God Made, Home Grown: March 2011

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

"God Made, Home Grown" Grows Up!

6:47 AM | Edit Post

Starting a blog is a lot like having a baby.

When you’re first setting it up, it seems awfully small and insignificant…especially when compared to the “big kid” blogs in town.

But slowly, over time, as you nurture it, feed it, and invest a lot of yourself in it…

…your baby–I mean, blog–grows up! (Sniff, sniff)

And so, after much, um, labor, it seemed fitting for me to give my toddler blog some new clothes and more space to stretch its legs and move about.

Business tech expert, family man, and my good friend, Andy Traub, has moved my blog to WordPress! Go ahead, take a look...Isn’t it cute?

(when you visit Andy’s blog to tell him what a great job he did, be sure to congratulate him and his wife on the expectation of their third baby!)

I also have my own domain name now: www.godmadehomegrown.com . Please update your bookmarks!

We may experience some growing pains over there over the next few weeks, but the time has come to let this baby stand on it’s own two feet.

If you notice anything that needs tending to, please feel free to email me at tiana at godmadehomegrown dot com. (that’s right, I have a new email address, too!)

Oh! And to celebrate, I’ll be hosting some great giveaways over the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

By His Grace,

Tiana

1 comments

Friday, March 11, 2011

A Gentle Reminder

1:43 PM | Edit Post

I was reminded of this poem by a friend this afternoon...

"Babies Don't Keep"

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth

empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
hang out the washing and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue

(lullaby, rockabye, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew

and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,

for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

-- Author Unknown

I sit here and type with my baby in my sling.

My two year old tornado is all calm and quiet, blissfully napping, resting up for the mischief that must be made this afternoon.

The older two are upstairs, curled up in their own beds with good books.

And the house is quiet. So I write.

This mama still has a whole lot to learn about balance...

about letting go of perfectionism...

about taking life slow.

There are 7 windows open in my browser--evidence of my struggle with focused, purposeful living. I wish I had time to do something with all the ideas that are in my head, but I don't. So I close them all, and sigh peacefully.

Babies don't keep...

Toddlers don't keep either,

nor do four year olds (e-hem, "I'm almost five, Mom!"),

or six year olds.

Ideas come, and ideas go, and writing waits, and my children grow up.

I hear a little blond girl happily singing upstairs...is rest time really over?...and the thought that once made me frown makes me smile.

Yes, there is laundry to do, but she'll help me.

There is homemade granola to pull out of the oven, and homemade hot cocoa to drink--evidences that I am winning the battle against the thief.

And there are dishes to wash,

And supper to prepare,

And a baby in the sling,

And children to teach to love Him more than life itself.

Can I really be happy in this life, serving my God and my husband in my home, if nobody else notices or cares? If what I do here is never recognized, commended, or even valued by the world around me?

Yes, at last,

I think that, maybe,

I can.

6 comments

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Homeschooling the Precocious Preschooler

8:08 AM | Edit Post

Question: My three-and-a-half year old daughter seems to be advanced for her age. She can already recognize most of her letters, and she’s begging me to give her “schoolwork” just like her older brother is doing.

I know a lot of homeschoolers say “better late than early”, and I don’t want to push her, but I don’t want to ignore her interests, either. Do you have any suggestions for beginning academic work for a young, but eager, preschooler?

Answer: I think many homeschooling parents struggle with when and how to start “doing school” with their younger children. We often hear conflicting advice from “the experts”. I’ve heard of programs designed to teach babies to “read”. On the other hand, there are folks who advocate waiting to begin any formal academics until children are 8, 9, or even 10 years old. We don’t know who to believe!

In my opinion, a lot of the confusion stems from cultural conditioning. Despite our separation from “the system”, we still, perhaps unwittingly, buy into some of its philosophy. The government school system tells us that Kindergarten begins in the September after which a child turns 5, and not a moment sooner. (If you’re child turns five on September 2nd, forget it!) However, the fact remains that readiness for school varies from child to child. I’ve met some 4-year-olds who are completely capable of doing “first grade” schoolwork, as well as 8 year olds who are still struggling with basic phonics skills.

All this to say that you know your child best. If your daughter is interested and excited to learn, don’t be afraid that you’ll somehow damage her by giving her schoolwork!

That being said, here are a few recommendations that I have for early academic work for the more “advanced” preschooler. These are ideas that have worked for us, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll work for everyone.

I would encourage you to remember to keep it simple. Most early learning can be accomplished by reading out loud, especially the Bible, and playing, especially outside. Helping out with household tasks such as sorting laundry or measuring ingredients for a recipe are also great opportunities for learning. Do your best not to fill your child’s life with academics to the point of neglecting these other areas.

Also, please don’t spend a lot of money on a fancy phonics program or math manipulatives. With a child who is truly “ready”, they’re probably an unnecessary expenditure. Of course, if you already own some things that you’ve used for your older children, go ahead and give them a try. Otherwise, here are a few ideas for teaching the “Three R’s” that have worked for us:

Reading– “Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons” is my top pick for simplicity, effectiveness, and cost. It is my hands-down favorite phonics curriculum, and it is perfect for the precocious preschooler. I purchased my copy of the book on homeschoolclassifieds.com for less than $10. You may even be able to borrow a copy from your local library before you decide to buy. The best part is how it is designed to be done while snuggling with your child on the couch. I even teach reading while nursing the baby.

Writing– I purchased a dry erase alphabet practice book for about $5 at Wal Mart. It has letters to copy and is filled with colorful pictures. My daughter never tires of it, even though she is almost 5 and has been using it for 2 years. Just be sure to cover your little one’s clothing with a paint shirt or smock, as dry erase marker will not wash out!

Arithmetic– Math manipulatives are not hard to find if you are creative. We’ve had many a counting lesson while snacking on grapes! Almost any collection of little toys can be used as math manipulatives. I happened to find a set of colorful counting bears at a discount store for $3. Then, using a Magnadoodle as a “slate” (a la Laura Ingalls Wilder), my daughter would count out bears and write numbers. After a while, I began to write simple equations (e.g. 2+2=4) and have her build them with bears. In this way, she could do her own math lessons while her older brother was completing his.

So, there you have it! Pretty simple, huh? I hope you some of these ideas will work for you…but please don’t beat yourself up if they don’t. Every child is different! Remember, you’ve taught your child how to walk and talk and many other important things already! Ideally, you want learning to continue to be a relaxed and enjoyable experience for both of you.

Blessings to You on Your Journey!

Tiana

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