Category Archives: Child rearing

When Do I Start Homeschooling My Child?

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:29 — 22.1MB)

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I am seeing this question over and over again on xy. OH! This tears at my heartstrings! I try to respond as helpfully as I can. I just am not on xy very much. Clearly, these mums are trying to do their best. They don’t even know the right questions. Okay, so maybe that is just the quick way of saying it. Oh, maybe.

Okay, here is the deal. You start teaching your child as soon as the child is. When you start introducing academic stuff like letters is what they probably mean. The answer to that is about four, when the child is asking for it!

Oh gosh, I have a whole series on how to teach reading. So very very important. I have a book review on Alex Newman’s *Crimes of the Educators.*  Even if you don’t agree 100%  with Mr. Newman’s thesis, look, you have got to admit, he is onto a problem.  Sight reading doesn’t work. Never has.

Most curricula are 2D paper. (This is also wrongly assumed because we are brainwashed about what school is supposed to be, but anyway…)   So, it doesn’t teach reading. You can’t just shove paces at a kid and expect the kid to do well in reading. But between “read to you kid” and “send them to school” not much has been done on helping students read, or parent know how to teach reading.

Check out my “When The Road to Reading Gets Rocky” series in the store here, and just prevent problems. (And btw, have fun with learning; do not reproduce boring, deadly school.)

(Also look for more coming book reviews on Youtube.)

If you want individual coaching on how to homeschool, check out www.orgstrat.net and contact me. If  you want testing for school readiness and we can meet somewhere (mostly Texas), same. If you want to consider starting a school, see www.teachachildchangeanation.org

Priorities in Life – Makes Rest Line Up

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:30 — 21.2MB)

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Prioritizing life makes the rest line up the best. Even if we get good grades or a good job, if we are a bad person, we have not succeeded. Same for our children. Yet, in the rush of being a parent, of a child whose needs take up maybe extra time, especially in today’s dark world, we might forget the most important. The urgent crowds out the important. But if that important foundation is missing, everything else slants, breaks, and could crumble.

Eternal, moral, and only then educational.

Today, in this holiday season, let us consider the most important things, and how we can re-prioritize, come to faith, and line the rest of life up. The promise is that it works better that way.

I offer again my product on how to teach in dangerous times. I offer some guidance in going through this next dark rough patch.  Get under the wing of God, with others doing the same. I will see you on the other side of night, in the bright light of day. Be blest: may you and your children increase. Why? How? Because we are taught of the LORD and therefore great will be our shalom, our total well-being.

It is a Good Time of Year for a Lesson in Manners

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It is a good time of year for a lesson in manners. Manners would go a long way to making family holidays more pleasant. Manners would go along way to being a life skills that would support making a good living. Manners is the way to go a step up the socio-economic ladder. Yet, as a culture, we threw them out. They are neither taught nor modeled in public/government schools. Often even church leaders and Christian school faculty as short of their own lessons. It is worth some real study.

Btw, “social skills” is now beginning to be taught, given the crying need. Manners are part of social skills, often taught if at all in a disconnected way from character. Manners without reality, without a foundation in good character is at best fake. Don’t fall for this substitute.

Here is a past episode, one of a series that you can get, on manners. Feel free to contribute your own ideas. One of the challenges is that different communities have different rules. But there is a common rule set, found in many published manner books. Knowing these can really help.

Better Clothes for School

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:00 — 6.9MB)

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About this time of year, most parents are buying new school clothes. In Texas this customer is so prevalent that this weekend is a “no tax” weekend.  So, let’s consider clothing.

I will tell you that dignified and modest is better. You might want to talk about this with your children. They might surprise you.

Think: Why is it that elite school have uniforms? Why is it that rich women are likely to go in for “investment dressing”? Or did you know that? Did you think that the stars’ look was what very rich women want? Or is that the ticket that some middle class women use to try to parlay themselves into upper middle class by attracting men?  Would a high earner female do the same?  Do any of these people dress trashy? Ever?

Everybody wants their friends to like what they are wearing. You, your child, is that friend. You could be the leader. I should tell you about the time my mother made me wear a one-piece bathing suit. I was mortified. No one ever ever wore those then. But the boys in my high school church youth group commented. Said all the girls should wear those. I was shocked.

What do you know? Eric Metaxas has W.O. Root on his ‘cast to talk about men’s clothing. Worth a listen, for sure! https://metaxastalk.com/video/o-w-root-aka-salvage-necktie-on-the-importance-of-wardrobe-and-personal-style