Author: Outside the Box Learners

Homeschool mom to my three amazing and quirky kiddos. Wife to my “long-suffering” husband and partner in crime, Marc. INFJ(aka the extroverted introvert). Lifelong learner. Thrives on coffee, chocolate, good music, and deep conversations. Jigsaw puzzles are my love language. Ultimately, leaning on my Savior each step of the way.

Six Tips for Homeschooling “Newbies”

Given the current unprecedented circumstances, otherwise known as COVID-19, many are considering homeschooling this fall.  In this post I outline my BEST homeschooling tips.  I hope they are helpful!

Homeschooling is a beautiful choice for many families, but during these crazy times, it can feel more like crisis schooling (even for those of us who have been homeschooling for years!) My heart goes out to those of you who feel you have no choice, but to homeschool.

Ideally, one comes into homeschooling with a sense of hope and excitement, and I know for many of you, you simply feel it is your only choice with the given circumstances.  I hope you can use this time to make lemonade out of the lemons presented.

Because I’m an “always” homeschooler, rather than an “unexpected” homeschooler, I can’t fully empathize with those finding themselves in this position.  However, I tried my darndest to put myself into the shoes of a FIRST-TIME homeschooler (whether it’s temporary, or a permanent decision.)

If I were to sit down over a cup of coffee and chat homeschooling with you this would be my general advice.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

My Best Homeschooling Tips

6 Tips for Homeschooling “Newbies”

1.) Simplify Academics – Focus On the Three R’s

In days of old, they focused on the three R’s: Reading, (W)riting, and ‘Rithmetic.  These three subjects build on each other, and should have more of a focus. Whether you’re pulling out of brick and mortar school for just a season, or considering homeschooling indefinitely, these are the basic skills needed for learning.

I don’t typically advise buying an all in one boxed curriculum (it was a flop for us!), but I understand the temptation to do so.  To see an example of how we pull many different resources together, check out this curriculum picks post.

Also if your kids are younger (ages 4-7), this post might be helpful: What I Would Do Differently My First Year of Homeschooling.  May you learn from my mistakes! 😉

2.) Routine OVER Schedule

Rigid schedules can be stifling, while routines give life.  Plan a general flow to your day, so your kiddos know what is coming next, and you’re not re-inventing the wheel each day.

While classrooms need to have rigid schedules to manage so many children, a huge benefit of homeschooling is the flexibility it allows to your daily flow.  Take advantage of it!

Check out Cindy West’s Master Class for more help in this area:

Designing A Practical Homeschool Schedule  This Master Class will give you actionable and practical tips to get you started!

3.) Consider Your Family’s Interests

When it comes to other subjects (science, history, art, music, etc.), choose topics you or your kids are interested in.

Does your child have a passionate interest in bugs?  The human body? Mummies and Ancient Egypt? Now’s your chance to go deep! When kids get the opportunity to dive deep into the topic of their choice, you will see them blossom before your very eyes! 

The subjects above do not build on each other, so you can’t really get behind in them.  However, if you have a high schooler who will be going back to brick and mortar school, you’ll want to make sure they cover the class they’ll be missing. (for example, Biology is generally covered in 9th grade)

For history, if it were me and you were here across my kitchen table, I’d say pick a time in history you’d like to learn more about and read some great living books with your kids.  If you want a full picture on how we do history, check out my post on How We Do History – Textbook Free! History is my favorite subject because I’ve learned so much alongside my kiddos!

4.) Don’t Try to Recreate School at Home

Homeschooling looks different than a classroom. Homeschooling is not the same as school at home.  And that’s one reason so many people do it!  This took me a bit of time to understand, but now that I do, it has freed me up to focus more on doing life with my kids and learning together rather than trying to make our home look like a classroom. Some refer to it as lifeschooling.

5.) Enjoy the Time Together

Go on nature hikes together, cook together.

Make it a priority to read-aloud together.  There are so many benefits of reading aloud!

Bake a treat and try some Poetry Teatime.

Above all, enjoy each other.

6.) Outsource Classes

One of the greatest benefits of homeschooling during such a technological age is the opportunity to outsource classes, from the comfort of your home.  You can get dinner ready, or rest those eyes for a bit, while the kiddos continue to learn!

These are some classes I highly recommend:

Chalk Pastel Art – Nana is a delight! Her ‘I Drew It Then I Knew It’ classes that cover many events in history are perfect for those kids who ‘learn by doing’.

No Sweat Science Live – Just turn on the video and the kids can watch and interact with Ms. Cindy.  They complete a nature journal page during the lesson. For grades 1-8.  Great for a nature-smart kid!

SQUILT Music – Mary has curated all the material.  All you need to do is open the lesson, and go! Works for a variety of ages.

Resources I Recommend:

Teaching From Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakeable Peace by Sarah Mackenzie – A short and easy read that will leave you feeling BLESSED and not STRESSED about homeschooling.

