Cutting Back at Christmas: avoiding the budget blowout

Two things you want;

Two things to wear;

Two things for learning;

Two things to share.

I was tempted to write nothing more than the above little ditty, because it really does sum up what my hubby and I are planning to do in purchasing Christmas gifts for our boys this year.

I've been wracking my brain, trying to figure out a way to cut back on our gift-giving expenses.  It just all seems so extravagant, and we really don't have the funds to continue spending the way we have in past years.  Plus, there's a good chance we'll be adding a new member to our family this Christmas, and I know I'm going to want to spoil her.  My step-daughter will be welcoming a new baby girl, making me a Gramma for the first time at the tender age of 38.  Gosh!  I feel so old!  But, I digress.

Today, my mind wandered while I watched the minutes tick by, wishing I could be outdoors in the warm sunshine, since there aren't many such nice days left before the snow flies, and the idea hit me.  I'd heard similar ideas before.  Something along the lines of giving one thing they want, one thing they need, one thing to read, and.... I can't quite remember the fourth category.  As I pondered it, though, I realized that model doesn't really fit us.  My boys detest reading, so that would be a wasted gift.  And, they don't really need anything, either.  Which leaves one thing they wants, and one thing..... that I can't remember.

Yes, I know Christmas is not about the gifts, but gift-giving is a part of our family traditions, and both giving and receiving gifts is something we all enjoy.  I just can't imagine only giving my boys two gifts.  It would be a let-down, not only for them, but for me!  I love giving gifts to my kids!  I love the looks on their faces when they see what's inside the packaging!  I love the smiles and the hugs and the thank-yous.  Basically, I love making them happy, which I do all year long without gifts, but Christmas time just brings something more magical to it.

The only problem, then, is the cost of all that gift-giving.  We really stretch our budget, and, oftentimes, break it.  That's not something I want to face this year, because it causes stress at a time when we should be focusing on enjoying time with family and friends, and on the true meaning of Christmas, of course - the birth of Christ.

So, to try to avoid the stress, and to (hopefully) not break the bank, this year we'll be trying this new approach:

Two things you want;
Two things to wear;
Two things for learning;
Two things to share.

What do you do to avoid busting your budget at gift-giving times like Christmas?

 

Prioritizing Extracurriculars

The question came up a couple of times lately - what extracurricular activities do your kids take part in, and how do you prioritize them?

At first,  I just listed off the activities my boys are in.  But, after I saw the question again, I started to think more about it, and we actually do have a structure to the way in which we decide what (regularly scheduled) activities to participate in.

Faith.  Family.  Fellowship.

The motto of our home school is this:  God first.  Everything else falls in line.

To that end, the activities we choose first are those that help in building our faith.  Apart from attending church services on Sunday mornings, our boys are part of three other regularly scheduled activities sponsored by our church that occur during the public school year.  

First is what our church calls Wild Wednesdays.  You may have heard of Christian Religious Education, which is a program where public school students go to a local church during the last hour of school one day a week and are taught about the Christian religion  Wild Wednesdays is just that, but with a lot of fun activities thrown in, too.  My youngest son is in one of the Wild Wednesday groups, and my oldest is a group helper.

Next, the boys and their dad meet with other boys and their dads at our church one night each week for Christian Service Brigade, which is a program similar to boy scouts, but with a greater emphasis on Christian living, and is intended to build a strong bond between the boys and their male mentors.

Finally, as a family, we attend what our church calls Fab Fridays.  Once a month, we meet with other families from the community at our church for a night of fun.  Everything is family friendly and Christian oriented, but there's not usually a specific message or teaching.  It's just a night where we play games, eat snacks, make crafts, and generally have tons of fun!

After activities that strengthen our faith, we choose those that strengthen our family.  I already mentioned one above - Fab Fridays.  That falls into both the faith and family categories.  Currently, it's the only organized activity we're involved in as a family, but, if we have the opportunity to do something together (such as camping or field trips), we'll choose those things before choosing others (like sports or music lessons).

The third category we have for choosing extracurricular activities is for those that encourage fellowship.  In other words, everything else.  Sports, music lessons, technology, friends, summer camps, etc..  

