Had a brush with bursitis this week and it reminded me how our family used illnesses or accidents for learning. Broken bones, strep throat, or bronchitis provide occasions to delve into anatomy, illness, and well-being at whatever level your child may comprehend. Discuss x-rays, the jobs of medical personnel from techs to surgeons, how vaccines work - or don't - why and how the body succumbs to illness and how to prevent common accidents or injuries.
For instance, if a friend, family member, or neighbor has a broken bone, take a quick peek at Science News for Kids and you'll find an experiment that takes calcium out of a bone, along with book and video recommendations on the skeleton. Dig out a Human Anatomy coloring book or find workbook pages to color. Identify specific bones using the correct Latin nomenclature. Using a current, relevant situation builds interest and aids in comprehension and retention.
Other interestingtopics on Science News are "What is the Appendix Good For" or "The Tell-tale Bacteria."
Check out the Branson Academy Resource page for other cool science sites. Any topic in the news or community opens possibilities for exploration.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Public Language
So, Mom is back in college - working on a degree in Theater Arts. And, oh, my! This is sparking all kinds of ideas for homeschooling families!
First, my encounter with public language. The f-word has become not only a frequently used verb and adjective, it is also "like, you know!" An adverb, conjunction, interjection. The language of young adults has altered radically from my time on campus. These are bright college students. Yet, generally, they are unable to use the rich variety of the English language,the scores of existing nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, synonyms, homonyms and antonyms in their conversations,reducing all to a two-syllable expletive.
The students have some sense that this language is not appropriate for classroom use, however, once the bell rings an immediate cacaphony of what was once called "gutter language" assaults the ears. Interestingly, when students engage in conversation with me,the oldest student in the class, they invariably show respect and treat me the same way they treat their teacher by refraining from profanity and apologizing for any lapse. For which I am duly grateful.
Still the thought persists - why? Is this the type of language spoken in their home environment? Did anyone ever say to them, "we don't talk like that" as we did in our family?
Now there's something to discuss over lunch!
First, my encounter with public language. The f-word has become not only a frequently used verb and adjective, it is also "like, you know!" An adverb, conjunction, interjection. The language of young adults has altered radically from my time on campus. These are bright college students. Yet, generally, they are unable to use the rich variety of the English language,the scores of existing nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, synonyms, homonyms and antonyms in their conversations,reducing all to a two-syllable expletive.
The students have some sense that this language is not appropriate for classroom use, however, once the bell rings an immediate cacaphony of what was once called "gutter language" assaults the ears. Interestingly, when students engage in conversation with me,the oldest student in the class, they invariably show respect and treat me the same way they treat their teacher by refraining from profanity and apologizing for any lapse. For which I am duly grateful.
Still the thought persists - why? Is this the type of language spoken in their home environment? Did anyone ever say to them, "we don't talk like that" as we did in our family?
Now there's something to discuss over lunch!
Friday, October 22, 2010
A Look Back
Our youngest son graduated high school in June 2010. I spent the summer traveling, helping my mother move, and contemplating the past several decades of homeschooling.
Do I believe homeschooling was a positive experience for my children, our family? Would I have changed anything? Are the kids successful? Well-educated? Happy? Yes, Yes, and Yes!
A positive experience? To me homeschooling is a lifestyle. Sure the academics are important, but it is so much more than that! It's about living your life, learning, and growing in character and personal responsibility. At times we failed miserably with the discipline of getting up early every day - we are all such night owls! Over the years, though, I witnessed important milestones of growth in each of my children, such as learning to study on ones' own, relying on oneself instead of a peer group, and self-determined career choices. None of our children "followed the crowd." We have raised a group of independent, self-thinking individuals. With a family of eight, it is sometimes hard to get a consensus!
Would I have changed anything? Oh, sure! Thrown out curriculum that didn't work sooner. Worried less about what other people thought. I always felt so pressured to measure up to a higher standard because our children's performances were constantly critiqued by family, neighbors, and church community. I wish we moms could relax and enjoy more of these growing years with our children. Of course, I'm the first to agree that's tough when you want to make sure your kids succeed.
And, THAT can be a trap. Is success limited to getting into an Ivy League college? Having a prestigious, high-paying job?
