SwagBucks...come join me!

Betsy's Price is Right: SwagBucks...come join me!: Come join me at SwagBucks ! I mentioned at my couponing class how I use SwagBucks to earn free things. I've gotten Kindle accesories, c...

Edible Cell for Biology....so coooooool!

Sure, we made a cell out construction paper, but now I must acknowledge and even cooler cell idea!  
An edible cell!!

Just go to se7en and find out the details!

BTW, I find out about a lot of these cool craft ideas through Craft Gossip!

Henry VIII and his 6 wives

This past weekend, we were able to visit the Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City.  I still think I'll write a post about it, but in the meantime, I wanted to share about Henry VIII and his 6 wives.

The museum have this wonderful set of dolls of Henry VIII and his wives.

Of course, I took the educational opportunity to mention to mija how to remember what happened to each wife!

It's a little ditty I learned in college.

Divorced, beheaded, died.  Divorced, beheaded, survived. 

Just say it a few times and it sticks with you!  In the picture, the queens are placed in order, so the two which were beheaded are in the front.

Of course, you can always research the details, but here's a synopsis just in case you're curious. My links are just to the Wikipedia articles.

DIVORCED--Catherine of Aragon--Spanish. Strong Catholic.  Widow of Henry's brother, Arthur.  Mother of Mary I of England more commonly known as "Bloody Mary."

BEHEADED--Anne Boleyn-- Best known for being beheaded under charges of treason. Mother of Elizabeth I of England.  Often overlooked as a key figure in bringing the Reformation to England.

DIED--Jane Seymour--Yes, the Jane Seymour the queen came before the actress of the same name.  Died from complications after giving birth to Henry's only legitimate male heir, Edward VI.  Was able to be buried next to Henry for providing his male heir.

DIVORCED--Anne of Cleves--Poor Anne.  Actually, the marriage was ended by annulment not divorce because it was never consummated.  The marriage lasted 6 months.  Henry found her unattractive and uneducated. 

BEHEADED--Catherine Howard--The writing should have been on the wall when a 50ish Henry married a 15ish girl who was related to his first beheaded wife, Anne.  She was beheaded at 17 for committing the treason of adultery.

SURVIVED--Catherine Parr--Henry was Catherine's third husband having been widowed twice.  Was appointed reagent while Henry was fighting in France.  Strong Protestant.  Wrote two published books.

So there you have it. 

Divorced, beheaded, died.  Divorced, beheaded, survived!

A lot of coupons

Betsy's Price is Right: A lot of coupons: Coupons.com has a lot of coupons. Don't forget to grab them before the end of the month! Here are some of them handy for you! • $5.00 ...

AND THE WINNER IS.......

I'm here to announce the winner of the Organized Ramblings giveaway!

The winner selected by Random.org is....Melissa Oneal !!!

Remember you can always purchase a copy of it yourself by just clicking the picture of it in this post or in my Amazon carousel to the right.

Thanks to all who participated and especially to Catherine Jaime who made it all possible!!

Homemade Edible Finger Paint

I came across this cool site entitled Hands On: As We Grow  It's an awesome resource for craft ideas.  Her boys are 3 years and 11 months, but many are applicable to other ages. 

This past week she posted about tape resist art and homemade finger paint.  Doesn't it look cool?



Tim Hawkins-- Girls vs. Boys

This is just too funny and too true not to share. Enjoy!

For those of us not facing the hurricane...

 

Definitely have been praying for the East Coast.  What a week for them!  A earthquake for some and now a hurricane!

While we are busy praying, we can also use the opportunity to educate.

Here's a few resources I dug up.

