Seasoned on Jan. 8, 2009 at 11:42 PM
Britain's latest study is showing that school bullying has become scarier than ever before. Children, as young as five, are being expelled from school for sexual harrassment, acts, and violence. (NOTE: Please be aware that the linked to article has some explicit information.)
One family discovered that the school system has in place a tutoring program for the offenders, but not the victims. In one sense you can see how that is necessary; the offender has been expelled but needs to continue their schooling. However, what happens if the victim is too scared to go back to school, (especially after the offenders are back in school themselves)?
Experts, (in what it doesn't say) are wondering why this type of bullying is growing so quickly. Socialization is certainly playing into a big piece of the pie.
Tia Linschied
Senior Editor of HSB
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Seasoned on Jan. 8, 2009 at 11:22 PM Shared In hsingonlyone
From talking to other homeschoolers, I know that most seem to go with a more “traditional” school year. While a few follow a January-through-December calendar year. If their school year starts the beginning of January, then they truly have the impression of having a clean or empty slate. Those who follow the public or private school calendars might be hitting the middle of their school year, or will be fairly soon. Either way, for the vast majority, they have taken time off for the Christmas holidays (and some take from Thanksgiving thru Christmas as a break). Both groups may find January to be a time of lagging enthusiasm after the “high” of the holidays. Taking time off can rejuvenate us, but time off can also backfire. It can be hard to start back into routines and schedules. So whether you are starting 2009 with a completely empty slate starting a new school year for your child, or you’re dealing with a lag in starting back into your educational routines, it’s time to confront the days ahead. As Dell declared, in Taming the Chaos on January 5th, here On The Company Porch, “If the schedule you made in the spring isn't working anymore, don't be afraid to switch things around. Life changes, and the beauty (and challenge!) of homeschooling is to meld school to life!” I’ve always said to start back to your normal routine slowly after an extended break. Do one to three subjects the first week, then add another subject or two the next week, and so forth. It might take the whole month of January before you are back running full-steam. If what was working, doesn’t work now, then you might need to take a week to figure out a new routine or schedule. Let the children check out books from the library to study what floats their boat (dinosaurs, mummies, bugs, horses, whatever) while you are working on a new routine. Donna Conner lives in Fort Worth, TX with her husband, Glenn, their son, Mike, Donna's mother, Charlotte, and their dog, Lucia. Donna and Glenn have been homeschooling their son since the beginning of his education. Mike completed his homeschooling in the fall of 2008. Donna is an artist and has always enjoyed writing. She wrote Homeschooling Only One in 2003, after discovering that there were many other families homeschooling only one child. Her website is devoted to those with only one student in their homeschool, with listings of online resources. You can visit her website at http://donnac.com and read her blog at: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/DonnaC copyright © 2009 Donna Conner ~~ All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of author, except in the case of brief passages embodied in critical reviews and articles where the title and author are listed.
Whether you are really having trouble getting back into your groove or even if you are moving right along on your schedule, you might consider working on your own “Gratitude Journal.” (Hat tip to my friend DonnaG) This can help you realize where you really are. Your child may have made some leaps and bounds in their spiritual life, even though they may be just a bit behind in their understanding of math. Or perhaps they’re doing fine in academia, but need more practice in “loving their neighbor.” You may not completely realize this turn of events if you are rolling right along checking off your days in your school planner. A Gratitude Journal is just what it sounds like. You write about the things for which you are grateful. This is a wonderful exercise when you are stuck in the doldrums or are hitting a rough spot in your journey. It’s a fantastic exercise just for day-to-day living. It will help you keep your focus and can get you through those bumpy parts of your road.
Just remember that every day is truly an empty slate. It’s not just the beginning of a new year or the start of a new educational grade level. We all have choices to make. Seeking the Lord on that which He wants you to fill your day is the first step (i.e. prayer). Making yourself realize all the good things in your life helps to maintain your equilibrium—instead of being thrown out of balance by the problems you confront (i.e. a Gratitude Journal). Throwing out the old schedule and substituting a new routine might be the outcome of these basic steps. Don’t be afraid to embrace your empty slate and fill it with gratitude, searching for the Lord’s best for you and your children and your homeschool.
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Seasoned on Jan. 8, 2009 at 11:18 PM Shared In specialneeds
We have started back to school again. The holidays are past but the sensory buzz is lingering. So I thought that a few super quick and super easy tips were needed.
1. Make your own chalkboard. The title today was made on my old desk top turned chalk board. It was the best thing I have ever done sensory wise. My little girl R writes on all the walls. She is looking for feedback. Pencil and paper were just too smooth. The home made chalkboard was rough enough she does most of her writing on it now. All it takes is a space on the wall, a smooth surface, or engineering wood. Two coats of paint later you have a chalkboard.
2. Bubbles! Blowing bubbles works the mouth and lungs. Clapping bubbles works coordination. Sing songs to the bubble clapping to make it a full body learning experience.
3. Use your dryer. Have a child that won't settle to listening to a book? Run a blanket in your dryer for about ten minutes, until it is warmed. Wrap them in it. Have a child that is a low tone, low energy child? Sit them on the running dryer while you are right there to supervise. This can stimulate a low sensory child and can even calm a high sensory child!
4. Colors. Think in colors and how the mind tends to react. Red is more aggressive, blue and green are calmer tones. While yellow is a bright alert color. Use different colors for your print offs. Consider sizing up your print offs. A larger size will mean less work focusing on the words which leads to less eye strain.
5. Boxes. Collect boxes for lots of constructive play. Ask at your local grocery store or furniture store for any extras. Use the boxes for sorting, categorizing (by size), creating a kitchen, the options are endless.
