A Fresh Start

Well, it's that time of year again. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and we all know what that means...resolutions!
For many years now, I haven't bothered a whole lot with them, after all, how long does one actually stick with it and follow through to completion?

This year is different, why, I don't know. I guess I'm tired of being in a rut, and I feel the need for some personal cleansing and renewal. And although to do it at this time of year is admittedly cliche, a new year seems to be the perfect place to start. A clean slate, as it were.

So here they are, my resolutions for 2013.

By God's grace, I will kick my sugar habit this year. I am definitely an addict to the sweet stuff. It's a drug to me, and the only way to go (for me) is to cut it out as completely as I can. I did it once before, and I felt great. I really want to get to that place again. The toughest part in this battle for me is emotional. I stress eat. It comforts me when I'm sad, mad, glad or bad. This year, I want to focus those feelings on God, and let Him comfort me. Which brings me to my other resolution...

I want 2013 to be my year of personal revival in my spiritual walk. In many areas, 2012 has been a difficult year. There's been some good of course, but there's been a lot of dark days. I have often felt discouragement and even despair. I know that the Lord never promises an easy life, and really I just want to get to the point of complete trust in Him, whatever the circumstances. I know all of the right actions, prayers, Christian platitudes, etc... I just want my heart to get there. Complete surrender to God. Unabashed abandonment to all but my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I want this to be the year that people say of me..."That lady KNOWS JESUS!"  I desperately want a better example for my children as they watch me, and they see so much more than most perhaps, because we homeschool, and are always together.

With God's power, I will replace bad habits with good ones, pray and journal more, and keep accountable to my friends, and let them do the same with me. We will help each other.

Now, I'm not foolish enough to think that this will be a cakewalk, or that I'll get it all together perfectly. I will fall. I will fail. I will cry. But I hope to keep getting up, forget the former things, walk around (and not into), the holes in the road of my journey, and keep walking. And I hope to get to New Years Eve 2013 and in a place of gratitude to God for all HE has accomplished.

Yummy S'mores Treats

If you're looking for an easy treat to share this season, here's a tasty one to try. These S'mores bars got rave reviews when I  made  them for a family get together, and they're great when you want that little taste of summer, but don't have access to a campfire ;)

What you need:

1/3 C. light corn syrup
4 milk chocolate candy bars ( the regular size bars), broken into pieces
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 and 1/2 Cups honey graham cereal
1 C. mini marshmallows
8 inch square pan
Butter- just enough to grease the pan

Butter the 8 inch pan and set aside.

Cook corn syrup until boiling- medium heat. Remove from heat; add chocolate and vanilla, stir until chocolate is melted. Gradually fold in the cereal, and then the marshmallows.

Press this yummy mixture into the pan, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Cut into squares and eat 'em up! Any leftovers (although not likely) should be stored in the fridge.

I Blew It

I blew it. I was tired, I was done with the day, and I responded in a not so godly way with my kids tonight. And now here I sit, full of remorse,  knowing that while I can apologize, I cannot take back that moment. Yuck.

It's a humbling thing to be confronted with your failures, especially when they present themselves  in front of close family members.  I can rationalize, or turn to other things to comfort me in my fatigue, crankiness, whatever the situation is, but it only masks the fact that I am a sinful human being, and this will not be the last time I fall.

This little episode has taken me off on a sort of personal rabbit trail, and I find myself wondering why I act the way I do. I'm reminded of the verse in Romans that talks about doing the very things that I don't want to do. As I reflect on this, I see how often I try to control every aspect, every detail of my daily life. It is as if by having everything just so, I can maintain the appearance of having it all together. The resulting anxiety, fatigue, and general crankiness tell me that it's all a smokescreen. I control nothing. And then, as the pressure builds, my house of cards comes fluttering down.

Where is the hope? Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory in Jesus Christ! He knows me, He formed me, He forgives me, and as I yield to Him, He will change me.
So, I fell, but I'm getting back up. I will keep running to Jesus.  My prayer is that my kids will see that, and do the same as they face their own issues in life.

Handprint Santa Keepsake

Hey everyone,

I have a really cute craft for you to make with your little ones. These ornaments are so simple to do, and will evoke all manner of oohs and aahs from the recipients this holiday season.

All you need to do is prepare an easy salt dough, which is just flour, salt and water. Who doesn't have those supplies on hand? Make an imprint of your child's hand, and bake for a few hours, cool, and decorate. Easy!

Here are the complete instructions:

You will need:

1/2 cup salt

1/2 cup plain flour

1/4 cup water - you may need to adjust the amount slightly


White craft paint

Paint pens in red, black and light pink or flesh tones

Clear glaze or shellac

Festive ribbon

Straw


Mix flour, salt and water together. Knead into a dough. Form into a ball and flatten slightly. Make hand imprint in dough.Cut around handprint with a knife and smooth out the edges. Use straw to make hole near top of ornament (for hanging).

Bake in oven at 200 degrees for about 3 hours ( I actually tacked on another hour as my ornaments were pretty thick). Cool completely.

Paint the entire top and sides of handprint with white paint. Allow to dry. Using paint pens, add details to make it look like Santa. You could probably even use colored Sharpies for this part. I will probably do that next time, as the paint pen tip was rather thick.

Allow to dry, then shellac. When completely dry, tie ribbon through hole. Adorable!

Schoolhouse Teachers.com

 

 

 

Oh me, oh my, hello to all my homeschooling (and non-homeschooling) friends! Happy December to  you!
So, how is your school year coming along? I cannot believe that we are about halfway through already! Yikes!
I'm sure that by now, you have a pretty good sense about what is and what is not working for your homeschool. As for me and our little troupe, well, it finally feels like we are settling into our groove. I will admit, we had a rough start, and I found out early on, that I was less than thrilled with some of the curriculum that I had chosen. Boo. But, just as I was about to sink into that nasty pit of homeschool despair....da da daaa! I remembered that I have what is one of the greatest resources available to a homeschool family today at my keyboarding fingertips!!!

Are you curious yet? I hope so, because I want to share a website with you that has so greatly helped me and my family keep our academic sanity ( And, home life sanity in general too, if the truth were told).

Alright, it can't be too much of a mystery, after all, the title of my post up there says it all. So, without further ado, may I present to you....(drum roll please)


*** SchoolHouse Teachers.com ***

This is also known as the Teacher's Toolbox Members' site for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine (which I also love, love, love!)

This site is absolutely amazing. There is a crazy amount of  resources to be found here, and I could write for pages about what you'll find when you click over there. But...I realize that neither one of us has that kind of time, soooo, I'll do my best to give you the highlights. And anyway, you'll definitely want to go and see for yourself what's available on that wonderful site, so I will not spoil your fun ;)

Now, let's get to it.