Up until this summer, our boys have participated in our town's Little League program every year since they were 5 years old.  This year, my youngest chose to play soccer instead.  They made it to every game and every practice.... unless it fell on a night that one of our faith or family building activities was scheduled for.  Which usually meant they weren't starters on their teams, but that was just fine with us.  They still had fun and learned the sport as well as teamwork, but they also learned that God and family come first, which we feel is important for them to understand.

The last extracurricular activity the boys take part in regularly is piano lessons.  They travel with me when I go to work on Wednesdays and take their lessons from our Pastor's wife, who lives next door to my office.  Wednesdays, as you'll remember from earlier, is also the day for Wild Wednesdays, so after their piano lessons they simply walk across the parking lot from the parsonage to the church building, ready for Wild Wednesdays to begin.

So far, I've talked only about activities that we have scheduled on a regular basis.  Often, though, opportunities come up for the boys to get involved in an activity or program that takes place for a smaller chunk of time.

For example, in the summers, they attend our church's VBS program, which lasts just for one week.  They also attend both a summers sports camp and a summer Bible camp, each lasting for one week.  Last year, my oldest son performed in his first play with a local school that offered parts to area homeschoolers.  He had a couple practices each night for about 2 months, then two nights of the final performance.  Lastly, as a family, we take a few weekends each month in the summers to go camping (RVing, really) and to go on field trips (A.K.A., vacations).

We tend to work the temporary activities into and around our regularly scheduled ones and make some allowances for changes, depending on the activity.  For example, in order for my oldest to be eligible to perform in the play he was in, the director required each performer miss no more than two practices.  Because it was important to him, and because we anticipated it being a growth experience for him (and it was), we placed high priority on it for the two months it lasted.

I feel it's important to prioritize your child's extracurricular activities, or you can end up feeling overwhelmed and drowning in all you have to do.  Our schedule may look full and busy on paper (or computer screen), but when we know what our priorities are, we know when we can say no to something.  Being too busy can have a negative effect on both faith and family, and since those are the two most important priorities for us, it's easy to cut something out of the schedule to be sure we maintain our health in both those areas.

How do you prioritize your child's extracurriculars?  Do you have a system?  Or are you feeling overwhelmed?  Let's chat!

Great Curriculum Adventure II

I'm running just  teensy bit behind schedule this year, as far as purchasing curriculum is concerned.  Oh!  Wait!  We homeschool.  There is no schedule.  Silly me.  Okay, maybe I'm just feeling the crunch, because we've done no formal lessons since June, and it's nearly September.  I feel as though all the knowledge gained last year is seeping out of my boys' brains like water through a sieve the longer we go without lessons.  I think I was better prepared last year.

Let's jump into it, shall we?

MATH
Last year we used Bob Jones University Press' Math 5 for my 6th grader.  It was a success!  We rarely had to fight over math work.  But, we also only made it a little over half way through the book.  So, this year, we'll be sticking with BJU, but I also wanted to try out something about which I've heard rave reviews - Teaching Textbooks.  They are CD-ROM based lessons with a workbook to reinforce the lessons.  On first glance, the first half of Teaching Textbooks 7 seems to be review of what we did in BJU 5 last year, so we're going to do a mixture of BJU 5, BJU 6, and TT 7.  Should be interesting!

My younger son is still a math whiz.  Last year, we started multiplication, and you'd think he'd been doing it since birth.  Thank goodness!  Because I am horrible at math and was not looking forward to teaching this to him.  Last year we used Scott Foresman/Addison Wesley's Mathematics for grade 3.  We've used the Foresman/Wesley curriculum every year for him, and it seems to work well.  We'll be using this for as long as the pre-common core versions are available on eBay.  So, Foresman/Wesleyan Mathematics for grade 4 this year.

LANGUAGE ARTS: (A.K.A. ENGLISH)
Last year I branched out and used several different resources for this subject, which you can check out in my Great Curriculum Adventure post from last year.  We ended up not fully completing several of those books, though, so we'll be continuing with them this year, as well as adding a few new ones to the mix.

For reading, we'll be finishing up the Reading Detective books, which turned out to be perfect for my boys.  They grew in their reading comprehension abilities by leaps and bounds last year with this curriculum.

 

Last year, for spelling, we used Bob Jones University Press's curriculum, which didn't end up being quite what I was looking for.  It was a lot of busy work.  So, this year, we're going to give Soaring with Spelling a try. I asked a bunch of other homeschooling moms for suggestions in this area, and Soaring with Spelling was a popular suggestion.  Hopefully, this will end my search for the perfect spelling program.

