Here is an awesome website that allows you to create your own writing worksheets to use with children.  I'm using it to help my daughter learn how to write her name, it's great!

    

 



In the spirit of the season, I have decided we're long over due for a giveaway.  Y'all were so sweet and seemed to love the posters before, so I thought we'd do it once again.  I'll randomly draw one name on Friday morning, just leave a comment in this post no later than Friday 9am est.  I'm sorry for the short time frame, but some of you may be wanting to use this as a present for your child's teacher and I want to have enough time for the winner to receive it before most grade schools close for Christmas (YES, I said close for Christmas, NOT winter break, don't get me going on that soap box .  I will e-mail the winner for shipping instructions, so please check your e-mail and respond to me quickly so I can get it in the mail asap.


Many of you requested last time a way to purchase these posters, so I have also placed them back on ebay for this week:  Ebay List

Welcome readers to my first post on Works for me Wednesday!  I stumbled upon this idea by accident, but it is a great one.  Use a popcorn tin (mine is about 8 years old, so pardon the dust and little bit of rust) to store your Christmas lights.  I wrap ours in a circle, one strand at a time and lay them on top of each other.  I can fit about 5-6 strands in one tin and they stay put all year long...no tangles (or cursing) as you get them out for the next year.  Your tin will get a bit banged up over the years (see above), so don't use one that's near and dear to your heart, but it's a great space saver and headache reducer.

For more tips (Works for me Wednesdays)  head on over to Rocks in my Dryer.

You're not going to believe this, but I made this.  Yes, me, I actually am trying to bake bread and I never thought I would say this, but I'm enjoying it!  I know, I know, I said never would happen, no, ma'm, no sir, not to me, but I'm trying to find even more ways to be frugal as I'm wanting so desperately to get out of debt and have no light at the end of this tunnel (except God), so I'm trying to find ways to cut costs and this is one of them.  I'm not sure how much we'll save, but my hubby loves it, so as long as he's eating it, we've got to be saving some, right.

Many of you will be getting gifts for all those wonderful teachers out there who teach and inspire your little ones every day. Rocks In My Dryerhas done an excellent post on the do's and don'ts of teacher gift giving, check it out.

Thank you Lord for such a wonderful surprise and blessing!  Mrs. Campbell wanted to get rid of a swing set in her yard that her children no longer played on.  We were happy to take it off her hands and then she decided to give it to us for FREE.  What a HUGE blessing!  Thank you so much Mrs. Campbell and thank you Lord for your continued provisions.

I thought this sounded like a great idea.  Has anyone else done anything like these?  Children's books online and there is a great deal with her post as well, $15 worth free.  Check it out!

I found this article by Shannon from Rocks in my Dryer and it gave some great ideas on dealing with sibling rivalry.  Thanks Shannon, great article.

Some time ago my sister shared something with me that I benefited greatly from in teaching my children about money.  It seems ingrained in our heads and we say without even thinking about when asked by children, "Can we have that?"  What's your most common response?  Mine was always, "We don't have money for that" or even better, "We can't afford that."  How about you, something similar?

I never realized how that simple phrase can actually cause some very real harm.  For my sister, it caused great fear as a child.  She would constantly worry, "If we don't have money, where are we going to live?" , "If we don't have money, will mommy and daddy stay together?", "What will happen to me if we don't have money?" 

As she shared this with me, I was completely stunned.  I never in a million years wanted my children to experience those fears, yet I had already started saying the old adage myself, "We don't have money for that." 

Instead, I've started saying, "We're not spending our money on that."  Isn't it amazing how just changing those few little words can make such a big difference?  Now, it's a choice we're making (instead of poverty , in the eyes of my children) and what lessons I look forward to teaching about God's provisions and making godly decisions with what He has blessed us with.  We all have some money, it's up to us to teach our children to make good choices with what we have.

I don't know about you, but it seems I'm forever trying to teach my children good table manners.  Liz has a great idea  on how to actually accomplish the goal.  Great thinking Liz, thanks for sharing.