You'll find that there are over 25 different subjects to choose from, and you can get delightfully lost as you check out each one! There are videos, ongoing lesson plans, worksheets, copywork, checklists, unit studies, lapbooks, language lessons.All created by qualified teachers and experts.  You can even interact with the teachers online, and get answers to whatever questions you might have. That's only the beginning. You can find something new for your studies EVERY DAY.

When you get to the Home page, look at the header and find these titles to choose from:

* TEACHERS - Find past lessons here!

*PRE-K/ELEMENTARY - Click here and find a ton of things like checklists, history lessons, language lessons, music, reading, writing, lapbooks, math, and on and on...:)

*MIDDLE SCHOOL - Find all kinds of great stuff as with the PreK tab, and then add career choices, chemistry, home economics, and much more!

*HIGH SCHOOL - Again, find the same great things as PreK and Middle School, and then add college prep, worldviews and more.

*FAMILY - Here is where you will find info that the family finds useful. A monthly reading list, guitar, voice lessons,  a special needs section, and help choosing  a college.

*DAILIES  - This just may be my personal favorite of these subjects. Find new resources everyday. Math, spelling, writing, grammar, copywork...you'll even find a monthly menu. So much to choose from!

*EXTRAS - Members get monthly e-books, back issues of TOS magazine, access to the Schoolhouse Expo's, and....get any or all of the planners...FREE!!! Woohoo! I love so wonderful planners!

*SAMPLES - Just what it sounds like. Look at a few sample lessons and see all that you'll get.

*LIBRARY - Find encouragement in your homeschool journey in articles, find new copybooks, get ideas for a new craft or nature study. Just a taste of what's under this heading.

*SITE TOUR - Find out what's new on the site and hear what parents are saying about it.


Are you starting to see that Schoolhouse Teachers.com has some serious stuff to offer? This is only a small sampling of what's available. You must check this out.
Need further encouragement to give it a try? Here's an incentive for ya. Give it a go and pay only $1.00 for the first month. No, that wasn't a typo, only one dollar. After that, subscribe for $5.95 per month, or pay for the whole year at once for $64.26.

My thoughts:

I love this site. What can I say to describe how I love the convenience, the creativity, the encouragement...I simply don't have enough space or time to tell you what a help this is to my harried homeschool!

The copywork has been a great help, as my girlies have already finished their handwriting books for this year, and I scramble daily to produce lessons for them to practice. And I love that the copywork reflects other lessons that are being offered at the same time, so it all ties together.

We also have made use of the writing activities. The month of November proved to be  a little (okay a lot) busy, and so we are using the idea of gratitude journals that were presented, and working on those for December.

 

 

 

Our other favorites are the monthly craft ideas. We have some artsy girls over here, and they love a good project. Here we had some wintry fun with the snowman scene craft.

 

If you haven't taken a look at the Schoolhouse planners, you don't know what you're missing. These are full of probably every form, calendar, article, checklist, recipes, and a whole lot more. They are simply super, and I am crazy about 'em :)
Oh, and again, they come free with your subscription. All of them. Simply wow.

So, I guess what I'm saying is, this is a great site, I love it, it's been a huge help, and I recommend it highly to any and all homeschoolers.
Another aspect I should mention is that there are always new and fresh lessons and activities being added and offered, with new teachers joining to bring us quality resources for our studies.

Certainly worth the time to take a look for yourself, don't you think?

 

SchoolhouseTeachers.com

http://www.schoolhouseteachers.com/

http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/

Price: Try it for only $1.00 for the first month, then pay $5.95 per month, or pay for the whole year for $64.26

Ages: Lessons, activities, and so much more for PreK - adult

 

Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

See what my crewmates had to say about this site by clicking on this link - Schoolhouse Review Crew

Dive Into Your Imagination - Who Lives In The Sea?

The current school year is quickly coming to a close for many homeschooling (and non homeschooling) families. Many of you are probably in the process of putting together your curriculum for next year. If that's the case for you, or even if you have it all selected, I have a terrific DVD series that our family has enjoyed a lot.

Creator Annie Crawley - a.k.a. "Ocean Annie", is an underwater photographer, dive instructor, and boat captain. Having fallen in love with the ocean and its many wonders, she now seeks to share her love with as many people as possible.

We had the privilege of receiving "Who Lives In The Sea?" for review. The DVD allows you to watch the entire program from start to finish, or select from the chapters, which include:

1.) Let's Go Swim With The Dolphins
2.) Playtime With Sea Lions
3.) Baby Birds And Their Families
4.) Dinosaurs Of The Sea: Marine Reptiles
5.) Eight Armed Animals
6.) Living Forever UnderThe Sea
7.) Nudi, Nudi, Nudibranchs
8.) Whale Sharks: World's Biggest Fish!

BONUS CHAPTER: The Ocean Alphabet

With images that easily rival those of National Geographic and/or The Discovery Channel, this DVD draws the viewer right in to the glorious world of the ocean. My daughters were glued to the screen as we enjoyed not only the awesome  and amazing information we learned, but the music as well. Enjoy a sample here:

As well as including options for listening to the narration in several languages, this DVD also allows you to select a music only feature.

In addition to the regular chapters there are also sections to meet Annie as well as Craig, who developed the music for this series. You'll also find a section on helping your kids love the water and overcome any fears they may have of it.,
As part of our review, we were delighted to also receive pdf downloads of study guides to go along with this DVD.
Using the guide for 1st - 3rd grade, it offers a large variety of activities to enhance the learning experience.
The guide corresponds with each chapter of the DVD, and provides discussion questions, vocabulary words, learning center ideas, book lists and more to stretch the lessons as you desire.
 
***The  guides are available as a printed version for $299 -for  the  whole set  - or   as individual  PDFs for $69.95.  Annie Crawley of Dive Into Your Imagination will gift you a set of PDFs with purchase of the DVDs. When you place your DVD order, just let her know in the notes that you are a Homeschool Parent.***

For the months of May and June, there will be free shiping placed at www.AnnieCrawley.com/store


Our family loved this DVD and would love to add the others to our personal collection. Appropriate for the whole family, this is a resource worth checking out.


See what other crewmates had to say about this and other titles in the series at http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=145369&type=thumbnail

Dive Into Your Imagination
Who Lives In The Sea?
www.DiveIntoYourImagination.com
Price: $19.95
Ages: 3-8 years


*Disclaimer - I received a free copy of the DVD Who Lives In The Sea? and the accompanying pdf guides in exchange for my honest review, with no additional compensation.

