A Joy Filled Home

By Nicole VanGelder

Homeschool Prep Tips

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I love the start of a new homeschool year! New school supplies, plans, books…it is an exciting time filled with hope and anticipation for all that the new year will hold. But, this can also be overwhelming, because homeschool is a lot. This is especially true if you are just starting out, are adding a new student (or “little” to occupy while the older ones are doing school), are coming off a difficult year, etc. 

To help make your process easier, I’ve thought through what steps I take and am sharing some of the key ones below. I hope they are helpful for you! However, keep in mind that each family is unique with its own structure, personality and needs. So, use what I share to help spur you on as you create your own process.

HOMESCHOOL PREP TIPS:

1.) PRAY

If possible, this should be your first step. Spend time in prayer before you do anything else! (If you’ve already spent time preparing for the year, it isn’t too late though!) It is easy to ask the Lord to bless what you’ve already decided to do, but this isn’t what I am talking about. I mean, spend some time asking the Lord to give you wisdom and an understanding heart for the year ahead. Ask Him what He would have you do with the year ahead. Then, listen! Make note of what He says—thoughts you have or something that happens in your heart, etc. Then, make (or adjust!) your plans accordingly. 

2.) DETERMINE YOUR TOP PRIORITY / VALUE

During this next school year there will be many tasks you need to accomplish. However, those are separate from this. This is the driving value that will determine the how not the what. For example, it may be that the main reason you are homeschooling is for the connection it will create between you and your child(ren). Or maybe you want the opportunity to engage more purposely with their spiritual formation. Perhaps, it is because your child is coming out of a tough season and you are trying to protect them and help them regain their sense of self.  Even if you are homeschooling because you have no other option, there should be a top priority, even if it is simply to survive the year with your sanity intact. (I do encourage you to dream at least a step beyond this, however!) It is important to know this because it will inform the way you approach everything else. If your goal is connection, then it is important to keep that in mind so that you protect your connection in the midst of the busy days. Determine your top priority and then allow it to help shape the plans you make!

3.) KNOW YOUR TOP 3-5 GOALS

There will be many things for you to accomplish this year. Some are required because of the stage and age of your children. Others are skills or activities that you want to add for other reasons. One of the best things about homeschooling is the fact that you can tailor your experience to encompass all of this! However, it is helpful to know what your top 3-5 goals for the year are. These are practical things that you need to accomplish. These can be a subject or curriculum or a skills your child needs to develop or grow in. Whatever the case, knowing clearly what they are is important because if a day comes when you hit a bump in the road—a life circumstance, a child struggling in grasping a subject or skill, etc.—you can pare down the rest of what you are doing and focus on the top goals only. Then, as the road smooths out, you can add back the “extras”. This helps you to maintain progress and, ultimately, will lead you to a successful year, even if it looks differently than you had originally planned. 

4.) RESOURCES

There are so many amazing resources out there to help with homeschooling today! Take advantage of them! I highly recommend finding a complete curriculum to use as your base. This is so helpful in helping to give you a framework for each year. It is also extremely helpful in your record keeping (especially for older kids who will need to have credits organized on their transcripts, and so on). However, with that said, use the resources out there to your advantage! It may take some time, but don’t be afraid to tweak the curriculum to better fit your family That way you can use its strengths without being limited by its weaknesses. No curriculum will be perfect! I especially recommend this for larger families. I use the same curriculum each year, however, I have tweaked it over time—subbing in books that I prefer, etc. I still cover the same subjects and it helps me to have peace of mind that all of the basics are covered. But, I have found books and prefer for various reasons and that work better for my kids in some of the areas. Also, there is a lot of variety in both styles and price ranges in terms of what is available. So, take the time to research a little to find what best fits you. (And, if you settle on something and it doesn’t work, that stinks! But, don’t let the cost you’ve contributed keep you tied to something that isn’t a good fit. Instead, as you are able, make changes.)  

Also, on the topic of resources, homeschooling is the perfect opportunity to tailor your classes according to the skills and interests of your children. You may need some time to simply get the basics figured out. But, then, I do encourage you to add subjects or special projects that help them to discover more about the things they are naturally interested in. Bonus points if you can do this for the core subjects, too. 