We did it!  And I do say "we" literally (I think it took a whole lot more out of me than her, lol) After 9 months of potty training, my little lady bug has had "dry" pants for 2 weeks now. I honestly thought I'd never get here.  I know each child is different and many would scoff and say I should have never tried for so long, just stop and start again, but I've never been one to give up easily and I honestly didn't want 2 children in diapers (I gave birth in June), so I persevered and figured washing "wet" clothes was cheaper than buying diapers.  My oldest was done by 25 months, so as my second at 34 months is finally there, I have to say, "Thank You Lord!" 

The recent economic downfall got me thinking (as I'm sure everyone is doing).  My thinking is probably a little different than most, but sometimes a fresh spin on things can really turn things around.

What If...

What if...
~we had to cook our meals at home every night to save money and started eating around a table again?

What if...
~due to costs we had to stop eating 1200 calories every meal and started savoring things like broccoli?

What if...
~we couldn't afford cable and internet and had to spend time with our family?

What if...
~instead of buying anything we wanted we had to share with each other to survive?

What if...
~there was no such thing as credit and we couldn't buy something unless we had the money (or goods to trade)?

What if...
~there were no lawsuits against doctors and we thanked God anytime someone was healed instead of demanding it from physicians.

What if...
~there was no money for public education and we started truly appreciating the value of knowledge and wisdom.

What if...
~while voting we didn't think about what will this candidate do that will help me, but rather what will this candidate do to glorify God?

What if...
~we realized once again we have no right to anything we haven't earned and worked hard for?

What if...
~we became more concerned about doing what is right and honoring God, instead of how will this benefit me?

What if...
~the only way to live was to depend on God because everything around us is gone?


Please don't misunderstand me, I would never wish the hardships and impossibilities of a depression upon anyone, but a part of me can't help but wonder if it might do our country (and its citizens) a little good.

Have you heard about the free Kraft Food Magazine?  I just got mine in the mail and I just love them.  Their website is pretty good as well, but the magazine has better pictures.  They have great ideas on quick meals and most of them use "everyday" ingredients, not something found only in downtown New York.  I also enjoy their ideas on lunches (especially for school) for kids as well as snacks for kids (and adults).  It's nice to get new ideas when I'm in a pb&j rut.  Check it out HERE. They issue 5 a year and one just came out, so it might take a few weeks before you get it. 

I've got to admit, I love year round schooling.  It's something I thought I would never like and thought was completely ridiculous, but I love it.  I've taught in several different settings and must say, year round schools are the best.  The breaks through out the year are wonderful and come just in time.  I don't know what the statistics are, but I bet teacher burn out is least among these settings.  I'm not a huge fan of the "students retain more" as a reason for the necessity of this schedule, but I also know students enjoy this schedule as well. To be honest, 10-12 weeks off in the summer really is too long, teachers as well as students get bored.

Some of you may be fighting against year round schools in your district or contemplating which school to choose and basing your decision on the type of schedule it has.  Give it a shot before fighting against it, you never know, it might be the perfect schedule for your family and you don't even know it yet.

Guest Post by Liz:

Having a hard time learning the capitals and their states?  How about all those Geometry Theorems?  English Grammar is a bore?
Did you know that kids can learn ANYTHING if you put it to music?  Seriously!  Ask your child to recite the presidents.  Did you get a funny look?  Now ask her to recite the words to her favorite song.  Didn't miss a word did she?
There are lots of "educational" songs out there for almost anything that your child might need to memorize for school.  Sure it might not be the hippest, coolest music.  But my guess is, that if it means getting an "A" your child will endure the not-so-coolness of listening to it.  Plus if your child listens to it, then that automatically makes it cool, right?
So here's a link to some songs that might help! Songs for Teaching

Have you ever noticed how a bubble bath just isn't as much fun without the bubbles? Of course, ha.  As I was running my girls bath tonight, it reminded me of one of the hardest lessons in life to learn, one of which I'm still learning: Delayed gratification.  My former pastor spoke on this all the time and it has always stuck with me, the importance of teaching our children delayed gratification.

