to establish order and structure in our home school days ...

... pppffffffttt yeah right!

You know what I use?

A 49c exercise book!

I call it our 'day book' and each child has one ...

... here's what they look like ...

They begin with the day and the date, and then I write out what is required for each child to complete each day.

The circles are their 'check-point' (a.k.a. the silent motivator!) 

My children know that when their check-points are ticked off (and their space tidied up), then they are free for the rest of the day! Obviously, I do require them to show me their completed work, so that I can make sure that they ARE ACTUALLY doing it, and doing it to a high standard! 

Here's the reasons why I love this method ...

#1.    It's so easy

#2.    It's very cheap

#3.    It's easy for the kids to follow and understand

#4.    I know that the kids are on track with their learning each week

#5.    It's great for writing little reminders and encouragements to them

#6.    There's no need to be 'precious' with them, as they cost so little!

#7.    A written record is kept in these books for their reporting

#8.   **My most favourite part** ... the kids motivate themselves!

#9.    I can add as little or as much as each child needs, or according to our days other                       activities.   

I also try and plan a week, sometimes only a few days, ahead ... but that's more for my benefit than the kids (consider it my 'anti-bonkers scheme'!)

There are weeks when I don't use these books for one reason or another, and let me tell you, it's so incredibly noticeable ... not in a good way. There's more distractions, less being achieved, and less productivity in general.  

These small little investments 

have had very big rewards!

When I first brought the exercise books, I wrote some reminders and encouragements to each child in the front of their own book ...

 

      

... and that's it! Our easy peasy way to be productive and stay on track!

(**Disclaimer ... these books are not magic wands and by no means solve issues such as stated in the following examples: sibling rivalry, world hunger, who's unpacking the dishwasher, or who spilt the maple syrup on the kitchen floor**)

Our Inspiring English Unit!

"Through hard work, perseverance and a faith in God, 
you can live your dreams".

For this term in English, my two eldest children (year 10 and year 7) are studying the novel 'Gifted Hands' by Ben Carson, M.D.

So that I could effectively help my kids with answering some of the questions if needed, I decided to read the novel for myself. I devoured it in two days, it was such an inspiring read!
His life story and the dedication of his mother, who was determined to have her sons believe the best in themselves, is powerful.

Ben Carson becomes a world-class pediatric neurosurgeon at the prestigious Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. Growing up in poverty-stricken Detroit with his mother and elder brother, Curtis, Ben could have never dreamed of the future that lay ahead for him. When 9-year-old Ben's father abandons his family, his heart is broken with the hurt lasting a life-time... (read the rest here)

“By reading so much, my vocabulary automatically improved along with my comprehension.” 

I learnt a lot through this book, as a Christian, as an individual, but most of all, as a mother. I'm encouraged by the strong will and the sacrifices of Sonya Carson, and I could only pray that my influence on my childrens hearts, minds and lives will be anything close to hers on her boys! 

"My favorite subject was recess. Fortunately for me, I had a mother who believed I was smart."

If you've not read this book, I really encourage you to. 
It makes a great English unit for our children to learn the requirements of the English language, but even more than that, it implants a contagious zeal into their hearts to be the best they can be in whichever area they choose; to put God first, to treat others with respect, to use the gifts and talents God gave them for the benefit of others, and to keep on keeping on when things seem to be impossible.

“No knowledge is ever wasted.” 

I've found some links for you, in case you're wanting to use this book as a resource for your childrens learning, or just to read for yourself! For study guides, click here, here and here. You can purchase the book for yourself here, here, or here! Also, here is a link to FREE Ben Carson note booking pages and handwriting... love free stuff!

“God has an overall plan for people’s lives and the details get worked out along the way, even though we usually have no idea what’s going on.” 

I hope you and your children enjoy this biography as much as we have! 

What an inspiration Ben Carson is to so many! 
Praise God for his wonderful, life-saving, gifted hands!




(Linking up with this blog here!)

Our Little Chef!

Our oldest daughter (13) absolutely loves to cook! 

So much so that she's collecting cooking books, creating her own recipes, and forever asking to be in the kitchen!

As her parents, we obviously are wanting to support her in her interest (that doesn't show any signs of changing!) and give her opportunity for growth and the chance to learn from her sometimes not so edible creations! 