A to Z Teacher Stuff--lesson plans

EdHelper.com--reading comprehension, read and color, puzzles

Lesson Plans Page--lesson plan about tracking hurricanes

Southeastern Louisiana University--hurricane unit

National Weather Service--the National Hurricane Center

Enchanted Learning--various activities for early and fluent readers
(some free, some not)

ABCTeach.com--weather including some hurricane items
(some free, some not)

Lesson Plans 4 Teachers--lessons and units

The Preeminence of Jesus Is for Everyday Life

I know this was written by a dad, but the truth is the truth.  It's a great reminder for us all!  Well, I guess I should just speak for myself.  Maybe you've got your act together!!  :-)



The Preeminence of Jesus Is for Everyday Life


by Jonathan Parnell
August 23, 2011

I recently spent a whole day tucked away at a local library. It was a golden spot. Quiet. Secluded. I sat beneath a shower of grace: an open Bible, a hungry soul, a copy of Owen’s The Glory of Christ. I spent several good hours there reading and praying and preparing for a sermon about Jesus and his glory. It was easy to walk close with Jesus alone in the library.

I left that spot and within an hour found myself quickly ushered back into the mess of everyday life in the form of my defiant three-year-old and her younger sister who really needed a diaper change. I longed to be back at that library, tucked away from the mess and headache of real life — that is, until it dawned on me that in the middle of such a mess is where I really live, and that Jesus wants it that way. This is where most everyone lives, and if the supremacy of Jesus doesn’t land on us here, in the mess of the everyday, then we’ll spend our days oblivious to its wonder. I didn’t need to escape back to the library. I needed Jesus right then and there.


Read the rest of the article HERE.

A Girl's First Domestic Domain

I had planned on sharing this post from Raising Homemakers because it was a great piece about allowing  your daughter's bedroom be her first training ground.

However, it became more to me than that. One little section has caused me to pause and re-evaluate the reason to keep the house clean. 
"We don’t keep our homes clean so others will ooh and aah over what we have accomplished or so our friends will like us, we keep our homes clean because we are a direct reflection of the Lord, a God of order, not chaos. (2 Cor 3:18)"


It made an impact the other night when I had to wake my daughter up to finish cleaning her room.  Needless to say, she was not happy about it.  After the chore was finally completed, I had the opportunity to share the difference between order and chaos, the fact that God is a God of order in whose image we were made, AND the that it was something we both needed to work on.

It has made a difference looking at the table or the floor and realize I need to bring order to the chaos.  I've also told mija today, "The bathroom floor is in choas.  Please bring some order to it."  She knew exactly to what I was refering and how it glorified God the creator.

So, here's the article that made a difference to me these last few days:

A Girl’s First Domestic Domain

by Amy on August 22, 2011

My daughters share a bedroom. It’s a lovely space with khaki-colored walls and equine-inspired decor. It is a place that is distinctly “them,” a blending of two unique individuals.

Where many people see a place to sleep, I see a place to practice. A domain all their own where creativity and orderliness can take flight.

Creativity and Orderliness.

These two must go hand in hand or you will quickly find your daughters amassing enormous quantities of paper bits, posters, trinkets, and knick-knacks. But never fear! You can teach your daughters how to care for their very first domain beautifully and neatly.

To read the rest click HERE.


This article was posted on August 22 on Raising Homemakers.  I knew I was going to post it because it makes a very valid point about having your daughter's bedroom become the training ground for her future role.

ThredUp--I'm going to try it.

As wives and mothers, I know we are always trying to find ways to save money.  Buying used clothes is one of the ways I do it.  Here's a site I just found out about.


Betsy's Price is Right: ThredUp--I'm going to try it.: I just had to share this because I'm going to try it. ThredUp is a kids clothing swap. People post boxes of "pre-loved" clothing, book...

Cafemom--a new homeschooling resource

I actually posted about cafemom on my couponing blog first, because I thought it would connect me with couponing and savings deals.  I think it will, but in fact, I've been gaining more homeschooling ideas and encouragement!  Needless to say, that means I need to share it with you!

Cafemom is a social network for moms.  You can write a thought bubble (status), join groups, make friends, and play games. 

Groups are numerous and diverse.  Of course, there are a multitude of home schooling groups, and coupon groups, and how about a group for dinner ideas or snack ideas?  Need some encouragement or ideas for your special needs child?  Hobbies, politics, religion.  All kind of groups.

Yes, I have wasted some time on "Cupcake Corner," but I've also found out about new things, been able to share encouragement and even receive it in just the few days I've joined.  In fact, some of the new things I've discovered, I'll be writing about here. 