5.) FORMS

A note on forms: The emotion is usually (if not always) disproportionate to the experience.. For whatever reason, filling out the required intent to homeschool forms feels terrifying. But, it is actually quite simple—at least in MN. So, I encourage you to just do it! Note: There are forms available on-line that you can print off and mail in to your school district. I highly encourage you to use those. They are available on several sites with a simple google search such as, “homeschooling mn forms”.  (Many useful sites are out there that will answer any questions you have about requirements and so on.) 

6.) SCHEDULE

I definitely recommend taking time to plan out your schedule for the year—both your daily schedule as well as optional field trips, etc. For your daily schedule, think through when & where you will be doing school, what meal and/or snack times will look like, and what your expectations are for both your kids and yourself during school time. Helpful questions to consider are along these lines: 

*What does it mean in your home to be ready for the school day? (For example: Is it okay to show up for school in PJs? Is breakfast a part of the day or do they need to eat beforehand? Etc.) 

*Are your kids allowed to have a break before all of their school work is completed? 

*Can they do independent work in their rooms? 

*Are there daily chores you want to build into their schedule?

*What is acceptable for you during school? (For example: Is it okay to pause and throw in a load of laundry? What about checking your email?)

*What are your plans for any “littles” that you may have who aren’t yet in school? How can you help them to be successfully occupied during school time? 

*When will you check over any independent work? 

This is by no means an exhaustive list! But, hopefully these questions have helped you think through what daily life in your home looks like and what factors will be helpful for you to consider going into the school year. Setting clear expectations will help everyone to be successful! I highly encourage you to set the bar high, too. I don’t mean impossibly so, of course. But, it is much easier to loosen expectations & requirements as you go than to tighten them. 

A few other notes: If you are adding a spiritual element into your day, I recommend doing it first. It is all too easy to throw it out the window if the day gets busy otherwise. Also, I highly recommend doing the hardest subjects first—these can be the most difficult for your students and/or for you! Either way, it is helpful to tackle those things first because then you won’t be tempted to not do it if the day gets busy, plus it helps you to end the day on a high note if you save the “fun” stuff for later. 

Finally, don’t hold to the schedule you create as though it is unmovable. I do encourage you to stick with it for at least a couple of weeks to give you and your family time to adjust to it. But, then, feel free to tweak it here and there to best suit your families needs. Remember also that what works in one season may not fit in the next. 

7.) ORGANIZATION

The more organized you can be, the easier life will be! However, organized doesn’t mean that there is no mess or noise, etc. (Make your peace with days of organized chaos! You home is now a schoolroom, lunchroom, gymnasium, preschool, possibly your remote work office, etc. Life is messy! But, it can still be organized.) Also, keep your organization as simple as possible. You want to set a standard that is attainable for both you and your kids. 

A few tips: Everything should have a home—including your children’s schoolwork. If you have a separate school space, this should hopefully be fairly easy. But, even if you don’t, try to find a space where school books belong when they aren’t in use I also recommend providing a binder (or shelf or bin) for each child that they can keep their school papers & projects in. Also, help your children to grow their organization skills by making them responsible to put their papers, books, supplies away. (This means the system needs to be simple enough for them to be able to easily follow it!) Along with this, I highly recommend your students have an assignment notebook or a place in their binders to keep track of what independent school / chores they have to do. (Obviously, this is dependent on age.) This will help your days to go more smoothly, but even more importantly, will help them to grow in responsibility. 

8.) REMEMBER: YOU ARE A PARENT FIRST

Much like motherhood, homeschooling is a marathon, not a sprint. This means that some days you will be more tired than others! Parts of it you will find that you thrive in, hitting your stride! But in other areas you will need to keep going until you either develop the muscles needed or simply get through it (or—most likely, both). 

This means that there may be days that you need to work extra hard to protect your “mom / dad” relationship with your child. For example: Especially if your child is struggling as a student, you don’t want your relationship to be dominated by the ‘teacher / student” dynamic. You need to put that aside and connect as mom & child, too! (Or, maybe you are the one struggling. Same thing! Put aside the teacher hat & connect as a parent.) Hopefully your kids will experience you as a loving, engaged teacher. But, no matter what the school dynamic is like, it is especially important to protect your relationship with them as a loving, engaged parent!

Also, if you find that you are having trouble helping your child to be successful in an area or skill, don’t be afraid to get outside help. First of all, it doesn’t mean that homeschool is failing or you are failing. It may simply be that they need more help in a specific area. (This happens in public school, too!) As a parent, your number one priority is to help your child to be successful. So, don’t let the fact that you are their teacher stop you from getting them outside help or changing up your curriculum or methods to address the area that is need of help.*

*On a different note, but worth saying: Children don’t develop the same!! Some will easily grasp a subject while others may take more time. Don’t compare their progress with each other. And, don’t be too anxious if progress is slow. Instead, simply know what markers that require you to get outside help or address the situation differently. And, then don’t panic! Just keep going, giving both of you ample grace & patience as you grow together!