 

Penmanship.  This is such a struggle for both my boys.  Their handwriting is sloppy, and they hate having to write.  Last year, we tried A Reason for Handwriting.  It was good, but not quite what I was looking for.  I again asked a bunch of homeschooling moms for suggestions, and by and large, the number one suggestion was Handwriting without Tears.  It's definitely different than other programs I've looked at.  I'm hopeful it will be the one that makes my boys enjoy handwriting.

For grammar, we'll be continuing what we started last year - Grammar Minutes and The Language Mechanic.  I was happy with these, and the boys seemed to enjoy them.  No need to change what's working.

Writing.  Another subject where we'll continue what we started last year, because it worked, and the boys enjoyed it.  We're using Jump In: a workbook for reluctant and eager writers.  But we'll also be adding another aspect for my oldest - study skills.  I found the Victus Study Skills System DIY workbook.  It seems very intensive, but my son has zero concept of how to study, and I feel that's something important for him to learn if his future plans include attending college.  We shall see if this program is successful.

HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY
Last year, I found the Uncle Sam and You curriculum from the Notgrass company.  What I like about this is the student workbook that accompanies it.  Jam packed with fun activities to reinforce each lesson, it looked like it might make learning history fun.  Thankfully, the boys really enjoyed it.  But, we only made it about half way through the curriculum, so we'll be continuing it again this year.  

Also, my oldest is required to do Geography either this or next year.  Last year, I found a curriculum called 50 States and Where to Find Them, which was being offered for FREE for a limited time.  I jumped on it, knowing I could use it at some point.  That point has come, and we'll be using it this year.  I think the boys will like it, because it involves crossword puzzles and coloring pages.  It breaks the states down into small regions so the boys can learn them in bite sized pieces.  I have high hopes for this one!

 

SCIENCE
Last year, we used Apologia's Exploring Creation with Astronomy, which we absolutely loved!  This year, the boys told me they wanted to use Apologia again, but they wanted to do the Chemistry and Physics curriculum this time.  I was all set to purchase it, but at the last minute, my oldest tole me he changed his mind.  Grr!!!  Okay, I can make this work.  Ha!  

My son decided he wanted to do an engineering type program.  He wanted to build machines.  So I did some research and found a really fantastic looking program.  Unfortunately, I misunderstood the pricing of it, and it ended up being far too expensive for us.  After much more research, I finally landed on K'nex Education's Exploring Machines curriculum.  Since it arrived at our house, the boys have been begging to start school!  What better way to do school than with toys?  It is an actual curriculum, though, so they'll be learning while they're having fun.  

HEALTH & WELLNESS
Last year, we used Alpha Omega's Monarch Health Quest online curriculum.  What a wasted effort!  The curriculum itself was not bad, but my boys just cannot work together on a computer curriculum.  They distract each other, they fool around, they fight.  They nearly flunked the course.  Not because they couldn't do the work or understand the material, but because it was the wrong method of learning for them.

This year, we're using the good old fashioned textbook and workbook method.  I'll be reading the lessons aloud to both boys at the same time, and then they will be set loose to complete worksheets relating to the lessons.  I think this will work much better.  The curriculum we'll use is called Total Health: talking about life's changes by Susan Boe.  Another thing I am drawn to with this curriculum is its Biblical base.

 

VISUAL ARTS

This is always my favorite subject, but also the one I find most difficult to teach, which is odd, considering I studied art in college and was just shy of earning my B.A. in it.

Last year, we tried Art with a Purpose Artpacs by Myron and Rachel Weaver.  Disaster!  I don't know; I suppose these would work for someone, but they were just so dry and lacked any real lessons.  My boys and I were not impressed.  So, once again, on to something new.

We're trying two different books this year.  First, Creating Line Designs (book 4) by Randy Womack.  It's exactly what it says - creating line designs.  It's really a book full of connect-the-dot pages, but it teaches kids to follow directions, create a straight line, and use lines in creative ways.  Each page gets progressively more difficult. 

Our second book is a journal type book called Art, Doodle, Love.  It is filled with pretty, blank pages with different creativity prompts written on each.  I'm hoping this will inspire my boys to use their imaginations and realize they can create anything they want using any materials they want.  It's technically for women, but I took a look at it, and it will work just fine for my boys.  Sshhh!!! Don't tell them! 