Heritage History - Young Readers

I come from a family of history lovers. We have books, books, and more books. We frequent the local IKEA in search of more bookcases to store our literary treasures. I'm pleased that my oldest daughter in particular has caught that same enthusiasm, and delights in anything relating to ancient history.

So, I was confident that our family would happily take to reviewing this Young Readers CD by Heritage History.

It was not long before the anticipated package arrived in the mail, and I wasted no time in opening it. Hmmm...a....CD...where's the rest of it? I mean...it's nice...and I'm sure we'll enjoy it and all, but...hmm...

Ohhh, it goes in the computer! Okay, okay I get it now. I mean, well, there could still be more, but okay.

And then...I put it in the computer. Oh my stars!!! You will not believe the amazing amount of material included in this CD alone. Over eighty volumes of the history of Western Civilization, written in an easy to read fashion for your younger learners. The intended audience begins somewhere around 3rd and fourth grade, but we're using it with 1st and 2nd graders, and it's going very well.

What are some of the volumes you'll find here? How about:

* American History

* Colonial Children

*European History

*Children's Heroes

* Ancient History

* Bible and Saint Stories
 to
* Historical Anecdotes

* Legends and Folklore

* Twins of the World

* Our Little Cousin

That's quite a few titles right there alone, but there's even more than this. Each of these main titles include A LOT of stories and anecdotes that correspond to the theme. I opened up the library and it was like the heavens opened and a heavenly glow emerged along with the angels singing in the background. (Too much? Yeah, probably, sorry.) This resource just tickles me! It's all here in one CD.

And if that weren't good enough, there are introduction guides, study guides, maps, historical images, and so much more! I am so excited about this history curriculum :)

And it gets better, because...when you purchase the CD, you have the option of using it in the computer of course, but it also has a PDF format, and may also be downloaded to any e-reader! If attempting to do that intimidates you have no fear, because they even include directions for accomplishing that task. How beautiful is that?


At the price of $24.99 (which in our opinion is well worth it) you get an amazing treasury. To further sweeten the deal, in this format, you'll save a lot of cash because who needs bookcases now?

Please go check out Heritage History TODAY! I bet you'll love it too!
Read more reviews about this and other available volumes at the TOS Homeschool page by clicking here


Heritage History
Young Readers
www.heritage-history.com
Ages: elementary aged children, although this may be adapted up or down.
Price: $24.99 for the CD


Disclaimer: I received a free copy of  the Young Readers CD from Heritage History in exchange for my honest review of it, with no additional compensation.

Write Shop

It wasn't until I was well into my adult years that I learned, really learned, how to write well. I can't offer a specific reason for this, whether it was lack of motivation on my part, or the manner in which I was taught, or that I simply slipped through the cracks of the school system.
It really matters little now I suppose, but I do hope to lead my daughters onto a different path as it relates to this subject.

Writing well is so important, and the curriculum I had the opportunity to review over the past few months has proven to me as well as to my children, that it can and should be, a creative and enjoyable experience.

We reviewed Book C, which is the third in a series. I'll mention here that each of the books may be used independently, we actually began with Book C. You'll probably want to take advantage of the company's assessment test to determine your child's placement.

The Schedule:

There are a few options in adding Write Shop to your studies. You might choose a 1, 2, or 3 week lesson plan schedule. The 3 week option is the most typical choice, and the plan we chose. Using it in this way will allow you to complete the book in one school year.
Each lesson is divided into activities, and there are 8 possible activities to complete. Divide them up into an days you want, as for us, we worked on our writing on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

The goal of Write Shop is to make the subject fun! The creators continually urge the teacher to keep the lesson time short- about 15-20 minutes. Writing should not become a tedious task, and this helps in that regard.

How the activities are divvied up:

Activity 1: Begin with an Activity Set Worksheet - There is one for each lesson, and they cover a variety of fun writing projects. The first one looks like this...

Activity 2: Guided writing practice- You will write as your child dictates ideas for a specific theme. For younger readers, this would be the place where you might read a picture book or play a game.

Activity 3: Brainstorming- You know what that is :)

Activity 4: The real writing begins here with the first draft of the lesson,

Activity 5: Editing the first draft.

Activity 6: Guided writing practice.

Activity 7: Final draft

Activity 8: Evaluate the project.

The teacher guide for Write Shop is fantastic! It breaks everything down so beautifully, and for every lesson, the activities are written as Activity 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and so on. You always know which activity you're working on.

There is a lot of guided writing practice involved, and while I didn't note it on all of the activity examples above, it is intended to be done most days. There are many reasons for this, with a prominent one aimed at teaching the student a variety of writing styles and ideas without frustrating a younger writer with more than she can handle.

I gave you the general schedule, now I'll show you what our first real lesson looked like.

Activity 1. We talked about "story ingredients" i.e Who? What? When? Where? How?, and  what is necessary in completing a good story. We completed a worksheet that put this information to use, which included coming up with a (very) short story.

Activity 2. Using a paper plate, we made a story ingredients wheel and referenced it as we looked at a cookbook, which showed us that, just as a recipe needs certain items to make a good product, a story also needs certain ingredients to make it interesting.

Then, we wrote a story featuring time- the lesson's theme, and talked about our Awana night, using the story wheel to help us along.

Activity 3. We wrote another story for guided writing practice, this time about an upcoming dance recital. We identified the beginning, middle, and end of the story.

Activity 4. Today was fun because we made paper magnifying glasses( see photo above) which were labeled with the story ingredients on each one, and allowed us to become "story detectives"...woo hoo!
We started brainstorming about possible story ideas. My daughters have some crazy and wonderful imaginations! Then the girls began to write.

Activity 5. More editing and revising. We made minor corrections, but the stories looked good.

Activity 6. We did little but review the main ideas of  a story, as this day was set aside to complete the worksheet if we had not already, and well, we had.

Activity 7: We made story puzzles :) I purchased some blank puzzles at the store and the girls drew a picture representing the story on it, and then had fun taking it apart and putting it together. Yo could do this by simply using a piece of paper or cardstock too.

Activity 8. Evaluation Day! Today we fine tuned it all, checking and rechecking.
We decided we liked our work and called it a day.

Our thoughts...

We loved it! I really had no expectations with this resource, but the girls have loved writing and brainstorming and doing all of the various activities. The creators encourage short lessons, but often the girls wanted to exceed that limit by quite a bit. I would encourage anyone to give this writing curriculum a try.

If this sounds like something you would like to check out, Write Shop is offering a 15% discount code good for Write Shop Primary and Junior products in the write shop store . Use coupon code  CREW15 when you check out. This offer s good through June 15, 2012.

See what other crew members thought of Write Shop here .