I have come to believe success is learning to be happy developing your personal talents and living with a passion for what you do, whether you make lots of money or not. In a world focused on material possessions, this is a tough undertaking. I think of Dr. Paul Farmer. He has saved thousands from TB and AIDS in Haiti and all over the world. This would not have been possible without his years of education, passion for his work, millions of dollars contributed by charitable donors and the team of people he inspires. His is a life lived with purpose and passion.
I also think of our son, a ballet dancer, a self-educated young man with no college degree living a dancer's hand-to-mouth existence, and yet, living his life with passion and energy, bringing joy to the lives of hundreds of people in every performance. That is also success.
So, would I do it again? Absolutely! For all the worries, I loved being with my children. I loved teaching them, loved watching them learn. I loved the field trips, and park days, and Friday Beach days. I loved how they relished the crazy science classes, learning about all the countries of the world, building Roman arches, making volcanoes, planting fairy gardens, and working hours and hours to perfect the Bach doubles for violin.
Even as I move into this next season of my life with my children now young adults, I am grateful for the opportunity and the choice to have spent my life living and learning at home with my children.
Do I believe homeschooling was a positive experience for my children, our family? Would I have changed anything? Are the kids successful? Well-educated? Happy? Yes, Yes, and Yes!
A positive experience? To me homeschooling is a lifestyle. Sure the academics are important, but it is so much more than that! It's about living your life, learning, and growing in character and personal responsibility. At times we failed miserably with the discipline of getting up early every day - we are all such night owls! Over the years, though, I witnessed important milestones of growth in each of my children, such as learning to study on ones' own, relying on oneself instead of a peer group, and self-determined career choices. None of our children "followed the crowd." We have raised a group of independent, self-thinking individuals. With a family of eight, it is sometimes hard to get a consensus!
Would I have changed anything? Oh, sure! Thrown out curriculum that didn't work sooner. Worried less about what other people thought. I always felt so pressured to measure up to a higher standard because our children's performances were constantly critiqued by family, neighbors, and church community. I wish we moms could relax and enjoy more of these growing years with our children. Of course, I'm the first to agree that's tough when you want to make sure your kids succeed.
And, THAT can be a trap. Is success limited to getting into an Ivy League college? Having a prestigious, high-paying job?
I have come to believe success is learning to be happy developing your personal talents and living with a passion for what you do, whether you make lots of money or not. In a world focused on material possessions, this is a tough undertaking. I think of Dr. Paul Farmer. He has saved thousands from TB and AIDS in Haiti and all over the world. This would not have been possible without his years of education, passion for his work, millions of dollars contributed by charitable donors and the team of people he inspires. His is a life lived with purpose and passion.
I also think of our son, a ballet dancer, a self-educated young man with no college degree living a dancer's hand-to-mouth existence, and yet, living his life with passion and energy, bringing joy to the lives of hundreds of people in every performance. That is also success.
So, would I do it again? Absolutely! For all the worries, I loved being with my children. I loved teaching them, loved watching them learn. I loved the field trips, and park days, and Friday Beach days. I loved how they relished the crazy science classes, learning about all the countries of the world, building Roman arches, making volcanoes, planting fairy gardens, and working hours and hours to perfect the Bach doubles for violin.
Even as I move into this next season of my life with my children now young adults, I am grateful for the opportunity and the choice to have spent my life living and learning at home with my children.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Spring Into Planting a Home School Garden
Purple pansies and bright orange marigolds almost jump into my basket as I cruise into the local OSH store. It's my favorite time of year as nurseries begin stocking up for spring gardening - delicate pink nemesia, trailing sweet alyssum and tiny violas overflow next to pots of green Swiss chard, lettuce, spicy basil and fragrant young tomato plants. My fingers reach out to caress leaves and petals as I bend to inhale wondrous sweet and spicy scents. The magic of growing things begins anew!
Gardens are great learning environments for children from toddlers to teens. Watching a seed germinate is fascinating to a small child while an older child will have fun using litmus paper to determine soil types. A unit study on growing greens includes everything from plant classification to photosynthesis.
Topics related to gardens can be studied throughout the year, including: organic pest control vs. agribusiness pesticides, pros and cons of square foot vs. row crops, how farming has changed from hand tilling to modern farming methods, composting, building miniature greenhouses, supporting local growers through farmers markets, and so on.