9.)  COMMUNITY LIFE: CO-OPS & OTHER ACTIVITIES.

As homeschool has grown in popularity, there are more and more co-ops and other activities that are available to homeschooling families. (Homeschooling kids are also able to participate in sports and other extra curricular activities in your local school district.) So, don’t feel limited by your choice to homeschool! It may require more intention on your part, but your children have the opportunity to be as involved in outside activities as you & they would like. 

With that said, don’t feel obligated to participate in any of it. Don’t base your choices off of what others do, either. Instead, look at what best fits your family! Because our family is a larger one, we have often limited outside activities like organized sports. This is a bummer! There are a lot of good things that come from participating in sports! However, the cost for us has always been too high. (For example: It would make family dinner a lot more difficult. Our family is on the larger side and it is very important to us that we have regular family time for many reasons, one being that it helps all of our kids maintain connection with each other. At dinner we talk about our day and specifically connect with what is happening in each other’s lives. We also do a prayer time together after during the school year. If we had kids participating in different sports that would all but be eliminated as the family scattered in different directions to drive, cheer kids on, etc.) That is the choice that we have made, but that doesn’t mean it is the right choice for another family. It also isn’t necessarily going to even be the right choice for us in every season. The point is that you should both be aware of what options are out there for you & your kids, and then you should make thoughtful & intentional choices based on the values & priorities driving your current season. 

10.) THE GOAL IS PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION.

No school is perfect. This is comforting because yours won’t be either. But, also? Yours won’t be either! Should I say it one more time, just to make sure you get it? You are not creating a perfect system! Instead, you are doing your best for your kids. This is all you can do. And, you know what? Chances are good that it will be enough! 

But, it means that things won’t be perfect. There may be days that you don’t get through all that you hoped to get through. In those times, know that happens to everyone. (Even the best public school teachers!) There may be days when things feel hard. That happens to everyone too. The good news is that you will learn (along with your kids) and things will get easier. Don’t be thrown off by imperfection. Instead, know that the journey is about progress! If plans are continually falling apart, stress levels are unbearably high & not going down as time passes, or your kids (or you!) are really struggling or failing to make progress—by all means, step back! Get help! Make changes! But, otherwise? Don’t be thrown by imperfection. No situation is going to be perfect. So instead of worrying about that, make peace with it. Then, keep going! You will be amazed at how far you & your kids will actually go as you faithfully stay the course. 

This is by no means an exhaustive list. But, I hope it was encouraging and helpful for you nonetheless. Homeschooling requires a lot, but it has amazing potential for you & your kids. So, know that the investment you make is worth it & there will be lasting good that will come from it! Blessings to you and your families at the start of this new year!

St. Patrick’s Day Fun

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St. Patrick’s Day is a great opportunity to shake up your homeschool routine a little, or just to have some fun celebrating the day with special family time outside of school hours. Following are a few of the ideas we have had fun with over the years. Enjoy! 

Media Recommendations:

Adventures in Odyssey does a great two part series that shares the life story of Maewyn Succat, the boy who we know as St.Patrick. You can find it here: 

https://www.adventuresinodyssey.com/episodes/394-saint-patrick-a-heart-a-fire-1-of-2/

VeggieTales does their own charming version of telling the story of “pig boy” aka: St.Patrick. You can find it here:

https://youtu.be/gBhG-7pj43E 

Writing Prompts:

Choose a writing prompt and give your kids 5-15 minutes (depending on the prompt you choose, plus their age and ability level) to write about it. Then have everyone share what they came up with. 