 

BIBLE

Simplify.  That's the plan this year.  With our Bible curriculum, at least.  Last year we used Apologia's Who am I? curriculum, which was fantastic!  But, it was just a little too advanced for my boys.  So, I decided to make it much more simple this year.  

For my oldest, we'll use the Book of Fidgets: a jot & doodle journal for Christian youth.  It's filled with art and writing prompts that line up with various scripture passages and faith questions.  My boy is an artist, so this is perfect for him.

My youngest will use The Bible Doodle Book by Zonderkidz.  Each pages has a chapter from the Bible illustrated, but not completed, along with a prompt for completing the pages.  We'll read the scripture together, then he can get creative and complete the pages.

 

 

MUSIC

Nothing new here.  The boys take piano lessons during the public school year from a friend of ours.  They'll continue their lessons this year, too.

PRACTICAL ARTS

Last, but not least, Practical Arts is required for my oldest this year, so we'll do it for both boys.  Practical Arts, from what I understand, is basically Life Skills.  Things that we old folk used to call home economics, shop, technology, keyboarding... that sort of thing.  To that end, we'll be working on a few things - critical thinking, cooking/baking, typing, and skill building.  For critical thinking, we're using Word Winks and Perplexors.  Cooking/baking will be my boys and me in the kitchen, planning meals, shopping for ingredients, and putting the meals together.  For typing, I found a free typing tutor that I downloaded last year called Typing Instructor for Kids.  It resembles a video game, but teaches typing skills at the same time.  Finally, for skill building, we'll use the website DIY.org.  It lists numerous different skills, and within each skill are several projects to complete.  Upon completion of a certain number of projects, the child earns a patch.  It's similar to a Boy Scouts skill building program, but, as the name of the website suggests, we will do it ourselves.

That.  Was a lot.  But, really, it's not.  As I write this final paragraph, we've actually begun our second week of our fourth year homeschooling, and, so far, it's been our best year yet!  All of the curriculum I chose has proven to be perfect!  I'm hopeful it will continue to be so throughout the rest of the year.

What are your thoughts?  Have you used any of these resources?  If so, how did you like them?  Let me know what's on your mind in the comments.

Me vs. I: the Grammar Series

The dilemma of whether to use 'I' or 'me' in a sentence is actually much easier to understand than most people think, once you know the trick to remembering when and in what order to use each word.

Many people don't give it a second thought to say, "Me and Bill (or Bill and me) are going to the ball game."

What you should say, instead, is this: "Bill and I are going to the ball game."

There is another set of people, though, who use 'I' in everything, thinking it makes them sound like they've figured it out.

For example, "The ball game was too boring for Bill and I, so we went home."

All of the above usages are incorrect, though. Here's why:

The trick is to break the sentence down into two separate sentences.

Take this one, for example: "Bill and me are going to the ball game."

Who is going to the ball game? Bill is going to the ball game. Me is going to the ball game. Wait... that doesn't sound right, does it? 'Me' is going to the ball game? You have to ask your self who is doing what and see if it makes sense when you break the sentence into two parts.

In this case, the correct usage is as follows: "Bill and I are going to the ball game." Who is going to the ball game? Bill is going to the ball game. I am going to the ball game. That makes sense.

Second example: "The ball game was too boring for Bill and I, so we went home."

Break it down, now. "The ball game was too boring for Bill." "The ball game was too boring for I." See? That doesn't make sense.

What you should say, instead, is this: "The ball game was too boring for Bill and me, so we went home."

Break it down. "The ball game was too boring for Bill." "The ball game was too boring for me." Now it makes sense!

As a final note, no matter which form you use - 'I' or 'me' - the other person always comes first.  "Bill and I" or "Bill and me".  Never "Me and Bill".

Hopefully, I explained this well enough.  Please let me know if I just made it even more confusing, or if you found it helpful.  Thanks for reading!

 Previous post:  You Ain't Seen Nuthin Yet

FREE Simple Homeschool Planner

Back to school!

Many homeschoolers are gearing up for their first day of school.  I know we are.  I ordered all our curricula, and the boys peek out the windows at mail delivery time each day, eager to see if another book is arriving.  As soon as all our books arrive, we'll be ready to start.  Well, almost.