We're so thankful that homeschooling allows these extra opportunities.

But ...

We seemed to be always clashing with when we were both wanting to be in the kitchen!

So my husband and I came up with this plan ...

... We would give our eager little Chef one night per week that is hers for her cooking night. (She can cook as many or as few dishes as she likes; entree, main, dessert, drink, etc.)

Thursday night works best for us all, so Thursday night it is! 

When we shared this with our daughter, she was thrilled to pieces!

There are, of course, some 'non-negotiable' rules that she has to follow ...

#1.  Plan your menu BEFORE mum goes shopping (usually Monday or Tuesday)

#2.  Write out your own list of ingredients needed when shopping 

(I use grocery money that I would normally use for that meal)

#3.  Please keep it budget friendly and healthy

(I can still 'rule-out' any meals too expensive, unhealthy, or difficult etc.)

#4.  Start with a clean kitchen, end with a clean kitchen 

#5.  Read and re-read all methods carefully BEFORE cooking

#6.  Try (as best as possible) to have the meal on the table before 6pm

#7.  Keep going, and never give up

#8.  Have fun!

We've found that this is such an easy way to support her love of cooking! 

It really works well (and I really enjoy the night off too!) 

As an extra addition to her cooking 'education', she keeps her own recipe journal as well (her own idea!) It contains recipes that she's tried and are now favourites, and recipes that she's developed herself over time. I can just see her cooking for her own family from this lovely book full of delicious meals, cakes, biscuits, desserts and everything in between! 

When time permits, I allow her to bake at other times as well, so she's not restricted to only Thursday nights.

And, as you can see ... my younger children have no problem with dressing up for the occasion and being our happy little waiters! They are sooooo cute! 

(Look at that tie and those braces, and those gloves and pearls! They melt my heart!)

The last meal that our daughter cooked, she asked if she could create her own menu too (we said yes), so that was designed and printed from Word, and placed on the table at each setting. We've also said that she can have fun with the decorating of the table, and again, the younger kids enjoy helping with this as well! 

Tonight her meal (as in pictures above) was an Asian Mince, with mashed potato (we 'judge' her meals, like she's asked us to, and all said that veggies would have been nice in it too, but it was sooo yummy!) and then mini apple pies (that she made from scratch!) with custard for dessert, delicious!

This is fast becoming a fun family night together and we're so very proud of our little Chef!

I think this quote says things quite perfectly ...

Have a truly blessed week!

The Key To A Great Home School Room!

 Creating a space to home school is not always the easiest task to accomplish. A lot depends on the home you live in and whether or not it has sufficient space to use in the first place. Then there's the budget to factor in, the time it takes to organise stuff, and it can sometimes become quite overwhelming.

We've not long moved into our first ever own home, and so the excitement of 'fluffing our nest' was still fresh. However, the room we chose initially for our home school room, was a long and narrow rectangle. By the time we had enough table/desk space down each side, there was the itty bittiest little walk way that we squeezed ourselves down to move from one end of the room to the other. Needless to say, with five people in that room daily, it soon drove me nuts!

After much discussion (and a hint of persuasion) with our eldest son, we settled on swapping bedrooms around; with him having the narrow room (which works brilliantly for one person!) and the school room being his old, slightly larger square shaped room. A whole day later, three or four large garbage bags full, and unwanted items bagged for Vinnies, our son had his new pad, and we all had our new school room ...

 I think what I love the most is that we have space now to keep 'like things' together. Books are all in the bookshelves, chairs are all at their proper desks, stationary is all together for easy access, and the children each have their own pigeon holes to keep their own work together and in one place (for the most part!)

 That desk in the middle of the room, I have since commandeered for my own desk to use for my bullet journaling, sketching, school planning and anything else I need it to be for! It sure beats sprawling everything out all over the lounge room floor in everyones way!

 What I also love, is that we've been able to make this space so personal to our families likes. We've got maps on the walls, projects that the kids have completed, information posters, and my most favourite ... our artworks that we've all created!

Let me assure you though, that it's not always this clean! 

