Discount on Melissa and Doug Toys

Right now you can get Melissa and Doug play food sets on sale BUY ONE GET ONE HALF OFF.  Use code BOGOFOOD at checkout.  Offer ends Tuesday, June 25^th.  Plus, orders over $60 get free shipping (use code FREESHIPSIXTY)

I love Melissa and Doug, and I'm glad to be able to offer you this discount code.  Their toys are good quality, and always educational.  And it's so hard to find them on sale!

Great Homeschool Planner - and a Great Deal!

Are you already planning for next year?  Then this may help!  This is a super deal:

Get the Weekly Homeschool Planner at 40% off (just $12.00) through June 22^nd.  Just use the code JUNESALE at checkout.  It's an editable PDF file – and you can use it YEAR AFTER YEAR!

Sylvan - $100 off and a free consult

Looking for some summer tutoring?  Sylvan is a wonderful option, but it can sometimes be costly.  Here's a great option:  For a limited time you can get $100 OFF AND A FREE CONSULT.

Free TCBY Yogurt for Dad Tomorrow

Ok so I'm going to give this a shot again, and see where it leads.  Just getting a taste of the blogging life again.  I'm starting small, simply sharing a few things here and there.  It's been a while, hasn't it?  Lily is now almost 20 months old, and I'm expecting my third child in November!  I hope you enjoy the posts while I'm getting back into the swing of things.  :-) 

Don't worry, no affiliate posts or anything yet.  I am not interested in earning money right now, just getting back into the swing of things, and get my readership up a bit, then hopefully this may take off again!  I'm going to touch up some of my old posts, and fix broken links, etc. so this will be a long process.  I've been teaching myself a little bit of web design, but I'm nowhere close to actually launching a new website, although that may be a goal further down the road.

Anyway... Enjoy this freebie I found and wanted to share with you!

Dads can enjoy FREE TCBY Yogurt this SUNDAY.  It's a 6 oz, pretty small, but hey, it's free.  Simply walk in and ask for it.

New Giftcards Available through Swagbucks

Haven’t heard of Swagbucks yet?  That would be pretty surprising by now.  Almost everyone has tried it, or has seen their friends “winning” Swagbucks and posting their winnings on Facebook.  Instead of “googling” information, many people now use Swagbucks instead – hey, why not win something just for searching the web?  And you get the same search results (if you’re patient enough to simply scroll past the ads that is).

I’ve earned hundreds of dollars through Swagbucks by redeeming my swagbucks for Amazon.com gift cards – my favorite way of spending mine.  And now, Swagbucks is offering even more types of gift cards to choose from, including Lowes, Kmart, JC Penney, and Nike.

To My Child’s New Teacher, In the Event Something Should Happen to Me

“When I was a teacher, all the kids who came to me that were previously homeschooled were socially maladjusted in the classroom setting.” I ran into a friend at Walmart last night who used this as his reasoning for being adamantly against the homeschool movement that's growing in our area. And honestly, I don't blame him for his opinion; I once believed the same thing. When I worked in public schools, I also labeled the previously homeschooled kids as weird and unsocialized, and in my judgment I wasn't understanding of their desperate and confused and often failed attempts to “get with the program.” Of course, now that I have my own child in Kindergarten, happily homeschooling her, I realize how judgmental I was on those poor kids and their families. And I realized that, should something happen to me, my children might be thrown into public schools, amidst those teachers who might judge them without even getting to know them first. So, after another night of not sleeping with these stupid contractions (nope, I haven't had the baby yet), I've been thinking, and writing. I hope this letter inspires teachers in classrooms to give homeschooled kids a little more grace as they adjust to their new way of life.


To My Child's New Teacher, in the Event Something Should Happen to Me:


I was a homeschooling mom. I did it because I love my children, plain and simple. I wanted the best for them, just like any other parent. I've kept them out of public/private school for any number of reasons, and I guarantee you it was not to make them socially maladjusted. My end goal has always been to raise my children up in a manner in which they can be confident, capable, respectful, and level-headed adults to function admirably and with dignity in a world where most people aren't and don't. Yes, that's “different” but it's not antisocial.