Carole Joy Seid’s Homeschool Made Simple – Carole Joy Seid is a homeschool veteran who focuses on keeping homeschooling SIMPLE.  This DVD resource is best for those considering homeschooling for the long haul. This is a Christian based resource that revolutionized our homeschool. I consulted with Carole back in 2016 and her advice changed the trajectory for my late reader.

Cindy West – Designing a Practical Homeschool Schedule – You can’t go wrong with this class.  This would be a great place to start if you’re new to homeschooling!

Share this!

What is Dyspraxia?

What is Dyspraxia?

You’ve heard of dyslexia.  Possibly dysgraphia.  How about dyscalculia?

And lastly – what I’m going to talk about here because it directly affects our own family: dyspraxia.  

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through these links will result in a small commission for me (at no cost to you!) 

Before I go into it let’s dive into the roots of those words a bit.

(I LOVE doing this by the way!)

Dyslexia:  Dys (poor or inadequate) lexia (words or language)

Dysgraphia: Dys (poor or inadequate) graphia (writing) 

Dyscalculia: Dys (poor or inadequate) calculia (math or numbers) 

Dyspraxia: Dys (poor or inadequate) praxia (action) 

Merriam Webster’s definition of dyspraxia is: “impairment of the ability to perform coordinated movements”

In many other places, dyspraxia is defined as a neurological disorder that affects movement and coordination. 

Basically the brain is not communicating accurately with the body.

And these difficulties with motor coordination interfere with daily life (it’s more than just being un-coordinated, or clumsy.)

What is Dyspraxia?

What does (or can) dyspraxia look like?

  • Clumsiness
  • Slower processing of information
  • Difficulty completing gross or fine motor tasks
  • Handwriting difficulties
  • Trouble tying shoes, buttoning a shirt,etc. (My son just finished his first season of track and used these shoes!)
  • Issues in working memory
  • Often Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is seen alongside dyspraxia.

The most famous person I know of with dyspraxia is Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter).

So obviously having dyspraxia doesn’t mean you won’t succeed in life but you probably aren’t going to be a star athlete.

Does it ever go away?

It is usually noticed in childhood and then follows you into adulthood.

We’ve done a few interventions that I believe have helped our son including Occupational Therapy (with a therapist who focused on sensory issues), Vision Therapy, Brain Balance and biomedical interventions.

Also, swimming really helps with body awareness, and taekwondo (provided you have an understanding instructor) can be great for bi-lateral movement (integrating both sides of the brain.)

How does it affect learning?

Dyspraxia is more than being uncoordinated or clumsy, it also deals with the brain.  So naturally, it will impact learning.

However, having a learning disability does not mean you have lower intelligence. In fact, I would venture to say some of the greatest minds have a learning disability (did you know that 3 of the sharks on Shark Tank have dyslexia?!)

Dyspraxia does affect learning because it often means a slower processing speed, which means it may take more time to learn new things.  Also, it hinders one’s’ ability to plan and organize their thoughts. Yeah, that would definitely make learning harder!

Homeschooling

I remember when I made the difficult decision to pull my son out of public pre-school where he was getting supports.  But it just killed me to see him drifting away in the class.

It makes sense he did not thrive in that environment. Kids with dyspraxia learn best one on one.

I am so thankful I get to homeschool my son.  It truly brings me to tears sometimes.  He doesn’t have to feel less than.  He can pursue studying the things he loves.

And not to mention he is one amazing reader.  (Sorry for the mom brag, I’m just super proud of him!) He is such a sweet, helpful, logical, inquisitive kid and I am blessed to be his mom.


Other posts on dyspraxia:

4 Great Sports for a Child with Dyspraxia

Share this!

How We do History – Textbook Free!

If asked as a child what my least favorite subject was, I might have said history. And if I had to describe how I felt about history as a child, I’m sure the words dry, boring, and pointless would have come to mind! (with the exception of the Holocaust which I have always been interested in)  

I actually got my only “C” ever in Western Civilizations in college. 

The material was just so “foreign” to me (seriously no pun intended!)  But truly, though I would PORE over my textbook for the class, the material just would not stick.  It was painful.  Can you relate?

Fast forward to now.  Would you believe history is one of my favorite things to learn about with my kids?  Probably because I’m right in there learning with them, for what feels like the first time!  If you’ve ever been in a Classical Conversations community, they refer to this as “redeeming your education.”

I personally find textbooks dry. Even the best of them. And the homeschool community has some wonderful ones to offer (I’ve not personally used these but have heard great things about them – Notgrass, History Revealed, and Mystery of History come to mind.)  Maybe I will use them someday, but for now, we are enjoying not using a curriculum (and we’re learning lots!)

Here’s how we do history – textbook free!  

History Textbook Free

This post contains affiliate links and purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you.) Thank you for your support.
We Love Living Books

Reading living books together, especially ones that deal with history has ignited a love for history in me. And there are just so many living books to read! If you need book ideas, two of my favorite books for finding living books are Honey For a Child’s Heart and Books Children Love.  