  1. The day started like any other, at least that is what you thought as you got out of bed & made your way down to the breakfast table. You didn’t pay much attention to the startled gasps in the room until your mom said, “Very funny. You turned yourself green for St. Patrick’s Day. It’s time to get ready for school though, so eat your breakfast & wash it off quickly.” Green? What is she talking about? Then you realize the hand holding your spoon is, in fact, green! Write about what happens next.
  2. Do you believe in luck? Why or why not?
  3. St. Patrick was a remarkable man. Although he was English by birth, he will forever be associated with Ireland because his faith in Jesus impacted that nation so dramatically. What country, culture, or area of society would you like to impact with your life and faith? Why? Brainstorm some ways this could happen. 
  4. Brainstorm an entire’s day worth of meals using only green foods. What would your menu include?
  5. Blinking, you rub your eyes in bewilderment. Yup, its still there. Quickly you close your eyes and then cautiously peek at the scene in front of you. “I must be asleep,” you think. “That has to be it.” You try to jolt yourself awake, but as you are doing so, you feel a tug on your pants. Startled you catch yourself just in time, before you kick what appears to be a quite real Leprechaun. You take the scene in—rainbow, Leprechaun, pot o’gold…wait, that’s not gold!

Easy Crafts:

  1. Color the provided three or four leaf clover coloring sheets. (You might want to add some extra sparkle with green glitter.)
    1. Three_Leaf_Clover_
    2. Four Leaf Clover
  2. Make a rainbow. Cut a paper plate in half & paint a rainbow on it. You can add streamers or yarn in matching colors by gluing them along then edges if you’d like to make it extra special. 
  3. Make a Clover “Suncatcher”:
    1. “Paint” glue on a piece of wax paper. Then put small pieces of different shades of green tissue paper onto the painted area. After it dries, peel the wax paper off & cut into the shape of a clover using the coloring pages provided above as a template. (You can keep the wax paper attached if it isn’t able to be removed easily.) Then tape to a window or use a hole punch and thread to create a way to hang it. 
    2. Put several shades of green crayon shavings between two pieces of wax paper. Then use an iron or hair dryer to melt the crayon shavings. Once it has cooled down, cut into the shape of a clover using the coloring pages above as a template. You may want to line the edges with a construction paper “frame”, but this step isn’t necessary. Then, hang in your window and enjoy!

Easy Green Treats:

  1. Make green rice cereal treats. Simply follow the directions to make rice cereal treats, adding in green food to the melted marshmallows. Let your kids have fun & do their best to craft a clover shape out of a small portion of it. Then, let them enjoy their treat! 
  2. Staying with the green theme, but straying from St. Patricks a bit: Read Green Eggs & Ham by Dr. Seuss. Then enjoy some green eggs & ham by simply adding some green food coloring, or a green veggie like spinach to the eggs as you scramble them. (A purée of green veggies works especially well.) If you’d like, you can make your ham green too. But, it also works to dice some ham and simply add it to your green eggs. 

12 Days of Family Fun — Complete List

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Christmas is almost here! But, it isn’t too late to create some special family time before it comes. No matter if you use the ideas below or find some of your own, I highly encourage you to take the time to do so. You will find your heart more connected to each other and the season, if you do! Note: More info on some of these can be found on our social media accounts. 

Day One: Watch Klaus with Carmel Puffcorn 

Find the list of other recommended Christmas movies here. 

Caramel Puffcorn recipe can be found on our Instagram Stories here. 

Day Two: Secret Santa (more info here)

This is something our kids do each year, but you could do it with a group of friends, extended family, etc. You can do it ahead of time & exchange gifts on Christmas, or you can do a fun shopping trip together: Everyone splits up & looks for a gift within a specific price range. You meet back together (at a restaurant to share a meal, if possible!) and exchange gifts.

Day Three: Homeschool Activities 

Learn how other countries celebrate Christmas, do a creative writing assignment, and more ideas can be found here. 

Day Four: Practice Generosity (find out more here)

There are many ways to practice generosity over the holidays: both by giving to organizations that help others & by giving to those around you as opportunity arises. And, generosity doesn’t have to be reserved for only those “in need”. Everyone benefits from kindness! It is also important to develop the habit of generosity all year long. However, some simple ideas that you still have time to do this year: donate (good food!) to a local food shelf; make a special treat & deliver it to your neighbors; call a local nursing home or hospital & find out if there is something you can contribute (covid restrictions have changed what is possible in some situations); and/or contribute financially to an organization that provides a Christmas meal to those who woolen’t otherwise have one (one option in the twin cities is Union Gospel Mission—www.ugmtc.org). 

Day Five: Make a Gingerbread House

At one time, I made a homemade Gingerbread train that had train cars that could be filled with treats. It was a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. And, honestly, it was not the easiest project for our kids to help with. So, when my husband had the brilliant idea to buy one of those kits that had everything you needed for a gingerbread house, ready for you to assemble ti, I only pushed back a little. And in the ensuing years it has become a special tradition—that is relaxing & fun!—that our kids look forward to. You can buy kits at most grocery & “big box” stores.

