Tag Archives: traditions

Holidays: Real-Life Learning in High Gear

One of the perks of homeschooling is getting to set your own schedule. As a girl, my eyes would take on a special shine this time of year as I would bask in getting to take the whole month of December off from formal studies.

But while we packed away the math and spelling books, my mom knew a little secret that I’ve now discovered walking in her shoes: the learning never stops.

It is a special time to cook – learning measurements, following directions and watching chemistry at work! It is a time to learn project management as you plan for the Christmas meal and pull your kids into the conundrum of figuring out how everything will be ready at approximately the same time. There is crafting and decorating. As family comes together there are fresh character lessons to learn as children interact with elderly relatives, work through conflict with cousins, etc. And as believers, this is a special time to quiet our hearts and enter into the wonder of the incarnation -God coming down to us!

To make the most of this special real-life learning/real-life living, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Slow Down

I can hear the groaning from all you Busy Moms… I know this can be a busy season, but the more we can take time to slow down and simply BE with our children the better. That’s one reason why we shelve the curriculum. I don’t want to miss out on the special moments with my kiddos. And let’s face it – it’s far easier to just do things ourselves sometimes than to slow down and bring our kids into the process. Resist the urge to sacrifice memory building training moments with our children merely for the sake of efficiency. When we are rushed, everyone suffers.

Brain Storm

With all of the *life* that is happening, there are myriads of learning opportunities for our children.

Have older kids? Why don’t you give them a budget and have them plan a Christmas party for their friends. If that doesn’t work, why not assign them Christmas Eve dinner and walk them through planning a menu, making a grocery list, setting an elegant table, etc… Have them help you plan the travel itenerary if you are heading out for the holidays.

With your younger one’s pull them into whatever you are doing. Yes, it slows you WAY down. But they are so eager to help. Cooking and cleaning alongside you not only draws you closer and begins to teach them important life skills, but it also helps hone fine-motor skills, counting and sorting skills as well as developing a strong work ethic.

Pull some special books together to read, learn about Christmas traditions around the world, make a fun craft together than can double as Christmas decor.

The opportunities are endless!

Embrace Spontaneity

As busy as we may get, always remember that we are never too busy to be with our children. Embrace the spontaneous opportunities to serve together, learn together and laugh together. Embrace the opportunity for discussion and pointing our children to the God we love and worship. Slow down and soak up the opportunities that come your way!

What kind of real-life learning opportunities do you experience this time of year?

Tips for Homeschooling Through the Holidays

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I’m not sure when I went from enjoying and anticipating the holidays to gradually tolerating and even dreading them.

It was probably some time after birthing and starting to homeschool eight children, running a home, serving at church and helping my entrepreneurial husband with his multitude of business ideas. I imagine that I am not alone in this lack of enthusiasm. It is easy to get anxious about the holidays when you consider all of the extras that will be added to your already overflowing plate with shopping, cooking, wrapping, and social commitments.

As a busy mom of many, one verse that I memorized, internalized and clung to from the early days is where Jesus said in Matthew 11:30,

“For my yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Which leaves a harried and overburdened soul with one simple conclusion… I must be carrying someone else’s load!

Tips for Homeschooling Through the Holidays

Pray
I suppose it is more natural in our humanness to look around for cues as to what to do with our families during the holiday season. If everyone else is doing it and appearing to enjoy it, maybe we should do it too. By praying about our family’s holiday celebrations, gift-giving, calendar and school schedule our family has been led to celebrate in lots of different ways. Some years we have continued schooling along with the public school schedule, other years we have taken off from Thanksgiving through the new year. Some years we have entertained, other years we have taken a family get away to the local mountains for some peace and quiet. Although at times we wondered about our decisions, in the end we were always blessed to seek and follow God’s promptings.

Relax
For many of us coming out of the public school system, there is a process of letting go of the school-at-home mentality. It makes us anxious to take a break from formal schooling for four weeks. In our home, we have settled on a small amount of core schooling (mainly math and phonics) during the holidays. We fill the rest of our days with read alouds, service opportunities, baking, crafting, shopping, letter writing and what ever else God lays on our hearts. For example, every year our family makes a calendar for our business clients. The kids help choose the photos, the layout and the captions. We have made homemade gifts and ornaments by searching online for ideas and choosing the ones that would apeal to our friends and families. The kids are busy baking and planning and wrapping – thinking of others and how to be a blessing. Moms who know will tell that building life skills and learning to serve as a family are just as important as academic skills.

Still worried about falling behind? Maybe it will encourage you to remember that the public schools have a lighter load during the holidays as well, often having holiday concerts, class parties, field trips as well as taking two or more weeks off. Don’t underestimate the power of working and playing together to prepare for the holidays. Holiday preparations are some of our children’s’ most memorable experiences of homeschooling.

