Write With WORLD
                
April 9, 2014 Edition 

       My Child Said WHAT?!                  

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Gena Suarez

Hey Mama,

 

I have a bunch of kids. We are the "Zoo on Wheels," I like to say. Last week we went to the circus--"Zoo meets Circus." It was fun ... and chaotic. 

 

After being a mama for over twenty years, there have been lots of things my kids have said that have ranged from embarrassing to hilarious. If you've been a mama for long like me, you could probably fill books with these sayings! Here are a couple recent gems:

 

Four-year-old: "Mom, you are HUMAN. Humans are womens. Humans are girls, and that's a WOMAN." Then there was the time this young lady ran up to me, gave me a great big hug and exclaimed, "You are the oldest mama I've ever SEEN." 

 
Umm. I am just going to take it she meant "best" or "nicest" ... sure. Thanks, sweetie. 

Or I could just chalk it up to her first April Fool's joke on me? Feeling old ...

Mama, Do you have a bunch of kids? Some of you do. Some of you only have a few kids but it feels like a bunch. If you have more than two kids, you have a bunch. Maybe your house resembles a zoo, too.

Mama, keep spreading the love and taking it all in stride. It's your chaotic, crazy, mad-world kinda life, AND you live in a shoe.

God gave you that shoe. Wear it well. Your kids are happy and taken care of. They wear that shoe well, too. You have taught them the important things ... the stuff that matters. The little stuff can sit; it's the big stuff that'll be remembered forever. Your smile is what they're gonna see always, even after you're gone.

Well done. Now rest because His hand is on your head tonight. Tomorrow is a new day and His mercies are new every morning.

 

~ gena

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Children seem to have a special way of saying--and doing--what you would never have expected them to do or say! Sometimes it's embarrassing, like when they share something that was not meant to be shared. Sometimes it's humbling, such as when they share a spiritual insight that brings you to your knees. Sometimes it's amazing, because you were certain what you were teaching was going right over his or her head.

 

The last option is what came to mind when I read this month's preschool lesson from the Homegrown Preschool team. Their lessons are all about purposeful play, but when I read one of this month's language and literacy segments, I paused.

 

Prepositions? For preschoolers?  

 

  Preeschool


  

That's right, this month the Homegrown Preschool team introduces the "prepositions game." Prepositions bore many grown-ups, and you want to make a game out of them for preschoolers? Surely the end result could only be disastrous.

 

So what was the verdict? Can preschoolers enjoy prepositions? Rosie's picture is the answer. The Homegrown Preschool team is on to something. And rumor has it that Rosie has asked to play the prepositions game again and again and again!

    

Join today and gain access to more than eighty classes, including the Homegrown Preschool. Sign up during our 19 gifts promotion, and pay only $19 for a 3-month membership* (normally $12.95 a month) AND get 19 gifts. Take a look at all you'll receive at www.19Gifts.com. One family; one fee. Explore SchoolhouseTeachers.com by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine today!
 

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*You are purchasing a three-month membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com. This membership will renew automatically every 90 days, unless you cancel. Offer ends June 30, 2014.

    
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The Familyman     
 
Todd Wilson

A couple weeks ago we were sitting around the table eating and laughing when one of my older children said a word that stunned my wife and me. It just hung in the air like a vulgar cloud. We glanced at each other and by the innocent look on our child's face, we knew he had no idea what the word meant.

 

Later my wife and I talked about it, wondering if we should bring the word to his attention so he wouldn't say it again in public. That's the thing about some of the words our children sometimes say (or most assuredly WILL say), they just don't have the same grid as a 40-year-old does. They hear words ... that are just words. Sometimes I think we freak out and explain too much and get angry when we just need to sit still and remain quiet.

 

So there are times when we should remain calm and assess, and there are times when we need to say something. It's okay to say, "They may talk that way, but we don't talk that way EVER!" Sometimes you'll even have to dole out some chastisement to deal with habitual offenders.