History Textbook FreeBeautiful Feet Books is also a fabulous place to purchase living books.  They have them categorized by grade level and time in history, and also author sets.  We have a few of their sets and LOVE them.  The D’aulaire set is especially a favorite as the illustrations are phenomenal.History Textbook Free

We also have Genevieve Foster’s Collection which is JAM-PACKED with historical facts (if you have an information lover!) History Textbook Free

Beautiful Feet Books also offer teacher guides, for parents who want that.

So far I have booklists of living books for history for Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome.  

We Use Interesting Spine Books

Our main “spine” book is a Child’s History of the World.  It’s written in an engaging way and helps fill in the gaps (that will inevitably be there) and makes sure we don’t miss any big events of history.  We also base our butcher paper timeline on dates from this book.

I love that all of history is on one giant timeline that the kids have created themselves. (If the idea of a giant roll of butcher paper scares you they make blank timeline books – this one is an example.) It really helps them to see how each event is just a snapshot in the big picture of time.  And that history DOES repeat itself.

History Textbook Free
My son retelling us about the Barbarians (in a dramatized voice!) invading Rome after drawing it on the timeline.

There’s something about drawing what you’re learning that really makes it stick in your brain!  And it’s especially wonderful for picture-smart kids!

We also use Usborne books for a spine.  Love Usborne! Our favorites are Time Traveler and The Encyclopedia of World History. History Textbook Free

Incorporating Technology

We’ve been incorporating more technology into our learning this year, especially with history.

Some of our favorite resources include:

History Textbook Free
My 5 year old’s chalk pastel drawing of the Colloseum.
  • Story of the World – I included this with technology since we only use it on audiobook.  We love Jim Weiss as a narrator and save this for the car! (hubby loves it too!)

I wish I could say we incorporate tons of amazing activities, but we don’t.  We HAVE done that at times(check out these awesome Hands-on Activities for Ancient Egypt), but usually, we stick to what I mentioned above.

Incorporate how your children learn when possible!

Since all children have different strengths/smarts, consider their strengths when deciding how to teach and present material.  A picture-smart child would enjoy drawing what they are learning.  A body-smart child might enjoy re-enacting a scene from history.  A music-smart child might connect to the material by listening to music from that time in history.  Etc. etc.  You get the idea!   

I would be remiss if I did not mention that my kiddos LOVE Horrible Histories.  They are a little more “edgy” and filled with tons of facts (that you may or may NOT want to know) but your kids will learn about history from reading them! That can not be disputed. 😉

So that is how we do textbook free history!  As you can see we are very eclectic in our approach.
What is your favorite history resource? 
Share this!

Why We Stopped Reading Instruction for Our Son

This post contains affiliate links and purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you.) Thank you for your support.

My son was 6 1/2 when we started having some concern over his inability to sound out basic words such as c-a-t and d-o-g.  Truthfully, I was not as worried as my husband, but it begged the question…

Was the answer MORE reading instruction?

To me, that idea was not ideal painful. We had already been reading the same beginner Bob books over and over and were getting NOWHERE.

By that point, I had read enough and heard other homeschool moms say the same thing: Sometimes they just need time.  However, when you’re in the thick of it, you sometimes start to worry.

About a year prior, a friend had introduced me to Carole Joy Seid’s philosophy.  She even lent me Carole Joy Seid’s DVD series to watch.  What Carole had to say made so much sense, but was unlike anything I had heard before.

Homeschool Made SimpleIf you’ve never heard of Carole Joy Seid, she’s a homeschool consultant who has been around a while.  The DVD series of hers that I watched was called Homeschool Made Simple.

And really that is her mission – to make things easier for moms so they can not only survive but SUCCEED.  She has much wisdom to offer, and at that time my husband I agreed that I should pursue a consulting session with her.

Stopped Reading Instruction

Homeschool Advice

Carole gave me lots of wonderful homeschooling advice during that phone call, but one piece of advice really stuck out and helped lay a foundation for my 6 1/2-year-old son.

The piece of advice: Stop the reading instruction and just read aloud to him.

She offered advice as to when to start up again and what to do if he still wasn’t ready when we did try again.

After that call, I had a plan and felt empowered.

Because we had just moved to WI, we still did not know anyone, were not yet part of a co-op (or any activities for that matter), and we had plenty of time to read aloud together.  And that we did.

Shortly after his 7th birthday, something clicked.  And out of nowhere, he was on the turbo track to becoming an amazing reader. Within a month, not only was he reading but he was reading chapter books! I realize that’s not most peoples’ story, but that is his, and I am happy to share in case it might encourage someone else.

Why the decision to stop reading instruction was a gift.

My son, now nine, is not only an amazing reader, but he LOVES to read.  All kinds of things.  Fiction, non-fiction, history, newspapers, anything and EVERYTHING weather, you name it – he’ll read it!

