It’s been a week since we were at the Great Homeschool Convention in St. Louis, MO, and I have been thinking about and implementing a lot of what we learned or re-learned. And most of it’s not even related to homeschooling!
If you missed it, here is my post about preparing for a Great Homeschool Convention.
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Packing
Okay – a few notes on packing…
We should’ve brought even more food than we did. We spent more on dining out than planned. Next time I’m keeping it simple with PBJs for lunches.
Having a backpack was essential! There were lots of handouts, papers, not to mention the items we bought in the exhibit hall. Some people even had rolling crates. I think I even saw a toddler napping in a wagon! Genius!
Concerts
We enjoyed both concerts – Andrew Peterson and Slugs and Bugs. The kids were ecstatic to get a picture with and signed tickets from Randall Goodgame. We laminated them to use as bookmarks! 🙂
Speakers
Dr. Kathy Koch
We were blessed to hear Dr. Kathy speak twice. I would have loved to have attended more of her sessions but there were so many sessions we wanted to hear, it just didn’t work out. But I did get a lot of great takeaways from those two sessions.
#1 Takeaway – Talk about the behavior you WANT to see.
For example, instead of “You’re so rude”, use “I look forward to the day you can talk kindly.”.
When you focus on what behavior you’re looking for, it gives hope and tools for change.
#2 Takeaway – Use Consistent comebacks
Consistent comebacks have helped me immensely. It’s very empowering to have tools in your toolbox that are easy to implement and that WORK! These comebacks have aided me in not getting entangled in otherwise fruitless (and draining) conversations this week.
Here are a few examples. There are many more in Dr. Kathy’s new book Start With the Heart.
Kid says:
“I can’t do this.”
Consistent Comebacks:
“What can you do?”, “How can I help?”, “What don’t you understand?”, “You can when you try.”
Also…
Kid says:
“I don’t want to.” We get this one a lot.
Consistent comeback:
(repeat request), “Because……?”, “Not negotiable.”, “Already answered.”
Colleen Kessler
I attended all three of Colleen’s talks. Her talk on executive functioning was very enlightening. And her talk on perfectionism/anxiety was extremely helpful. Her talk on rabbit trails had lots of practical tips. Here are my main takeaways.
#3 Takeaway – Importance of Fostering Resiliency In Our Kids
Both Dr. Kathy and Colleen spoke on this. And both also recommended the book: Mistakes That Worked – a great little book full of stories of inventions that were created by mistake, including chocolate chip cookies, potato chips, and many more! Some ways we can foster resiliency in our kids are to let them see us make mistakes or talk about our own struggles.
Remind them the process is more important than the product.
From Colleen’s talk on perfectionism:
Takeaway #4: VALIDATE VALIDATE VALIDATE
I think I do a pretty good job with this, but it was just a good reminder… If you have a child who struggles with emotional regulation, or anxiety, or really just any kid (or person!) who’s dealing with big emotions, it’s so important to validate their emotions. To us, it may seem silly or not a big deal that they’re so upset, but to THEM it’s a big deal.
Also, remind them their emotions are valid but their behaviors are a choice.
Sarah Mackenzie
I only went to one of Sarah’s talks, but it was packed full of great homeschooling advice. But one thing she said really stuck with me…
Takeaway #5: The baby is the lesson.
Sarah could definitely speak to this as she had twin newborns and a 1-year-old (as well as three older kids) at one point. Now we don’t have babies here anymore, but I do have a busy and strong willed 4-year-old. And often it seems so hard to get things done because of that, which can be discouraging. Her talk was a good reminder that a lot of what our kids will learn has more to do with life and relationships than academics.
The Loot
We bought more than we planned. But they were a bunch of resources we were excited about!
The Picture Smart Bible really caught our eye. It’s more hands-on and also pretty in-depth. As we get started on it, I’ll make sure to update on how it’s going.
Two books by Colleen Kessler: Electricity and Magnetism and Raising Creative Kids. Colleen actually suggested cutting the binding off “Raising Creative Kids” and then laminating them as activity cards, so I’m going to do that! Our science kiddo specifically picked out the Electricity and Magnetism book and the ideas in Raising Creative Kids looked right up my kiddos’ alley. We’re excited to dive into both!
Like I mentioned, Mistakes That Worked, was recommended by two speakers! The kids are loving it!
Exploring Dinosaurs with Mr. Hibb was sold by Creation Ministries International and is designed for middle school. It appealed to our oldest, so we purchased it.
Another vendor we spoke to, but did not purchase from, was The Color-Coded Chef. She had a great product for getting your kids cooking, especially kids who need step-by-step instructions. She created it for her son with special needs, so he would be able to cook independently as an adult. For those who need a product like this, it is fabulous!
Giant Cow
Our kids loved the Giant Cow program. It was affordable and fun! They also took lots of safety precautions which is reassuring for parents!
Have you been to a GHC? Any tips here to add? Please comment below!