Your garden will depend on the age of your children and your available space. I like container gardening for toddlers and kindergartners. A very young child can be successful with just a few pots placed on a patio or back porch. A packet or two of seeds, a small trowel, some nice garden soil, and an old bucket, box, or other container are all you need to get started.
An old aquarium makes a fun observation post for root vegetables such as radishes and baby carrots. Mini-peat pots are great for starting seedlings indoors. Or try recycling a cardboard milk or orange juice container. (Lay it horizontally and cut off one long section, leaving a rectangular box for growing. Punch a couple drainage holes in the side.)
Allow your child to make a mess! Let him put rocks in the bottom of the container for drainage before dumping in the soil. Show him how to gently plant a couple seeds and let him have a go - even if the whole packet gets spilled. Have a bottle mister handy for the first few weeks of watering. Here's a link to other easy container gardening ideas on the Better Homes and Gardens website.
Elementary age children enjoy raised beds or square foot gardens. Weeding is usually not a big chore in boxed gardens and plants are easy to reach. Mel Bartholomew's classic Square Foot Gardening is a good resource for planting raised beds. I've used his book for years and love the handy references for plant specific growing times and water and sun requirements. You can probably find SFG at your local library or used from an online bookseller. Here's a link to his website: http://www.squarefootgardening.com/
If your children are middle school to high school age use the winter months to plot and plan your garden. Late Winter and early Spring is the time to prepare your soil and plant seedlings indoors. Spring and Summer months will be dedicated to growing, watering, weeding and harvesting. Perhaps your children would enjoy growing pumpkins for Halloween, or raising flowers to sell or share with neighbors. As the end of the growing season approaches in late Summer and early Fall, your children will complete the cycle of seed to harvest by composting and preparing the soil for next year.
For almost three years we participated in a community garden. Our children chose their own vegetables and favorite flowers. Each bed was a reflection of the personality and desires of the child. One box had tall beans growing on a wigwam pole structure, bushy tomatoes, and bright marigolds. Another bed contained tiny blue lobelia, sweet alyssum, wandering cucumbers, and golden squash.
As the plants grew the children learned to tie up beans, keep tomatoes in cages, and harvest zucchini before it was three feet long. We loved the family time spent watering, weeding and wandering along the paths of the community garden. My city children discovered how potato plants, fava beans and Chinese long green beans grew by watching the process and efforts of other gardeners.
Gardens are safe places for children to experience the wild joys of success as well as astonishing failures. The year gophers devoured all of our tomatoes, peas, beans, zucchini, squash, and an assortment of other produce was devastating. We abandoned the garden to the weeds for that year and the next! Something about the miracle of growing things, our former successes, and a longing for the fresh taste of home-grown veggies, however, pulled us back to the magic of growing things - a magic that children of all ages enjoy.
I think I'll look for heirloom tomatoes this year. Maybe I'll try growing one or two on trellises - in large gopher proof pots!
Gardens are great learning environments for children from toddlers to teens. Watching a seed germinate is fascinating to a small child while an older child will have fun using litmus paper to determine soil types. A unit study on growing greens includes everything from plant classification to photosynthesis.
Topics related to gardens can be studied throughout the year, including: organic pest control vs. agribusiness pesticides, pros and cons of square foot vs. row crops, how farming has changed from hand tilling to modern farming methods, composting, building miniature greenhouses, supporting local growers through farmers markets, and so on.
Your garden will depend on the age of your children and your available space. I like container gardening for toddlers and kindergartners. A very young child can be successful with just a few pots placed on a patio or back porch. A packet or two of seeds, a small trowel, some nice garden soil, and an old bucket, box, or other container are all you need to get started.
An old aquarium makes a fun observation post for root vegetables such as radishes and baby carrots. Mini-peat pots are great for starting seedlings indoors. Or try recycling a cardboard milk or orange juice container. (Lay it horizontally and cut off one long section, leaving a rectangular box for growing. Punch a couple drainage holes in the side.)
Allow your child to make a mess! Let him put rocks in the bottom of the container for drainage before dumping in the soil. Show him how to gently plant a couple seeds and let him have a go - even if the whole packet gets spilled. Have a bottle mister handy for the first few weeks of watering. Here's a link to other easy container gardening ideas on the Better Homes and Gardens website.