Day Six: Make Mickey & Minnie Christmas Oreos

Christmas Oreos2

christmas oreos

 

 

 

 

Find instructions here.

Day Seven: Make/Decorate a Felt Tree

For younger kids especially, it can be a lot of fun to decorate a large felt tree. These are available for sale on-line. However, another option that can be fun for older kids too is to create your own. Simply buy felt in green & brown to make a felt tree out of, plus other colors to create ornaments. Begin by cutting the green felt into a tree form (this can be as simple as a triange, if you’d like) then add a small square of brown on the bottom to be the stump. (I recommend using “Tacky Glue” or hot glue for this part.) Kids can then create ornaments for the tree with the remaining felt. While you can use velcro to secure the ornaments to the tree, it is not really necessary as the felt will stick together even without that pretty well. 

Day Eight: Grab some hot chocolate & go see some lights.

There is something so special about seeing houses, etc. all dressed up for Christmas. So, wait for it to get dark & go out as a family to see them. You can even have kids in pjs & all snuggled up & ready for bed upon your return. Doing it past bedtime helps to make it feel extra special, but since it gets dark so early in the winter, you can do it fairly early if you prefer. It is also fun to bring some hot chocolate along for the experience, too. Note: Often social media like the Nextdoor App will have recommendations for where to go and see lights in your area. 

Day Nine: Make Christmas Pancakes

Reindeer Pancake

Santa Panckae

Snowman Pancake

 

 

 

 

Using ingredients like pancakes, whip cream, chocolate chips, and fruit like strawberries you can make special Christmas themed pancakes. See pictures for examples of ones we’ve done. I highly recommend making homemade buttermilk pancakes to use for extra deliciousness, but it is not necessary. Note: I got this & the Minnie/Mickey Oreos ideas years ago on-line, but no longer know where the original ideas came from. 

 Day Ten: Christmas Shopping — with some extra blingChristmas Bling

Christmas shopping doesn’t have to be a chore. Make it fun! Add some extra bling and fun to keep the spirits light. On top of actual bling (see pics) you can make this time special by stopping for lunch out or a special treat. You could also create a scavenger hunt of sorts, keeping your eyes open to see how many Christmas sweaters you can find, which store has the longest line, the most packages you see someone carrying, etc. Small things can help you remain present in the moment and add special fun to you time.

Day Eleven: Read a Special Book

There are a lot of fun Christmas Themed books & many are available at your local library. But, a few that are more difficult to find there include: 

  • Red Ranger Came Calling by:Berkeley Breathed
  • Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo
  • Jacob’s Gift by Max Lucado
  • Santa’s Sleigh is on its way to MN by Eric James
  • Olaf’s Night Before Christmas by Disney Press
  • The Three Gifts of Christmas by Jennie Bishop

Day Twelve: Read the Christmas Story as a Family

No matter when or how (or what version you use), take the time to read the Christmas Story as a family. Yes, it is a familiar story. Yes, it might feel awkward if you haven’t done it before. Yes, the kids might get antsy. But, it will be worth it! Taking the time to remember & treasure the first Christmas—and invite Jesus to be a part of this Christmas—is invaluable. I recommend reading the account found in the Luke: 1:26-38 & 2:1-20. (The account of the Magi or wise men is found in Matthew 2, if you would like to include that.) 

Christmas Homeschool Ideas

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Christmas is full of amazing possibilities for homeschool. Since we are less than two weeks out, however, I imagine that you (like me) are looking for easy ideas that don’t require a lot of preparation. The good news is that the internet is full of resources to help! So, I will do my best to share a few of them here, along with a little of what our family has done in the past. 

First of all, one of my favorite units to do in the week(s) leading up to Christmas is to explore what Christmas looks like in different places.ornaments pic This can be as simple or elaborate as you would like it to be. There have been years that we have spent weeks on this: the older kids research the traditions and celebrations in other countries, present what they have learned (which I supplement as I am able with videos, additional information, etc.) and then we do some of the activities. We have created beautiful ornaments (seen in the pic at the right), eaten yummy food, and had a lot of fun doing this together. Unfortunately, while years ago I discovered a website that had great resources for a unit like this, it is no longer available on-line. The good news is that there are many other options easily available (both free & those with a cost). Here are a few I found with a quick search:

I also recommend looking at your local library for free resources!