I believe those months of just reading together WITHOUT THE STRESS of being forced to do something his brain was just not ready to do, laid a foundation for a LOVE for reading.  And that is a gift he has for LIFE!

stopping reading instruction
Reading about his favorite topic – WEATHER!

*If you’re feeling overwhelmed by homeschooling and looking for simplicity, Homeschool Made Simple is a great place to start!

Homeschool Made Simple

**The point of this post is not to promote forgoing reading instruction, but rather point out the beauty and power of reading aloud to our youngsters, and also not pushing them before they’re ready!

Share this!

How Using Plan to Eat Saved Me Money and My Sanity!

Just one week ago, we had hopped off the plane after a week-long vacation and were on our final leg home.  It was clear that a snowstorm was imminent.

Knowing our refrigerator was pretty bare at home, and imagining a drive out to the grocery store later in the day when the driving conditions would be less than desirable, we decided to stop and get a few groceries.

Simple Meal Planning - Plan to Eat
I planned our menu in less than 5 minutes!

I pulled up my Plan to Eat app on my phone and *I kid you not* in less than 5 minutes, I had a savory menu planned for the coming week, as well as a shopping list ready to go, and organized by food category.  This is actually just one of many times I’ve menu planned minutes before arriving at the grocery store.

We made a quick detour to the grocery store and when we arrived home we were able to get cozy and enjoy the storm AND a full fridge of food.

Plan to Eat

For most of my years as a mom, I’ve been inclined to the idea of menu planning.  Menu planning helps reduce impulse buying (thus saving money!), impulse eating (thus eating healthier and not dining out as much!), and having a plan just makes me SANER.

Three years ago, I had settled into a comfortable, but tedious routine of doing my menu planning on Friday nights. I would pull out some recipes I wanted to make for the coming week as well as a separate sheet to make a shopping list.

While I was happy to have the menu planned, the planning was a CHORE.

Hello, Plan to Eat!

It was around that time a friend told me about Plan to Eat.  She was thrilled with it and suggested I try it out.  I didn’t really want to pay for a menu planning service but they had 30-day free trial and I decided to give it a try.  I knew 30 days would be long enough to know if this was something for me.

Well, the rest is history.  After 30 days of using Plan to Eat, I was hooked!

I had a new love for planning my weekly menu AND I had my Friday night back. 🙂

Who Plan to Eat is PERFECT for:

  • Busy parents who want a simple solution to menu planning
  • People who make lots of homecooked meals.
  • People who have specific recipes they like to use
  • Those who like to have a menu plan.
  • People who want to be intentional with their meal planning and not buy more than they need (thus saving $$$!)

Plan to Eat is NOT for people who:

  • Don’t like to cook.
  • Want recipes decided for them.
  • Buy mostly ‘ready to go’ food.
  • Prefer to cook on the fly.

Plan to Eat features that I LOVE:

  • Super user-friendly app that I can use on the go.
  • Import your favorite recipes from the web.
  • For well-loved NON-internet recipes (can we say Grandma’s apple pie!) manually enter the recipe just one time.
  • Queue up your favorite recipes and simply click and drag those recipes to the day you want to eat them.

    Plan to Eat
    The click and drag feature is what makes Plan to Eat so easy and fun!
  • Shopping list is automatically populated based on your menu plan.

    Plan to Eat
    My shopping list after I’ve “shopped” the pantry and fridge to see what we already have on hand.
  • Plan however many days at a time you want.  I keep it simple and do it weekly.
  • Shop using an easy to read list organized by category.  (I prefer bringing the paper copy so I’m not staring at my phone, but the app works amazingly well too!)

Plan to Eat
After finding I had most things on hand, this week’s shopping list was pretty small.

  • See what friends (who use Plan to Eat) are cooking and add those to your own menu plan!
  • Easy to halve/double/triple recipes (which then updates shopping list accordingly)

So how much does Plan to Eat cost?

Plan to Eat costs $4.95/month or $39/year. We do the yearly plan which comes out to $3.25/month.  I consider this a small price to pay for the time and energy Plan to Eat has saved me!  Not to mention the money I’ve saved from not impulse shopping, and not taking mid-week trips to the grocery store…

Plan to Eat’s 30-Day Trial is Truly FREE!

Plan to Eat does not require credit card information before starting your 30-day trial. So it truly is a FREE trial.  They are very upfront and don’t want to trick you into paying them just because you forgot to cancel.

They also do not automatically bill you when your yearly subscription expires. If your account does expire, your account is simply suspended, and your recipes will still be there when/if you renew.

Simple Meal Planning - Plan to Eat

Not going back to my old way of planning!

At this point, I truly can not imagine going back to my old way of menu planning.  I now ENJOY meal planning. Plan to Eat has given me my Friday nights back and saved my sanity.  Instead of spending hours menu-planning, I can use that time to for other things, like cooking with my kids!

