Posts for category ‘General Parenting’

As I write this post, I am sitting in a hotel room with my daughter in New York City.  This trip was planned as a very special Sweet 16 present for her; a time for mother-daughter bonding and enjoying the sites and sounds of the big city.  It has been all that we hoped, plus some.

What was not planned was the learning and education that has wedged itself into this trip. After 11 years of homeschooling, my daughter is quickly growing tired of “field trips and travel with a purpose,” but it happened anyway.  Some of what has been learned could be filed under the “life skills” or “life lessons” of learning, but very worthwhile.

Getting lost and putting map skills to practical use was the best lesson ever.  In our own home town and on field trips, there is rarely such an urgent need to quickly find out where you are and how to get some place.

Cultural Awareness: We live in the 11th largest city in the United States, Detroit, in a very urban neighborhood.  We’ve lived in Florida and Tennessee and we’ve traveled to Mexico as well.  Needless to say, my children have experienced a variety of different lifestyles and regional cultures.  None of this compares to the diverse population we’ve encountered on this trip.  It’s been a real eye-opener for her. It’s led to many questions (most of which I did not know the answer and we needed to come back to the hotel and make good use of the free internet and Google).  Not only that, seeing people openly embracing and displaying their cultures and beliefs has given her more courage in doing the same.

History! History! History!: Ever since reading “From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” as a child, I had wanted to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  My daughter did not, but I “forced” her to go anyway.  She surprised herself and actually enjoyed it though!  We’ve spent the last year in an in-depth study of Ancient Egypt, Rome & Greece.  We built Egyptian & Greek Temples, Roman Aqueducts, wrote in hieroglyphics and of course looked at tons and tons of pictures.  Seeing all of this in person was just jaw-dropping and really “drove home” the lessons that we learned from our studies. Even my daughter was impressed.

Navigation: We have gotten lost more times than I can count, so far on this trip.  Together, my daughter and I looked at subway maps, paper maps and used our iPhones to find where we were going. We’ve used maps in our studies at home, learning about latitude and longitude and to locate countries, cities and regions.  But, getting lost and putting map skills to practical use was the best lesson ever.  In our own home town and on field trips, there is rarely such an urgent need to quickly find out where you are and how to get some place.

Becoming More Observant: My daughter is artistic, she sees her surroundings in angles, colors and light.  This is a wonderful quality that I do not possess, but the down side of this is that she doesn’t take note of the practical in her surroundings.  In the same vein as the “navigation lesson,” getting lost has taught her to be more observant of where she’s been and what’s ahead of her.  Being in a large crowd of people has helped her become more aware of her place in space. “Is she blocking the doorway of the subway car?”, “Is someone standing too close to her purse?” and so on.  Again, lessons I’ve tried to teach at home, but didn’t kick in until now, because it was absolutely necessary.

These are just a few of the many lessons learned on this trip.  Others include making good decisions, spending money wisely, making an itinerary (and staying flexible) and not to mention the value of good walking shoes versus fashionable shoes.

I am so thankful to have this precious time with my daughter and stand in amazement at the valuable lessons she’s learned in less than a week’s time.

This post was written by Christina S..  She lives in Detroit with her husband and two daughters.  They have just finished up their 11th year of homeschooling and looking forward to more travel and learning with her family.

If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy Homeschool Netherlands and our Travel and Field Trip Pathways.

The life of a homeschooler can be incredibly busy. There is always much to do. But remember, it’s critical to take time to relax and just enjoy the unique combination that is your family. Time together–with no other goal than having fun–can build and strengthen bonds and help tired, stressed feelings melt away.

Hearing dad cut loose and laugh during a Saturday afternoon family game can help your children see him in a new light. Tossing a ball in the park with your kids can help them see you as so much more than teacher and household manager. Even squabbling siblings can learn to respect and enjoy each other during fun family times. Sure, they’ll still squabble, but they’ll also see each other as playmates instead of mere opponents.

Hearing dad cut loose and laugh during a Saturday afternoon family game can help your children see him in a new light.

Here are 5 great ways to have fun with your family:

* Schedule a board game night. Whip out your favorite board games (or buy some new ones), break out the snacks (sure, they can be healthy), and hunker down for a couple of hours of board game fun. Talk, laugh, and reconnect with each other. (Some people choose movie and board game night. This can be fun, too, but watch out! When the movie is playing, there may be less talking and enjoying each other and more focusing on the tube.)