6.Let them snack. Use the "gum flapping" as my grandma use to tell me, to your advantage. Let your child chew colorless gum, nuts, wedges of lemon, or crisp weggies. Each child will work better with a certain texture and level of sweetness or sourness.
7. Heavy work with tools. if your child is old enough during break time let them use a hammer and nails on an old stump out back or a piece of secured wood. In order not to lose nails or hit fingers my husband starts the nail in the wood. Shovels, possibly in the garden? Screws and a screwdriver. All these can really feed that heavy work seeker.
8. Let them eat with a straw or chopsticks. Seems simple but there is alot of oral muscles needed in using a straw. Now try to suck up applesauce! This is a particular favorite of speech therapists. Chopsticks take a lot of coordination but there is immediate pay off when done right.
9. Change their clothes. Have your sensory seeker wear a swimsuit under her clothes. For a boy try a smaller size t-shirt or the new stretchy work out wear. If your child is defensive about clothing and things touching them try the dryer trick with their clothes for the day. Does your child need a heavy vest? Use on old fishing vest and put bags of rice or bean bags in the pockets.
10. Try music. Turn on the local classical music. The steady soothing music tend to calm and organize people. If this works well try other non-vocal forms of music, Celtic, Indian Drums ect. For my son this works wonders well worth the few dollars invested in CDs.
I hope you will be able to use some of these ideas. Chime in with any quick, cheap ideas you have! We don't have to have a shiny new therapy room to be able to adequately address our children's sensory needs. Enjoy and God bless!
Heather lives in West Virginia. She and her husband have been homeschooling their 5 children for 7 years. Due to a genetic disorder their children have multiple special needs. Living life to the fullest for the glory of God is their goal! Visit Heather's page at www.homeschoolblogger.com/gfcfmomofmany/
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Seasoned on Jan. 8, 2009 at 10:47 PM
I am writing tonight with a very heavy heart. I mentioned in my last post about a new law that may affect used clothes, but at the time of writing I did not realize how
encompassing the law was. I have had more time to study it and learn about it. I'm still not sure how much of what I have heard is hard truth, versus speculation, but what I have read and heard is heart breaking. According to several sources, this law will pretty much affect every item that is targeted to children under 12. In other words, you will not be able to go on E-bay and buy a used classic book for your child, you will not be able to go to the thrift shop to pick out your child's wardrobe, you will not be able to go to a craft fair and buy a hand whittled whistle for your child. All products that are targeted for children under the age of 12 will have to be tested (which is extremely costly) or they will have to be thrown out. Our landfills may be filled with books, toys, clothes, baby products, bedding, and electronics that were just too expensive to have tested. Only the large companies will be able to endure the price, which you know will probably be passed to the consumer. Places like thrift shops and resale shops will probably just close their doors, because they would have to test each and every children's item. I have heard even library sales will be affected, they will not be able to sale children's books. I have read where Amazon has told their vendors they will have to comply with this law or they will not be sold through Amazon. Some of the smaller Homeschool publishing companies may have a hard time with this law. Hands of a Child has already announced they will no longer be able to sell their ready made kits, they will only be able to sell e-books and cds and they have to be labeled with "For Educator Use Only" because the very cd, would be band if sold for children's use and not tested.
Action needs to be done now!!! The law goes into effect on February 10th, 2009. The scarriest part is there were 0, yes, 0 nay votes in the Congress and only a small handful in the Senate. But even with that overwhelming support of the bill, your Representative needs to hear from you. That is the only way something will be done about this. Here are two petitions that can be signed to show disproval of the new law (how it is currently written), but please take it a step farther and contact your Senator and Congressman about it. Here is the links to the two petitions:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/economicimpactsofCPSIA/
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/handmadetoys/
Here is a link to the Government page showing who voted for the bill:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-4040
Like I said, I'm still not sure how much is fact versus speculation, but it is not wise to in the case to wait and see, action needs to be done now. Please educate yourself about this law. I will include updates when I have more information. Please see this blog post for more information: http://thetightwad.today.com/2009/01/05/shopping-for-used-childrens-clothes-could-get-a-lot-harder/
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Seasoned on Jan. 8, 2009 at 10:09 PM
I have one more Christmas theme show and tell that I wanted to share with you.
For those of you that are new to my blog, please go ~HERE~ to read about my brother, the scientist that lives in San Diego. I guarantee you will find it very interesting.
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As I shared with you last year on a show and tell last Christmas, my brother and his wife spoil our children with lots and lots and lots of gifts. And this year was no exception. When we got the box, it was the biggest one we've ever seen. I took pictures of it, but, when I got ready to post my s&t tonight, I couldn't find the picture. But take my word for it, "big" is an understatement.
I didn't post all the pictures of ALL the gifts, because that would be a very, very long post, and I am very, very tired!
First, the children seperated their gifts in to their own piles.
Each child got a stuffed animal. THe above shows the teddy bears, but there are larger ones such as a cool stuffed fox, a panda bear (you can kind of see that one in the picture) Our children have quite a collection from over the years!
My brother and his wife take a lot of care in selecting classics and other interesting books for the children. Rachel got the hardbook Gulliver's Travelers. Joshua got a book about Albert Einstein and he has been enjoying reading about him.
Jacob loved his book. I kept seeing Rachel and him reading all through the night. I kept snatching pictures, I thought it was so sweet.
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Joshua loved his big gift - a science kit for studying the solor system.
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Jacob loved his dinasours.
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A Little Pony set for Ruthie.
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This year, each child got a really neat paint by number kit.
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All of these toys, books, and cool craft kits from their Uncle Jon and Aunt Alexandria. Now you know why I say that they spoil them!
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(Don't forget to visit Mary, our host of show and tell.)
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Seasons Of A Godly Woman is Copyrighted by Chasity Brannon All rights reserved, © 2008