So, if you'd like to join me, stop by cafemom.com and sign up. You know you're going to have at least one thing in common with everyone!  Being a mom.  It's free and only takes a minute to join.  Make sure to look me up and friend me!  :-)

Earthquakes Everywhere! Learning Opportunities Everywhere!

Wow!  Colorado yesterday.  Virginia/Washington D.C. today.  Thankfully, there doesn't seem to any major damage at this point.

But, leave it to homeschoolers to make lemonade from lemons.

We can take the lemon of earthquakes and turn them into the lemonade of learning!

Here are a few earthquake sources I found quickly. 

HomeSchoolShare.com: Free Earthquake Unit & Lapbook

EdHelper.com: Earthquake Reading Comprehension, Read and Color, Puzzles, and more

Geology.com: Earthquake Lesson Plans and Learning Activities

TeacherPlanet.com: Units, Worksheets, Activities and more

Well, that should be a good start!  Leave a comment if you've have found others that are helpful!

Organized Ramblings---a review and GIVEAWAY!!! UPDATED

Do you remember Catherine Jaime?  I reviewed her Math Facts Fun game back in July.

Catherine has spent 30 years homeschooling her 12 children. I think that is a great knowledge base from which to glean! 

Thankfully, she's more than willing to share.  She's written a book, Organized Ramblings: Home Education From A to Z.  I even have it listed on my Amazon carousel over on the right.

What can I say about it?  It's "organized" and it's "ramblings."  Actually, it is organized, and it's only rambling in the sense that it covers many different topics.  She shares all kinds of things that can give you ideas to consider or to do.

There are 26 chapters in the book one chapter for each letter of the alphabet (Get it?  A to Z?).  Then she's gathered all her thoughts on that topic in each chapter.  There are chapters you might expect like "Bible and Discipleship" and "History and Geography."  Then there are other chapters that might surprise and give you food for thought.  How about "Drama including Shakespeare" or "Kids (the 4 legged kind)."  

I wanted to share about this book during August because I think it could be encouraging as we start the new school year.  I'm always looking for ideas and encouragement.  You will definitely get that from this book.

And so, Catherine who has just recently returned from Albania. (Did I mention she's a world traveler?) is offering a free copy to one of my readers! 

Here is all you need to do in order to enter. 

1. Go to Catherine's product site at CreativeLearningConnection.com.  BTW, there are a lot of other great stuff on the site as well.

2. Pick out one of her products that really sparks your interest. 
3. Post the title in a comment below.
4.  TaDa!!  You're entered.

UPDATE:  PLEASE UNDERSTAND THE GIVEAWAY IS FOR A COPY OF ORGANIZED RAMBLINGS.  The comment is merely to mention what other products you find interesting.

The last day to enter will be Saturday, August 27, and I will post the winner on Monday, August 28.

And you know what?  I'll give you an extra entry if you blog, Facebook, or Tweet about the give away.  This only counts after you do the above entry.  Make sure to do one comment for each thing to give yourself better chances.

Now, keep in mind, you can always just purchase the book if you don't want to wait.  Just go to Organized Ramblings: Home Education From A to Z.  AND it's even available in a Kindle Version!

Free Personalized Photo Calendar---think Christmas...

Betsy's Price is Right: Free Personalized Photo Calendar---think Christmas...: I've been making a personalized calendar for my MIL for Christmas for a few years now. My sister makes one for my mom (much easier with onl...

Freebie Site & Free audio Chronicles of Narnia

First, have I mentioned Homeschool Freebie of the Day?  If not, shame on me.  You sign up and they send you a list of items they will make available for free each day of the week.  Sometimes it's a math primer.  Sometimes, it's copy work.  Sometimes, it's a reader.  Next it might be counting cards.

A few weeks ago they sent out a link for the complete audio series of The Chronicles of Narnia.  They are available through Ancient Faith Radio, so the series is readily available.  The seven books are broken down into about 101 half-hour podcasts you can listen to online or download.

Make sure to check out both sites!

Don't take a bath & other things I learned from 5 R's of Godly Womanhood

Don't take a bath.