Some board game ideas:

• Scrabble
• Yatzee
• Monopoly
• Life
• Totally Gross (this game is hilarious, and yes, gross)

* Get out in the great outdoors. Go to the park and toss around the football or kick around the soccer ball. Play tennis as a family. Getting the body moving is not only great exercise, but also creates a wonderful sense of mental well-being. Try bicycling and hiking, too! Do a different outdoor activity each week to avoid boredom. Picnics count as outdoor fun as well.

* Make a feast. In one family, there may be much disagreement over which food is tastiest. Get in the kitchen as a family and have each person prepare something for a buffet-style meal. Even small children can help with things like making a salad, putting cheese on a pizza, or stirring ingredients. When your meal is done, gather around the table and sample a bit of each dish. Refrigerate the leftovers for later. This means less cooking for you!

* Go camping. Tent camping is a fun, and often inexpensive, way to experience the joys of roughing it as a family. Just think–no television, video games, or computers as distractions! You may be able to find affordable campgrounds within miles of your home. However, you don’t have to go far. You can even pitch the tent in the backyard! It’s free and the bathroom is impressively close.

*Help others and/or the environment. Okay, this is a little work, but volunteering your time can be a heart-warming experience. Consider helping clean up a park, delivering meals to the elderly, or helping at an animal shelter. You may need to be a bit creative and flexible to find volunteer opportunities that you can do as a group, especially if you have small children. However, you’re sure to find at least a few ways your family can help make a difference.

Being a stay-at-home homeschooling mama can put quite a strain on the family budget.  Where once, as a full-time employee,  I was able to donate money to many worthy causes.  We are no longer in a financial position to give to charities like we used to. What is a Mom to do when you want to instill in your child the importance to give to those in need but can’t spare the change, so to speak?  Why, just get a bit more creative.  This year I made it a priority to use some of our homeschooling time to work on charitable projects.

How do you choose a project to donate to?  There are many books such as Knitting for Peace: Make the World a Better Place One Stitch at a Time
or Quilting for Peace: Make the World a Better Place One Stitch at a Time
that have patterns for projects and where to send them.  There are many blogs calling for craft donations such as Quilting for Babes and quilt shops hosting sew-ins and accepting donations for causes such as the1 Million Pillowcase Challenge. There are also many local resources in need of help such as quilt guilds, churches, shelters, food pantries, and hospice.

My father was recently told that his cancer is back and has spread.   He will be going for treatments soon.  Right away we thought of making him a quilt together to keep him warm at the treatment center because he is always cold.

Where do you start?  For us it began with a blog posting at One Shabby Chic with a touching story about Kathy’s project Quilting for Babes.  I read the story (Bed 18 at Magnolia Designs Blog) to my daughter and asked her what she thought.  We discussed the fact that her best friend Nate was a preemie and got a special quilt when he was in NICU.  This brought the concept of this project from abstract to concrete.  She was very enthused at the prospect of helping Mama make something special for a struggling newborn.

We set about selecting a combination of fabrics together, and then she watched as I showed her the steps involved in making a quilt top.  She will then, as part of her practical arts education, learn to make one on her own and then if she’s like we can donate it to an organization of her choice.  We’ll in all likelihood start with a pillowcase to donate first though…knowing how to sew in a straight line sure comes in handy when quilting..

My father was recently told that his cancer is back and has spread.   He will be going for treatments soon.  Right away we thought of making him a quilt together to keep him warm at the treatment center because he is always cold.  Again this is a cause that my daughter can associate with, mind this is a very personal one, but I think that is the most important part of instilling in them the importance to give back.  In order for them to be passionate about it, they have to be able to relate to the cause.

I feel very fortunate that I have the time to make quilts for charity, and especially that I get to do it with my daughter.  What special skill do you have that you can share with your child?  Are you an avid gardener, a wood worker, or perhaps a baker?  I encourage you to take your skills into your community and beyond to help those in need, and in the process you and your child will create fond memories together that will not soon be forgotten.

This post was written by Colette D., a new-to-homeschooling Mom and a Lesson Pathways Blog contributing writer.  She and her Husband raise their daughter together in the rural countryside of Upstate New York where they like to spend as much time as possible being creative and enjoying nature.  She blogs about her adventures in sewing,, quilting, crafting, and baking (among other things) at yearofhandmade.

