The layout of the E-zine is as follows:

• Greetings from Marianne
• News
• Some Thoughts on Parenting - Raising Grateful Children
• Organizational Tip

• Coming soon

Greetings from Marianne

It has been a while since I have been able to write a simple hello or a note to all my subscribers. Do you also have some unusually busy times where you find it hard to keep track of the days and keep your head above water? Well, if so ... you will know what it has been like for me.

However, I seem to be on the other side of a ‘hump’ – a number of jobs and projects completed and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I have found as my family gets older the phrase, “Homeschooling is a way of life” seems to be even more real. There are so many parts of life that seem to be ‘intrude’ on a timetable. In order to survive the homeschool journey, you need to have a degree of flexibility and allow life’s interruptions to be a part of your day.

Of course, there are limits on what you can and cannot do and I certainly love my peaceful, routine days where we can stay at home, but when there are necessary pulls on my time, I need to include my children in what is called ‘life.’

Over these last weeks, we have helped to prepare, clean and paint my eldest son’s office – as he has just started his own business. That was busy but very exciting for us all! We’ve been involved in the planning of a church camp and other club camps. We’ve been cleaning, painting and renovating a part of our house and during these busier times, the children have had to step up and learn to cook different meals.

News

During these last few months, I have also been working hard on completing some more history homeschooling resource pages and have now included pages which will help you design your own history curriculum in these time periods. I still have four more to go and hope to do these soon!

I have also added numerous curriculum descriptions:

If you have used any of these curricula - please add your review and help other homeschoolers find what may suit their family. We really appreciate your comments and how it was used in your family. Of course - use that to gain more Writing Credits - and gain a Homeschool Freebie!

New Ebooks!

I am very excited about my latest ebooks for teaching writing skills using Fables. Using Aesop’s Fables, I have written a page on how to use fables as a literature base for language arts lessons. I have also created 3 ebooks based on Aesop’s Fables which can be used alongside of the lesson presented on this page. Each ebook (30-35 pages) consists of printable pages with coloured and black and white illustrations. The printable handwriting pages allow the child to copy the fable in either printed or cursive script in various sizes. I have made 3 ebooks out of ten that I plan to make in the future. See the Aesop's Fables Printable Ebooks here.

I have also added Hobbit Printables to go with the Modeling the Classics – Teaching Language Arts lessons from The Hobbit. These printables can be used for copywork in printed and cursive script in various sizes. The illustrations are in colour and black and white. The Hobbit Printables can be purchased separately or as a package.

I have also added My TOP TEN Lists – various lists of homeschool ideas and suggestions, recommendations in groups of ten. I hope you enjoy these.

Homeschool Freebies

Writing Credits

Looking for some Homeschool Freebies?

Homeschooling Ebooks, My latest set of Ebooks!, Amazon and Christianbook Gift vouchers and Books - given away for free.... Ready to contribute?

Writing Credits here

Become an 'author' for this website (write about what you're doing, science experiments, add to the nature journal, add a curriculum description and review or anything in the Homeschoool Gallery, earn credits, and trade your points for a prize! I will read your entry and publish it if it meets the website's requirements. Curriculum reviews will only be published if you express how the product was used personally in your homeschool as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the program.

When you have earned enough credits, fill in the form below and list your published entries and your Homeschool Freebie will be sent to you!

Join me on Facebook and earn your first 5 credits!

Read more about Writing Credits here - and items for which you can trade your credits.

Some Thoughts on Parenting

Well, when I was peeling oranges the other day for afternoon tea, it made me think of different styles of parenting. I have had first-hand experience with parents who do everything for their child and whose aim is to please their child’s every desire. I have heard parents say, “All I want for my child is that she has fun.” Some parents believe that happiness and pleasure is the child’s right and what the child deserves.

Often both parents work long days to provide this. These parents jump to their child’s needs; run to their aid; meet all their desires; bring them to friends’ houses; run constant activities for them and so on; These parents peel oranges constantly for their child to eat the delicious fruit of their labours.

This was brought to my attention when another child came over to play. There were certain attitudes that I saw that made me think about this whole issue. This child expected certain things ("I want a Coke", "I’m bored" "I want to watch a movie") and was quite at ease in displaying her disappointment with the reality we gave her.

If a child is constantly given exactly what they want it can only lead to ungratefulness and selfishness.

Raising children to maturity means we do not give them what they want even if we can. We need to raise children who are thankful, not looking to their own interests, but to the interests of others. Characters are built by perseverance and hard work. We want our children to be those who are willing to serve, willing to put themselves out, willing to do the difficult jobs and the jobs which no one sees. We need helpers, volunteers, leaders who are ready to endure hardship and willing to take their stand, however uncomfortable it may be, and be Christ’s ambassador in this world.

Do not forget the difficulties that the apostle Paul needed to go through as a servant of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11).

Thank you for letting me share my thoughts on parenting. What do you think?

Organizational Tip

1. Write a to-do list. Writing a list helps you to think straight and direct your thoughts to the most important things. I also like to begin in prayer and ask God to direct my steps – to help me prioritize what He wants me to achieve in that day. God’s burden is light and when we feel our burden is too heavy to bear, it means we are taking on something that God has not laid on our shoulders to bear. We need to ask God to direct our steps.
2. Then begin ( I always get dressed first – ready to begin my day – make my own bed so that there is some semblance of order) and then , Do the next thing. Sometimes the bits seem too big, but if you just begin with what needs to be done and continue – following a list – it gets done.
3. Tick off your list!! Yeah! That is so much fun. Sometimes I even write a list after I have completed the jobs just so I can tick them off and feel like I accomplished something in the day. (yes, I’m a bit crazy at times)

That's all for now - simple, but yet I even forget to do this when I need it most.

Coming soon...

Also, I want to add some more homeschool history resource pages to help you design your own history curriculum using literature and read alouds and my Homeschool Ideas Lists of Ten.