That is only one  of the many pearls of wisdom I gained this month from listening to Godly Womanhood: The 5 R's for Homeschool Moms by Lorrie Flem.  I reviewed the first 2 R's of this Eternal Encouragement resource last month.  This month I gleaned from the last 3 R's which are Refine, Rejuvenate and Rest.

The set includes 5 MP3s and 5 e-books and is available for $24.97 HERE at Eternal Encouragement. 

Why don't you go purchase it now while I wait for you?

Back?

Good. 

While you were gone, I learned to view my housekeeping as a God given career and plan to improve it. 

That was definitely a challenge to me.  I've often used homeschooling as an excuse for my messy house.  In fact, a friend credits this fact to the safety of her home. Awhile back, they awoke to find their front door broken in. Nothing was taken, however. She thought nothing was stolen because the thieves didn't want to deal with the chaos in her living room!

True story.

But Lorrie challenged me to not accept where it is but to plan on improving my performance just like someone who works in a career outside of the home would do.

Then in Rejuvenate, Lorrie taught about CRIJ.  It can be a challenge to get all four elements together in my own obedience! When it comes to mija, well sometimes I might get CRI but no J, but on a really bad day I may only get a C.  Then sometimes, I don't know if because she's sanguine or because she's a blonde, but C and I go out the window leaving only an attempt at R and J.

I'm sure you'll understand better when you listen to Rejuvenate for yourself.


In Rest, I learned that for my rest tomorrow, I have to work today. Lorrie taught me there is a lot more to resting than just attempting to get time alone.
Which reminds me.

Don't take a bath.

I received a complimentary copy of the 5 R's of Godly Womanhood as part of The Gabby Moms in exchange for my honest review.

Sunday Insert Preview

Betsy's Price is Right: Sunday Insert Preview: Don't forget to check on what's in the Sunday inserts. Early bird gets the worm and all that!

School Supply or Craft Tote

This is a win-win project.  You get to recycle and get a great supply tote all in one!  It would be a much more attractive way to store some of my homeschool supplies! 

Just go to Your Home. Well Done. to find the supply list and details!

Back to School Treat

Back to school is a big deal regardless if you school at home or elsewhere.  Sometimes, however, I think it's easier to overlook celebrating or making it special when it's at home.  After all, it's at home. 

When I saw this adorable treat, I just had to share it. 

Just go to  Rook No. 17 to find out the details.

Not-Extreme Couponing Resource Links

Betsy's Price is Right: Not-Extreme Couponing Resource Links: "In an attempt to make things easier, I've but all the links I've mentioned (and more) from my first Couponing Class. This way, all you have..."

A Quiznos Deal

Betsy's Price is Right: A Quiznos Deal: "While I've been finishing up preparing for my first coupon class tonight, I came across a Quiznos coupon deal. There are four different cou..."

PhysicsCentral giving away FREE Science Posters

PhysicsCentral

Is giving away free science posters.  Just click the link to order yours!

Sunday Insert Preview

"Ready to plan your couponing for the weekend? Just click below and get a head start!"

New Youth Curriculum on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

New Youth Curriculum on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood



Children Desiring God has come with a new study about biblical manhood and womanhood for junior and senior high students.  It includes powerpoint presentations and student journals

Go to the link for a video and more information.

Teaching Our Babes to Clean

I must be on a "kids and cleaning" kick.  A week ago, I posted Kids and Chores by Living on a Dime.

I think it's important to me because I was not raised that way when I was young.  It has given me challenges to this day as you can read about in my blog. 

Both my husband and I agreed a long time ago, that teaching mija to work around the house would be a priority.  This is especially true as I attempt to fulfill the role of the Titus 2:4-5 woman in the life of mija.  "...and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled."  How can I train her to "work at home" if I don't train to work at home? 

So here's a post from Raising Homemakers back in May with more ideas about starting them out right!




Teaching Our Babes To Clean



by Guest Poster on May 14, 2011 in Cleaning


Living in a family is messy business. Ok, living is messy – I can’t blame it all on everyone else! Clothes get dirty, food spills, kids squirt toothpaste all over the bathroom sink and leave it there to dry, boys miss the toilet leaving their bathroom smelling like pee, windows smear, markers and crayons leave marks on hardwood and tile and carpet.