In our current world, everything says, "Right Now!" And of course our children easily buy into that, who wouldn't want things immediately, every time, all the time. The consequences of that mentality though can be devastating (insert our current economy).  So, as my children are trying to rush into the tub of 1/2" water with barely a bubble, I made them stop tonight and wait until more water had built up and pointed out how many more bubbles there are when we wait.  Oh now, mind you, they disliked the waiting part immensely, but thoroughly enjoyed the tub full of bubbles after the wait. 

I'm sure your children are better at mine than waiting, but it is an important lesson to constantly be looking for ways to teach.  It is an old adage, but ever so true, "Good things come to those who wait."

Charter? Magnet? Public? Private? Home school? There are so many different types of schools these days, many people have no idea what is what.  I thought I'd give a very brief rundown on the differences between them.

Public Schools: These are schools in which everyone can attend and are free of charge (well, except to taxpayers).  There is no waiting period or applications to fill out, ANYONE can attend.

Magnet Schools: These are schools which typically have an educational focus, such as math, or the arts, or science, etc.  A student must apply and be accepted into these schools.  The qualifications vary based on the school and what its focus is.  These are still publicly funded, so they are "public" schools in the sense that they are tuition free, but it can be difficult to get accepted into such a school.

Charter Schools: These schools are all the rage right now.  They are public schools, so they are tuition free (common misconception that it costs to attend one).  There is an application process and a student must be accepted.  The schools vary widely on their qualifications, sometimes it's just a lottery process of getting in.  Some Charter schools have a specific focus, but they don't have to.  Charter schools are different in the sense that they have their own school board and do not answer to the "county's school board".  They are self governed, independent from the county.

Private School: These are schools which have a tuition and some type of requirements students must meet to be eligible.  Those requirements vary greatly, so it just depends on the school you're looking at. 

Home School: These are education settings in the home, where "usually" a parent teaches the children daily and the students take a standardized test at the end of the year.  Different states have different guidelines for such schools, so be sure to check out the specifications for your state.

Like I said before, this is a very brief description of each school.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Here is an excellent resource, one I wish we didn't need.

Family Watch Dog

This should give you the locations of any registered offenders in your area (or your child's school).

Thanks so much for all of your interest in this week's giveaway.  The winner this week is comment #6, Stephanie.  There were two Stephanie's who entered, so check the comments to see which one it was.  Please check back often for new posts and new giveaways!

This is a great place to get information on the public schools in your area or an area you might be considering moving to: School Matters

Some of you asked for the opportunity to purchase one or more of the posters I gave away last week.  These posters are the product of a business venture my husband and I took on a year ago.  We learned a lot through it, but we ended up having to close the business.  I have placed the posters on ebay to purchase for those who were interested. 

Just go to ebay
In  the search section, click on "advanced search"
Then, on the left side, click on search item by seller.
My seller name is glorifihim
After typing in my seller name, six different posters should come up.  If they don't, please feel free to e-mail me.

This week's giveaway is a book and matching puzzle, Jack and Jill for ages 2-5.  I know any child would love to have this.  So, as before, simply leave a comment for this post with your e-mail address so I can contact the winner. For an additional entry, leave a comment in response to the post, "Questions, please" (comment must be answering the "post").  I will randomly draw the winner on Thursday, September 18th.  All entries must be in by Thursday, 12:00pm est.

Thank you for bearing with me these last couple of days.  It seems I was having some technical difficulties and didn't even know it.  If anyone tried to send a comment on a post since Friday, it is likely that I didn't get it (not that I didn't want to publish it .  So, if you would be so kind and you submitted a comment, please send it to me again.  Thanks so much for your patience with me.

Well, it was bound to happen.  I've been preparing for a yard sale this week, so you can imagine the looks of my house, kitchen ware stacked here, toys and clothes stacked there, etc.  Add 3 kids into that, ages 4, 2.5, and 3 months.  Today I was especially pleased because the 3 month old's schedule for the day landed his nap simultaneously with the 2.5 year old (jumping up and down, excited).  Go ahead, tell me what a horrible mom I am for being excited about nap time, but today, I am.  So, lunch is finished, quiet time done, naps, here we come...