Write Shop
http://www.writeshop.com/store/
Primary Book C
Price: $32.95 Print Copy
Ages: Elementary

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Write Shop Primary Book C in exchange for my honest review, with no additional compensation.

CapJax Math Facts

Ahoy there mateys! I 've got a program to tell you about that will assist in getting your students to a mastery level in the four math operations.
And, it does this with very little teacher and/parent help. Are you ready to set sail? Alright then, off we go!

I'll start off by telling you that this is not a flashy program. It's actually quite simple in its graphics, but then again, flash isn't necessary to be effective is it?

After getting set up and signed in, you (or your student if she is able to do this part) will choose which operations she'll be focusing on for her lesson. I really like this aspect of the program, as so many others only allow one operation at a time. It's nice to have the option of mixing it up to challenge my girls.
After this, choose the number of math facts you want your student to complete. Another feature that appeals to me, because while my 8 year old likes to do a greater number of problems, my 6 year old becomes frustrated when it gets too long.

Now you'll set the time you want to allow for answering a problem. When we first started, I made the time a lot longer, because we were still working on our speed. As we've progressed, I've been able to slowly lower the length of time.

When you've done all of the above, you're ready to start. I mentioned before that there really is nothing too fancy about this program, and it's true. All you do now is answer the problems. That's essentially it. Alright, there's a little more. The program automatically adjusts to the speed with which your child answers, so that really helps keep the pressure and frustration down for my daughters. No buzzers or timers going off to announce time is running out, or to highlight a wrong answer. That was so great for my daughters, who really tend to get anxious if they have to beat the clock to finish a problem. When that occurs, there are tears every time!
On the contrary, the child takes as long as she needs. If however, a fact is answered within the set amount of time, it's marked as a "super" answer, and the computer keeps track of progress.

So speaking of progress, even without a lot of teacher help required, the program keeps a good record of your student's math scores. Progress reports and graphs are available whenever you want them.

What our family thought of CapJax Math Facts:

Upon the initial introduction, the girls were fairly positive about it all in general. It was a plus to have such a low pressure math program, where wrong answers were gently corrected and the time limit was so adjustable. It saved them (and mom) a lot of weeping and gnashing of teeth!)
Unfortunately, they simply became bored fairly quickly, and it just didn't keep their attention for very long.
I could get them to do it, but they wanted to end the sessions soon after for lack of motivation.

This would be and is, a great program for a math phobic child who needs a lot of encouragement and gentle correction. At any rate, it's worth checking out for yourself. You can read what my crewmates thought of the program by clicking on  TOS Homeschool Crew




CapJaxMathFacts
http://www.capjax.com/
Price: $29.95 - download
Ages: 1st grade and up



*Disclaimer: I received a free download of CapJax Math Facts in exchange for my honest review of it, with no additional compensation.

The Voice - New Testament

Have you heard about the latest Bible translation from Thomas Nelson publishers? It's called The Voice, and I am LOVING this New Testament version. I was confident that this would be a good one when I saw that familiar Thomas Nelson name.
*Side note* Did you know that they offer a lifetime guarantee on the quality of this Bible? Pretty neat!

Anyway, I was blessed to receive not only a print version of this Bible, but also a downloadable e- version as well.

So, what is it all about? Well, most importantly, it's still the Word. The contributors stay true to the original text, while bringing in a fresh approach that has brought the Scriptures to life for me in a whole new way.

They accomplish this by laying it all out to read like a story; adding to each page small paragraphs and snippets of poetry, teaching and other helpful information relating to the text. It reminds me of a student Bible translation in a small way. But unlike that other version, where the study notes were on the bottom of the page and you had to hunt a bit for the passage you were looking for, The Voice has the information right alongside ( or above and below as it actually lays out) the verse and/or section it speaks to.

As I try to search for the right words to describe what it reminds me of, I'm thinking of the Keith Green song that goes "Rushing wind blow through this temple, blowing out the dust within..."
That's what it does for me spiritually in a way, blows out the dust of the same old same old. I am looking forward to reading my Bible in a way that I haven't in a long while.

Many of you will be pleased to discover that this is available as an ebook too. As I mentioned, I received that version also. I'm rather new to the world of Kindles and other ereaders, and it has taken a while for me to enjoy reading on those devices. As such, I have to be honest and mention that at first, I had a trick time maneuvering around with this on my Kindle. I didn't fully understand the layout of this version and found it a little confusing and hard to follow. After spending time reading the print copy, and knowing how it's made up though, I can say that as far as the ebook version is concerned, it's all good.

And in addition to the Bible itself, The Voice New Testament also features several different reading plans to correspond to special seasons throughout the year.

A great Bible translation worth checking out, here is the link for those interested in purchasing it.

http://www.amazon.com/Voice-New-Testament-Revised-Updated/dp/1418550760/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336787216&sr=1-1


And learn more about The Voice New Testament over here:

www.Hear The Voice.com


Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the The Voice New Testament print copy and the digital copy in exchange for my honest review of it, with no additional compensation.

Library and Educational Services

I think that I've always enjoyed science. The hands on nature of the subject and all of the curiosities (is that word?) and possibilities are aspects that I love.
As a Christian, it can be a challenge for me to find a science curriculum or resource that not only generates an enthusiasm in my kids, but also stays true to our faith.

Library and Educational Services is a wholesale supply company that, for thirty years has sought to do just that. They offer a variety of dvd's, books, cd's and more to enhance your homeschool.

This time around, my family and I had the opportunity to review two of their science dvd's

GO SCIENCE VOLUME 4
CHEMISTRY
STATES OF MATTER
LIFE SCIENCES 

and

GO SCIENCE VOLUME 5
AIR
FLIGHT

Each of these dvd's is actually a collection of science experiment/presentations led by teacher Ben Roy.
Mr. Roy is a high energy kind of guy who knows how to engage his students and tv audience as he instructs them/us in a variety of fun, kid pleasing demonstrations.

Like what? Glad you asked! Volume 4 is the chemistry themed dvd. I have to be honest here- chemistry was never a favorite of mine, but maybe that's due to the fact that I never had someone like Ben Roy to make the subject come to life. These lessons are so cool!

We learned how different gases put into different ballons can cause them to pop loudly, explode, and do next to nothing.
We learned about flash paper, and how ashes are formed.
We learned about illuminescence, and the way we can mix different chemicals together to make them glow - we all picked that as a family favorite.

Mr. Roy emphasizes safety during these experiments, and mentions when it is and is not an activity that should be attempted at home.

The second dvd is great too! In Volume 5, the theme is Air and Flight.
 So we learned about the Bernoulli principle, and how even the big airplanes use this. This is one of the activities that was encoraged to be tried at home, using a funnel with a ping pong ball inside, which we were then told to try to blow up and out of the funnel-nnot necessarily as easy as it first sounds.
We also learned how a bottle can suck an egg into it, and how to callibrate a cartesian diver.