Reflect
Taking time at the end of the year to reflect on the ups and downs your family has experienced can be a great way to refresh your vision and goals for your family. If you have never taken the time to create a family homeschool mission statement, you may want to do so now. A quick Google search will provide many ideas for simple ways to document your vision for your family.

Traditions
There is great value in fostering family traditions. They provide our kids with a strong sense of family identity, values, and generate wonderful memories.

Rather than have this become one more thing on your plate, consider simple things that you can do that don’t require great time or expense. Is there a special food your family can look forward to? Maybe you watch a classic Christmas movie together as a family each year. One thing our family does every year is to bake mountains of gingerbread cookies and invite the neighborhood kids over for a decorating fest. Easy, inexpensive and, really, who doesn’t like to decorate {and eat} a cookie or two?

Flexibility
Ask any veteran homeschool mom about planning for the holidays and the first thing she will tell you is to remain flexible. Every year is different. Every family is different. There will be illness, financial strains, family struggles, and any number of other variables to get in the way of your idea of a perfect holiday celebration. Don’t let these things trip you up and steal your joy. God uses these struggles to grow you and your children. As your children see you seeking God and finding peace in the storm, they will learn a lesson far more valuable than any traditional school subject.

Don’t let friends, family, your church or even your textbooks dictate how you will celebrate the holidays with your family. Ask God how He wants you to celebrate and let go of the rest.

Possibilities of Fall

A Season for Serving

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Teaching Kids to Serve

Fall is here. The weather is cooling off and the holidays are just around the corner. With the holidays come many traditions that families hold dear. Memory making times that will be passed down from generation to generation. This year, our family is starting a new tradition. A tradition of serving – together.

Traditions not only provide our kids with a strong sense of belonging and security but they also teach a cultural heritage and solidify our individual family values. So why not make serving together as a family a tradition in your family?

I love that the holidays begin with our entire nation observing the tradition of Thanksgiving Day. Don’t we have so much to be thankful for? It is easy to take for granted our freedoms of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Practicing thankfulness is an excellent way to begin teaching kids about service. I know that when I make a habit of being thankful, my own heart begins to overflow with gratitude and a strong desire to give back a bit of the blessing that I have received.

Simple Ideas for Serving as a Family

Kids naturally enjoy serving as evidenced by the hundreds of Play-Doh meals I have been served over the years. {grin}

Ask your kids to brainstorm ideas for who and how they can serve. Encourage them to think not only of ways that they would enjoy serving (like the Play-Doh lunch) but ways that are a real need but maybe not so fun.

Some ideas to get you started:

Neighbors are an excellent place to start. Is there someone you can think of who needs some yard work done? A meal cooked? An afternoon of babysitting?

Churches are often in need of painting, cleaning or caring arms to read and tell about the love of Jesus in the children’s ministry.

Family members are often overlooked. Does Mom need a back rub? How about cleaning out the garage for Dad? Surprise a sibling by doing one of their chores. Consider writing letters of encouragement to far off relatives?

Contact a local homeless shelter or food bank to look for opportunities to serve.

Serving is Good For You

Serving together as a family is surprisingly fun! There is something about working together that unifies and strengthens family relationships. When we take our eyes off of ourselves to help others, suddenly our problems don’t seem so bad.

When we help our children experience the joy of serving, we are actually teaching them to become lifelong servants. Statistics show that adults who volunteered as children give more money and volunteer more time than adults who began serving later in life.

Other research links mental and physical health benefits with servanthood. Still not convinced serving is a good idea?

People who serve have:

higher GPAs
higher levels of creativity
a greater understanding of and appreciation for others
tend to make healthier lifestyle choices
develop better social skills

As our little corner of the earth quiets down for the Fall and Winter, consider the blessing and the benefits of serving together as a family. Find a way to bless others and be blessed yourself!

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:2-4

A Fall Family Tradition

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I love traditions. Seriously. If left to my own insanity, I would have a tradition for everything I do. This runs along quite well with my insane hate for change, so instead of insisting of my love of the regular… I label it Traditions!

And once Fall hits, It’s time for my cute aprons to come out and our baking to begin. Starting in September, September 1st to be exact. We welcome Fall into our Little Red house. It’s still hot in the south, but we celebrate a bit early to anticipate what’s to come.

What once started out as a simple apple pie to welcome in the season has now turned into an apple festival that spiraled out of control! With 7 kids and various family and friends who anticipate the start of baking day as much as we do….Pies, crisps and home made applesauce now adorn our days.

For me food means bringing people together… and that’s what I love the most. The gathering of my kids around the table, excited about the days events. As my children grow, my traditions have been taken over by them. I have graduated to the “overseer” as my teenagers happily start handing out jobs to the littler ones. Their friends come over to help with the baking.

