Teaching Kids Art Through Picture Books

Are you a New Year's resolution kind of person? Do you make goals at some point for your kids and your family life, or do you mostly go with the flow? I haven’t always written down my family goals, but I do tend to be goal oriented-I find I get stuff done more when I have time to gather my thoughts, hopes, and dreams, and write them down. Sometimes they just live in my head and I veer my actions toward them instinctively, and sometimes they live in my head and just annoy me because I do nothing about them. 

Goals are signposts. If our actions repeatedly line up on the road the goals are pointing to, we form habits that help us achieve the goal. For example, we might have a goal to exercise 3 times a week this year.  We join the YMCA. Then we go once-it takes a huge amount of motivation because it is unfamiliar and takes extra time. We go again because it felt good.(repeated actions, forming a habit)  Pretty soon we are carving out time 3 times a week, and it is a good habit in our liv...

Here are a few tips from my homeschooling friends and me to help you relax and enjoy the ride--even during a pandemic!

1. Start the day with a story to signal the beginning of the day and to draw them together in a pleasant and attractive way.

2. Do the hardest subject when you have most energy.

3. Take timed breaks as needed. Run around outside for a few minutes if possible. Don't just plow through--kids need breaks!

4. Read aloud every day. My friend Sharon's favorite memory is "going to the library to get books for themed unit studies then cozying up with pillows and blankets in front to the fire and having a whole morning or afternoon just to read separately and together." She advises, "As you take in the responsibility of homeschooling your children, remember to have fun with them-plan for fun-do silly things from time to time! They will be grateful and you will make some good memories they will talk about when they are adults!"

5. Field trips are opportunities to do the big ...

Guess what? It's not really your job to entertain your kids.

You are responsible for keeping them safe and healthy. You need to care for their needs emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. You need to guide them and discipline them.

But you do not need to entertain them.

Here are some ideas for guiding them on spending their time well:

• Set up Daily Household or Personal Chores

  for them to do that are age appropriate and easily accomplished in a 15-30 minute time frame. Here are a few examples:
  • making their beds
  • brushing teeth
  • emptying the trash
  • emptying/loading the dishwasher
  • picking up their rooms
  • here's a link for more ideas: Age Appropriate Chores

• Set up a routine for Seasonal Tasks for after personal chores are done. 

   This is what I mean:
  • During the school year, all school aged kids have school work to do, whether from a homeschool model or traditional going to school model, or distance learning model. Help them get set up so they know what ...