The battle during allergy season is a tough one, especially if you tend to shy away from prescription or over-the-counter medication.

If you suffer from allergies, or care for someone who does, you may want to check out this FREE webinar tonight, sponosred by KIWI Magazine:

The webinar is TONIGHT (May 12, 2010) at 8:00pm EST, and registration is a must.

Our daughter, Hannah, is a wonderful, bubbly child who often has a little too much energy. Last year, she was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Her diagnosis was not unexpected. She has been almost constantly in motion since birth!

ADHD is often misunderstood by the general public. I’ve spent many hours reading books, online resources and even message boards about ADHD. There are almost as many suggestions for how to “fix” a child with ADHD as there are kids themselves, so I really don’t want to get into the medical side of the disorder. The problems associated with ADHD are real, but a child is far more than any disease, disorder or disability.

I have been blessed to find some amazing support from people who have come into my life with children who also have ADD/ADHD. One of my nieces was diagnosed with ADHD nearly 12 years ago. She is now a bright young woman who has many stories, both positive and negative, to tell about her early years. She is, of course, an inspiration to my own daughter. Hannah also has a little boy in her class this year who has ADHD. He is one of the most positive, upbeat kids you could ever meet! His attitude has helped Hannah understand that she can not only live with ADHD, but also thrive as she faces its challenges.

There are almost as many suggestions for how to “fix” a child with ADHD as there are kids themselves, so I really don’t want to get into the medical side of the disorder. The problems associated with ADHD are real, but a child is far more than any disease, disorder or disability.

Hannah and her friend also attend karate classes together. It is a great fit for a child with hyperactivity. Karate allows children with ADHD to learn to control their body movements and handle stress and anxiety in a natural way.

There are numerous online resources that provide parents with medical information, reading sources and the support of others who have children with ADHD. A good place to start is Chadd.org. This site not only provides lots of information, but also helps with finding local ADHD support groups. If you are interested in a Christian perspective on ADHD, Christianadhd.com has wonderful articles on treating ADHD naturally as well as resources for deciding whether medication is right for your child. For online support, ADHD groups on Cafemom.com and Dailystrength.org have excellent message boards.

Recently, I’ve been checking out books on the subject of ADHD. One of the best books out there, for basic information, is The ADHD Parenting Handbook: Practical Advice for Parents from Parents. While reading this book, I began to realize just how common my questions about parenting a child with ADHD really are.

My daughter is such an ordinary little girl in so many ways. She loves to play dress up with her best friend. Recently, she learned to ride her bike without training wheels, and give her a pool and a swimsuit and she will happily stay in the water for hours! The fact that she is so energetic has proven to be a gift instead of a hindrance in so many ways.

For too long, I was focused on her diagnosis and how ADHD seemed to make life more difficult for us as a family. Every conference with a teacher in which I heard the same words about her difficulty to focus and remain seated, and every glare directed at my daughter in a restaurant or other public place, seemed to intensify my feelings of inadequacy as her mother. Why couldn’t I just “fix” her?

I don’t remember the exact moment when I realized that I was focusing on the wrong thing. Maybe I was the one who needed fixing! ADHD is just a small part of who my daughter is. Since I have been focusing on her wonderful qualities, she has begun to blossom in so many ways. And so have I.

This post was written by Lee Ann T., a LessonPathways.com volunteer blog contributor.  You can read more about Lee Ann, and the rest of our volunteer bloggers by visiting the “Our People” page.

Homeschooling Preschoolers Happens Organically With Day-to-Day Activities

“What curriculum should I use with my preschooler?” This is a common question I hear from other mothers of preschoolers. What am I using for my kids? Mostly life. Here are some of my favorite preschool resources.

Online lesson plans for preschoolers–I love using online resources, which are easy to access in an odd moment, and through them I can glean plenty of ideas and inspiration for activities.

Crafts and art supplies–The craft section of your local dollar store is a bounty of possibilities for preschool activities. Pipe cleaners, puff balls, sequins, glitter, glue, foam pieces, tissue paper, paint and more can all be used for a wide variety of art projects and crafts.

Papers–lots of papers. My kids like to spread out and cut and glue and color and fold and paint… For this, we need PAPER! We use old newspaper beneath any painting sessions, old magazines for practicing cutting, and of course, construction paper and scrap copy paper for coloring projects.