We don't just stick to this room for our studies though, sometimes we use the lounge room, the small kitchen table or the dining table, sometimes even outside. But now there's no more squeezing ourselves between tables and chairs, and there's plenty of room for everyone to be comfortable! 

The key to making your space work, however big or small, is to be content. Nothing has to be fancy or expensive. I didn't spend a cent on this room, I just used what we already had, made do and made it fun and personal!

And we all love it!

Join Me in 2017!

A new year is upon us and that almost always means new goals, new direction and new experiences in life. Well, the same goes for here, on this little space in the bloggosphere. I'm heading in a new direction with you all this year, and would love for you to still join me on this journey!

I'll be focusing on homeschooling; practically, emotionally, physically and mentally.

We home school our four children (entering our third year full-time) and I've already learnt so much that I can share with you. Some of it you probably already know, especially if you're a home school pro! Most of it though, I earnestly hope will be helpful, honest, encouraging, inspiring and sometimes even a bit fun and crazy! 

I hope to post regularly and I'm so excited to meet even more amazing women who also connect with others through their words on a screen. 

So, here's to another year, new direction and new friends!

May our amazing God bless you richly!

Love Elisha

Mr Doubtful

Today should have been the first day of school for our four children. We home school and are looking forward to another year of learning together. My husband and I spent hours pouring over curriculum, going to a meeting for advise (and to change schools). We're very happy with our choices, and excitedly placed the order for the new curriculum, and began the waiting game ... and so now we wait. I ordered with what I thought was enough time for the curriculum to arrive well before the first day, but, no. 

And then ... enter 'Mr Doubtful'.

Have you met him? He's the guy that makes you wonder whether or not you are actually cut-out for this homeschooling thing. You know you're only technically a day late, but Mr Doubtful gets into your ear and whispers, "you really aren't organised" ... and then there's, "do you know you're teaching a high schooler Elisha?" ... 

... On and on Mr Doubtful goes ...

 "Can you really teach your first grader to read?"

 "Are you going to be able to keep up with everything?" 

"Are you going to be able to keep your home clean, 

you do realise you're a perfectionist don't you?"

"What do other people really think of you home schooling your children?"

 "There's going to be lots of gaps in their education you know, 

you'll miss teaching them something important" ...

... one day in ladies! One day in, and Mr Doubtful is here already! 

Well I think it's time that Mr Doubtful gets told the truth, don't you?

I think my answer would go something like this ..

"Well Mr Doubtful, I see the point in all of your questions. But let me tell you something ... I am equipped to teach my children, not because of myself, but because of Him who strengthens me.  You're right, I don't have it all together. I will make mistakes this year, and every other year. But that's o.k.  There are many things I do right.

My home will possibly, more often than not, look like a scene from WW3, with dirty dishes in the sink, piles of washing sitting, sitting ... sitting, floors that need mopping, dust that multiplies seemingly by the millisecond ... but I'm not creating a castle, or a kingdom, or a display house; I'm creating a home. And a home is where life happens; so home is where mess happens.

I don't run by your 'must-do to impress' schedule, but rather I run on God's time; doing what He asks of me. I know, I know, teaching a high schooler is daunting, but it's not impossible. Teaching a child to read will be challenging, but it can and has been done. God knew we would choose to home school Mr Doubtful, and He will help us through. I will miss teaching them important things, you know why Mr Doubtful? Because I'm not super-mum, and I don't want to be. I'm mum, chosen for these children to love, nurture and enjoy, and God says I can do this. And there will always be someone who disagrees with our choices, but they're not the ones who live with them. 

At the end of the day Mr Doubtful, you are just fear talking. And perfect love casts out fear. So say what you will, but excuse me if I'm not listening to you; I'm too busy teaching my kids".

A DVD Review - God of Wonders

Our family enjoys integrating educational DVD's into our homeschooling days from time to time, and one of our absolute favourites is God of Wonders. It is absolutely incredible! 

What I love about this DVD the most is that it truly does foster a sense of 'wonder' of our amazing God! Bible verses are used along side beautiful images, interesting facts and lovely narration so that we can see how the Bible lines up with the stunning creation that God has made. There is absolutely no way that this DVD supports or provides evidence for evolution; it's all about glorifying our amazing God, His power, authority, wisdom and creativity.

