Teaching Money to Kids

At a Glance: Product:  Family Mint Money Management Certification Program Ages:  10 and up.  You can begin as early as 6 year old if you use the website as well. Use:  A family tool to teach children to how to handle money properly to ensure a secure financial future. Duration:  2 months Homeschool Method:  Any.  The program includes online resources and a workbook.  If you prefer the workbook only it is all inclusive and no internet needed. Cost:  $29.99 as a special introductory offer for the 60 page workbook plus a lifetime subscription to FamilyMint Premium and online only for $24.99 a year … Continue reading

What Do Kids Do At Home Based Preschool?

One thing that is often on the mind of parents of toddlers is preschool. After all, once a toddler is no longer a toddler, he becomes part of the “preschoolers” age group whether or not he actually attends preschool. I am not sure why that is, and this morning when I was talking with my husband about it he agreed that it seems a bit odd to define an entire age group by something that not every child does. Perhaps the reason that it seems odd to us is that our soon – to – be preschooler is unlikely to … Continue reading

Homeschooling and the Work-at-Home Mom, Part One

This last August, Richele wrote a great article about being a homeschooling mom and running a home business at the same time. Those of us who like to operate from home seem to do it in a multi-facted way, don’t we? I thought I’d take a few minutes to add my thoughts to Richele’s. I am a homeschooling mom, and I have been since my children were born. I was taught at home, so it seemed perfectly natural to me. What would be weird is sending my kids to public school. I am also a work-at-home mom. I’ve done this … Continue reading

When the Kids Realize It’s Important

My son turned ten yesterday. I asked him, “How do you like being ten?” He thought for a minute. “It’s pretty much the same as being nine. Except now I’m paying more attention to my capitalization.” Just then, his father called him to come do his chores, and he sighed. “Yep, it’s just like an ordinary day.” As he walked off to do his work, I laughed. What was it about being ten that made capitalization so much more important? Since that little conversation, he’s made several other comments. “I’m trying to pay more attention to things,” he told me … Continue reading

Books for Kids Who Love to Take Care of Animals

Right now, the room behind me is full of the sounds of chirping. There are the chicks, the little ones whom we’ve been incubating for three weeks. Over the last couple of days they have been hatching, and it’s been wonderful. My daughter loves to take care of animals, although I do need to manage the overall care of all of our pets. We also enjoy books about kids who love animals. If your child also wants to be a vet or a wildlife rescue person, here are a few books that you might like to read. The Salamander Room … Continue reading

Lunch in the Homeschool House

Even homeschooled kids eat lunch. The only difference is that homeschooled child can rummage through the kitchen at lunchtime or the homeschool mom can cook the meal rather than pack it the night before. For many families, cooking a hot lunch is one more step that if alleviated would be cause for rejoice. In families with multiple children with multiple tastes lunch can up being chaos or more like a diner than a family meal. Feeding time at your homeschool does not have to resemble feeding time at the zoo. Here are some tips to keep you in control and … Continue reading

Balancing Mulitple Ages in Your Homeschool

Homeschooling moms of multiple children face a unique challenge. These homeschooling moms need to manage multiple ages and stages of children under one homeschooling roof. Basically, she needs to learn the art of a one room schoolhouse or a juggling act. Each option comes with its own challenges yet each can be successful. A mom must decide for herself how she will balance her day and her children’s education. There is no right way but oddly enough there are plenty of wrong ways. For example, if your home is a source of stress or children falling behind in their studies … Continue reading

Service Projects for Kids Who Love Animals

If your child loves animals and would like a volunteer project, where do you start? Of course, there is fundraising. Animal shelters and conservation organizations are always in need of money. Instead of simply collecting or donating money for the organization, your child could make something that is connected. Perhaps he can paint beautifully and could sell hand-painted dog bowls. Perhaps she loves to bead and would like to create beaded leashes or hand-beaded turtles for backpacks. This is an opportunity to create a small business and to raise money for a worth-while organization. Another way to fundraise is to … Continue reading

Pushing Younger Kids Beyond Their Comfort Zone

When I first started home schooling my last three girls, two were in third grade and one was just starting preschool. It was a challenge wondering how I would present the lessons when there was such an obvious age gap between the older girls and the youngest. Being able to home school our kids allows us a lot of freedom though. Kids don’t have to be pushed ahead when they aren’t ready or held back when they are. What I did was to offer the same exact assignment for all of my girls, always at the age level of the … Continue reading

Can Kids Actually Make Us Healthier?

In an article that many parents and commenters saw as a cruel joke, the Dailymail, reported today that parenting can lower blood pressure. The conclusion comes from a study of 198 adults who were fitted with portable blood pressure monitors for 24 hours as they went about their normal lives. Researchers took into account other factors that can influence blood pressure, such as health, age, weight, exercise, employment and drinking history. All other things being equal, the average systolic blood pressure – the top number in a reading – was 4.5 points lower for parents than non-parents. The diastolic blood … Continue reading