 I’ve finally realized that I don’t have to keep up with it by myself, and more importantly I shouldn’t keep up with it myself. I do my children a disservice by cleaning up after them. Learning how to clean up after yourself, wash dishes, launder clothes, and care for your home should be a part of growing up.


I’ll be honest though — when I first began thinking about how to teach basic home skills to my kids, I was a little anxious about all the cleaners and the chemicals in them. Certain products in particular, like bleach, tile cleaner, antibacterial wipes and sprays, and glass cleaner, have toxic ingredients dangerous to breathe or ingest. I struggled (still do) with letting my children handle these products; yet at the same time I need to teach them how to be safe.


I decided to approach in in two ways.  To find out what she did, please click here.

Vistaprint deal for Wed. 8/10...PERSONALIZED NOTEB...

These are so cool! You've got to check them out.

Betsy's Price is Right: Vistaprint deal for Wed. 8/10...PERSONALIZED NOTEB...: "The Back $2 School deal for today is soooo coooool especially for this time of year with school starting! It's a personalized notebook! ..."

Betsy's Price is Right: Vistaprint $2 Tote bag TODAY 8/9 ONLY

Betsy's Price is Right: Vistaprint $2 Tote bag TODAY 8/9 ONLY: "Vistaprint has been running a Back $2 School deal this week. Thankfully, I've only missed day one! I've used Vistaprint before and have ..."

Free Expo Markers, anyone? [EXPIRED}

8/9  I just checked and the coupon was gone.  :-(  Sorry if you missed out!


I don't know about you, but I use Expo/dry erase markers quite frequently while homeschooling.

Well, there's a great deal right now.

There are coupons for $2/2 Expo Markers at Coupons.com.  Just go to office supplies to find it quicker.

Here's the deal I found out about on Kansas City Mamas. 

Walgreens have 2 pack Expo Markers on sale for $0.99 which means you can get two packs for FREE.  In fact, you can can get four packs for FREE because you can print the coupon twice.

Next week, you could also do this deal:

Purchase (2) Expo Dry Erase Markers, 6 pack @$3.99 each

Use $2/2 Expo Dry Erase Marker Coupon
And then use $3/1 Expo Dry Erase Markers from Walgreens In-Store August Coupon Book
FREE after coupons

Hurry!  This type of coupon disappears quickly! 

Couponing---part of my home life if you couldn't tell

My original blog was my coupon blog.  I've expanded it some to include money saving and such.  I've started linking my blog posts over to this blog as well.  I'm sure you've noticed.  Well, at least I hope you've noticed!

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know officially that I've been doing that because as this blog has expanded to home in general, I felt my couponing things applied as well.  If you like my blog more for the home education aspects, well, consider my couponing as teaching thrift to my daughter!

So,  I'll continue to send links over here when I post over there just in case you're interested.  I'll also post a few links on my side bar that I find helpful in being the homemaker God wants me to be.  So far, I've added Swag bucks (which I've also used to get free curriculum) and Coupons.com (which I've also used to get free or really cheap school supplies).  See!  A woman's life is like a plate of spaghetti.  Every strand touches and connects with everything else!

Also, for those in the area.  My coupon class at church has been rescheduled until Monday, Aug. 15 which is next Monday.  I'm calling it "Not Extreme Couponing".    It will cover just the basics, but you can run with it and become as extreme as you'd like!

I'm going back to Spelling City and moving in!

You may not recall, but back in February, I did a review for Spelling City entitled "Spelling City Here I Come."  It had been totally unsolicited.  However, Spelling City found out about it and offered me the opportunity to try the premium membership for further review.

Here it is!  Perfect timing as many prepare for a new school year.

First, I want to mention, in case you didn't go back and read my original review, that I really like Spelling City.  In fact, I even tried the spelling test part with my daughter, and she did an excellent job.  I was afraid that it would test her keyboarding instead of her spelling, but that wasn't the case.  Only once did she miss a word due to a typo and the site allowed me to retest that one word to verify she knew it.

Now, the differences between the basic and the premium...I thought I'd post a chart from their site so you can see it easier than I could explain it.

I think the premium features are nice for all and great for some. 