Plan to Eat
Making one of our favorite meals, chili!

So, if you’re looking to make meal-planning easier, and more fun, AND cut your grocery bill, check out Plan to Eat!

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for your support.

 

Share this!

Epcot Guide for the Disney Newbie

We just returned from a trip to Orlando. While not a “Disney Vacation” we did opt to spend a day at Epcot. And I thought it would be helpful to put together an Epcot guide for the Disney newbie.

We first took our kids to Epcot 7 years ago.

Epcot Guide for the Disney Newbie
Hanging out in the World Showcase in 2013

They were 2 and 4 and our third child was not yet born. At 2 and 4, they were too short to go on most of the “exciting” rides and at that point Frozen was just a figment of Disney’s imagination 😉 so there was no Frozen Ever After (now one of the most loved rides at Epcot).

This visit looked different. We now have three kids, ages 5, 9, 11 and we also had my parents along with. Plus Disney is always changing.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through these links will result in a small commission for me (at no cost to you!) 

Epcot Guide for the Disney Newbie

Stay on property or off?

One of the first things you need to decide is whether to stay on Disney property or off.

If you want the truest Disney experience, stay on property.

Benefits of staying at Disney:

  • Can get fast passes 60 days in advance.
  • Can take advantage of magic extra hours
  • Don’t need to worry about parking and can use their in-park transportation system.
  • Makes it easier if you need to rest midday.

We did not stay on property since we were only going one day and already had a rental we were staying at. We still had a blast.

Benefits of staying off property:

  • •More economical and makes sense if you’re only doing one day like us.
  • •More control of your food because you can rent a place with a kitchen

If you stay off property you do want to get there at least 45 minutes before the park opens to get a good parking spot. Also, it takes a bit of time to get through security and it’s nice to be there for the rope drop (at least if you want to get on a ride of your choice fairly quickly). We wanted to do Frozen Ever After but did not have a fast pass so that was the first attraction we went to and we only had to wait 25 minutes.

Fast passes

Check out this article if you’re wondering what a fast pass is.

We did get our tickets ahead of time in order to take advantage of booking fast passes. If you’re staying off property you can book fast passes 30 days in advance. You just have to link your tickets to your Disney Experience account and then at 7 am (Disney time) on the day 30 days before you can book your fast passes. This is true for all Disney parks. We had tickets for February 5 and so on January 6 I was up ready to book the fast passes. I did have an idea of which ones I wanted to book and the times. It helps to be prepared since many others are also booking their fast passes at the same time.

You don’t need to get tickets ahead of time to get fast passes. You can get them the day of if you’re using the Disney app. You will just have a better selection of rides and times if you get them ahead of time.

One reason to NOT get tickets ahead of time is if you want to wait and watch the weather. One reason to wait is that much of Epcot is the world showcase and this would definitely be more enjoyed on a nice day since a lot of it is outside.

Ironically we had a fast pass for the very popular Epcot attraction Soarin’ but still had to wait 30 minutes because everyone was using their fast pass at the same time. Then later in the day, in the evening actually we went back when the lines were down and only had to wait 10 minutes. So as you can see fast passes are not the end all be all. If you are going to attempt going without I would recommend going at a slower time of year. You can find more info on Disney crowd patterns here.

Two sections: Future World and World Showcase.

Epcot is basically broken down into two areas: Future World and World Showcase.

Future World is where most of the ride attractions are and the attractions that appeal to the kids. Since World Showcase doesn’t open until 11 ( with the exception of Frozen Ever After in Norway) we did Future World in the morning (after doing Frozen ever after) and then the World Showcase In the afternoon.

Future World Attractions:

  • Spaceship Earth – You know that big ball you associate with Epcot. That actually holds a ride – Spaceship Earth. This ride (IMO) is a must-do. It’s worth a fast pass but the line is also shorter at slower times of the year so you don’t need a FP then. It’s basically a timeline of history put into a dark slow-moving ride. As a homeschool mom, I found it very interesting! It was really cool to see so many things we’ve studied (Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and Gutenberg’s printing press). Always neat when connections can be made!
  • Mission Space – We got a fast pass and my parents and I did ‘green’ or ‘easy’. My husband and kids did ‘orange’ which was more intense. You board a shuttle and then take a ride into space. Those who did ‘orange’ thought it was amazing while those of us who did green were underwhelmed. So I’d say if you can handle spinning and want a bit of a thrill do ‘Orange’. Otherwise this one might be ok to skip unless you’re a space fanatic.
  • Soarin’ – Soarin’ is located in the ‘The Land’ pavilion. This one is a must-do. It was the favorite ride for almost everyone in our party. With a similar feel to an Imax movie, you get to soar above many famous wonders of our world.
  • Living with the land. This is another ride in ‘The Land’ building. You ride on a boat and learn a lot about agriculture, weather etc. It’s very enjoyable and educational. Wait until the line is shorter though.
  • The Seas with Nemo & Friends– Nemo is located in ‘The Seas’ pavilion. When when we took our kids 7 years ago we loved ‘The Seas’ building but this time we all agreed we could have passed on the Nemo ride. We waited for about 30 minutes but it just was not that interesting to us. If you are taking younger kids only this might be worth a fast pass to bypass the line.
  • Turtle Talk w/Crush – Also in ‘The Seas’ building. We LOVED this one when our kids were little bit we did not have a chance to do it this time around. It’s very interactive and fun.
  • Journey to Imagination with Figment  – Located in the ‘Imagination!’ pavilion. We did not have to wait for this one at all. I personally loved it but the rest of the adults in our group were not as impressed. I loved the focus on the five senses and my kids appreciated it. After the ride we got to meet Joy from Inside Out (a great movie for teaching about emotions!) after.