Elementary age children enjoy raised beds or square foot gardens. Weeding is usually not a big chore in boxed gardens and plants are easy to reach. Mel Bartholomew's classic Square Foot Gardening is a good resource for planting raised beds. I've used his book for years and love the handy references for plant specific growing times and water and sun requirements. You can probably find SFG at your local library or used from an online bookseller. Here's a link to his website: http://www.squarefootgardening.com/
If your children are middle school to high school age use the winter months to plot and plan your garden. Late Winter and early Spring is the time to prepare your soil and plant seedlings indoors. Spring and Summer months will be dedicated to growing, watering, weeding and harvesting. Perhaps your children would enjoy growing pumpkins for Halloween, or raising flowers to sell or share with neighbors. As the end of the growing season approaches in late Summer and early Fall, your children will complete the cycle of seed to harvest by composting and preparing the soil for next year.
For almost three years we participated in a community garden. Our children chose their own vegetables and favorite flowers. Each bed was a reflection of the personality and desires of the child. One box had tall beans growing on a wigwam pole structure, bushy tomatoes, and bright marigolds. Another bed contained tiny blue lobelia, sweet alyssum, wandering cucumbers, and golden squash.
As the plants grew the children learned to tie up beans, keep tomatoes in cages, and harvest zucchini before it was three feet long. We loved the family time spent watering, weeding and wandering along the paths of the community garden. My city children discovered how potato plants, fava beans and Chinese long green beans grew by watching the process and efforts of other gardeners.
Gardens are safe places for children to experience the wild joys of success as well as astonishing failures. The year gophers devoured all of our tomatoes, peas, beans, zucchini, squash, and an assortment of other produce was devastating. We abandoned the garden to the weeds for that year and the next! Something about the miracle of growing things, our former successes, and a longing for the fresh taste of home-grown veggies, however, pulled us back to the magic of growing things - a magic that children of all ages enjoy.
I think I'll look for heirloom tomatoes this year. Maybe I'll try growing one or two on trellises - in large gopher proof pots!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Sugar at Home
Sugar is in the news. In fact, it's BIG news -- sugar is BAD!
Sugar is the cause of obesity in our country and around the world. Sugar is responsible for heart disease, diabetes, and several types of cancer. Everywhere I look, sugar is getting a bad rap.
What I want to know is what mom or dad doesn't already know this!
How many times as a kid did you hear... "Don't eat any sweets before dinner, honey - it'll ruin your appetite." Or, "No more junk food! He's bouncing off the walls!"
So, the fact that sugar is bad is NOT news.
The REAL news is the insidious nature of the food industry's dumping so many different refined sugars into our food. Everything from bread to sausage. Sugar intake has sky-rocketed over the last 80 years from 20 pounds of sugar per person per year to current USDA estimates of 158 to 170 pounds of sugar intake per person per year. Who knew? (Actually, the FDA did.)
Think about it - five ounces of sugar is equivalent to 30 teaspoons. You need three times that amount to equal one pound. And, we're consuming 158 pounds of this a year. Or a little over three pounds a day!
Why is this important? Because what we eat affects not only how we feel, but how we think, how we are able to process information, how we learn (or don't learn).
Sugar affects our immune systems causing increased susceptibility to colds and viruses. It can cause hyperactivity, depression, and in plain terms, whiny, cranky kids! Who wants that?
A better question might be "As a homeschooling mom (or dad) how can I create the most optimum learning environment?" Not just "how can I be a better teacher," but, "how can I help my kids to be better learners?"
So, we already know sugar is bad. We already know we should cut back on sugar and refined processed foods and eat more veggies and whole grains. However, unless everyone is convinced and committed - maybe we should use the word "converted" - these changes are very difficult to implement.
There are just so many fast food and quick deli meal options available. Just because I'm a home school mom doesn't necessarily mean I have any more time than a mother who works outside the home. Not if I'm hauling kids to science classes, art classes, music lessons, and then going over math and history and preparing lessons for the next day. I'm just as likely to say, "Hey, let's get a pizza, OK?" Not knocking pizzas here, folks. I love 'em! But just to point out how easy it is to stop in at the grocery store, or Costco, and pick up a take-and-bake pizza or subway sandwich, or what-have-you. Yet, even going for the most healthy quick meals doesn't mean we're eating healthy! Because, as you will learn if you watch the lecture I've linked to below, sugars are hidden in almost everything we eat and drink. They are everywhere!