There is something about a full house that warms my heart… and usually, in the center of that is food! It brings people closer, puts them at ease and warms the soul.

In our Little Red House the smell of Fall closely resembles Apples. Our huge crock pot is simmering with freshly peeled apples….Sprinkled with various amounts of sugar and cinnamon… And a bag of apples are always bought for my Aunt Diana who lives right down the street. My children love to pick the juiciest ones for her to make into the best apple butter this side of the Mason-Dixon Line.

This year, we learned the secret of “seconds.” Seconds are the apples that fall to the ground before they get the chance to be picked. They are gathered and placed in a huge farm freezer and are sold for mere pennies. So after my kids picked some fruit from the trees, we purchased a huge box of seconds for about $5. After making 4 apple pies, 2 apple crisps, 8.5 qts of apple sauce, 4 cans of apple butter, freezing 15 apples for later use AND eating apples with breakfast, lunch and dinner, we still had about 1/2 a bushel left over….

Our Apple Pie tradition has been celebrated for over a decade. It has been picked up by other families and inspired people to celebrate the little things.

My prayer is that when my kids grow up and go off on their own, that somehow, they will all make their way back to my Little Red House for a plateful of apple pie. That they will come back with their husbands and wives, their kids and their friends…

And that one day, when I am long gone, they will carry this tradition on in their own home. That on September 1st neighbors will smell the sweet aroma of cooking apples and know that in their house… Love abides.

XOXO

Just for Fun (And Learning)

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Life is never as easy as Pinterest makes it look, is it?

I saw this post today and thought: “Oh! I’ll make that! Easy-peasy.” Well, like most things, it took some determination and some conversation and some adjusting … wait … that’s what ALL good things require!

So, if you’re looking for something fun that you can do with your kids (notice I did not say healthy, I said fun) then give this a try. We did it a few times before finally figuring out what made it look cool.

Turns out, there really is a “science” to it!

Have fun!

STEP ONE: Pour fruit juice over ice. Sorry, but it has to be the sugary kind. That pesky “good for you” stuff won’t work for this treat. The sugar weighs more. So it needs to be sugary to stay on the bottom of the cup.

STEP 2: Use a spoon to diffuse the blue drink (we found, after three tries, that a mixture of Gatorade, water and one drop of blue food coloring for show worked best) to carefully add the second layer to your drink.

STEP THREE: Same thing—carefully pour the diet whatever (we used Sprite Zero) on the top. Go slow!

STEP FOUR: Enjoy! You did it! Be sure to talk to your kids about “why” this works 🙂

Happy Independence Day! God Bless America!

Have Fun With Your Kids,

Precious Priority: Family Mealtimes

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Ahhhhhhh—Thanksgiving. It reminds me of a simpler time.

I love Thanksgiving because it’s the one time of year that beckons us home, but without the pressure and expectations of gifts.

The memories without the mayhem, if you will.

I tell my children of my love for Thanksgiving and they remind me that they love mealtime at our house. Not just the fancy meals, either. Their appreciation comes from a certainty that at the end of the day, we’re together. Candles lit. Music playing.

Toddler fussing.

Milk spilling.

Teenagers talking.

Daddy praying.

Mealtime.

We live in a culture that has largely forgotten the power of a shared meal. There is something missing when we rush from one hurried day to the next. We think we’re saving time to rush through the drive-thru again. But really, we’re not saving anything. Days turn to weeks. Weeks to months. Months to years.

Where we spend our time is a window into our hearts: it’s an indicator of where our hearts are.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

For me, Thanksgiving is a reminder of how fast my life is going by. Each holiday that passes I know I am another year closer to a quiet house. Mealtimes are markers for me. I think just last year, I had a babe inside me and a preschooler vying for my attention as I muddled my way through learning how to use my slow cooker. Mmmmm. No, that was not last year. That was nearly twenty years ago. Can we really s l o w d o w n?

Mealtimes beckon.

Time is passing. That’s probably the real message my heart receives as I plan Thanksgiving dinner. Again.

I ask myself, “Where are your priorities? What is truly precious in this life?”

And in my heart, I know the answer. The best memories we share will never be found in the drive-thru of life.

The best memories are more of a “sit down” affair. An affair of the heart. An investment. An open-door, company-for-dinner, home cooked investment.

Doesn’t have to be perfect. Mac-n-cheese at the table is just as beautiful to your children as filet mignon 🙂 It’s not about the food. It’s about the priority.

If you’re looking for a place to start making an investment into the heart of your family, the dinner table is a very, very good place to start.

Heidi St. John

Speaking the Truth in Love