Epcot Guide for the Disney Newbie

  • Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival – Also located in the ‘Imagination!’ pavilion.  This was really fun and we definitely recommend.  You wear 3D glasses and the movie is in 4D.  Good for when you need to build some downtime into your day.  We also met Mickey in this building. We were shocked to find him here with no line. That was a. Fun surprise!

Epcot Guide for the Disney Newbie

  • Test track – Test Track was under construction while we were there but I’ve heard it’s a top attraction. So next time, we’ll probably get a fast pass for this one.

World Showcase:

World Showcase includes 11 countries.  As you walk around the lake, you get to stroll through each country and experience that country’s architecture, food, music, etc.  It’s like a giant world fair.  Even if you’re not a Disney person, there is a lot to love about the world showcase.

Canada – We started in Canada.   We watched ‘Canada Far and Wide’ in Circle-Vision 360 in the Canada Pavilion.  After that, we listened to a band from Quebec perform some music.

United Kingdom – The best part about the UK was the eating Fish n’ Chips by the big lake. In fact, when I told my kids I was writing about Epcot and asked them if they had anything to add, they’re only comment was “Tell them about the fish and chips!” So, there you have it, get the fish n’ chips. 🙂

Epcot Guide for the Disney Newbie
Eating our Fish n’ Chips i the United Kingdom

France – We did a Beauty and the Beast sing-a-long here that the kids enjoyed.

Morocco – Morocco was very interesting to explore.  The architecture was unique and they had some neat shops.

Japan – We had to skim right by Japan because there was a need at this point to find a restroom.

America – Here they have a beautiful colonial-themed pavilion.  In the pavilion we watched a show: American Adventure (a good place to rest your feet, or in our son’s case, take a nap!) American Adventure is a wonderful show with animatronics similar to Hall of Presidents at Magic Kingdom.

Italy- We skimmed right through the next few countries because my daughter was eager to get back to Soarin’ and we saw the line times going down.

Germany – We skimmed right through Germany as well.

China – There is another Circle-Vision 360 show here, but we didn’t have a chance to watch it.

Norway – Norway is home to the beloved ride ‘Frozen Ever After’.  If you love Frozen this ride is worth the wait.

Mexico – There is an attraction here called “The Grand Fiesta Tour” and they also have a Mariachi band.  We didn’t spend much time here, but did get fresh guacamole and chips later in the evening, for a decent price!

Epcot Guide for the Disney Newbie
Hanging out in Mexico

Characters:

Epcot is a great place to visit if you’re wanting to meet characters.  There are generally shorter lines than Magic Kingdom for this, and many times you meet them in the country that corresponds with their character.  For instance… Belle – France, Snow White – Germany, Mary Poppins – UK, Jasmine – Morocco, etc.

We were able to meet Joy from Inside Out in the ‘Imagination!’ pavilion.  We also saw Mickey as we entered the building to watch the Pixar Film Festival.  That was a real treat and surprise!  And you can find Donald Duck with a fun sombrero in Mexico.

Food:

Pack a few snacks so you don’t end up impulse buying. Also, it may be worth looking at Epcot food options ahead of time. We saw that the UK had fish n chips and Mexico had chips and guacamole and we planned that into our day.

A few years ago, when we were at Magic Kingdom, we hit a point in the day where we starving and we ended up paying big bucks for food that we weren’t crazy about.  If you’re gonna apend the $$, find the food you like! One thing we were surprised by, was the food was actually not too expensive.

Fireworks:

We watched the fireworks or Epcot Forever from Mexico.  You can also use a fast pass for good seats with no obstruction. If it’s busier it might be wise to find a spot ahead of time. Here is a post about good spots to watch the fireworks at Epcot.  We had a slightly obstructed view but it was still fabulous and we found spots right before the show (lower crowd day.)

Other tips:

  • View an Epcot Park map online ahead of time to acquaint yourself with the park. Also, make sure to grab a map upon arrival to the park.  Epcot is very big and it can get confusing.
  • Bring sunscreen.
  • Wear shoes or comfy sandals. You will be walking a lot! 2 of my 3 kiddos wore crocs and had no blisters at the end of the day.  My daughter even got some charms for her crocs.