What I found to be a great feature of these science dvd's is the fact that each lesson is short and can easily be included into any school schedule to enhance a particular theme.
And getting back to the faith part of it all, I so appreciate the way Ben Roy takes an opportunity at the end of each demo to tie it in with the greatness of our God. He tells us that every science lesson is a chance to see His creativity. I really really like that!

There are quite a few other titles available, and this is where I direct you to the rest of the TOS Homeschool Crew to read about them right here.

I also want to mention the wonderful ease we had in placing our order. It was so delightfully easy, and shipping was so prompt!
It was a pleasure dealing with this company, and I hope you check them out today!

Library and Educational Services
http://www.libraryanded.com/goscience
GO SCIENCE Series
Ages: 6-14 years
Price: $14.95 each


Disclaimer: I received free copies of the GO SCIENCE dvd's Volume's 4 and 5 in exchange for my honest review of them, with no additional compensation.

Real Marriage

"And they lived happily ever after." Those magical words heard in the fairy tales of our youth. Yet sadly, so often, our marriages end up anything but happy. That holds true even for those professing faith in Jesus Christ. What's happening? I'm sure no one walks down the aisle expecting to have marital struggles.
Sadly, I know of many more couples than I care to admit who are on the brink of marital disaster. Our throwaway, instant gratification society does little to help. There is often a lack of stick-to-it-ness when it comes to marriage. If you're not "happy" get out, because after all, you deserve to be happy.

Well, if you find yourself needing help in your relationship, here's a book that may offer some hope. Not worldly, temporal hope, no, this is biblically based, God centered book.

Real Marriage - The Truth About Sex, Friendship, & Life Together is not your grandmother's marriage book. It's not even your mother's marriage book.
This book by husband/pastor Mark Driscoll and his wife Grace, blows the cobwebs off of this subject in a major way, addressing some very real (and painful) issues in marriages today.

Using their personal experiences, they address the relevant issues of our day, including, but not limited to, pre-marital sex, pornograhy, submission.

Reading this, I was glad to see the authors willingness to cast off the secrecy and shame that many times comes with these issues, and offering biblical hope.

Without revealing too much, and keeping the tone tasteful, they provide answers based not on human emotion, but on the only One who can bring the wholeness and health in a marriage- God.

If you're looking for a straightforward, very real and honest presentation of these common issues, you'll likely find this book worth the time.
Interested in buying the book? Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=real+marriage

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review of it, with no additional compensation.

Judah Bible Curriculum

I was pleased to have the chance to review Judah Bible Curriculum over the past month or so. I'm not always terribly confident in leading my children in this area, and I like trying out a variety of resources to see what style fits our family.

I have to say right off though, that the name is sort of misleading. You see, this isn't really a curriculum, but a teaching guide using the bible as THE textbook. In fact, the company itself states that one of its goals is to "break the dependency" that so many have with curriculum, always following a set guide and schedule. No, not here. Their hope is that you the teacher, will learn, and then in turn teach your children to extract the truths from the Scriptures and apply them to life.

I received the download version of Judah Bible, and I have to admit, I was a teeny bit overwhelmed with the amount of information provided to me.
First of all, there are the audio lectures for the teacher to listen to beforehand, and then use the information learned to put together the lessons for the students. Some have listened to all of them and then prepping, but for me that didn't work, there's just too much that I couldn't retain, so I find that listening before I teach a section is better.

The program is divided into 5 themes, and meant to be covered over a period of years, with the Old Testament being the focus of the first semester, and the New Testament in the second semester.
Knowing that it is meant to be spaced out helped ease my anxiety, I know we'll be revisiting themes, and it just won't get done all at once, nor does it need to.

Breaking it down a little further, there is one key topic to be studied each week, with various key sheets to be filled in by the student. Which brings me to the subject of writing. There is a lot of writing involved here, in fact, the student will create and keep her own notebook for the duration of the study. All tests are essay style as well.


This is great if you have enthusiastic writers, I was a little surprised (pleasantly) with the fun my girls have with their notebooks and the writing in general. Now, my daughters are still on the younger side of the grade spectrum, so there's no fancy stuff happening here, but they're learning as they go, and coming along well.

Now to go off on another brief tangent, if using this curriculum with younger students, you will need to expect to do a lot more oral work than written at first, and that's okay. I know that many people have also had success finding coloring sheets to correspond with the theme. A good way to keep up little ones' interest.

So what's the purpose of this style of teaching? Well, I like the way that their website puts it:

The purpose of the Judah Bible Curriculum is to make Bible Literacy the hallmark of the new generation of Christians. The Judah Bible Curriculum is designed to help you teach your student how to study and research the Bible, extract true understanding from it, and apply Biblical principles to his or her own life and character.
Who would find this study a great fit? I would say those who like a lot of flexibility in teaching, are skilled at putting together bible lessons without a guide (apart from the bible of course), and really enjoy writing, notebooking, and researching topics.
On the flip side, those who do best with a detailed manual and step by step directions might possibly feel lost with everything here.

Where our family stands on this resource:

Well, it's a lot. Learning this style is a challenge for me personally. I happen to fit in the second camp above. I tend to prefer a detailed lesson plan that helps me along. I can (and have) get easily overwhelmed and then want to get rid of the whole thing out of frustration. But I also think it's good to stretch myself and to better learn not to rely so much on another person's work. Which is the point of this curriculum anyway.

Are you confused yet? I am, a little bit. I think we'll keep using this, but in conjunction with what we've already been using. Enough to challenge without frustrating me. You'll want to check out what other crewmates had to say about their experience with Judah Bible, and you can read those reviews here .

Judah Bible Curriculum
http://www.judahbible.com/
Price: Download Version - $ 44.00
          Hard Copy - $ 69.00 plus $ 5.00 s&h
Ages: K and up


Disclaimer: I received a free download copy of this curriculum in exchange for my honest review of it, with no additional compensation.

God Helps Me Bible

About the BookSpecially designed for very young children, the God Helps Me Bible features a spiral binding that allows the book to lay flat on a table, floor, or lap, which leaves little hands free to turn the pages and point out fun details in Clare Caddy's darling illustrations.

The twenty-five favorite Bible stories use words and concepts tailored for the youngest reader, so each story clearly emphasizes how God loves and helps His world and people.About the Author: Juliet David has written many children's stories and Bible activity books. Her other interests include painting, music, and traveling to Israel and other Bible lands. This experienced author lives in London with her family. 

