During my 27 years of homeschooling, nothing has contributed more to our stability and success than the McGuffey Readers. I am a great promoter of delight-directed learning and I believe it is the only way to allow the God-given genius in each child flourish and take flight. I … Read More…
Lots of distractible children and a huge, long dining table do not make for a productive study time. I know this because I have a humongous table and a whole parcel of highly distractible children. My solution?–Study Carrels. The idea is an old one, employed by educators for … Read More…
Athletes have stars in their eyes. Their focus is to become champions. They see themselves standing on the podium, hand over heart, swelling with pride as the medal is draped and the crowd erupts in applause. But the road to that point is long. Denial. Pain. Begging … Read More…
There’s nothing wrong with a travel vacation, but most of the time it’s all go, go, go! Then, after the “break” is over, you feel like you need another vacation just to rest. Since we are so big, and since almost all of us live in the same … Read More…
Theories are nice to read about, but we all need to have real-life examples of just how things work, don’t we? (I know I sure do!) So, how ’bout hearing how we’ve done things at our house? Here is an example of a relaxed homeschool schedule (although I … Read More…
We get so busy in our (now) family of 11 that we sometimes forget we have to eat! And, while crock pot meals can be marvelous (I use those, too), I am so guilty of forgetting to start one early in the day (anyone with me?). That’s why … Read More…
If you are knee-deep in the stomach flu, or teething, or broken appliances, or just having a hard time keeping up with the responsibilities of life, you should consider your holy estate. You are more than a mere stay-at-home mom, you are a stay-at-home saint. Saints, prophets, and … Read More…
An emergency can pop up at any time! One that I recall vividly occurred a number of years ago. Our (then) four-year-old daughter was seriously injured in our new house before it was completely built. She had stepped into an open heater vent and managed to shave the … Read More…
It doesn’t take a genius to educate a large family at home, but it does take quite a bit of focus and ingenuity. This is especially true when considering the direction and logistical details for another year of learning. If you are like me, you can use any … Read More…
Yes, I am the mother of 15 children. It’s not really that many; I know all of their names in order and even have their birthdays memorized (I suppose being involved in their births makes it a bit easier for me to remember). Walking, running, and leaping down … Read More…