Epcot Guide for the Disney Newbie
Crocs with Disney charms

  • Consider an affordable backpack like this with lots of pockets for all your needs for the day (snacks, water, sunscreen, etc.)  Definitely leave your purse in the car!
  • Pack glowsticks for Epcot Forever.
  • It’s worth repeating – bring snacks!
  • Use the Disney Experience app to see line times.
  • If you’re planning on staying at Disney for the full Disney experience and want help with fast passes, dining, lodging, etc., consider working with a travel agent.  I highly recommend  Jessica with Mouse Magic Travel (it doesn’t cost extra to book through her either!)

Well, that about covers it!  Got any tips to add?  Please comment below!

Share this!

What not to say to your anxious child (say THIS instead)

Anxiety….  UGH.

It’s a beast.

A joy stealer.

I remember when my oldest was just 6, and we were hovering together in the house in the master bedroom and away from the windows, riding out a pretty significant thunderstorm (we later found out a tree had fallen on our deck and missed the house by a few inches.)

How to help my anxious child
The aftermath of the storm.

My middle son was delighted with the storm (we were just realizing his passion for weather about this time).   Meanwhile, my daughter was crying hysterically due to her fear of storms.  And she truly thought she caused the storm because she had asked God for a rainbow (and we all know that rain comes before the bow!)

This blog post contains affiliate links through the Amazon Associates prgoram and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

I kept telling her we were going to be ok and she didn’t need to worry.  This did NOTHING to assuage her fears.

She was not in a logical state of mind and what I know now is you can not rationalize with the illogical. I’ve tried. Too many times.

It simply does not work.

You HAVE to meet them where they are at.

Saying, “Honey, it’s going to be fine” or “You don’t need to worry about it” simply does nothing for them.

So what should you say to your anxious child?

I’ve learned a technique that helps when one of my kids is worrying about a specific situation (this past week it was worrying about flying on an airplane, and for another kid, it was worry about jumping into the pool.)

How to help my anxious child
Right before jumping in.

This technique is very simple and I’ve heard about it multiple times from different speakers, books I’ve read and parenting classes. (including but not limited to Why Smart Kids Worry, Start With the Heart, and the Connected Families parenting course).

The key is connect first.

Acknowledge their feelings. “Wow, I can tell you’re worried about _________.”  OR, “you’re feeling sad because __________”.

You reflect back to them how they’re feeling.

And it completely works!

It may not make the worry go away, but it allows them to feel heard and diffuses the situation.   Reflecting back to them how they feel also helps them recognize their own emotions, and raises their emotional intelligence.

Now, this won’t necessarily make their worry go away completely but it is a better response than “Don’t worry” or “It’s going to be fine” and sometimes it will be enough for them to get out of their stuck pattern of thinking in that moment.

If you have an anxious kiddo, one book that I highly recommend is Why Smart Kids Worry.  It gives SO many examples of tools to help your anxious kids succeed.

How to help my anxious child

The reality is most anxious kids have active brains and are always going to have something to worry about.  This simple technique of reflecting back to them how they feel has helped me with my anxious kids.

If you’re looking for a way to help your anxious child, I suggest giving this technique a try.  It may help you too!

What tools have helped your anxious kiddo?  I’d love to hear what’s worked for you!


 

Share this!

“Am I qualified to homeschool my child?”

What qualifies someone to be able to homeschool their children?

Can you successfully homeschool your children without a background in teaching?

I’m here to tell you – YES! You can homeschool, and do it WELL without a teaching degree.

Or any degree for that matter!  *GASP*

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).
You don’t need a teaching background to homeschool.

Recently I have found myself in different conversations with people who believe strongly that you should only be allowed to homeschool if you have a teaching degree. I love finding myself in these conversations (sarcasm).   As someone who does not agree with that AT ALL, this gets tiresome.  I have never agreed with that statement, but I’m more vocal about it than I was in my early years of homeschooling.

In those early years, I was pretty green and fragile and I would nod along and choose to not die on that hill.  I just wanted to weasel myself out of those conversations as fast as possible.  As an anti-conflict, people pleaser, it really was exhausting and painful.  (Quick shout out to those in my life who have supported us in this journey the entire time – THANK YOU!)

What qualifies someone to be able to homeschool their children?

When you “come out” as a homeschooler,

especially if you’re a first-generation homeschooler, you will likely be met with some criticism.  Homeschooling is different, not the norm, and people have their preconceived ideas of what homeschooling is like.

“What about socialization?”

“What about high school?”

And something I heard (and STILL do) quite often, was “Well, YOU were a teacher, so you are qualified.”

No, no, NO.

Just as you do not need a culinary degree to cook simple OR complex meals, and you did not need a degree in early childhood to parent young children, you do not a teaching degree to homeschool your kids.