We need a plan!  Lesson plan, that is.  You can find dozens of planners made for homeschoolers.  They're popular among bloggers.  Filled with not only calendars, but also grocery lists, contact lists, meal plans, goals - like the one found here on a blog named Living Well Spending Less.  Appointment keepers, journal pages, attendance trackers, reading logs, and more, like you'll find in this in-depth, customizable planner (which is what I used last year) at Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus.

But, I don't need all that.  I use Outlook to keep track of appointments and contacts.  I use Homeschool Tracker Plus to track attendance, keep reading logs, and more.  And I use good old fashioned pen and paper for meal planning, grocery lists, and journaling.  

What I need is a simple calendar system.  A calendar for the full school year for each subject, where I can write in lesson plans for each day.

That's it.  Simple.

So I went looking for one.  I took to Google, Facebook, Amazon...  No luck.  Everything I found either had what I wanted, but with lots of other things attached, or only had something that was close to what I wanted, but not quite.

I decided to make my own.  Exactly what I want.  And, why not share it?  I figure someone out there is looking for just this type of planner, too.

Here's how it works:  

All pages are in PDF form, in hopes that the font I chose will remain intact whether you have it installed on your computer or not.  But, if it doesn't, I'm also including the ZIP file of the font that you can download, if you want.  Everything will work fine without it, though.

First, the cover page, which you can see in this image. 

Next, a full academic year (July 1st through June 30th) calendar page.  Here you can mark off planned days off, vacations, and holidays.  It's a year in review page.

Finally, monthly pages by subject, which is where you will fill in your lesson plans for each day.  One month per page.  When you print these, you can choose to either print them back to back (aka, duplex printing), or you can just print one month per page, which is what I prefer, so that when the pages are bound, the binding is always on the left side of the page I'm using.  

The subjects are color coded, but, to save on ink, you can print them monochrome.  Also, you'll notice there are only 5 days per week on the monthly pages.  They are Monday through Friday weeks.  I know, many of us school on the weekends, too, but I found the 5 day week planner to be most efficient for me.

After all pages are printed,  match up the month of July 2014 pages for each subject (putting them in whatever order you like), then match up August, and place them behind July, then September, and so on.

The subjects included in this planner are Math, English, History, Science, Health, and Bible.  There's also a calendar with no subject heading, which you can print as many times as you like to use for any other subjects you need a planner for.  Also, each subject's calendar is a separate file, so if you aren't teaching Health, for example, you can skip printing those pages.

The simplest way to bind your pages is with a 3-hole punch and a 3-ring binder.  You'll need a 1" to 1 1/2" binder.  I prefer the ones with the clear plastic cover where you can slide your cover page in the top opening.

Done!  Now you can start planning your days. 

For a first effort, I'm pretty happy with this planner.  For next year, I'll probably play with the design to make it more visually appealing.  This year, I went more for practicality. 

Let me know if you like this, if my instructions were clear, and if you have any suggestions.  Also, feel free to share the link with your homeschooling friends.  But, please, be sure to give credit where credit is due.  The link below will take you to Google Drive, where you can view and print the planner. 


Free Simple Homeschool Planner

You Ain't Seen Nuthin Yet: the Grammar Series

Let's talk about the word 'seen' - a word many people misuse regularly, and don't seem to even realize it.

I seen Bill at the ball game the other day.  I seen a cat cross the road.  I seen a bug on the window.  I seen when you did that.

The use of the word 'seen' in the above examples is so very wrong.  

What you should say, instead, is this: I saw Bill at the ball game the other day.  I saw a cat cross the road.  I saw a bug on the window.  I saw when you did that.

The only time it is acceptable to use the word 'seen' is in a cases such as these: Have you seen my jacket? Or... The movie couldn't be seen by the people in the back row.

When in doubt, just figure out a way to say what you want to say without using the word 'seen' at all.  For example:  I can't find my jacket; do you know where it is?  Or... The movie screen was blocked from the view of the people in the back row.

That way, you're always safe.  Using the word 'seen' incorrectly, unfortunately, has the effect of making a person sound less intelligent than they actually (probably) are.  That may sound harsh, but it's true.

Now, let's discuss the word 'ain't'.

Why should you never, ever, ever use that word? I don't care if you DO find it in the dictionary! It's not a word, and using it, just like the word 'seen', makes a person sound ignorant.  Harsh, I know.  But, true. 

'Ain't' is a fictional conjunction made up of the words 'Am', 'Is', and 'Not'.

