
Hosted by Felice Gerwitz · EN

What is a “buy-in mentality? How do you inspire your kids to cooperate with your family values, do their school work, and strive for excellence? In this podcast, we’ll discuss the idea of “buy-in” and how important it is to work together as a family. Inspire Your Kids To Cooperate ~ Episode 535 What is a “buy-in,” and how do you incorporate this idea into your family? It’s really simple. It’s the idea of the importance of being part of a family and basically cooperating with the family ideals. How do you “inspire” your kids to cooperate? Ah, that is a bit more tough. Inspiration is a great idea if you are inspired as well. I think we need to examine our motivation and how we view our family. This would mean setting aside some time to discuss this with your spouse. Even if you are a single parent, take some time to prayerfully jot down why family is important and how you can convey the idea of unity without sounding preachy. Thanks to NOW Programs, this evidence-based program helps students learn differences. I’m going to focus on two aspects. One is the idea of family and cooperation because you want to be part of a family and work together. The second is consequences: what will happen when there is a failure to follow through on the basic family requirements? What is a “buy-in mentality? How do you inspire your kids to cooperate with your family values, do their school work, and strive for excellence? In this podcast, we’ll discuss the idea of “buy-in” and how important it is to work together as a family. Inspire Your Kids To Cooperate ~ Episode 535 What is a “buy-in,” and how do you incorporate this idea into your family? It’s really simple. It’s the idea of the importance of being part of a family and basically cooperating with the family ideals. How do you “inspire” your kids to cooperate? Ah, that is a bit more tough. Inspiration is a great idea if you are inspired as well. But I believe we can all get on board with the idea of having a family that works well together. We need to examine our motivation and how we view our family. This would mean setting aside some time to discuss this with your spouse. Even if you are a single parent, take some time to prayerfully jot down why family is important and how you can convey the idea of unity without sounding preachy. The biggest thing to convey to your children is your love for them, and it is difficult to show love when we are constantly correcting our children. Thanks to NOW Programs, this evidence-based program helps students learn differences. I’m going to focus on two aspects. One is the idea of family and cooperation because we want our children to understand they are not in this alone. They are part of a family. They enjoy all the benefits of being in a family, love community, support, and care. Being in a family also means working together toward a common goal. For Christians, it is heaven. The second point I want to focus on is the idea of consequences: what will happen when there is a failure to follow through on the basic family requirements? What does cause and effect mean, and how does that factor affect your decisions? These two parts, cooperation and consequences, work together to create a family dynamic that works. Inspire Your Kids To Cooperate ~ Cooperation Cooperation in a family goes along with succeeding and accomplishing. It makes me very happy to accomplish something daily, even if I do not have written goals or a list. It is a feeling of success and self-fulfillment. This is an adult thing. Adults have many responsibilities that deal with their family, perhaps work, and managing a busy life as a homeschooling mom or dad. How do you encourage your children to feel the same way? Kids sit back and wait for an adult to tell them what to do; interestingly, my son said something humous that brought this idea home to me. He is twenty-four, a First Lieutenant in the Army, and in charge of about 50 men. Under his command are about eight sergeants and privates under them. He recounted a situation where a private approached him with a serious request. My son answers, “Well, we need an adult for that.” The private said, “You are an adult, sir.” He was joking of course, but what he meant was – I don’t want to handle this and I wish there was someone else to do it for me. Often, our kids try to get out of doing what they need to do and just want someone else to handle it. In fact, some children go out of their way to be scarce, to act innocent (I didn’t know you meant that), or even worse, feel no guilt for their inaction. Some will take on a passive-aggressive strategy. They can say yes and then fail to follow through, which frustrates parents. How do we explain the importance of taking responsibility for yourself and what you must do as part of your family? That is the goal, the “buy-in,” the cooperation. Begin with a plan and an idea about what makes your family special. How often do you sit and have serious conversations with your family? We had family meetings in our family at least four times a year. After the first few times, the children knew that this was a place to list grievances or issues within the family dynamics in general and work on solutions. These convened when things were getting out of hand regarding discipline. Family meetings were called when we felt the children were excessively bickering and when things felt out of control. In retrospect, this should have been done before this point! I’ve heard of families that have monthly mandatory meetings to check in and see how things are going, share progress and praise reports, and deal with issues that crop up from time to time. Begin the meeting by calling it a Family Meeting (or whatever you want to call it.) Let your children know that you love them, are there for them, and have their backs. Explain that as a family, each of us is responsible for ourselves and being helpful to each other. That does not mean we take advantage of each other or become frustrated when someone younger needs our help. It does mean that as a family, we work together. You can explain it like this: Why do we work together? Because we are a family. In the same way, we go to the park, enjoy ice cream or treats at home, or do something fun. So why can’t we cooperate each day in the same way? No one has to be forced to participate in a party or the fun we have, right? There are rules for each meeting. No one other than the parents are allowed to talk out of turn; everyone must listen politely, and each person will have a chance to respond if they wish. In addition, no finger-pointing! If we discuss an issue, that means you are involved in some way. The discussion at these meetings centered on general topics; it was not a time to point out individual shortcomings or problems. For example, if one of your children doesn’t follow through with a chore, address that separately. Think big picture. These are chronic issues that happen repeatedly. For example, kids leave out toys after playing, or everyone leaves the table without helping, or no one helps to bring in the groceries without being asked. Maybe the children are instigating each other to sin. I explained that fighting, arguing, and acting disrespectfully are sinful. Sin is the absence of doing good. And we don’t want to sin. My husband and I previously discussed the issues at hand, and then he presented them. We were a united front, and the kids knew we meant business. Disrespect was also discussed at this time. Excessive complaining was not allowed. Some of you listening have the patience of a saint; this was not a trait the Lord blessed me with, and I have worked hard to overcome my hasty decisions. I have a very low tolerance for complaining, saying I’m sorry without meaning it, and saying things are an accident. (Which I address below in the section on consequences.) Explain that when a family cooperates and gets along, it opens the door for so many opportunities. Ask them to give you examples. Some of these can be: We can go to the park this afternoon if we finish our chores. Not fighting with each other helps our home be peaceful. Getting along as a family is important because we are here for each other. Let’s be helpful so we can have time for something fun, such as a movie. If we are upset, we can discuss things calmly. ...

