The following list of gratitude for homeschooling is courtesy of Lindsay Banton and homeshcoolingfacts.com. Can you identify with it? What are you most thankful for as a homeschooling parent? I am thankful for homeschool because I get to have a front row seat to my kids’ development and learning. There aren’t any other people obstructing my view of this great show we call “growing up”. I am thankful for the freedom to homeschool, and to homeschool how I see fits us best. I am thankful for slow mornings and extended projects. I am thankful my kids are learning and developing at their own pace. I am thankful for homeschooling because my kids have strong relationships with each other, they are one another’s best friend. I am thankful for homeschooling because it feeds my love of office supplies and my childhood dream of “becoming a teacher when I grow up”. I am thankful for homeschooling because of the other incredible families I have met through local groups and activities. I am thankful for homeschooling because it has caused me to think through choices I make in other areas of life. Am I doing things a particular way because that’s how it’s just done or that’s the way I grew up doing it? Or is there a way that suits us better? I am thankful for homeschooling because of the broadness of our potential activities, places to study, things to learn, and choices of interest. I am thankful my kids are growing up loving the library and beg to look through the book sections of stores we shop. I am thankful for homeschooling because I get to help my kids become good friends to others. I am thankful for homeschooling because it makes me a better mom. My kids’ education is an important enough reason to pause my entire To-Do List and focus on them for a portion of each day. I am thankful I don’t have to pack lunches or race to the school bus each day. I am thankful for the flexibility homeschooling provides in our schedule, both on a daily basis and yearly. I am thankful for homeschooling because we can always turn anything into a learning moment. I am thankful for homeschooling because I am now getting a chance to read all of the great literature I wasn’t able to read as a child due to limited time and simply not knowing about them. I am thankful for homeschooling because I feel like I am reliving, and re-writing, a part of my childhood – for the better. I am thankful my daughter has the time in her day to dive deeply into her love of mysteries and code-cracking – or spend time drawing pictures of how she thinks serfs lived in the medieval time period. I am thankful for the resources and respect offered to homeschoolers in our day and region. I am thankful my kids are learning in an environment where they don’t feel heavy pressure or stress.
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Recently, we posted about giving back as a family. One way to do that is to volunteer your time. There are many opportunities in the community to volunteer as a family. And there are many benefits. Aside from the obvious benefit of helping the community, this is also time spent together as a family, and it's an opportunity to teach valuable lessons to the kiddos. Here is a list of ways to volunteer as a family. 1. Spend time at a nursing home. This is a great opportunity for the kiddos to spend time with older people, which is a valuable experience. Taking board games, or helping with Bingo, bringing a craft or playing instruments for the residents are all ways that you and your family members can cheer up elderly folks. 2. Help out at the local animal shelter. This may require some paperwork and commitment and you should consider if all of your kids are aged appropriately for this activity, but helping at an animal shelter can be rewarding. It also teaches the kiddos about the responsibility of caring for a pet. Bathing or walking the animals, as well as feeding and cleaning cages are all options. But so is just playing with them! 3. Serve at a local soup kitchen or food pantry. Soup kitchens are always happy to have helpers serve food and clean up after a meal. This is popular though, so you may have to sign up in advance and wait. Pantries need help filling boxes of food for families and stocking shelves. 4. Clean up the parks. The Cleveland Metroparks as well as local municipal parks often have clean up days where volunteers can sign up to do things like pick up litter or clear away invasive plants. It gets you outside, it's great exercise and it's fun! 5. Participate in a walk or run. Another great way to get exercise while helping out is to do a 5K together. There is usually a fundraising mission attached to local 5K's so you can get the kids out and moving while making a difference. 6. Work with Habitat for Humanity. For this one the kids needs to be at least 16 years old, but this is an awesome way to help out as a family and the kids learn valuable skills. 7. Help out Meals on Wheels. This is another one that may require kids be of a certain age but taking food to people who are sick or shut in is a generous and loving thing to do and will warm your heart. 8. Join Caring Cubs. This is an amazing organization that offers monthly volunteer opportunities for kiddos ages 2 and up. Check their website for the different monthly projects. 9. Participate in projects at your church. Churches always have service projects going on. If you attend a church, ask how you can help. And even if you don't attend, anyone is always welcome to participate in projects. It's also a great way to meet other people in your community. 10. Help older neighbors. If you have older neighbors nearby, your family can "adopt" them by mowing their lawn, shoveling their snow, running errands for them, spending time with them or many other things. November is Family Stories Month, which is perfect timing as people begin gathering for the holidays, As families come together around the dinner table, they can, and often do, share stories. It's a great way for kiddos to learn some family history. If you're interested in turning this into a homeschool project, here are some suggestions:
Here are some other fun ways to celebrate the month:
Here are some questions you can ask at the dinner table:
Storytelling is both healing and bonding. This is a great opportunity to get closer to your kids and other family members and to enrich your homeschool lifestyle. Have fun! As homeschool families, we often have the unique opportunity to experience learning together. And, one lesson that many of us find important is the lesson of being of service to others. Children benefit dramatically from opportunities to be charitable and giving. This holiday season, consider taking on a giving project as a family. Here are several ideas: 1. Bake cookies or make dinners for others. This is a great way to incorporate homeschool math AND give back. And it's quality time together. Baking and cooking together is a bonding experience and what better way to bond than by giving the gift of food. Pass out food to local police and fire departments or drop off meals and baked goods to your local church or to neighbors who might be in need. 2. Fill stockings for those in need. This is fun because you and the kids can shop together, which means considering the need, making a budget and then making the selections. Then, once you have all of your stocking stuffers, you can stuff them together and then drop them off at a local church or charity. 3. Do a toy sweep. One way to reduce clutter before the holidays AND give back at the same time is to clear out old toys and donate them. This is also a great way to teach kids the act of giving as well as the act of minimizing stuff and leading a simple, grateful life. 4. Visit a nursing home. There are so many opportunities here. The whole family can take board games or a craft to do with the residents. Or, you can let your kids show off their talents by singing or playing an instrument for them. Another option is to make simple gifts and hand them out. 5. Adopt a family. So many organizations offer an opportunity to adopt a family or a child for Christmas. This involves selecting a family or child, getting their wish list and then shopping for them and dropping off those items at the organization for them to distribute to the family. It helps kids learn gratitude and generosity to shop for toys for someone other than themselves and it's a lot of fun. 6. Donate to a food bank. There is never a shortage of need when it comes to food. As a family, check your own pantry or go shopping for items that will help another family have nourishment during the holidays. 7. Do your own fundraiser. Ask your kids what world problem they want to tackle and then do some research on practical ways you can help locally. Brainstorm ideas for raising donations and let them lead the charge! 8. Pack gift boxes for military overseas. This is fun because the sky is the limit. Any comfort from home that you think someone overseas might enjoy, you can add to the box. Many organizations collect these boxes for mass shipment, too so find out where you can drop yours off. 9. Make crafts to donate to the children's hospital. Kids who have to spend time in the hospital like having things to do to pass the time. Choose a craft, shop for the supplies together and put the kits together and drop them off together. 10. Make a random acts of kindness Advent Calendar. This is creative and fun. Brainstorm together all the acts of kindness you can do each day of the month and make your own calendar as a craft project. Then, follow through on your acts of kindness each day. |
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