If we want to make real changes, we first have to be armed with knowledge. Knowledge gives us power. Power to make positive changes in our lives. Face it, there are times when it's Mom who is tired and just as ready to cave in to the request for a burger as the kids. But if the kids are in on the game, they may be just as likely to say, "Hey, Mom, let's make our own!"
So, here are a few ideas to get you going.
First, a highly visual and effective object lesson on sugar intake: Measure 98 teaspoons of sugar into a pile on your kitchen table or counter. (That's a one-pound bag of sugar.) Now, following the math here, if an individual really consumes 158 pounds of sugar per year which is equivalent to 3.038 pounds a day, you really need 294 teaspoons! At this point I hope everyone is saying, "WOW! That's a LOT of sugar." uh-huh! (btw, here's the link to calculate teaspoons to ounces )
Second, make a game of "finding sugar." First list all the different types of sugars that are added to food: malt sugar, brown sugar, white sugar, cane sugar, dextrose, dextrin, sucrose, glucose, maltodextrin, high fructose corn syrup, honey, molasses, maple syrup, rice syrup, powdered sugar. Then go on a "shopping trip" in your kitchen. You can tally the various sugars to see which comes up most frequently. Or make a list of the foods that DON'T have any added sugar. Remember lots of foods have naturals sugars. Milk has lactose. Fruit contains fructose and glucose.
Third, there are lots of websites and videos to check out regarding the effects of sugar on the body, so do some research. I really like this lecture on the metabolic breakdown of high fructose corn syrup (high school level and adults) by Dr. Robert H. Lustig, a UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endicrinology. Although this is serious science, Dr. Lustig uses hi-tech graphics and humor to make his lecture really interesting!
Fourth, get everyone in the family to make an Eat Healthy pact. Stock up on healthy snacks (make sure to READ those labels.) Think carrots, nuts, crackers and cheese. While Jorge Cruise recommends only 15 grams of sugar a day, that is really drastic. Current adult consumption is upwards of 100 plus grams a day. Reducing your family's sugar intake by 50% would be tremendous! Start where you are and work towards your family's goal. It is amazingly easy to cut your sugar intake once you are aware of where the hidden sugars are and the number of grams of sugar in different types of food.
Here's to healthy eating and happy homeschooling!
Sugar is the cause of obesity in our country and around the world. Sugar is responsible for heart disease, diabetes, and several types of cancer. Everywhere I look, sugar is getting a bad rap.
What I want to know is what mom or dad doesn't already know this!
How many times as a kid did you hear... "Don't eat any sweets before dinner, honey - it'll ruin your appetite." Or, "No more junk food! He's bouncing off the walls!"
So, the fact that sugar is bad is NOT news.
The REAL news is the insidious nature of the food industry's dumping so many different refined sugars into our food. Everything from bread to sausage. Sugar intake has sky-rocketed over the last 80 years from 20 pounds of sugar per person per year to current USDA estimates of 158 to 170 pounds of sugar intake per person per year. Who knew? (Actually, the FDA did.)
Think about it - five ounces of sugar is equivalent to 30 teaspoons. You need three times that amount to equal one pound. And, we're consuming 158 pounds of this a year. Or a little over three pounds a day!
Why is this important? Because what we eat affects not only how we feel, but how we think, how we are able to process information, how we learn (or don't learn).
Sugar affects our immune systems causing increased susceptibility to colds and viruses. It can cause hyperactivity, depression, and in plain terms, whiny, cranky kids! Who wants that?
A better question might be "As a homeschooling mom (or dad) how can I create the most optimum learning environment?" Not just "how can I be a better teacher," but, "how can I help my kids to be better learners?"
So, we already know sugar is bad. We already know we should cut back on sugar and refined processed foods and eat more veggies and whole grains. However, unless everyone is convinced and committed - maybe we should use the word "converted" - these changes are very difficult to implement.
There are just so many fast food and quick deli meal options available. Just because I'm a home school mom doesn't necessarily mean I have any more time than a mother who works outside the home. Not if I'm hauling kids to science classes, art classes, music lessons, and then going over math and history and preparing lessons for the next day. I'm just as likely to say, "Hey, let's get a pizza, OK?" Not knocking pizzas here, folks. I love 'em! But just to point out how easy it is to stop in at the grocery store, or Costco, and pick up a take-and-bake pizza or subway sandwich, or what-have-you. Yet, even going for the most healthy quick meals doesn't mean we're eating healthy! Because, as you will learn if you watch the lecture I've linked to below, sugars are hidden in almost everything we eat and drink. They are everywhere!