Housework–Housework? How is housework learning for preschoolers? Oh, in so many ways! The simple act of creating matches from your odd sock basket encourages eye coordination and fine detail recognition. Helping to set a table place setting to make each person’s place look like your sample improves a child’s reasoning and memory skills. Learning to hold a dustpan while you sweep encourages motor skills. There are so many ways to include a child in your everyday activities, helping them develop skills that provide a base for learning later in life.

The Local Library–Library books are a must–children’s books of all kinds! Many children’s books can be used as the basis for additional learning activities. For example, one of my children’s favorites, Curious George, can be used to talk about the principle of floating and gravity when George the monkey floats away holding onto a bundle of helium balloons.

With these inexpensive and easily accessible learning resources in your home, your preschooler will learn more than you realize. It’s often in the unexpected moments that you see your children shine, especially when learning is a part of everyday life, instead of something with lots of pressure and structure attached!

Angela England lives in rural Oklahoma with her husband and soon to be four children, where she works as a professional blogger in addition to homeschooling, doing childbirth work and massage therapy. England is the founder of The Untrained Housewife – a social site for homemakers, mothers and homeschoolers to exchange back-to-the-basic tips and tricks.

It happens to the best of homeschool families: homeschool burnout. It’s the point at which you simply do not want to look at another lesson plan or spelling list or sit down and work on multiplication facts.  I’ve read many articles that discuss how to avoid homeschool burnout, but what happens if you can’t avoid it?

As homeschool parents, we’re often busy juggling multiple schedules, task lists, volunteering, taxiing children to and from activities, homemaking and sometimes even working at a job.  Sometimes, you never see it coming, but you wake up one day with zero motivation or desire to do “school.” While each family’s situation is unique, I’d like to offer a few suggestions for if you should find yourself in “burnout” mode.

1.      Let go of the guilt. In my previous blog post, “Homeschooling, You’re Doing It Wrong!,” I talked about letting go of the guilt in your homeschool.  This advice applies here as well.  You can’t be all things to all people at all times, and that’s okay.  Give yourself permission to feel unmotivated for a bit.  Remember, this is only temporary.  It will pass.  With a little time, you’ll be able to return to schooling, full of passion.

2.      Take some time off. If your state laws don’t regulate otherwise, take a few days off.  Maybe even take a week off if you need to.  You’ll be able to get more accomplished after a short break than by trying to dredge through the days.  Use the time to catch up on all of those “loose ends” you’ve been meaning to tie up, work on your favorite hobby, or just hang out with the kids.

3.      Liven up your studies. If you can’t take time off from homeschooling, consider varying your routine a little.  You can plan a field trip, watch a documentary or plan a day of educational games.

As with any other trade or craft, you need to hone your craft, keeping up with the latest news, techniques and tools.

4.      Meet with other homeschooling moms or dads. Attend (or organize) a parents’ night out with your local homeschool support group.  You can host an evening in your home or your local coffee shop. It doesn’t need to be expensive or time consuming.  It might be a good idea to have an idea of some conversation starters, just to break the ice.  By the end of the evening, you’ll likely find support and inspiration from other parents.

5.     Attend a conference. Homeschooling conferences can be a great source of inspiration and support.  Consider homeschooling your craft or profession.  As with any other trade or craft, you need to hone your craft, keeping up with the latest news, techniques and tools.  Many conferences for homeschoolers are family friendly with programming options for children.  This can be a fantastic way for everyone to make friends and ignite the fire.

6.      Take time for YOU.  You are wearing many hats: parent, educator, spouse and female (or male) head of the household.  Likely, most of your waking hours are dedicated to taking care of and doing for others.  While you can’t completely ignore these responsibilities without consequences, it is important to routinely incorporate time for taking care of you.  You’ll need to determine what works best for you and your family.  Some homeschool parents set aside a little time every day while others prefer to arrange for child care for a full day once a month.  Going grocery shopping without the children doesn’t count!

7.      Reconsider your curriculum. If you’ve been on the edge of “burnout” for a while, you may want to reassess your current curriculum.  Is it boring?  Does it actually meet your children’s needs and fit your lifestyle?  You might be able to spice things up by tweaking it yourself and supplementing with other resources, such as those you’ll find at LessonPathways. With the wide variety of options today, there is no need to be “stuck” with a curriculum you don’t like.