A variation of the above idea is to learn about how Christmas was celebrated in history or in different regions of America. 

Other Ideas:

There are also many coloring sheets, word finds, crossword puzzles, and more for you to discover! Even a quick search can help you to find some resources to make the week(s) before Christmas special. One other activity I love is to do a few different writing prompts for creative writing. 

Writing Prompts: 

  • Write about your favorite Christmas time traditions
  • What is the favorite gift you have ever given to someone? What is the favorite gift you have received?
  • Imagine what the first Christmas would have been like. Describe it. 
  • Write the synopsis for a new Christmas movie. 

Story Starters:

  • “The elves were all hard at work in the workshop with last minute Christmas preparations, when suddenly a loud noise startled them…”
  • “We were all excited when it started to snow on Christmas! But, when New Year’s came and it was still snowing…”
  • “Our family was just about to sit down to Christmas dinner when our door opened and in burst a family we had never seen before. ’Hello! We’re here! Merry Christmas!’they greeted us warmly, as they took their jackets off, put down packages, and started to make themselves at home…”
  • “It was a night like all others. I was out with the sheep, keeping watch. I was feeling a little sleepy, actually. Then, suddenly…”

If you’d like, you can use the following pages for Christmas themed stories. There is also one that can be used to make a Christmas acrostic poem. 

Christmas Acrostic

Nativity Writing Paper

Reindeer Writing Paper

Snowman Writing Paper

Tree Writing Paper

There are so many more possibilities, but I hope this sparks some fun ideas for you and your kids. Christmas is a special time, so no matter what you end up doing in the days leading up to it, I hope it is filled with joy, connection, and peace!

Merry Christmas!!

A Homeschool Thanksgiving

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give thanksHello, my friends!

I had plans—great plans!—to put together a comprehensive Thanksgiving Unit for you all to enjoy in the days approaching the holiday this year. However, you know what they say about plans. As our family has been going through Covid the past several weeks (or more accurately, covid has been going through our family) plans have changed! Lol. Thankfully, we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and hopefully life will be returning to our version of normal very soon. However, I didn’t want to wait until then to try and get this together, as Thanksgiving is approaching quickly! 

The good news for you is that there are many resources available on-line to help you create a special Thanksgiving homeschool experience. Some years, we have gone all out and done entire units, other years (like this one) I just throw in one or two extra activities to celebrate the holiday. So, here are a few of the things we have done & enjoyed in the past. I hope you enjoy them too. Happiest of Thanksgivings to you all! 

A few of the Thanksgiving Homeschool Books we have used:

  • “Squanto: Friend of The Pilgrims” by Clyde Robert Bulla,  A simplistic chapter book that tells the story of Squanto (Tisquantum)’s life.
  • “Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving” by Joseph Bruchac, Illustrated by Greg Shed, A beautifully illustrated picture book for kids, told from Squanto’s perspective. 
  • “Almost Home: A Story Based on the Life of the Mayflower’s Young Mary Chilton” by Wendy Lawton  The story of what it was like to be one of the pilgrims, as told from a young, teenage girl’s perspective. 
  • “Thanksgiving on Thursday” a Magic Treehouse Book by Mary Pope Osborne

Also, fun for younger children: 

  • “In November” by Cynthia Rylant
  • “Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving” by James Dean
  • “The Thank You Book” (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems
  • “Thank You, Omu!” By One Mora (Not a thanksgiving book, but a great book about sharing and showing thanks.)

Writing Prompts:

  • It was the night before Thanksgiving and …
  • Thanksgiving told from the turkey’s perspective
  • This year, I am most thankful….
  • Imagine you were on the Mayflower
  • What is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition and why?
  • Thanksgiving Acrostic Poem 
  • How many words can you make out of the letters in “Thanksgiving”
  • List of 10* things I am thankful for 

*note: I adjust the number according to the age / writing level of the child completing it

Other:

  • Research the original Thanksgiving menu, bonus if you can find & execute a recipe
  • Research games kids would have played in 1621
  • Find out when Thanksgiving became a nationally recognized holiday. And, was it always celebrated on the the same Thursday in November?