Here are some of the things I really liked about the premium program. 

First, mija really enjoyed the premium games even more than she did the regular games.  Not necessarily a reason to purchase a premium membership, but noted none-the-less.

But one thing we both enjoyed was the opportunity for her to sign into the site herself.  She thought it was "cool" while I appreciated the fact that I could keep track of what she was doing on the site.  The site kept track of everything she played, reviewed, and tested.  It even kept track of her test grades and what words she missed. 

This was one of the nice things for a home educator of one, but for a mom of more than one or a teacher in a classroom, this would be a really nice benefit.  It keeps track for you!

Here's an example of the information you would be able to see for each student.  Their format is much nicer than my copy and past below.

List 31      Spelling Test                05/02/2011 5:27 pm           93 %         tomorrow
                                                  completed at: 5:36 pm

List 31      Game - Teach Me        05/02/2011 5:17 pm

List 31      Game - Flash Cards     04/25/2011 12:29 pm

List 31      Game - Which Word - Definitions            04/25/2011 12:21 pm
                                                                              completed at: 12:21 pm

List 31      Game - Crossword       04/25/2011 12:18 pm
                                                   completed at: 12:20 pm 

List 31      Game - Flash Cards      04/25/2011 12:09 pm

List 31      Game - Teach Me         04/25/2011 12:06 pm

I only wish that all the activities would tell me when she completed or stopped playing it.  In a state that requires total hours, how many minutes is just as important as what she did and what date.

Another benefit for those with more than one student is the ability to make different lists.  You can have a list for each of your different grade or ability levels, have them review, test and keep track of it all on the site. 

Regardless of the number in your class, the ability to write your own definitions for your words is a plus with the premium membership.  In this way you can make it correlate with the definitions they are learning in their curricula.  I say curricula because you truly can have a different lists for various subjects going all at the same time.  In that way, SpellingCity.com spans across the subjects spectrum.  So not only do you benefit with the language arts realm, you can do science or history vocabulary.  You can even do math as Maria of Math Mammoth pointed out!

All this to say that Spelling City is going to stay apart of my home educating routine.  I give the site as whole and the premium membership a firm "A" for all users and an "A+" for those with multiple students.

The $24.99 for up to 5 home school students is a well-valued investment even if you only have one student.  Prices vary for classroom usage.

Thanks to SpellingCity.com for allowing me to try the premium membership!



See you at CVS, Finally

Betsy's Price is Right: See you at CVS, Finally: "I didn't get to CVS until yesterday (Friday), but I did get all three items! Two were from SavingsLifestyle.com Gillette Fusion ProGlide..."

Betsy's Price is Right: Walgreens Work Out

Betsy's Price is Right: Walgreens Work Out: "Did you score your $1.50 for a 12 pack of TP on Sunday? It was only a Sunday deal because it involved a IVC that started for August and a R..."

Betsy's Price is Right: Hoarding it HyVee-style

Betsy's Price is Right: Hoarding it HyVee-style: "I am not a hoarder. Eleven boxes of frosted shredded wheat cereal is a stockpile not a hoard! Trust me. The way my husband and daughter g..."

Kids and Chores

Can enough ever be said about kids and chaores?  I'm a firm supporter in child labor!  The cutie in the picture is mija (my daughter).  

Today's e-mail from Living On A Dime was about "Kids and Chores". 

Kids and Chores

Usually, when I write about something I take into account the fact that there are so many different life situations and different people. I usually consider that everyone has his or her own special needs so I try to not be too dogmatic about what a person should do in a situation.

But when it comes to injustices towards children, I do tend to be more - hmm, what's the word? -- As much as I hate to use the phrase, I'll say "more narrow minded." In the same way I would react if I saw a child being physically abused, I'm afraid I do get upset when I see parents who are emotionally hurting their children, too.

One of those areas where I am seeing this problem more and more is when parents don't expect their children to do chores or to help at home. The sad thing is that parents think they are doing something nice for their kids by not asking them to do chores and "forcing" them to work.

The reality is that many parents, even though they do love their children, don't love their children more than they love themselves. Before you start screaming, clicking the delete button or having a heart attack let me explain what I mean and see if you might end up agreeing with me just a little, even if what I said sounds harsh.