8.      Reconsider your commitments. Take an honest look at your schedule.  Too much “busy-ness” can lead to too much stress for you and your children.  As the homeschooling movement grows, so does the number of opportunities for our children to participate in playgroups, co-ops and extracurricular activities.  While we all want our children to have the best opportunities, it’s important to remember that we don’t need to take advantage of ALL opportunities.  Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.  Determine whether your current list of outside activities is truly enriching your homeschool or stressing it.

These are a few things I’ve done when I felt unmotivated.  If you find yourself in this same situation, I hope you find these suggestions helpful.  If you’ve experienced homeschool burnout before, I’d love to hear how you overcame it. Please feel free to post your experiences in the comments section.

This post was written by Christina S., a homeschool mom, living in Michigan, with her husband, two children, dog, cat, guinea pig and turtle.  You can read more about her by visiting the “Our People” page.

Over the next few days, moms all over America will be preparing for Thanksgiving. You may be picturing wonderful family memories made around the Thanksgiving table, or even afterwards over turkey sandwiches, but don’t miss out on the opportunities for making special memories with your children in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

When my girls were younger, I had a very hard time including them in the Thanksgiving preparations. It wasn’t because I didn’t have the patience for them or because I was under any particular time crunch. It was because I was (and still am) such a perfectionist. Everything about the celebration had to be just “just so.” If it didn’t look like it came out of a magazine, then it wasn’t good enough.

Looking back, I regret not taking advantage of the special moments I could have shared with my children. After all, they don’t remember the perfectly polished flatware and glistening crystal goblets. They do remember the things they helped with though.

If your vision of a perfect Thanksgiving doesn’t include a table to rival anything from the Martha Stewart Show, you’re already off to a good start. If the idea of toilet-paper tube Pilgrims on your table is enough to cause a panic attack, don’t worry. You can involve the children and STILL have the picture-perfect Thanksgiving.

Start at the beginning:

Include your child in the planning the Thanksgiving menu. You’ll likely be listing the traditional foods you’ve had in the past, or you may wind up with some new favorites, requested by your child. Either way, this gets your child involved from the start. If your child is able to write, have him help write down the menu or even the grocery list (as you dictate it, of course). If your child can’t actually write yet, give her some paper and let her try anyway. You can even print out some cute Thanksgiving-themed paper here (http://www.dltk-holidays.com/fall/mfallpaper.html).

Table Decorations:

Do you have a special set of china and stemware used exclusively for holidays or special occasions? Are paper plates and buffet style more your speed? Either way, there are plenty of crafty ways your child can be involved in making the atmosphere festive, without breaking the bank or straying too far from your personal asthetic. For great ideas and inspiration, visit this site ( http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/thanksgivingartscraftsideaskids.html). There are tons of great craft ideas for centerpieces!

Get Cooking:

Children of all ages can help in the kitchen. This doesn’t mean you need to have them under foot or in the kitchen to help prepare the entire meal. You may want to consider choosing a dish your child can help prepare, even if it is just “helping” by pouring in the ingredients or mixing. For older children, consider giving them responsibility for a side dish, such as mashed potatoes, green bean casserole or sweet potato casserole. If you are having a hard time adapting your favorite family recipe to be “kid friendly,” try this site for some ideas http://www.childrensrecipes.com/.

Away from Home This Thanksgiving?

If you are traveling this Thanksgiving, you can still include your child in preparing for the trip. If he is old enough, having him pack his own suitcase will save you some time and sanity (everything double-checked by mom, of course).

For all ages, have your child help prepare the activities for the ride there by providing a back pack, small box, or other suitable container for the car, and allowing him to fill it with the items he would like to take in the car. You can go to the library and let your child pick out books, music and even books on CD for the long car ride ahead.

Make your older child the official coordinator of car-ride games. Have her research games that can be played in the car, and make sure you have all the supplies needed. Make it her job to teach everyone how to play during the ride. If you want to give your child a head start on finding games, you can start here: http://www.gameskidsplay.net/games/mental_games/car_games.htm.

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, include your children in the preparations. By giving each of your children a specific responsibility, you will be building their self esteem, and they might even learn a new life skill and a bit of family history in the process. Whether you are hosting the feast at home or traveling to see loved ones, there is something your child can do to help.

This is the final post in a 5 part series written by Bethany of Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom. Be sure to check back to read more great tips for taming the paper beast!”