When have you ever in your life used those three words successively in a sentence? Have you ever in your life said something like, I am is not going to take your lip anymore, young man! Or, I am is not joking.

No. You have never.  Because it makes no sense.  Neither does 'ain't.  Please don't use it.

Previous post:  Have Got is a Do Not

Next post:  Me vs. I

 

Have Got is a Do Not: the Grammar Series

I've got an idea.  You've got an idea.  We've got...  They've got....

There is more than one problem here.  First, redundancy.  "I have got."  "You have got."  "We have got."  "They have got."  'Have' and 'got' mean essentially the same thing here.  There's no need for both words.  Simply say, "I have an idea."  "You have an idea."  We have...  They have....  Or, if you want to sound all fancy like, you can even say "I've an idea."  "You've an idea."  We've...  They've....   Using "I've got" is like saying "Done did."  I done did my chores.  You done did your homework.  

Second problem, assuming we're speaking in the present tense, is that "got" is past tense, so it does not work.  Therefore, don't say "I got an idea."  "You got an idea."  We got... They got....  Not when you're speaking in the present.  Not when you're speaking about something that's happening right now.  'Got' is only appropriate when you're referring to something in the past.  I got sick.  You got the mail.  We got together.  They got an eviction notice.

Get it?  Got it?  Good.

Previous post:  That, Which, and Who 

Next post:  You Ain't Seen Nuthin Yet

 

That, Which, and Who: the Grammar Series

This is one of those things that not many people think of, but it really does matter

That vs. Which:  "That" should be used when your "that" information is necessary to make the meaning of your subject clear.  "Which" should be used when your subject can stand alone. 

For example:

Her prom dress is a shade of red that is tinted with burnt umber, which happens to be my favorite color.

In describing her prom dress, it doesn't suffice to state that it is simply red, because it is not simply red.  Her dress is red, and it is tinted with burnt umber.  That is necessary information in accurately describing her prom dress.  However, mentioning the color of her prom dress happens to be your favorite color is not at all necessary.  You could leave that part off completely and still accurately convey the meaning of your subject.

That/Which vs. Who:  "That" and "Which" refer to things - places, animals, objects, etc.  "Who" refers to human beings.

For example:

I'll meet you under the big oak tree that is next to the park bench.  Notice here the use of "that", adhering to both rules.  The location of the oak tree is necessary information to aid the listener in finding the correct oak tree to meet the speaker under.  And, the oak tree is a thing.  Therefore, "that" is the correct word to use in this case.

I'll meet you under the big oak tree, which is one of the prettiest trees in the park.  Here, the word "which" adheres to both rules.  Whether or not the oak tree is the prettiest in the park is not important information to describe where the listener should meet the speaker.  And, the oak tree is a thing.  Therefore, "which" is the correct word to use in this case.

The big oak tree in the park is the favorite tree of my best friend, who is meeting me there today.  This is where many people use the wrong word.  Many people use the word "that" instead of "who" in this case, but "who" is the correct word to use, because the speaker is meeting his/her best friend - a human being - at the tree. 

"That" would be correct in a case like this:

The big oak tree in the park is where I found my pet rock that I am putting back under the tree today.  "That" refers to the pet rock - a thing - therefore, "that" is the correct word to use here.

One last thing:  Always use a comma before "which" and "who".  Never use a comma before "that".

And that is that, which I wrote for you folks, who probably don't care.

Or, do you?

Previous post:  Articles

Next post:  Have Got is a Do Not

 

Limiting Screen Time: how to break the addiction

Xbox.  Playstation.  Wii.  Kindle.  Nook.  iPad.  Galaxy.  Laptops.  Desktops.  Smart phones.  

Games.  Apps.  YouTube.  Twitter.  Facebook.  Snap Chat.  Tumblr.

Angry Birds.  Skylanders.  World of Warcraft.  Candy Crush.  Minecraft.

If you have a teenager, or even a pre-teen, you've no doubt heard of most of these.  Since the invention of the telephone and television, parents have struggled with keeping their kids from becoming addicted to electronics.  There's just something about a screen that keeps kids from focusing on anything else.

My approach to this difficult task differs from most, I think.  If you spend any time in parenting groups on social media, you've probably seen the popular questions:  "How do I keep my kids from spending too much time on their screens?  What do you do in your family?  They're addicted!"