Though I’m thankful for my time in the classroom,

teaching in the classroom looks SO VERY DIFFERENT than homeschooling your own kids.  Do you think we learn about everything possible about every subject and how to teach it to every type of learner in order to get our teaching degree?  Umm, NO, that would take like, FOREVER.

Yes, I did learn a few things that have been helpful to me as a parent (one thing that comes to mind is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and the importance having an absence of threat in one’s learning environment) but I have learned ABUNDANTLY more since having my own kids and learning about their individual needs.  Like many things you learn “on the job”.

And truly, parents are the experts of their own children.

So what DO you need to be able to homeschool?
  • LOVE for your children and wanting the best for them.
  • A good dose of patience. For me, this requires a great deal of prayer.
  • Commitment to their education.
  • Willingness to research and learn what you can to help them when necessary.  And this day in age it is SO easy to find extra help when we need to (think higher-level math…)

So, if you are a parent reading this and considering homeschooling for whatever reason, but lack confidence because you are not a trained teacher, please hear this loud and clear:

It is simply not true that you will be better at homeschooling your child if you have a teaching degree.

In fact, many former teachers, now homeschoolers find their time in the classroom inhibits their ability to homeschool well.  We, former teachers, have to remind ourselves often that homeschooling ≠ school at home.

Final Recommendation

I will add this, it IS helpful to read some books on how kids learn. One I would recommend to all is the 8 Great Smarts, which is about the multiple intelligences. Whether you homeschool your children or not, it is very helpful to know your child’s strengths and this book is a great way to get you thinking about that.


Share this!

Motivation: A Necessary Tool for Learning

Motivation.  It’s key.  Necessary for learning AND life.

Have you ever known someone who barely made it through high school, or even college, but then went on to be very successful in their life? I would venture to guess it happens quite often. But why?

motivation tool for learning

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).
Motivation: A Necessary Tool For Learning.

When one is forced to learn something that they have no interest or aptitude in, there is not going to be much desire to learn. There may be a desire to make the grade (I was this kid!) but the information will not be retained.

When there is freedom in the choice of what/how to study, there is more ownership and motivation. Here, true learning can occur.

I liken it to the motorized walkway at the airport.  Sure, we don’t NEED to take it (unless we’re in a real hurry!), but WOW, does it move us along faster!

I feel this way with my kids much of the time.  When I ride the wave of learning, I (or my kids) don’t have to exert extra energy. Their motivation serves as a tool, or a helper, in their learning.  There are still things I require of them of course, regardless of motivation, but it certainly is helpful to use whatever inspires them, when I can.

Do you ever feel like you’re playing tug of war with your kids?

Do you feel like you’re cattle prodding them to get their work done?  Oh boy, do I!  It does me well to read inspirational quotes or books to remind me of the advantages of homeschooling and having the freedom to let my kids follow their interests.

If you want a great book on this topic I urge you to check out “Passion Driven Education.”

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

It’s not a science, it’s an art.  And what helps me most is taking the time to study and observe my kids.

What makes them tick?

What do they talk about?

Does anything get them excited?

How can I light that fire?

Hitting a Wall in Our Homeschool

Recently, I’ve felt like we’ve hit a bit of a wall with my oldest.  Her newest thing is Minecraft.  As a creative learner, she loves building things and is always thinking up new things to make.  She has expressed wanting to be a marketplace creator (the people who make things to sell in the Minecraft Marketplace).

Since Minecraft is what gets her excited these days, I’ve been looking up ideas to use Minecraft as a tool for learning.  After all, it’s her moving walkway (at least, currently).  Thankfully I’ve found some solutions where we can tie what we’re studying in with Minecraft.  Thank you, GamEd Academy!

Now that isn’t ALL she does, BUT she is very excited when playing Minecraft and I have no doubt when she is building historical landmarks in Minecraft, she is retaining more about those landmarks than me teaching it in other ways.

That’s not to say we won’t utilize other ways of learning too (if you’ve been here long enough, you know living books are one of my favorite ways of learning history), but allowing her some time to show her knowledge by doing a “build” in Minecraft is very gratifying for her.

And with my other kids too, when I tie in things they love and have interest in, there is so much more buy-in for their learning.  Because then the learning itself is motivating to them.  And I’ve played a part in “lighting their fire”.


Share this!

Jesse Tree Christmas Crossword Puzzle

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

I had the bug to create something and my creative girl did too. She really wanted to make a crossword puzzle that was Christmas related.  So we collaborated to make this Jesse Tree Crossword puzzle!

We love doing the Jesse Tree.  It absolutely enhances our celebration of Christ’s birth.  This puzzle was specifically designed to go with Ann Voskamp’s “Unwrapping the Greatest Gift”, but you certainly don’t need the book to complete the puzzle.

Enjoy!

Click here —-> Jesse Tree Crossword Puzzle

 

Share this!