Welcome to the final segment of the “Put Paper in Its Place” series! If you’re a homeschooler and if you’ve been reading the entire series, this last section should just help you synthesize everything. As you may already suspect, I am not an advocate of keeping every single worksheet, piece of art, or diorama produced by the little darlings. Shocking, I know. Surprisingly, neither am I an advocate for trashing everything. You’ll be pleased to know that a middle ground exists. It’s called a portfolio.

The word portfolio usually strikes fear in the heart of homeschoolers. I have to keep a what? Why would I want to keep all that stuff? But all of the shadow boxes, insect project boards, wooden villages, and authentic medieval costumes won’t fit into a binder! Yes, I have heard all these comments and more whenever the topic of portfolios comes up. Yet, I always reply that a portfolio is not only a necessary thing, but also a good thing. Let me show you how and why.

What is a portfolio, anyway? I decided to look up the word in my official Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition to see what its normal usage is. After all, it’s a unique homeschooling word, right? At least, I thought the way that homeschoolers used the word was specific to us. I almost fell off my chair when I read this definition:

“a selection of a student’s work (as papers and tests) compiled over a period of time and used for assessing performance or progress.”

So much for being revolutionary! Regardless, a portfolio is a collection of your child’s scholarly achievements.

How do you gather all this stuff? Do you just grab the last three pages out of your kids’ hands on June 15 and call it good? Do you wait until your high school senior tells you that his prospective college wants to see his portfolio when he visits tomorrow? No, no, no! On the other hand, you really don’t need to have the exact same number of papers for every subject perfectly typed on the computer and color coded in a set of twelve filing boxes.

A meritorious portfolio does not include every single assignment from every single subject. It includes a representation of work completed: the best writing samples, the best test scores, the best artwork, the best notebooking pages, and the best worksheet pages. It also includes pictures of 3-D projects, field trips, and other activities that can’t be condensed into a single written document. Set aside some work from every academic year. Do it as you go through the year so that it will not be an overwhelming task at whatever point you close out records for each year. I take my children’s desk binders about once a month, choose papers to go into the portfolio, and trash the rest, unless they’re needed for a later test.

The further your child gets academically, the more you may wish to weed out some of the earlier work. You may end up with only one kindergarten handwriting page and one first grade math test by the time your child graduates. That’s fine. Don’t take all of it out, though. I’ve attended homeschool graduations where a portfolio containing selections from twelve years’ worth of work was displayed. It was really neat to see the child’s scholastic progression through the years. Your child may enjoy looking back over her progress as well.

Okay, you’re collecting all of these papers and photos (of larger projects), so where do you put all of them? The best place for a portfolio is in a binder. Yes, even for you file foxes. The main reason for this is that a portfolio should be portable. (Extra bonus points if you notice that both of these words have port as the root, from the Latin word porto, which means I carry.) It’s much easier to carry a binder into a college admission counselor’s office than it is to carry a filing cabinet. You’ll definitely want a 3-inch size for this project. Feel free to let your child choose her favorite color, or buy the kind with the clear pocket on the front and have your student design her own cover.

Put subject dividers into the binder. File the papers from earliest (kindergarten or whatever grade you started homeschooling or saving papers) to the latest within each subject. Just save one out of every ten, twenty, or even thirty pages. Save more tests than regular worksheets. Save the best essays, and choose just one of those essays to show all of the child’s work—outline, rough drafts, corrections, and final draft.

I can hear you now: Why am I making a portfolio? It sounds like way too much work, and it’s not even required by my state! Do I still need to make one even if my child is not headed to college? Obviously, some states make portfolios mandatory, but aside from that, reasons abound for making one. If you choose not to give actual grades or not to fill out a report card (or its equivalent), then a portfolio becomes even more important. A portfolio gives physical evidence that little Johnny really is a genius—just as you always thought! Portfolios preserve hard work, provide evidence for skeptical grandparents or other family members and friends, help with planning for younger siblings, and record grades and/or levels earned and completed.

If you have piles and boxes of papers, start slowly. Set up the binder first so you have a place to put the papers you’re saving. Then go through one stack or box a day, perhaps while you’re watching TV at night, and eventually you will have a lovely portfolio of your child’s academic successes. I’m cringing as I write this, but I just have to reiterate that you must keep up with a project this large or it will get away from you. If you put a few papers into the portfolio every month or so, it will be no big deal, but if you procrastinate, you’ll find it more difficult to subdue the paper piles.