I love my kids more than anything in the world, and yes, I probably did “spoil” them with love, attention, and the knowledge that they were worth everything to me. They're not going to be used to the fact that you have 30 other children to balance the needs of, and that you won't love them like a mother would. That's going to be a harsh reality for them to adjust to.


Our daily routine often began with my children recognizing that their world did, in fact, revolve around them – their schoolwork, their spiritual and emotional development, their nutrition, their enjoyment, and yes, even their social experiences. They knew that my every thought went into making sure they received a harmonious balance of activities and experiences. They will naturally find it shocking that you won't do the same thing for them.


We had a very strong family attachment. My children loved me as much as I loved them, and we told each other all the time. We were respectful of each other, something that took years to instill even with our “protectiveness” from the more “socialized” kids and their families with which our children have been exposed. We enjoyed our time together, and we were our favorite people to be around and hang out with. My children love their siblings, no matter what the age difference is, and yes, separation for a whole day from their “best friends” who love them unconditionally will probably be emotionally traumatic at first.


My children will be reasonably outraged when they encounter peers who are disrespectful of adults and their classmates; it will add to their anxiety and confusion in their new setting. After all, we've taught our children that love and respect are the most important things when communicating with others. My children may seem unsocialized and “different” from their peers, but my five year-old can carry on a meaningful conversation with a 55 year-old about anything, and she can nurture and care for a 2 year-old who's fallen and scraped their knee. She's not used to conversations being limited to a discussion of the latest iPhone app, the most popular toys, or after-school cartoons.


Don't be surprised that my children may be quiet or withdrawn. They probably will not be comfortable in the harshness of an institution, following prescribed routines and having, for the first time, limited access to educational resources. Nor will they easily be able to tolerate even the hard tile floor beneath their feet. They're used to running around in socks and pajamas until 11:00 in the morning. They'll probably be physically exhausted too, not used to the morning rush to catch a grimy school bus at 6:30 in the morning. And they won't be used to a 6 or 7-hour school day; we're usually done by noon.


My children may not remember to raise their hand to speak, but they will know all the answers to your questions. My children may not understand the importance of completing homework assignments on time, but they can complete projects with an accuracy and neatness beyond what you'd expect. My children may not have memorized all their addition facts yet, but they learned to read at age three. My children may not excel in Science, but they have an insatiable desire to investigate and acquire knowledge about a subject, and a natural love for learning. My children may seem shy or withdrawn from their “socially adjusted” peers, but they embrace differences, and will stand up for injustice and not tolerate bullies.


What exactly would you expect from my kids? They've had it great until now. Their lives have been blissfully ignorant of what institutionalized life is like, and other children's school experiences have been almost like a fairy tale to them. They probably came to you their first day in your classroom with all kinds of excitement and anticipation of what it's like in the “real world.” Imagine their disappointment.


Now look at those other “socially maladjusted” kids who are already in your classroom – who have been in the “real world” their whole lives, yet still haven't “gotten with the program.” Aren't my kids doing a much better job at adjusting, considering the differences in circumstances? Imagine the strength, the dignity, the character required of someone, especially a child, to bravely enter a world they've only heard about in the past. I'd be willing to bet that my children would have a lot to be personally proud of.


If you're reading this letter, then there's some reason I am unable to continue homeschooling my children. We knew when we began homeschooling that this might happen, as it does to many homeschooling families. If my homeschooled children did get thrust into your classroom, I truly hope you'd offer them some grace and dignity as they adjust. I understand your time and patience is limited, I used to be a public school teacher myself, but take a moment to really think about what they're going through before you label them as weird and write them off as socially maladjusted. It's not their fault, give them a chance. Label me if you have a need to judge anyone, but not them. If you don't squelch their strengths, and if you respect and encourage them rather than frustrate and hinder them, I guarantee you they will pull through. That's how they've been raised – with enough love and instilled values that even hardships and discouragement can't break them. You simply have the power to make it easier for them.