Typical responses include these:  "We set a timer for 30 minutes, and when it goes off, the screens do, too."  "We have our kids do chores to earn screen time."

In my opinion, though, these tactics of negotiation should be avoided.  We're the parents.  Negotiation isn't our job.  It's our job to train our children up in the way they should go, which means we make the rules, and the kids follow the rules.  Save the negotiations for your car salesman.

We don't use timers.  We don't have the kids earn screen time.  We don't say, "If you do X, then you can use your screens."

Here is what we do:

Our kids must ask before they use any electronics.  Then, when we feel they've spent enough time on their screens, we tell them to turn the screens off.  They comply, or they receive consequences for disobeying (which usually involves having their electronics taken away for a period of time).

That's it.  There's no magic number of minutes or hours a child should or should not spend using electronics.  There's no magic formula for deciding when and how much screens can be used.  

Whenever I see a parent on social media complaining about their kids being addicted to screens and pleading with others for ideas on how to limit screen time, I always want to yell, "Just tell them to turn the screens off!"  But, I don't.  I'm afraid that would offend some parents.

Seriously, though.  Don't negotiate with your kids.  If you don't allow them to become addicted to screens, then they won't become addicted to screens. Set clear boundaries, and when they cross the boundaries, initiate consequences. They won't hate you.  Much.

Articles: the Grammar Series

To begin this series, I thought we'd tackle one of the lesser-known rules of grammar that not very many people pay much attention to but is, in my opinion, pretty important.

Articles.

Articles are those tiny words in a sentence that help to determine how many of a thing are being talked about.  We have three articles in the English language - 'the', 'a', and 'an'.  

The article 'the' is called definite, meaning, it refers to something specific.  The book.  The car.  The movie.  When you use 'the', it's clear exactly which thing you're talking about.  It refers to something you can point at or touch.

The articles 'a' and 'an' are called indefinite, meaning, they refer to something general.  A bug.  A song.  An elephant.  An uncle.  When you use 'a' or 'an', you can't point to or touch the thing you're referencing, because it could be any number of things in a group.

If I have a bunch of grapes, I can offer one to you.  I would not ask, "Would you like the grape?", unless I had picked one single grape out of the bunch and were handing just that one grape to you.  That would be silly, though.  Instead, I would ask, "Would you like a grape?"  In that case, I'm holding out the bunch of grapes toward you, and you are free to choose whichever grape from the bunch you would like.

How do we know when to use 'a' and when to use 'an'?  Can we just choose whichever we like, willy-nilly?  No, there are rules that determine when to use which article.  

The simplest way I can think to remember these rules is to remember your vowels and consonants.  Vowels being 'a, e, i, o, u' and consonants being the rest of the letters of the alphabet.

The article 'a' is always used when the word that follows it begins with a consonant.  A dog.  A fig.  A yam.

The article 'an' is always used when the word that follows it begins with a vowel.  An oval.  An egg.  An umbrella.

As with most rules, though, there is one exception.  Even though the letter 'h' is a consonant, the article 'an' is often used when the word that follows it begins with 'h'.  An honest man.  An hourglass.  An historical fiction.

What about words like habit, or happy, or hospital, or harpoon.  It sounds clumsy to say 'an habit' or 'an happy'.  

The secret lies in the syllables.  If a word beginning with 'h' is said with the emphasis on any syllable other than the first, you will always use the article 'an'.  An hotel.  An humongous mountain.  An habitual coffee break.  If, however, the emphasis is on the first syllable, you'll use the article 'a'.  A happy man.  A hardened criminal.  A hankering for cheese.

Honestly, though, the 'h' rule is becoming outdated.  Following the 'h' rule often leaves your speech and writing sounding clunky and odd.  It's acceptable to use your own judgment here.  If you feel silly saying, "Let's go find an Halloween costume store," then, by all means, use the article 'a', instead.

If you found this post useful, or if you have any questions about it, please do leave me a comment.  I'll be posting several more in the Grammar Series, and if I've helped just one person, then it will have been worth it.

Next Post:  That, Which, Who

Previous Post:  The English Language: does it matter?

The English Language: does it matter?

I received a request from a few women in the Hip Homeschool Moms community on Facebook to begin a post filled with spelling and grammar tips, tricks, and rules.  Knowing this is a weakness for them, they desire to learn in order to better teach their own children.  What follows, then, is an introduction to a series of posts I'll be making in which I offer just that - tips, tricks, and rules for spelling and grammar.  I hope you find it helpful, and, if you have any to add, or if you feel I've made a mistake, please feel free to post a comment.