Are you looking for a good Bible storybook that is not only sound in its teaching, but also reads in the language of a young child? I have an option right here with this book selection, and it also has the added bonus of a lovely, sturdy cover (that can wipe clean pretty easily), and thick durable pages that also lay flat- due to the wonderful idea of a spiral bound spine!

I was fairly positive that not only would I enjoy looking through this sweet little book with simple but lovely illustrations ( thanks to the talented Claire Caddy), but that even my school age daughters would as well.

Written in a style that speaks to a young child, there are twenty five well known Bible stories to introduce her to God. Children in the older age range can also enjoy this book as a first reader, which is one way that our family has used the book.
Even though my girls are of school age, they never grow tired of reading these favorite stories.

I really appreciate the general theme of this storybook - God helped...
Every story ends with that phrase, always reminding the reader in what ways God helped each particular Bible character.
For example, God helped Noah escape the flood. God helped Joseph to understand the king's dream. And so on.

The author takes it a step further and on the front inside cover challenges the reader to think of ways that God has helped them.

Each story also contains the scripture reference so that you might look it up with your child.
A very nice addition to your faith collection, check out the link and get a copy for the sweet little one in your life!

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/God-Helps-Bible-Juliet-David/dp/185985916X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335416684&sr=1-4

* Disclaimer- I received a free copy of the God Helps Me Bible in exchange for my honest review of it, with no additional compensation.

God's Great Covenant - A Bible Course for Children

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he grows old he will not depart from it."
How often have we heard that verse from Scripture? I would think it is safe to say that while most of us agree with that text, it can be a challenge to put it into practice.
I know that I sometimes feel so inadequate for the task. How may times I have begun a devotional with the girls, only to let it fall by the wayside within weeks.

But onward I press, because I realize the importance of this task. Naturally, I was very interested in reviewing this bible course that became available to us through TOS Crew. It arrived in a nice, sturdy package. There's something so satisfying to me about a big thick textbook (yeah, I'm a geek ;)), and I was delighted to find not just one, but two beautiful big books- the main edition, as well as the teacher's edition.

I was ready to get going. Now, to read the instructions...hmmm...where were the instructions? I flipped through the first book. Nope, not there. Oh, of course , the teacher's manual ( the second book). Huh. Not much direction there.

It soon became clear to this intelligent homeschooling mom *cough* that this classically designed course would be left up to me to take the lead in a self directed kind of way. Take a breath...I tried to calm my breathing as the anxiety welled up within me. Self directed? AACK! I can't do this, I thought. Fortunately, this little panic attack was soon over, and I was feeling like yes, I can give this a shot. I do tend to prefer to have a "How to use this book" section, but I was ready to challenge myself and try something different.

So we got started. The beginning is full of well, as obvious as it may sound, introductions. There's your historical and political introduction, chronological introduction, geographical introduction, religious introduction, and daily life introduction, where we meet Simon. Sounds like a lot, and it is! But really, do not just gloss over this part and skip to Unit 1. There is so much great information to be learned in these first sections, and that includes you too parents!

The girls and I enjoyed the recap of The Garden of Eden and all that happened with The Fall, talking again about Moses and Pharaoh, the prophets, and how it all lead up to the coming of Jesus. We've had some very precious times as of late.

How it's laid out:
You read the text, you decide how much or how little you'll complete each day. You'll notice at the bottom of the page, various scripture references to look up after certain sections on the page. I have to admit that it overwhelmed me at first, I mean, there are a LOT of references down there, and I had no idea how I would ever accomplish this course.
I'm glad I persevered though, because I have personally learned so much already, and it's so worth it to take your time. We're homeschoolers, what do we need to rush through this for?

The teacher's edition is essentially the same book, the difference being that the teacher's book includes lots of space for your notes, and more background information to encourage discussion.

Okay, so here are the basics of the book:
It's divide into 4 units and 36 chapters which include memory verses, prophecy section, think about it questions, as well as worksheets and quizzes.

Who this course might be good for:

If you take a relaxed or Charlotte Mason type of approach to your education, you'll probably love this course.  Lots of reading, lots of discussion, with you the teacher determining the discussion and schedule.

Who might not like this so much:

If you prefer a course that schedules the lessons for you in a very clear manner, with step by step directions, this may not be the right fit for you.

What my oldest thought/thinks:

She liked it. In her words- " I don't know how else to say it Mom...I like it." Her only negative comment - and it doesn't relate to the content really- was the length of the lessons. And that's something that we're able to adjust so...not so much an issue.

You can take a look at their website and see if this product might work for your homeschool.
And don't forget that you can also read about other crew members' experiences with this and other products at TOS HOMESCHOOL CREW

God's Great Covenant
Price: $26.95
Age: Elementary
http://classicalacademicpress.com/

DISCLAIMER:  As a member of TOS Homeschool Crew, I received a free copy of God's Great Covenant and its Teacher's Edition in exchange for my honest review, with no additional compensation.

The Forgiven Duke by Jamie Carie

About the Book:

Tethered by her impulsive promise to marry Lord John Lemon - the path of least resistance - Alexandria Featherstone sets off toward Iceland in search of her parents with a leaden heart. A glimpse of her guardian, the Duke of St. Easton - the path less traveled by - on Dublin’s shore still haunts her.

Will he come after her? Will he drag her back to London, quelling her mission to rescue her treasure-seeking parents, or might he decide to throw caution to the wind and choose Foy Pour Devoir: “Faith for Duty,” the St. Easton motto. The Featherstone motto Valens et Volens: “Willing and Able,” beats in her heart and thrums through her veins. She will find her parents and find their love, no matter the cost.

The powerful yet wing-clipped Duke of St. Easton has never known the challenge that has become his life since hearing his ward’s name. Alexandria Featherstone will be the life or the death of him. Only time and God’s plan will reveal just how much this man can endure for the prize of love.

About the Author:

When she was six, Jamie’s parents met Jesus and soon after started a church. It changed everything.