I'm walking up the stairs, baby in hand, 2.5 year old (Lady Bug)coming (eventually) behind me.  It's almost here, I can actually hear the quietness.  Baby in bed, Lady Bug finishes going potty and comes to her room for her pull-up.  I get it out of the drawer and bend down to help her put it on.  And then it happens...the stack of yard sale items lying on Sunshine's bed that I'm balancing my one hand on moves.  You can picture the scene from here.  Stack of toys and clothes falling while I'm losing my balance and tumbling into Lady Bug who had just put one leg into the pull-up that I was holding and we come crashing down on top of. At which point she says, kindly (like she's been told a hundred times before), "Watch what you're doing, Mama."

I had to laugh! I hope you find something to be excited about today and don't make a huge mess like I did because of your excitement.  Have a SUPER Friday!

First off, I want to thank each of you for making my first giveaway so much fun.  I really enjoyed reading each of your comments and thank you for your support.  Some of you mentioned you'd be interested in purchasing one of the posters.  I will post some time next week how you can do that.

And the winners this week are..... Danielle and ML Lloyd.  I will be e-mailing both of you Friday morning to complete your winnings. 

Thanks so much again everybody.  I will have another freebie next week, so please check back often.

I would like to know what topics or questions you'd like some answers to regarding the field of "Education". I can't promise I will get to it or have all the answers, but let's give it a shot.  If you'd like to post a question in the comments section, but don't want it published, that's okay to, just let me know.  I look forward to seeing what you're interested in.

I forgot to mention the cut off for submitting a comment to win a poster.  The cut off for submission is Thursday, September 11, 2008, 12:00pm est.  Thanks so much for your participation.  I will post the winners Thursday evening, but  I won't e-mail the winners until Friday morning, so check back Thursday to see if you're a winner .

I thought this was a great idea: Zoo

Why can't I think of these things, ha. 

Thanks to Rocks In My Dryer for finding this.

Believe it or not, if you have a high school junior or senior, right now is the time to start applying for college scholarships and even filling out those college applications.  The information available for scholarships can be a little overwhelming and unfortunately, there are many scams out there as well.  I found a great site that gives almost a comprehensive list of information, as well as reputable sites for scholarship information: college information.

You'll notice this site is actually a charter school.  I've found sometimes the best way to get information is to check at a "somewhat prestigious" school's website and many times they have the information I need.  Check to see if there is a high school in your area that "has a waiting list" for applicants or is known to be a more advanced school.  Those school's websites usually have a wealth of information available (and you can access it without being a student ).

Welcome!  It's my first week of giveaways and I am so excited.  I will be randomly drawing TWO winners on Thursday for the following art prints/posters.  I have six different designs and the winners get to choose which one they would like.  To enter to win, simply leave a (positive) comment in the comments section of this post with your name and correct e-mail address, so I can contact you if you win.


Here is what they look like (they are standard movie poster size).....

    

    







                  

Many of you are several weeks into the school year, others have just started...whichever your case, how are you doing at teaching your children to be responsible?  Yep, you heard me right, how are YOU doing at teaching your children to be responsible?  School projects and homework are great opportunities for you to work with your child on being organized and responsible.  I'd recommend starting with a kitchen calendar, just for simplicity sake.  Have your child keep up with the calendar by writing out the projects they have coming up as well as lengthy homework assignments.  Don't set yourselves up to fail though either, pick one or two nights a week to "update" the calendar and work on the assignments.  

As a teacher, it would frustrate me greatly to see children constantly late turning in projects and then to also see their parents disciplining them for their failure, knowing all along that those parents weren't doing much to train or help their kids with responsibility.  Telling them, "Do better!", or "Get it done!", isn't training them, it's simply giving commands. 

Ask yourself this, "Am I expecting my child to do something that I haven't taught them HOW to do?"  For many kids, organization and/or responsibility is a skill they haven't been taught, we might as well be asking them to do rocket science (which some of them could do easier than turning in homework on time, ha). 