Ana Lucia

In the heart of Spain lives a 14-year-old girl named Ana Lucia.  Born and raised in Spain, her family tree traces back far into Spain's history.  She and her family speak only Spanish.  In school, though, she learns of an opportunity for high school seniors to become foreign exchange students.  This piques her interest.  Tales of life in the United States have always fascinated Ana Lucia.  She decides at that moment to become a foreign exchange student to the U.S. when she reaches her senior year.

What do you suppose is the most important thing Ana Lucia must learn over the next 3 or so years in order to best function in the unfamiliar American culture when she arrives?  Mathematics?  Chemistry?  Art appreciation?  Music theory? 

No.  Ana Lucia must learn the English language.  Without a firm grasp of English, she will struggle as a student in America.  Over the next few years, Ana Lucia must learn word meanings, spelling, grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and more. 

Alex

In the United States, a 14-year-old boy named Alex begins his sophomore year of high school.  Born and raised in Ohio, Alex's family tree traces back to the Pilgrims.  He and his family have never been out of the country.

Alex has a full schedule in school.  Algebra, Biology, English, World History, Art, Band and Choir, Phys. Ed., Health, Home Economics.  He isn't planning on going anywhere.  His plans involve graduating with the classmates he's had since 7th grade, and he's been thinking about attending Ohio State afterwards.

Which subject in Alex's course load is most important for him to learn?  One might say it depends on what his future plans are.  Does he want to be a graphic designer?  Art should be his focus.  Does he want to be an accountant?  He should take all the math courses available. 

No.  Alex must learn the English language.  Without a firm grasp of English, he will struggle as a student and potential employee.  Over the next few years, Alex must learn word meanings, spelling, grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and more.

..............................................................................................

The longer I home school, the more I realize that people in the U.S. don't place much importance on the English language.  Maybe because we speak it.  We write it.  It's not something we have to think about.

More than not thinking it's important, though, many people are offended when it's suggested they ought to place more importance on it.  For reasons I have yet to figure out, when it's said that "your" and "you're" aren't interchangeable, or that "are" and "our" are not the same thing, or that "I seen a cat" is not acceptable, people bristle. Why is the English language any less important for native speakers to study than it is for a foreign exchange student?

Not everyone can have impeccable spelling and grammar, for various reasons.  Dyslexia, being one.  Just as not everyone can recite their times tables from memory, or name all the elements on the periodic table, or remember the names of all 50 United States.  And everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.  I am horrible at math.  I rely on a calculator.  BUT.  But.  That doesn't mean we can't all at least try our hardest.  And it certainly doesn't mean it's not important to learn or to teach our children.

Spelling and grammar errors on a resume' aren't going to impress a potential employer.  On a college application essay, they're not going to impress the admissions staff.  In an interview, you won't need to multiply 8 by 23.  You won't need to label a map.  You won't need to describe the water cycle.  While those things may be pertinent to the job you're applying for, the only thing that will really matter during your interview is whether or not you are able to communicate clearly.  Can your potential employer understand what you've written on your application?  Do you sound like you know what you're talking about when you answer their questions?

A set of twins sees a "Help Wanted" sign outside a restaurant.  In need of employment, they enter the business and ask for the manager.  The twins are well-dressed in khakis and button-down shirts.  They're clean-shaven and well-manicured.  By outward appearances, they seem employable.  When the store manager appears, Twin A says, "Me and him seen the "help wanted" sign out there, an we need jobs.  Can we get a application?"  Twin B says, "My brother and I noticed the "help wanted" sign out front.  We're seeking employment.  May we have an application, please?"

Which twin do you suppose the manager would be more likely to consider for the job?  The way we speak (and write) does matter.

We, as homeschoolers, ought to desire to better ourselves in all areas in order to best teach our children.  Most of us have faced a situation in which a non-homeschooler questioned our ability to teach our children.  Why lend credence to such claims by writing and speaking poorly?  After all, our words are what the non-homeschooling world see and hear before anything else; therefore, that's what they judge us by.

The English language is the most important thing for a foreign exchange student to learn before coming to America.  Why should it be any less important for those of us who are native English speakers?

Next Post:  Articles