Sincerely,

The Weird Unsocialized Homeschool Mom

Homeschool Freebie Today

At Homeschool Freebie of the Day, today only, you can get “Down on the Farm” Songs and Stories (MP3’s).  If you’re not on their email list, I’d highly suggest signing up.  Sometimes they offer “subscriber exclusives” too.   Although I rarely download their stuff, sometimes I am excited when I see a few good things that I can use with Laynie – like these MP3’s.   In teaching preschool I like to do an annual “farm unit” (until this year) with Laynie (and the kids I’ve kept in my home during the day), and I’ve gathered tons of stuff to use over the years.  Can’t wait until Lily’s old enough to use the things I’ve gathered for this unit.  Anyway, it’s not that the site isn’t a wealth of information, it’s just that most of their resources are better for use with older students, and since my child is in Kindergarten I can’t use their downloads very often.  I still love the site!  Go check it out yourself and see what I mean!

Free American Baby Magazine

I just signed up for a free American Baby magazine! You can too, just click here and type in your information. It’s completely free. I signed up five years ago when I was pregnant with Laynie, and enjoyed getting this magazine. There are a lot of ads in it, of course, but it also has some really informative articles. Enjoy!

Instilling Frugal Values in Your College-Bound Home-schooled High School Child

 

Going off to college is a stressful time for both children and parents alike. It is the first time that your kid will be living somewhere other than home for an extended period of time, and it is also the first time that their daily life won’t be structured by the family. There are several skills that too many college students lack, causing them to have problems adjusting to their newfound independence. One of the most important skills is learning how to budget and how to live within their means. Here are a few tips for instilling frugal values in your children before they go to college, so that they won’t have to learn the hard way.

1. Teach them financial literacy.

Even though your college-bound kids will learn hopefully learn many wonderful things in college, there’s (typically) no such thing as a financial literacy class. Most parents don’t think to talk to their children about credit cards, debt, investing, student loans and so forth, and this is perhaps part of the reason that so much of our population is saddled with consumer debt. Explain how credit cards work to your children, and, even though many of their friends will end up signing up for them, explain how easy it is to fall into massive debt starting in college, effectively crippling your efforts to start a stable career after college.

1. Establish a set allowance to practice budgeting.

Once your child begins college, it’s likely that you’ll cover some or all of their personal expenses. College life is already oriented toward frugal living, with cheap student specials galore, but it’s easy for kids who are not used to budgeting to run out of money and call you begging for more. Set up an estimated budget with your child based on the cost of living of their new school environment well before they go off to college. Have them buy things like groceries and pay for entertainment and other extraneous expenses so that they’ll know what to expect.

1. Teach your children various creative ways to be self-sufficient.

Some of the most valuable life skills I never learned while at home, and so I had to learn the hard way, by trial and error, in college. Skills that promote self-sufficiency include how to cook, how to make minor repairs, how to grocery shop for essential items that contributes to healthy meals, and how to buy used items like furniture and books without being ripped off or compromising on quality. The great thing about a frugal mindset is that it requires creativity; getting your kids excited about the creativity inherent in living modestly is essential.

1. Start a savings plan.

Saving money is not always the first thing that kids in college think of doing. At the same time, establishing the habit of saving before they begin their careers will give them a huge leg up in an uncertain economic climate. Instill in your children the idea that saving isn’t just hoarding—it’s like buying an insurance policy for the future, and, in effect, buying a special type of freedom.

Of course, there are various ways to instill in your college-bound kids the ideals of frugality and simplicity. If you consistently hew to a frugal lifestyle yourself, however, instilling these values won’t be a chore; it will come to them automatically after learning from example.

Author Bio:

This is a guest post by Nadia Jones who blogs at online college about education, college, student, teacher, money saving, movie related topics. You can reach her at nadia.jones5 @ gmail.com.

Free Museum and National Parks Admission tomorrow September 24th

Looking for something to do tomorrow?  I know it’s last minute, but if I weren’t on bed rest (LOL), I’d try to take advantage of this with Laynie tomorrow!  Maybe some of you can!  Tomorrow is Museum Day and also Public Lands Day– Sign up to get 2 free tickets for admission to some Smithsonian museums or affiliated museums, and then print the tickets.  You’ll get in for free at the admissions gate!  Or, go to a local National Park for free!  Have fun!