It's a DVD that's really enjoyable for all ages, whether child or adult. I can see it also leading into further 'topic studies' for science curriculum or nature studies.

There are 18 topics covered and it has a running length of 85 minutes. 

Topics Covered ... 

1. Introduction
2. God of Power
3. Thunderstorms
4. Sun/Stars
5. Universe
6. E=mc2
7. God of Wisdom
8. Snow Crystals
9. DNA
10. Seeds
11. Flowering Plants
12. Sea Creatures
13. Birds 
14. Hummingbirds
15. Butterflies
16. Mankind
17. God of Justice
18. God of Love

I would highly recommend this DVD to anyone. It's approach is very informative, but also very compassionate and therefor would make a great gift for anyone who might be confused or believing of evolution. I would rate this DVD 

If you're wanting to purchase this for your family or friends you can here, here and here!

Also, if you know any other DVD's that we could watch, please be sure to let me know, I'm always on the look out for anything that can teach my children about our marvelous God!! 

Have a beautiful week!

Helping Your Children Set Goals

Well we've started the last term of the school year and I thought it would be great to start it off by setting some new goals for this term. We sat down at the school table and each thought of some goals that we would like to see ourselves accomplish by the Christmas school holidays. 

I don't believe that goals need to be something that add pressure to our lives, but rather something that gives us focus, are achievable and something that allows us to see progress with the things that we would like to develop in.

So how do you go about helping your children set some goals?

Here are my pointers ...

•  Ask them to think about what they really really want to learn about or get better at. There's no point in setting goals if it's something you're not really interested in doing. Your just setting yourself up for failure.

• Ask them to be specific in what they want to achieve. Instead of writing just 'piano', for example, ask them to write what they want to learn about the piano. Do they want to learn three new songs, practise their scales each day, etc?

• Make sure their goals are realistic and going to be achieveable. Remember if you start smaller, then they can see that they can reach their goals, and will progress to setting bigger ones in time! Reading 50 novels by the end of term, if your child is a slower reader, is probably not going to be an achievable (or fun) goal. Finishing 1-2 might suit that child better. Small goals are better than none at all.

• Write them out and have them in a place where they're easily seen. You know the saying 'out of sight, out of mind'. I find it much easier to stay focused on something if I see a visual reminder of it daily. My kids have a copy of their goals in their room, and in the school room. They're nothing fancy, just written on a piece of paper. If you want to make yours fancier, go ahead!

• Be encouraging. None of this will work or be enjoyable for your children (or you for that matter), if you don't encourage them along the way! Whether it be verbal, physical or a reward that you offer, encouragement gets results! 

• We are helping each other. My children's goals are different from each others, but we are going to help each other with them when we can. Any opportunity to teach our children to be helpful (even if it's not their interest), is good!

How do you help your kids set goals? Do you have any other suggestions to add to this list? Add them in the comments below!

People with goals succeed because they know where they're going.

 -Earl Nightingale.

I'll share with you my goals in the coming posts!

Endless ...

This homeschooling thing is hard. 

Very hard.

I never thought it would be a walk in the park, that's for sure; but I still had no idea how hard it would be. I suppose that's how life works really; not having a full comprehension of a situation until you find yourself in the middle of it. 

I WISH I HAD A MAGIC WAND.

This morning I woke to no milk at all and the DESPERATE need for a strong, strong hot coffee. 

I find it amusing how the difficult days seem to be the ones that are always in slow motion. Fizzing out brain cells one repeat at time. For example, I've lost count of how many times I've repeated the instructions, "do your school work", "sit still", "listen to what I'm saying", "stop starring up at the spider in his web who's going about his day, when you're supposed to be DOING YOUR SCHOOLWORK!". 

At least the spider's being productive.

I've entered the world of 'endless'. 

Endless questions, endless cleaning, endless instructions, endless interruptions, endless noise, endless fights to settle, endless unfinished thoughts, endless errands, endless washing ... and then ...

... then, my thirteen year old son comes and wraps me in a long embrace. Exhale.

My eight year old daughter comes and happily announces, "You're the best mummy in the world!".

Even with all my mess and my stuff ups, that's how they see me. That's how my God sees me. Exhale.