Here are some reasons why parents don't make their kids do chores.
•I get tired of fighting with them and telling them to do their chores.

•I'm afraid the kids will be mad at me and not like me.

•I'm too busy to keep track of things and remind my children to do their chores.

•It is easier for me to do the work myself.

•I don't know how to teach them.

•I feel guilty because of my divorce, moving, job loss.....

Do you see how all of the excuses are things that will cause some kind of physical or emotional discomfort for the parents? It isn't easy being a parent and I, like many other parents before me and after me will at one point in their lives do one or all of the above things. What's important is to be aware of when you're doing it and to try your best not to let it happen too often.

If you think I'm being overly dramatic, think about this:
•Not knowing how to clean a home or wash dishes can lead to poor health for your kids and their families.

•Not knowing how to cook can be financially devastating. When times are hard and your grown kids can't go out to eat, they wouldn't begin to know how to save. How many of you have had times in your lives when you couldn't afford to go out to eat and needed to cook at home but found that you didn't even know how to go to the grocery store and shop, let alone cook? How many of you, when you first tried this, had shell shock when you went to pay for the groceries. I know one young woman still living at home who said, "My mom pays very little for groceries - only about $300." The mom looked at her and said, "Uh... more like $750." The bottom line is that many older kids don't have a clue about how to cook and shop for groceries or about many other things they should be learning...

It would take too much room for me to list all of the physical reasons kids need to learn practical life skills but I think you get the idea.
 
More than anything, though, I get concerned with how lack of responsibility and knowledge of basic life skills impacts kids emotionally. My heart breaks to see young moms or dads struggling to learn how to do things for their families that should have been second nature to them by the time they reached their early 20's.

How lack of practical training affects children:
•Lowers their self confidence and self esteem.

•Can be very embarrassing, humiliating and painful, especially in the case of a young man his ego.

•Adds more stress to an already stress filled life. At a time when young people are having to learn to live on their own, they are often trying to deal with all the difficulties of being newly married or new parents. If they are also having to learn life skills they should have been taught when they were 10, it can be much more difficult for them.

No wonder so many 20-something young people are struggling, have low self esteem and don't want to leave home. How can they leave when they don't know how to take care of themselves?

These are some of the repercussions of not having kids do chores. And so many of us thought it was no big deal. Now do you see my frustration in this trenI know it is hard. We are tired and overwhelmed and don't know where to begin, but we must teach our children. Being responsible for your children and their needs goes way beyond making sure there is enough money for food, shelter and clothing. You need to be responsible for their many other needs, too, no matter how much work and sacrifice it is for you as a parent.

In closing, there is nothing more frustrating than to hear someone tell you what you should do but end before telling you how to do it, so here are a few more articles from LivingOnADime.com that include practical ways to help you learn to teach kids' chores and follow through on overseeing that the chores get done.


Organizing Kids Rooms - Detailed information about how to teach kids chores and how to manage and motivate them.
Sample kids' chore charts to make assigning responsibilities easier.
One other thing that is important is teaching kids about money.
-Jill

Summer Road Trip #1: Car Snacks

I came across Thrive and her post Thrive: Summer Road Trip #1: Car Snacks with some easy travel snack ideas.  While we don't get to vacation much, I'm always looking for easy snacks for visits to the park or a field trip.  Just go to the link above for a few ideas.

Adorable Firefly/Lightening Bug Craft

You say "to-may-to" and I say "to-mah-to".  You say firefly and I say ligthening bug!

Either way.  These are adorable!!!!

Go to www.ohdeedoh.com to find out the easy details.

Think how cute a craft it would be during an insect unit!

Quote

I realized I hadn't posted any quotes for awhile.  I came across this one today which I think says a lot.

"We must create out of the younger generation a generation of Communists. We must turn children, who can be shaped like wax, into real, good Communists. ... We must remove the children from the crude influence of their families. We must take them over and, to speak frankly, nationalize them. From the first days of their lives they will be under the healthy influence of Communist children's nurseries and schools. There they will grow up to be real Communists."


-- Communist Party Education Workers Congress