If we want to make real changes, we first have to be armed with knowledge. Knowledge gives us power. Power to make positive changes in our lives. Face it, there are times when it's Mom who is tired and just as ready to cave in to the request for a burger as the kids. But if the kids are in on the game, they may be just as likely to say, "Hey, Mom, let's make our own!"
So, here are a few ideas to get you going.
First, a highly visual and effective object lesson on sugar intake: Measure 98 teaspoons of sugar into a pile on your kitchen table or counter. (That's a one-pound bag of sugar.) Now, following the math here, if an individual really consumes 158 pounds of sugar per year which is equivalent to 3.038 pounds a day, you really need 294 teaspoons! At this point I hope everyone is saying, "WOW! That's a LOT of sugar." uh-huh! (btw, here's the link to calculate teaspoons to ounces )
Second, make a game of "finding sugar." First list all the different types of sugars that are added to food: malt sugar, brown sugar, white sugar, cane sugar, dextrose, dextrin, sucrose, glucose, maltodextrin, high fructose corn syrup, honey, molasses, maple syrup, rice syrup, powdered sugar. Then go on a "shopping trip" in your kitchen. You can tally the various sugars to see which comes up most frequently. Or make a list of the foods that DON'T have any added sugar. Remember lots of foods have naturals sugars. Milk has lactose. Fruit contains fructose and glucose.
Third, there are lots of websites and videos to check out regarding the effects of sugar on the body, so do some research. I really like this lecture on the metabolic breakdown of high fructose corn syrup (high school level and adults) by Dr. Robert H. Lustig, a UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endicrinology. Although this is serious science, Dr. Lustig uses hi-tech graphics and humor to make his lecture really interesting!
Fourth, get everyone in the family to make an Eat Healthy pact. Stock up on healthy snacks (make sure to READ those labels.) Think carrots, nuts, crackers and cheese. While Jorge Cruise recommends only 15 grams of sugar a day, that is really drastic. Current adult consumption is upwards of 100 plus grams a day. Reducing your family's sugar intake by 50% would be tremendous! Start where you are and work towards your family's goal. It is amazingly easy to cut your sugar intake once you are aware of where the hidden sugars are and the number of grams of sugar in different types of food.
Here's to healthy eating and happy homeschooling!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Surviving Cancer and Homeschooling
First, I should clarify... my husband is the one who survived the chemo treatments. I'm the one who survived as wife and caretaker of a cancer patient and the home school mom of a seventeen year old! (Maybe I should wait until June when said son graduates to say we all survived!?)
How do you home school when your husband has cancer? Or whenever you experience an extremely difficult situation ... a job loss, an aging parent, a severe injury.
For me, getting on my knees first thing every morning gives me strength to face the challenges of the day. Whatever they are. Life is filled with experiences that are sometimes fun, sometimes challenging, and sometimes just plain hard. So, for me the first line of defense is my faith in God.
Second, is having super supportive friends and family. In dealing with my husband's cancer and subsequent unemployment for a year, I had to focus on the day-to-day, here-and-now. Our friends and family became my reality check and kept me sane. I had no emotional room for negativity. Having made plans for a worst-case scenario, I then let family and friends know that we were just going to stay positive and focus on getting through each day.
Third, as a homeschooling family we found resources that worked for our situation. We have a neighbor who was willing to tutor our son in German twice a week. (I had previously taught her sons Latin and Science, so it was a nice trade.) Our son is enrolled in one academic and one elective class through a homeschool partnership program with a local private Christian school; and we continued his martial arts instruction to give him a sense of continuity and the support of the master and other instructors. This meant we only had one "at home" course to teach. This gave me time to concentrate on helping my husband get through chemo. It also gave our son several other adults to whom he was accountable and to whom he could look for outside support and encouragement.
Yes, there were sacrifices. Scheduling was a challenge! Life is full of choices. We looked at our priorities - getting our son through his last year of high school and getting my husband through chemo - and found resources that would help us reach those goals. I love the scuba diver's motto: Plan the Dive and Dive the Plan! Our family motto has always been: "Just do it! Make it happen!"
