the littlest

These cheeks just get me! And the just-after-nap hair, and the unsnapped onesie! How I adore my baby boy.  :)

Pook and a Pickle :)

Love this pic!

Ideas For Parents Struggling with Kiddos Not Getting Schoolwork Done

This came into my inbox today via my homeschool loop. I thought it was great. Not for the faint-hearted, though! Sometimes love is tough!

CONSEQUENCES FOR NOT DOING WORK

QUESTION: I need consequences for a child who just will not do his
work.
Please help me! I just don't know what to anymore.

RESPONSE: One of the best things that works here is to let the child
think they've gotten away with something. Ignore it. Put the books
away and let it go. Don't say a word.
Then, the next time the child asks for something or expects to go
somewhere, calmly and offhandedly say, "When the homework is done,
we'll talk about it," or "No, you can't, because you didn't do your
homework." Nice and casual, just as casually as you put the books
away before.
It took a few losses here, but now my kids usually do their work
because they never know what they'll lose or when I'll drop the bomb.
They know it's coming--they just don't know when or what. It's the
uncertainty that makes my kids nervous--and relatively obedient, most
days.

RESPONSE: When my husband gets home from work, he will ask our
children, "How have you made your mom's life easier today? Workers
eat, slackers don't." Then they will either list the jobs they've
done that day or run away and doing something so they can come back
and report ... and get dinner.

RESPONSE: Those who don't do their schoolwork get a peanut butter
sandwich (or liverwurst with my youngest), a glass of water and go to
bed right after supper. They eat at the table and watch everyone else
eat a much better dinner.
If it continues on for several days, I do a manual labor school. ("It
is my job to prepare you for adult hood.If you are choosing not to be
educated I have to prepare you for the careers for those who don't
have a high school diploma.")
It might be scrubbing walls, cleaning out kitchen cupboards, or
simply moving rocks from one part of the yard to another. On manual
labor school days you get breakfast and do not eat again until your
work is finished. If it is not finished by bedtime you get the peanut
butter sandwich and go to bed.
I have also set my kids in a room stripped of all their personal
belonging except their school and their Bible so they don't have
distractions. If school isn't done then there are no privileges until
it is.
The trick is to not get upset yourself. I tell my son that if he
chooses not to do his work, he is choosing to eat peanut butter or
manual labor school.

Excellent Questions to Use as a Parent with Your Children

I recently saw these lists of questions on an email sent to me by our old church. The first set is a bunch of questions that Rick

Gamache (senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Fellowship) regularly asks his children. I think we may start using these at least here and there at some point to stimulate really deep, quality, revealing conversation from our children with us. Here they are:

.How are your devotions?

.What is God teaching you?

.In your own words, what is the gospel?

. Is there a specific sin you're aware of that you need my help defeating?

. Are you more aware of my encouragement or my criticism?

. What's daddy most passionate about?

. Do I act the same at church as I do when I'm at home?

. Are you aware of my love for you?

. Is there any way I've sinned against you that I've not repented of?

. Do you have any observations for me? . How am I doing as a dad?

. How have Sunday's sermons impacted you?

. Does my relationship with mom make you excited to be married?

This second set here comes from Steve Boyer, an elder at Capitol Hill Baptist Church, in Washington, DC. They also are very good.

. Do you like to pray to God by yourself?

. Do you think mommy and daddy treat you fairly?

. Do you think mommy and daddy love your sister more or less than you?

. Are you ever afraid of daddy?

. What do you like best about each person in our family?  Least?

. Are there things that we do or say during church services that you don't
understand?

. Are there classmates who you have trouble getting along with?

. Do you ever wish you had things that your friends have?

I sure am grateful for all the people out there who are parenting with excellence, from whom I can learn a tremendous amount.

Home for First Grade

I am practically giddy right now at 10 pm and motivated to come down to the computer in the basement one last time before ending the day. It's because my sweet husband made the decision for our family that our eldest would not be attending the 2-day-a-week cottage school next year that we were looking into. The school is an excellent one and one I would feel confident putting any of our children in in the future. But I am rejoicing right now that our sweet biggest boy will be at home full-time with us again next year, as far as we can tell right now.

What I've come to recognize in myself this year is that my own personal main reason for homeschooling is because I absolutely love being with my children. Now, OF COURSE, I am not always happy with them or patient with them, or slow to get irritated as I should be, but I adore them. And I want to get as much time with them as I can. If that means that when they become school-age that I need to be their teacher, then gosh-darnit, I am going to try as hard as possible to be the best teacher I can be for them. And I will pray that they will get a completely excellent education with my husband and myself as the teachers and directors of the school that takes place in our home. I will avail myself of all necessary resources and attend any meetings needed and become part of any groups that will be helpful to ensure that I am all I can be for them, by the grace of God.

Anyway, I just had to post because my heart is skipping right now that our sweet firstborn son will not leave us  for two full days out of the week starting in August. As far as I know at this moment, he will be all mine again at least for a little while longer! Praise God!