 

Download a template for a Thanksgiving Acrostic Here Thanksgiving-Acrostic

Lined paper with a thanksgiving theme. Can be used with writing activities:  Give Thanks Paper and Thanksgiving Turkey Writing Paper

 

 

The Key to Success

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Our family enjoys playing video games together. Each time we play, I have a lot of fun. However, my game play never seems to improve. I do know why though. It’s because I don’t know what I am doing! Usually my game plan is to simply push as many buttons as possible in random order hoping that the end result is favorable. As you might imagine, this does not usually end favorably for me. I should mention, that my kids have tried to teach me better strategy. However, I don’t play often enough—and I’m not patient enough—to put in the energy required to learn. Although I might try to follow their lead for a little while, by the next time we play, I tend to be right back where I started—with no clear game plan, hoping that if I just do enough, I’ll somehow succeed.

I have been able to live with this strategy when it comes to video games. However, it becomes more of a problem when it becomes a strategy for life. One place where it is especially easy for this to creep into my daily life is in homeschooling. With seven children currently in school and one busy toddler that is currently in everything else, it can be easy to lose sight of my “game plan”. In these times, I find that I end up simply trying to get “everything” done. We go from subject to subject, chore to chore, meal to meal—basically pushing all the buttons randomly, hoping that the end result is success.

The problem is that not only is this not the pathway to success, but in times like this, I lose sight of what success even looks like! And, it is impossible to be successful if you don’t even know what you are aiming at!

The good news is that there is a simple way to fix this problem. The key to being successful at homeschooling (and pretty much all areas of life) is: know your one most important thing. That’s it. Know the most important reason why you homeschool. Then, aim everything in that direction. It’s amazing how doing this helps everything fall into place!

For me, the most important reason that I homeschool is so that my family has engaged, heart-connected, growing, fun relationships with one another. With the busyness of our life and the demands of ministry, etc. this would be much more difficult to accomplish if our children were enrolled in public school. But, homeschooling allows us to structure our lives so that connection remains a top priority. Obviously, this isn’t the only important goal of homeschooling. I also want my kids to receive a solid education! And, I work hard to ensure that this happens. But, I’ve discovered that when our relationships are thriving, our learning tends to thrive, too. I’ve also learned that keeping my heart engaged with each one of my kids doesn’t always automatically happen. It’s easy to go through the motions and get everything done only to realize at the end of the day that my heart wasn’t fully engaged with any of it. I know that I would regret it if I made it to the end of my homeschooling years and didn’t have an authentic, loving, connected family. I believe that these years are foundational for that.

Now, I’m not saying that this should be the most important reason why you homeschool. I don’t know what your most important thing is. But, you should! If you haven’t take the time to consider this before,  here are some questions that can help you to discover your one thing:

  • Why did you start to homeschool in the first place?*
  • What do you most hope to have happen during this time? (In other words: what is your desired outcome?)
  • What would you most regret if it did/did not happen?

(*I recognize that some of you are homeschooling simply because of current circumstance. However, even if that is the case, hopefully you see that the Lord’s hand is in this time. He promises to bring good out of every circumstance. So, rather than see this as something that has been forced upon you, what if you see it as an opportunity? Why do you think you have been given this opportunity? What is this time an opportunity for?)

Once you have answered these questions, you can begin to plan your days with this as a guiding value. It isn’t that you don’t need to fit the other things in. But, you need to do it in a way that honors the most important thing, This will also help you to know if you are succeeding or not! At the end of the day, do you see the fruit of this value in your family? If so—success! And, if not, that’s okay because you can see it. And, once you see it, you can adjust accordingly. Which leads me to one last thing…

Once you know your most important thing, you need to actually make it your most important thing. That is to say, you need your actions to back it up. This will require proactivity and it may be necessary to let go of other things! One example from my life is that my value for connection means that I have to simplify. I have to let go of some of the homeschool side projects that I get ideas for. I am never short of ideas, but I am short of time. When I add too many side projects to my plate—even those that compliment our curriculum—I actually find myself connecting less with my kids because of the stress of trying to accomplish everything. Sometimes this value means that I have to let go of my (very real!) desire for a consistently clean and organized house. Sometimes, on very rare occasions, it means that I actually call off a regularly planned afternoon to go to the zoo or play games together, if I realize that I have been in “go mode” for some time at the cost of our connection.

Knowing my most important thing has been such a lifesaver for me! It has given me clarity and helped to guide and shape our days. Now when I stray from my game plan, it quickly becomes obvious and I can readjust the direction that I’m heading to get back on track.

So, I encourage you—if you don’t know your most important thing, take some time to process. Figure out what it is and let it be a guiding value as you go through out your days.