NOTHING will ever be perfect,  but even in my world of 'endless' ... I'm perfectly blessed.

Six Things I've Learnt As A Home School Novice ... So Far!

If you're a newcomer to the home school world, and like me still finding your way, then I have some pointers for you to hopefully help steer you in the right direction! These are the things that I've found to be very helpful so far for my family and I!

#1  Begin each day with a quiet time and prayer ...

Each morning I try to rise before the kids do, which is very hard sometimes when you have two children who mostly get up at the crack of dawn. That and the fact that I'm not naturally a morning person, means that sometimes I don't get out of bed early at all! On the mornings that I can, I make myself a hot cup of coffee and sit back in bed, or at the kitchen table and pour over my Bible in the peace and quiet of the early morning home. It sets the tone for the rest of the day. I pray for His wisdom and strength, His peace and joy. I thank Him for His goodness, His love and everything else! Sometimes it helps to journal as well, especially if there's a special scripture that has really stood out to me that day. The days where I don't have this time ... I really notice it. Everything seems to be that bit more stressful and unproductive.

#2  Get yourself dressed and ready for the day ...

It sounds simple, I know. It's not like any of us would just spend the day trudging around in our nighties or anything?! As simple as this sounds, it really makes a huge difference. Showering and dressing in clothes you love, be it a dress, or a skirt and top, pants, bathers, old clothes, whatever you prefer, is a great way to make sure you are beginning the day prepared, awake and ready to be productive! Do your skincare routine if you have one, put on a bit of makeup if you like, do your hair neatly, etc. It helps me to feel good about myself.

#3  Invest in new stationary ...

It's so good to create, write and learn using brand new stationary that actually works! Our last lot of felt tip pens looked like mini chimney sweep brushes! So, I tossed out the three year old hard crayons, chimney brushes and split pencils and stocked up on new ones! They were on special too, which is a bonus! It's a great incentive for the kids to work well and they've been busy creating beautiful artworks too!

#4  Have your school space as organised as possible ...

Your school space doesn't have to be expensive or fancy if you don't want it to be. Ours is quite basic (the above pic is only a little space of our books etc.) and simple as it's also the main dining room of our home. At the end of every school day we make an effort to put things back where they belong. It makes the whole space available for other activities and family meals, and also ensures that everything that is needed for the children's school work can be easily located when needed, saving time and frustration! Having my children be responsible for their own tidy up is important for many reasons; teaching them tidiness, organisation, respect of their parents home, being productive etc.

#5  Make time for yourself each day ...

I have learnt that if I want to be the best mother I possibly can (with God's help) than I need to take some time each day to just relax. I've learnt that the amount of time in which I have to do this is irrelevant to the benefits that we all receive from it. Even just 15 minutes of lying on the lounge resting, or having a hot cup of tea outside in the cool of the garden while the kids play is a very easy way to 're-charge' for the rest of the day ahead. Looking after ourselves is not selfish when we spend each day looking after the many needs of the ones we love, it is vital if we are to look after them well.

#6  Make time for your marriage ...

I have already posted on this point and you can read about it all here. You and your husband were a family before your children became a part of your story; make sure you take the time to cherish him, hug and kiss him, and build up his self-esteem. Of course, we don't always get this right, but it's important that our men still see that we are making an effort for them and not just our children.

#7  Clean as you go ...

I start some mornings when needed, by putting on a load of washing and asking a couple of my children to put away the clean dishes if they weren't done the night before. Our floors are swept in the morning, our cats fed, and our beds made with rooms relatively tidy. I find that with these basic chores done first thing, I can then go about the day doing other odd jobs in between helping children with school work and other daily activities. We all know what it's like to get to the end of the day and have the house look like a storm's hit. Cleaning as you go really helps to minimise end of day cleanup. Do the dishes at breakfast and lunch, sweep the floor as needed, stock the bathroom with clean towels, take out the rubbish, tidy the bookshelves. You can even fill the sink up with very hot water and detergent and just pop in your dishes as you go, if that works for you! Find ways to clean as you go and you'll find you gain more time at the end of the day!

I know that as our home schooling journey continues, there will be many more lessons to learn! I know that God is leading our journey, and for this I am so thankful! 

Have a beautiful week!