Please don't misunderstand me, many kids have been taught and discipline is needed to "reinforce" what they have learned, but sometimes we as parents need a little reality check ourselves.  This will not only help you be involved in your child's education, but it will also help build trust between you and your child.  If they know and understand that you are in this together, their confidence will be magnified a hundred fold and their chance for success astronomical.

Just wanted to touch base with all of you.  I live in eastern/central NC and Hanna is headed our way.  I've spent most of the morning "strapping everything down" and haven't had much time for blogging.  I'm sure we're going to lose power during the storm, so it's kinda a no brainer that I won't be blogging much.  Make sure you check back on Monday for the freebies I've got planned. 

It's been one of those days, unfortunately, things happen.  My oldest (4) broke our wall mirror today.  I'll take some of the blame because we painted the living room this past weekend and haven't gotten the pictures back on the wall yet.  I've been pretty bummed about it all day and low and behold, God sends this picture to me.  It's been circulating the internet for awhile, but I always love seeing it.  I've never seen a photographer given credit for it (sorry if you're it ), but it's titled, "God spilled the paint".  I just love that title with it.  Even big "messes" can sometimes be beautiful if we look at them the right way.

I am so excited to tell ya'll about a great website my husband found.  It's called Zenni Optical, and is truly a fantastic way to purchase prescription eyeglasses.  They have prescription eyeglasses starting at $8 a pair and they are really good.  Now, let me be the first to tell you, we were very skeptical at first.  I mean, who has ever bought prescription glasses for $8/pair (only $4.95 s&h).  But, to be honest, we've been on a tight budget lately and my husband needed a new pair desperately.  So, we thought, you know what, it's worth the risk, if they aren't any good, we're only out $13, but would save about $200.  He ordered them and they came in about 10 days.  He has worn them now for about 2 months and they are great.  No problems so far (even with a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old pulling at them during the nightly wrestling/tickling matches, lol). 

Obviously the down side is you can't try them on to "see how they look", but if you're really worried about it, you could always go try on several pairs in the store to see what looks good and what doesn't and then order them online.  Just so you know, I'm not getting any kind of payment for writing this review, I was just really impressed with their company and LOVED the price.  I hope this helps with those back to school costs.

It's here...if your student hadn't started school yet, then today should be it (unless you live in the LA and TX southeast, and our prayers are with you for a safe recovery).  The day after Labor Day is for many the official start of school.  You've done everything you know to get your kids ready, new clothes, bought the paper and pencils, met the teacher, etc. But have you done everything? 

One thing that is commonly overlooked is getting a child's eyes examined.  Numerous students will struggle the first half of this school year only because they can't see well (and they don't even know it).  Do your child a favor and get their eyes examined. 

An eye exam can be a little costly, so if you don't have insurance, then check around, call several places and check out your local district's website for possible places giving discounts.  If your child (or yourself) needs eye glasses, then check out my next post, it'll save you a bundle.

There is a great offer at moneysavingmom for free online tutoring.  I've never used this company before, but I have heard good things about them.  Check it out if your student is needing some extra help.

BUBBLEWRAP

 

I recently have heard quite a bit about how perfect my husband is (he's the one in the red shirt, in case you weren't sure and I just wanted to share with ya'll, especially the ladies, how to also have the perfect husband.  God has blessed me beyond measure with a perfect husband, at least, perfect for me.  We both agreed when we were engaged not to speak negatively about each other to those around us and after 9 years of marriage, we've stuck to it.  I'm not sure "psychologically" what or why it works, but it does. Now, mind you, that doesn't mean that we don't have our share of arguments or disagreements, but they are kept between us and we "finish the fight", so to speak.  In other words, we don't walk away from it until "the problem" is solved and once it's over, it's over, no more bringing it back up or rehashing it.

I've also found that men have egos that truly need pampering.  Meaning: inflate your husband's head a little, let him hear you talk about how wonderful he is to others, tell him how great he is.  Men need to know we think they are the greatest thing on earth.