I hope you’ve found this series on paper to be helpful. The more I wrote, the more I realized could be written; however, this is it for now. I’ve provided you with the tips and encouragement that you need to conquer the paper monster once and for all.

This post was written by Bethany L., homeschool mom, Lesson Pathways contributor and author of the Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom blog.

Homeschool co-ops can be formed for a number of reasons. With younger children, they often consist of more organized playgroups for which parents take turns coming up with good activity ideas each week. Sometimes co-ops are formed for academic purposes, focusing on a particular subject. Children may be close in age, or the subject may be one in which siblings of various ages are invited to participate.

Whatever your reasons for forming a co-op, here are some tips for starting and operating one successfully:

• ASSESS the Need for a Co-op
  One of the best ways to start a co-op is to be part of a larger homeschooling support group that meets on a periodic basis. Parents can then form sub-groups based on interests or ages, and co-ops may form out of those groups. It is important to see whether there is real interest in your co-op idea. Sometimes parents spend time and money trying to organize a co-op, but the interest isn’t there in the larger community or the schedule isn’t convenient. Make sure your idea generates some interest either by email or phone or even through a Yahoo! group. After people sign up initially, I make sure I contact them again individually–as the start date gets closer–to make sure they are really interested.

• Organization
  Even though a co-op is generally a group effort among parents, someone still needs to do the initial organizing, or the co-op may not be successful. Once initial interest has been established, the organizer should get parents to volunteer to participate in the co-op. The organizer should communicate well and be specific about times and dates, so parents know how much time and effort their participation will involve. This can actually be the hardest part since some new homeschoolers may over-promise their involvement and have to withdraw when they realize they are involved in too many activities. Also, the organizer has to make sure the parents have some willingness to work together with each other in a cooperative way. Some parents have very different educational goals and philosophies, so it’s better to know up front if you are all on the same philosophical page about the co-op and how it’s presented. I feel better about a group co-op when I really understand parental expectations. This may take more time, but it is worth it to make sure everyone has a willingness to do the work and follow through.

• Establish Ground Rules
  Without basic ground rules, hurt feelings are likely. One biggie is always money. Is there going to be a charge for supplies, and how are the co-op expenses to be paid? Do the co-op leaders give a general outline of what they are going to present before the class, or do the parents just trust each other to take over with their children? What kind of discipline is going to be used if children (or parents) get out of hand and are disruptive? It helps if these ground rules are clear at the beginning, so misunderstandings and feelings of too much responsibility on one parent’s shoulders do not arise. The biggest upsets I have encountered in co-ops have been over whether to pay an individual parent who has professional expertise in the area he or she is teaching. In general, I think it is simpler for parents to donate their time but get reimbursed for supplies.

• Maintain Balance
  Make sure you and the children have a good balance of time in the co-op. One of the things children don’t like is having absolutely no time to play if it’s an academic co-op. There should be some relaxing, social time for both parents and children, ensuring that everyone has fun. I think snacks are an important part of co-op success, but make sure everyone is on the same dietary wavelength here too. Parents can take turns bringing snacks as long as food allergies and dietary restrictions don’t leave some children out of snack time or cause them to eat food that’s not good for them. Diet is another one of those biggies, but if the fare is simple, basically healthy and agreed upon beforehand, everyone should enjoy the balance of learning, relaxing and snacking that marks a successful co-op. I find that children 10 and under really need playtime and are always ready to eat, so my co-ops have at least 20 minutes of unstructured playtime during which they can snack freely on what’s put out for them.

• Keep Communicating and Be Flexible
  Sometimes the goal of a co-op may change based on feedback from the parents and children. Be flexible enough to listen to feedback and make changes that will work for the group as a whole. And, if something really isn’t working for a family, make sure there is a way the family can make a graceful exit. I have personal experience in this area. I was the primary teacher in a co-op and a parent just didn’t realize the amount of work that was involved in my class. She was a new homeschooler and hadn’t really integrated my guidelines for parental involvement in the homework I established. As a result, her son was less prepared than he should have been. We ended up having a good talk about what would work best for her son, and she decided it wasn’t my co-op. She withdrew her child with no hard feelings and a refund of the supply costs.

Co-ops are a wonderful way for children to enjoy learning new skills and information from other parents or even guest speakers. If your co-op is organized well, families are respectful of the ground rules and communication lines are kept open, you are likely to have a successful co-op year.

This post was written by Lilian F., homeschool mom and Lesson Pathways contributor.