 

Here's the deal about some of those bad words ... they might have LEARNED THEM FROM US!!! Sometimes, we let them slip in moments of frustration or during homeschooling. It doesn't mean we shouldn't correct our children, but if we want them to grow up NOT saying those words then we better stop saying them ourselves.

 

You can say, "Do as I say, not as I do," but they WILL DO what you do, regardless of what you say.

 

So to boil it all down ... don't freak out, deal with the real issues, examine your own words, and ...

 

Be real,

Todd

 

P.S. We just made an awesome Easter story(audio MP3) available on our website. It's the story of Malchus, the servant who got his ear lopped off by Peter. It's a powerful story with an eternal message ... and it's available for your family in time for Easter. It's super easy to download for your whole family to enjoy. Get it here. 

 

Want more? You can also download The Night Jesus Took My Place in the Easter Pageant (audio MP3). Download it now. 

 

 

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Relational Homeschooling    
 
Diana Waring
Dear Friends, 
 

There is so much about parenting that leaves us gasping for breath, isn't there?

 

Things our kids say, things they do, things they suggest. It is breathtaking--literally sucked right out of your mouth on the spot. I know, because I raised three kids.

 

And, here is what I have learned. Lighten up. Laugh a lot. Ponder the practical wisdom in the Apostle Paul's words, "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child."

 

So, with that in mind, let's consider a few scenarios:

 

Your wonderful child, taught in your home, loved and cherished, suddenly blurts out, "I HATE school!"

 

Gulp. What do you do?

 

Well, if you are like me, and you hear this from your child, as I did, you stop yourself from reacting to the personal affront. (I wish I had heard that advice!!) Instead, you gently begin to query your child to find out what aspect of homeschool they hate.

 

In my case, my high school son was REALLY missing having interaction with others as he was doing work. I had reasoned to myself that he was now old enough to take the stack of books to his own room and do his own work, but, as a thorough-going people person, it was draining him dry. Once we figured out what the problem was, the solution was in sight: do at least some of the work in my presence, with my interaction.

 

Next scenario:

 

You sweet child opens her mouth and says a word that has never been heard in your home, one that shocks your in-laws who happen to be sitting at your dining room table.

 

Gulp. What do you do?

 

Well, if that is NOT a word used by folks in your family, then your dear daughter probably picked it up from a friend, a neighbor, or a television show heard at your in-laws house! And, 9 times out of 10, she has NO idea what the word means. So, instead of coming unglued, gently take her into a private room and lovingly ask her some questions. Find out where she heard the word, in what context it was used, and then gently explain why it is a word that is not used in your family. Talk with her about how amazing language is, and how we want to use the very best words available to us--not the worst ones!

 

(If it IS a word used in your family, then the responsibility lies at the door of the adults using it. Don't punish a child for a word she hears used by the adults in her life.)

 

The scenarios could go on and on, couldn't they? The responses look very similar:

 

Stop before you say anything damaging.

Gently ask questions.

Lovingly interact.

Respond with kindness.

 

Even if your parents didn't do that for you, you can have this incredibly good response for your kids. It makes a HUGE difference.

 

Remember, stay relational!

 

Diana

 

P.S. We are excited to be at SHEM in Springfield, Missouri, this weekend. I will be doing some of my favorite workshops at this conference, along with the two new workshops with Dr. Jay Wile: "I Didn't See That Coming" and "Arguing to Learn." Be sure to come by our booth to sign up for a chance to win our soon-to-be-released products, America, Westward Ho! and Musical Memories of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

 
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Contest Corner 

For the month of April, 2014  

 

Amazing Science DVD from www.ScienceandMath.com!

 

Today we are reviewing for you ScienceandMath.com. Do your students need help to excel in Science and Math? If so, ScienceandMath.com has some products you will be interested in learning more about. Award winning video lessons, done in a step by step fashion, will help to ensure that your students gain a thorough understanding before moving on to the next step. These videos help your student learn, practice and master the subject at hand.   

 

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TO ENTER: Email Heather with your name, mailing address, and phone number for contact purposes, with the subject line, "Amazing Science" for a chance to win* the book for your family!  

 

In this week's issue:


Great Homeschool Conventions

Molly Green

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