Fourth, keeping things in perspective. On chemo days when I had to explain to my seventeen year old that NOW is NOT the time to be ripping on his electric guitar, I tried to remember he was worried about his Dad, too - and we found other times and ways for him to practice.
For a month we had only one working car which meant juggling classes, clinic appointments, jobs, and activities among five people. (Now there's a lesson in organization.) We kept a pretty strict schedule and I was thankful that somehow it always worked out!
Fifth, and Sixth - a sense of humor, and gratitude. When the septic system backed up, the first time was yucky. The second was unbelievable. And the third time, honestly... I just rolled with laughter. Are you serious?? We finally had to replace the entire leach field which turned into a great lesson on how a septic system works and what it would be like to work as a ditch-digger. It was also a lesson in appreciation for the good friends who helped us. Splashing around in mud and gunk is above and beyond true friendship!
Then the tool sheds fell over in the biggest storm of the year, our twenty-two year old daughter moved back home after an ugly break-up, the second car broke down again, and I got bit by a neighbor's dog.
Oh, and along the way.... every week there were blessings. Family and friends helping out - with meals, with repairs, with finances, and with laughter - because who could believe all this!
Really, it's just been a year filled with lots of love... and along the way my husband had cancer, and we homeschooled, too!
I think this summer we'll have a big party. Celebrate Life!
How do you home school when your husband has cancer? Or whenever you experience an extremely difficult situation ... a job loss, an aging parent, a severe injury.
For me, getting on my knees first thing every morning gives me strength to face the challenges of the day. Whatever they are. Life is filled with experiences that are sometimes fun, sometimes challenging, and sometimes just plain hard. So, for me the first line of defense is my faith in God.
Second, is having super supportive friends and family. In dealing with my husband's cancer and subsequent unemployment for a year, I had to focus on the day-to-day, here-and-now. Our friends and family became my reality check and kept me sane. I had no emotional room for negativity. Having made plans for a worst-case scenario, I then let family and friends know that we were just going to stay positive and focus on getting through each day.
Third, as a homeschooling family we found resources that worked for our situation. We have a neighbor who was willing to tutor our son in German twice a week. (I had previously taught her sons Latin and Science, so it was a nice trade.) Our son is enrolled in one academic and one elective class through a homeschool partnership program with a local private Christian school; and we continued his martial arts instruction to give him a sense of continuity and the support of the master and other instructors. This meant we only had one "at home" course to teach. This gave me time to concentrate on helping my husband get through chemo. It also gave our son several other adults to whom he was accountable and to whom he could look for outside support and encouragement.
Yes, there were sacrifices. Scheduling was a challenge! Life is full of choices. We looked at our priorities - getting our son through his last year of high school and getting my husband through chemo - and found resources that would help us reach those goals. I love the scuba diver's motto: Plan the Dive and Dive the Plan! Our family motto has always been: "Just do it! Make it happen!"
Fourth, keeping things in perspective. On chemo days when I had to explain to my seventeen year old that NOW is NOT the time to be ripping on his electric guitar, I tried to remember he was worried about his Dad, too - and we found other times and ways for him to practice.
For a month we had only one working car which meant juggling classes, clinic appointments, jobs, and activities among five people. (Now there's a lesson in organization.) We kept a pretty strict schedule and I was thankful that somehow it always worked out!
Fifth, and Sixth - a sense of humor, and gratitude. When the septic system backed up, the first time was yucky. The second was unbelievable. And the third time, honestly... I just rolled with laughter. Are you serious?? We finally had to replace the entire leach field which turned into a great lesson on how a septic system works and what it would be like to work as a ditch-digger. It was also a lesson in appreciation for the good friends who helped us. Splashing around in mud and gunk is above and beyond true friendship!
Then the tool sheds fell over in the biggest storm of the year, our twenty-two year old daughter moved back home after an ugly break-up, the second car broke down again, and I got bit by a neighbor's dog.
Oh, and along the way.... every week there were blessings. Family and friends helping out - with meals, with repairs, with finances, and with laughter - because who could believe all this!
Really, it's just been a year filled with lots of love... and along the way my husband had cancer, and we homeschooled, too!
I think this summer we'll have a big party. Celebrate Life!
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