Road trips with her dad—to and from Bible studies across Indiana—were filled with talks of things beyond earth’s bounds – creation and the fall, God and Jesus and the rapture, the earthly walk compared to the spiritual walk, and how we are born for more than what we can see or touch.
The highlight of those nights was stopping at a truck stop in the middle of the night where her dad would spend a little of the offering basket on two slices of pie and a couple of Cokes. Nothing ever felt so special as a middle of the night slice of pie with her dad. And nothing could stop the writing pouring out of her.
As Jamie’s relationship with God grew, she discovered her heart was filled with songs and poetry. During high school she wrote lyrics for her brother’s band. (And she sang them too!) After college, Jamie married, had two sons and decided to stay home with them. While she homeschooled she wrote skits, poems, plays and short stories for school and church.
When her eldest son turned five she dove into the world of novels. She’d read romance novels for years, but couldn’t relate to the flawless, saintly heroines in Christian romance novels. So she decided to write her own.
Snow Angel was born on a frosty night in an old farmhouse in Fishers, Indiana, where the cold floor gave plenty of motivation for the snow scene. Jamie loves to write late at night when the house is quiet and the darkness seems alive. Elizabeth and Noah had been playacting in herhead for a long time, so the story went fast.
Ten years later Snow Angel was published and won the ForeWord magazine Romance Book of the Year winner, was a National “Best Books 2007” Awards winner, and a 2008 RITA Awards® Best First Book finalist. It was the beginning of her dream career.
Jamie and her husband Tony have been married for twenty-one years and live in Indianapolis with their three sons and a giant of a dog named Leo.
If she could only say one thing to her readers it would be, “Live the dreams God has destined you for!”

I was so so so happy to have the opportunity to review what has become my FAVORITE series of late by author Jamie Carie. As you may have seen a short time ago, I also reviewed the first book in this series, The Guardian Duke.

I often think of my days spent in the Northeastern part of the U.K., with  a bit of nostalgia, and this series just feeds my daydreams as I picture some of my favorite parts of that lovely country. But I digress, so , to the delightful purpose of my post...this wonderful book!

I'm ordinarily not a huge mystery kind of girl, as it relates to reading categories, but the mix of characters, setting, and the romance of the book's era all worked together so beautifully for me that, just as it was with the first book, I simply found it difficult to put down. I could easily see how this story might be played out in a movie.

I could have cheered out loud upon reading about these memorable characters again. The Guardian Duke left us all in suspense as the Duke watched Alexandria Featherstone sail away with a man who was just too familiar for his liking. Great tension! It certainly whet my appetite for this next story.

The quest to find her parents continues for Alexandria Featherstone, this time taking her to distant Iceland and other exotic places,where she once again charms her way into the hearts of the people, and then follows her leads with a few more quirky characters.

Meanwhile, the Duke has plans of his own to find the lovely Featherstone, whom he has grown to love. She doesn't know that his intent is to join her in her journey, and help her. Having agreed to be the wife of the dashing Lord Lemon, she can't shake the constant doubts that plague her regarding that decision. Will she follow her heart and allow the Duke into her life?

Will their paths ever cross? Will Alexandria find her parents? So many questions, twists, oh I love it all! And I just can't spoil the story for you, because I think you'll be drawn in as well. I hope you'll check out the following links to get more information and get reading. It's just too bad that you'll have to wait so long until this next book becomes available....

But wait! One blessed reader will be selected to receive a FREE copy of this book. Yay! You probably know the drill by now, but I'll tell you anyway :)  You can...

- Follow me here and leave a comment

- Like their facebook page and leave a comment

- Share this giveaway on facebook and leave a comment

It's that easy! Giveaway goes now ( April 20, 2012)through Monday, April 30, 2012. I will notify the winner. Don't forget to leave me your address so I can contact you!

Facebook: http://jamiecarie.com/books/the-forgiven-duke
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Forgiven-Duke-Forgotten-Castles-Novel/dp/1433673231
Website: http://jamiecarie.com/books/the-forgiven-duke





“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or

services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it

on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally

and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance

with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the

Use of Endorsements and Testimonials

______________________________

Christian Kids Explore Biology

If you've been looking for a faith based science curriculum, then look no further, because I have just the product for you!

I am really excited about Christian Kids Explore Biology by Bright Ideas Press. This one stop science shop has been a wonderful fit for my daughters. The curriculum is geared toward 3rd through 6th graders, but as the book itself (and my 1st and 2nd graders) states, it is "easily adaptable for younger students, also." And the best part, as far as I'm concerned, is that it freely declares to be "unabashedly Christian." Yeah it is!

What you'll find:

Well, there are 8 separate units divided up into 35 weeks of lessons, and it may seem obvious to say this, but I will anyway - each lesson is meant to be completed in a week's time, following a two day a week schedule. This has worked well for us, although the girls would like to do more, so we may be increasing the pace.

How the lessons work:

At the start of each unit, there is a finely detailed coloring page relating to that unit's theme. (These are great for the younger students, giving them a little something to do while the lesson is being read.)

Day one is Teaching Time. This will be a text to be read by the parent, or if the kids are older, they can read it. It includes scripture memory, vocabulary, and once you get going in the book, review.

I mentioned that I have younger students, and some of the text is a little beyond them. They've been tracking pretty well though, and just to keep them engaged, I'll ask them to repeat some of the bigger words after me to help keep their attention.

Speaking of tracking, the creators of this fine resource have included among the many great reproducible sheets within the book, a Daily Reading Sheet to fill out after the Teaching Time. This documents the topic read, what your student enjoyed learning, information they didn't know before, vocabulary words, and what they would like to learn more about.

As you make your way through the lessons, you'll likely find the need to store all of these Daily Reading sheets, won't you? This is where your science notebook will come in handy, Your what? Your notebook silly. Now hold on, don't let that scare you off. This book has done all of the heavy lifting for you, providing all of the reproducible scripture memory cards, reading lists, field trip forms and more.  

All you need to do is get a binder and divider tabs for the 8 units,  and there you go! You're notebooking! My girls love having their own notebooks!

Now back to the lessons. You've got your Teaching Time for day one. Now for day two. This is a really fun part- Hands On! Science is so much more fun when you can get your hands dirty :)

This section will be where you have an experiment or some type of project to apply what was learned on day one.

So you might make a playdough or papier mache model of the Earth. Or a jello cell model.

One of my daughters very favorites was the first Hands On activity. To illustrate the point that order doesn't come from disorder (Think the Big Bang Theory), we took colored craft sticks and took turns throwing them in the air, and watching the mess they made. Simple but effective.

We have looked forward to our science lessons from the first lesson of Christian Kids Explore Biology. Personally, I couldn't ask more of a book that has planned most everything out for me. And it's so refreshing to find a curriculum that supports my faith. We're still working our way through the book, but I'll have no problem encouraging the girls to keep going to the end through the summer. They wouldn't let me stop now if I wanted to anyway ;)

There are more titles in the Christian Kids Explore series and if you click here you can take a look.

And, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew page to see what my crewmates reviewed and what they thought.

Disclaimer: I received a free print copy of Christian Kids Explore Biology in exchange for my honest review, with no additional compensation.

Bright Ideas Press

http://www.brightideaspress.com/

Christian Kids Explore Biology

Price: $34.95 for print copy

Ages: 3rd-6th grade - adaptable for younger students

AIMS Education Foundation - It's About Time

I'm pleased to be sharing another resource from AIMS Education Foundation with you. This is my second review product with the company, and this time, I've moved from Science to Math. But, just as I did with my last review of one of their products, I would like to share a quote that can be found within the first few pages.