I'm no expert, but  it's worked for us for nine years.  Give it a try, maybe he'll even offer to do the dishes this labor day weekend.

I want to finish this series with a real look at ourselves as parents.  I believe there are thousands of students medicated each day that honestly don't need to be.  Instead, I believe the solution is for parents to start being parents.  How active are you in your child's daily activities?  Does your child have a routine set by you, the parent?  How often do you teach your child the correct way to do something versus yelling at them for doing something wrong?  Are you in control of your children or are your children controlling you?

Before you fill that prescription for your child, please take a good look at yourself as a parent.  Is there something you need to change as a parent that would help your child?  I have seen over and over again in parent conferences a parent that just wants a quick solution and sadly enough, a solution that doesn't require work.  Allow me to yell this from the mountain tops, "Parenting is hard work!"  I'm afraid our society has become lazy, even as parents, and wants the easiest solution to every problem.  With kids, there are no easy solutions.

Let me also say that there truly are students who cannot control their own actions and they truly do need medicine, but I believe these students are few and far between.  These would be students who truly have a medical condition and are in fact disabled.

Lastly, don't take the teacher's word for it.  Just because a teacher says your child needs medicine for ADHD doesn't mean it's true (it's also against policy for them to say that).  Talk to your child's teacher and get their input, but also look at what other things can be done to help your child.  Do some research, find some techniques to try with your child.  More than anything, medicine should be the last resort, not the first option.

If pro is the opposite of con, then is progress the opposite of congress?

I have two wonderful sisters that have been such a blessing to me (now that I'm "old" I realize this more and more, ha).  I had a baby two months ago and Liz brought me a lasagna, unfortunately, we had just had lasagna the night before, so I put it in my freezer for another time.  I dug it out yesterday and it was delicious!  I meant to take a picture of it, but remembered just as everyone was cutting into it, sorry. 

My baby sister came by to visit last week and we went to the park.  We had a great time and love it when she comes to visit.  Thanks AJ!

What about you, has someone blessed you recently?  Have you been a blessing?  Some of the best pick me ups I've found are simply taking the time to help someone else.  Try it, I know you'll receive a blessing for it.

How did your child fare over the summer?  Any broken bones or major injuries?  I hope not, but if they did I wanted to let you know about a 504 plan that may be available for your child if they still have the injury.  If your child has a medical condition that affects every area of their education, then they may need a temporary 504 plan.  This is not special education services, it is entirely different and in most cases is temporary (non-temporary cases would include diabetes, seizures, etc.).  Let's say your child broke his/her hand skate boarding.  If it is his/her writing hand, then it will make school work quite difficult.  Just call the teacher or if need be the administrator and let them know what injury your child has and that you want to have a 504 meeting to put some plans in place while the injury is healing.  These plans typically include extra time to complete assignments and tests/quizzes, sometimes shortened assignments, etc.  The 504 plan, or modifications, depend on the injury the student has. 504 plans are usually modifications to "regular" school work for students with medical conditions. This is a very brief overview, so let me know if you have any questions.

Now that we all know what ADHD is, let's talk about how to tell if your child has ADHD.  First off, there can be numerous symptoms of this disorder, but just because your child may have a couple of the symptoms, doesn't mean you need to rush them to the doctor to get "labeled" ADHD.  Some of the symptoms include, lack of focus, frustration completing tasks, poor grades in school, anger management issues, etc.  I can't list them all here, but there are numerous websites available.  I would recommend starting with www.webmd.com, I don't agree with all their opinions, but it is a good site for an overview.

If your child is displaying the symptoms of ADHD, now you must decide if it is necessary to take them to a doctor.  That's right, I said take them to a doctor.  Educators have gotten way out of line (in my opinion) and might state to you, "Your child has ADHD."  Let me be very clear on this....the ONLY person who can diagnose an individual with ADHD is a medical doctor.  A teacher or administrator cannot, a psychologist cannot, only a medical doctor can make this decision.  They make this decision based on information you, the parent, and those who work with your child give him.  Unfortunately, this is why it is so hard to correctly diagnose, the doctor usually doesn't see all the symptoms and has to take your word for it.  Hence, the out of control labeling of students. 