I Hear
and I
Forget,

I See and
I Remember,

I Do
and I
Understand.

Those words capture the essence of the activity books that we've used in our family. Hands on.
 I realize that there are different learning styles, but most children that I've had the pleasure of working with love to actively participate in lessons through games, projects, and all around hands on time.
And that is what I appreciate most about AIMS. They are all about child involvement.

It's About Time is all about, as you might have guessed, learning to tell time. Forget about any stuffy lessons you may have experienced yourself as a child, because this book is filled with fun activities that will pique the interest of most children.
The target age range is K-2nd grade, and my girls fall right in the middle. An initial look through the book made me think at first that the beginning activities might be too easy for them, since they already had the basics of telling time learned.

I still decided to start with the first few lessons because I figured the review couldn't hurt. That turned out to be a good decision! The girls really enjoyed a variety of activities that help build the concept of measuring time.

We talked about and made lists of words relating to time - today, tomorrow, after, later, etc...
We made copies of picture cards from the book, acted out the activity, and sorted them into groups according to the length of time necessary to complete each depicted event.

Then there is one of my favorite ones...we made (copied) cardstock hands and taped them to a yardstick and ruler respectively, to represent the hour and minute hands. With numbersaround us in a circle, we (they) became human clocks. Cute! And effective. It sure beat the same old same old clock model.

Those are just a small sample of what is in It's About Time. There are a LOT of reproducibles, ideas for clock models to teach counting by 5's, minute by minute, elapsed time and more. There are some really cute games like "Time Out", which is really bingo, with the kids matching up the correct time.

Kids will practice telling time on wall clocks, digital clocks, wristwatches, I think you get the point.

Now, we of course are a homeschooling family, and used this book as such a family would. Generally speaking, the book is designed for the public school, with more group games, and story settings relating to that, but that wasn't an issue for us. I tweaked as needed, and the girls didn't notice.

I also found that the order and presentation of lessons made it simple to choose what I felt we needed to work on for a particular day. The book also includes a CD of some, not all of the reproducibles found in the book.

Overall, this proved to be a nice little resource for us. It was a refreshing change from the ho hum, and the girls enjoyed the variety included. More than worth stopping by their website and taking a peek.

The Homeschool Crew reviewed this and a few other AIMS titles. You can see what they thought by clicking here .

AIMS Educational Foundation
http://store.aimsedu.org/aims_store/
It's About Time - Print book plus CD - PDF also available
Ages: K-2nd Grade
Price: $21.95

Disclaimer- I received a free copy of AIMS Education Foundation It's About Time in exchange for my honest review, with no additional compensation.

The 5 Love Languages of Children, by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell

About the book:

To be their best, children need to feel loved. But if you and your child speak different love languages, your affection might get lost in translation, affecting the child’s attitude, behavior, and development. Dr. Gary Chapman’s groundbreaking Five Love Languages series has helped millions of couples communicate love more clearly, and Dr. Ross Campbell M.D. has applied the innovative system to children as well. The 5 Love Languages of Children gives practical suggestions for learning how your children interpret love and creating a sense of security in which they can thrive.

 

Unless you've been hiding under the proverbial rock, I'm pretty sure that you're familiar with at least the title The 5 Love Languages. This book, The 5 Love Languages of Children, employs the same theme, the difference being (obviously, I think) that it is tailored for the needs of children. Having two young children, it appealed to me right away.

 

There is a LOT of information within these pages, and I'll just start at the beginning. I would say that the main point is that our children all have "Emotional Love Tanks" that are in constant need of being filled. Becoming a student to our kids is vital in determining their healthy growth and development. Okay, easy right? Well, maybe, maybe not. There are 5 major Love Languages, and it's our job as parents to discover which is their primary language, and then to speak it to them. Which underscores my statement that we need to become students to our sons and daughters. It takes time. We have to purpose in our hearts to be intentional in this. But the results are so worth it!

What are the 5 Love Languages?

1.) Physical Touch

2.) Words of Affirmation

3.) Quality Time

4.) Gifts

5.) Acts of Service

As I mentioned, it may take some time to get your young ones' love language figured out. But you can do it! Young children in particular may bounce back and forth a bit as they grow, but you can watch for clues that they will give you  in figuring this out. Does your child need your undivided attention constantly? Is she always paying you complements? Is she eternally stuck like glue to your side? Or does she treat each little trinket given to her like it's a sacred treasure? All of these may be hints at what fills her love tank.
And taking the time to learn this will not only strengthen your relationship, but also prevent resentment from building up, allowing her to grow up emotionally healthy.

The book also goes into the ways that this subject and the way a parent disciplines affects a child's heart. Speaking their language can go a long way in not merely getting the behavior you want, but reaching their heart. Knowing and using the right language can not only help us as parents respond in a better way, it may also prevent a lot of acting up.

To quote from the book, "Parents are a child's first and most important teachers." Did you realize that we have a huge impact in shaping the emotional growth of our kids? Gulp. Sobering thought. Nobody ever said this parenting thing was easy.

Another point that really stuck out for me in this book revolved around the subject of anger. Learning how to express and manage anger is vital in developing and keeping healthy relationships, right up into adulthood. Speaking the appropriate love language does so much in teaching this to our kids, as well as learning this for ourselves.

The last chapters of the book speak to those who are single, offering ways to help them in this challenging role.
To end the book, the authors offer a refresher course in Love Languages for married folks, because it is true that children benefit so much more when their parents are seeking to really love their spouse.

This was an easy read; a lot of information, a lot to think about and apply, but easy to understand. There were some sobering messages here, but I felt that the overall tone was positive, telling parents that no matter the stage of their children, there is always hope for change and improvement. This would be a valuable addition to every parent's library.

Some helpful links:

http://www.5lovelanguages.com/resource/the-five-love-languages-of-children/

http://www.5lovelanguages.com/

http://www.facebook.com/5LoveLanguages

https://twitter.com/#!/drgarychapman

 

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or

services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it

on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally

and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance

with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the

Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

Now then, would you be interested in a free copy of The 5 Love Languages of Children? I thought so :) All you need to do is:

1.) Follow me here.

2.) Like the 5 Love Languages Facebook page

3.) Tell me how you use the love languages to build your relationship(s) with your child(ren)

Do any or all of these for one entry each. And please leave a comment and email for all so I can contact you if chosen. Go to it!

Giveaway starts now- Monday April 9, 2012, and goes through Tuesday, April 17, 2012. I will notify the winner on Wednesday, April 18, 2012.