So, to recap, we now know what ADHD is and also know that only a medical doctor can diagnose it.  In part 3 of this series, I will talk about medicine versus discipline, so stay tuned.

If corn oil is made from corn and olive oil is made from olives then what is baby oil made from?

I know some of you are new to blogging and just wanted to let you know about subscribing to a blog.  If you have a blog that you read regularly, such as Education Mom , then it might be helpful to subscribe to it.  It's simple, just click on the link usually located on the side and fill out the information.  None of your information is sent to anyone, it's only used to e-mail you anytime a new post has been added to the blog.  Just thought you'd like to know!

I want to talk about one of the most misunderstood issues in education, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Part 1 will address the definition aspect.  I'm not going to define it from Webster's, if you're reading this, then chances are you have already looked up the official definition.  I hope to explain it more in layman's terms.

First of all, there are actually two different disorders, ADHD and ADD (attention deficit disorder).  These two are not the same thing and unfortunately are many times considered one in the same.  ADHD is a disorder in which symptoms of BOTH hyperactivity and lack of focus are present.  I can't tell you how many times a child has been misdiagnosed with ADHD when actually it was only ADD.  If a child cannot focus on a task to complete it (time length is dependent on age), then this would be a symptom of ADD.  Obviously though, once a child looses focus, trouble is soon to follow and this is where the misdiagnosis of hyperactivity comes in.  A child has lost focus and now is getting into other things and is now in trouble.  ADHD is when a child cannot focus on a task to complete it AND they cannot control their bodies physically.  Notice, I said they "cannot", I did not say they "have a hard time" focusing or controlling their bodies.  This (in my opinion) is where the thousands of misdiagnosis are.  Unfortunately, an epidemic has occurred in our society, where instead of disciplining a child who can control themselves and chooses not to, we have labeled them incorrectly and give them drugs "to behave".  I'm ashamed to say that this happens more times than not in schools.

Diagnosis of ADHD and/or ADD is very difficult and I will talk about that in part 2, so stay tuned.

I just have to share a great book I recently finished reading, "Don't Make Me Count to Three" by Gloria Plowman.  I have heard many times in sermons and at seminars, "You must train them with a Godly Worldview."  I can't tell you how many times I've heard that said.  But to be honest, I wasn't sure how to do that.  I've grown up in church, but how do you teach a 2 year old how to think?  (Especially one as stubborn as mine) This book lays it all out perfectly with REAL answers and examples.  She goes into detail about if your child has this behavior, then this is what the Bible says to do.  It truly is wonderful, a real "How To" book.  I highly recommend it for anyone with children, young or old.

   


Isn't this the most beautiful moth?  At least, I think it's a moth, I'm really not sure (science was not my strong suit in school).  We found this on our back steps one night when we came home late. I had never seen anything like it, nor since.  Isn't God's creation awesome!

Have you gone exploring with your children this summer?  What new things did you see or teach them.  Whether in the city or in the country, there are always new things to explore and learn about...for little kids AND big kids (adults).  Have Fun!

I'm visiting my sister for a couple of days and today was the day to tackle the "laundry monster".  We've gotten a pretty good handle on it and it has gone quite well with the two of us.  I don't know about you, but I always am more motivated to do "work" when someone is helping me and I'm much more likely to complete the job as well.

It got me to thinking about all those times I've told students or been told myself..."Sit down and do it yourself."  If I as an adult like to have help with my work, I'm sure students are the same way.  Now, I know there is a difference between writing a paper and manual labor such as laundry (YES, gentlemen, laundry IS manual labor), but it might not be such a bad idea to let our children work together on things that we normally would have them do by themselves.  Even a high school essay or Algebra homework might be better accomplished with two heads instead of one.

I don't know every states requirements for home schooling families, but many of them require you to send in a letter of intent.  Virginia requires this letter of intent be turned in by August 15th and I'm guessing others do the same.  Just a friendly reminder for those home schooling.