A boring lecture or math lesson that is not interesting will not inspire kids to learn and work hard. However, in this podcast, you will discover five key elements to encourage your children to hone their listening skills while learning. Inspire Kids To Learn ~ Episode 534 Why would anyone listen to a boring lecture or something that does not interest them? Because it is required and because it is called “school.” What subject did you detest in grade school, middle school (called junior high in my day), and high school? The subject I didn’t like was history. All of these facts and disjointed (in my mind) events had nothing to do with my life. Or, so I thought. As an adult, I realize that not understanding history causes us to make the same mistakes as a nation over and over again. But at the time, I had no idea how important the subject was. I learned more history as a homeschool parent than I did in my time in school. Thanks to our sponsor, CTCMath.com, this curriculum is available online for grades K-12. Your children receive the lessons and must pass to move on, and you, as the parents, receive the results. It is a win-win for busy homeschool parents. I am inspired (pun intended) to do a series on inspiring your children. The series will include inspiring kids to listen, learn, succeed, empathize, and encourage self-esteem. This is the second of five episodes. Five Part Series Inspire Kids to Listen Inspire Kids to Learn (this episode) Inspire Kids to Cooperate Inspire Kids to Succeed Inspire Kids to Empathize Inspire Kids ~ Self Esteem So, that leaves us with the million-dollar question: How do you inspire your children to learn? How do we overcome obstacles? True learning occurs when a child has a question to answer. And the second part of that question is where the child goes to find the answer. Please, please don’t say “Google.” The saying “Knowledge is Power” is attributed to an unknown author. That statement is true. Without knowledge, we are left to the ideas, beliefs, and thoughts of other people who don’t necessarily have our best interests in mind. Explaining to your children the importance of obtaining knowledge is key! When my children struggled with a difficult subject, I would remind them, “If it’s easy, you know it, and if it is hard, you don’t know it yet.” (Example of handwriting) Learning never stops this side of death. (Comforting thought?) We are constantly learning as we should. Learning occurs when your child is curious and inquisitive, sees the world around them as a puzzle to solve or at least find some of the pieces, and when there is an exchange of ideas and thoughts. When my children were younger, I taught them unit studies. I felt this was the best way to incorporate that awe of learning and a dose of mystery. We didn’t have all the answers, but we were going to learn some of them at any rate! Inspire Kids To Learn – The Mystery Solver A mystery eventually comes to a conclusion, and the previously unsolved puzzle is answered. If you can approach education with this in mind and encourage your children as well, it puts a touch of excitement into your schooling. You can set the stage at the beginning of the year. Ask the children if they know every answer in their math, history, science, or ________fill-in-the-blank book. The answer is no for now, but yes (or a lot more than I know now) by the end of the year. Figuring out an answer is like solving a riddle or a problem (that is why they call math problems problems!). There is an answer that you figure out. The same goes for science or history. We learn why there are three forms of water (solid, liquid, and gas). We learn about the explorers who crossed the ocean into what we know now as America or the United States of America. Inspire Kids to Learn with Fun. My homeschooling included fun. You may consider this an unnecessary element, but fun goes a long way toward getting kids to learn and remember what they have learned. I finished lessons with flashcard facts or split the children into groups and asked questions, each side getting the point. Sometimes, I’d pit them against themselves and the previous day’s score if they were in different books or different levels. I tried to teach history and science together in the younger years until upper middle school. This was a fun activity that made me feel better that they were actually learning, and it made them happy to see that they remembered. If not, they tried to do better the next day. Inspire Teens to Learn with Outcomes: For teens, the struggle to learn may result from the relevance of the learning to their current lives. The question is, “But why do we learn these things, and what does it have to do with my future?” We learn about math to study finances and the value of a dollar. (Keep from getting swindled.) We learn to read to learn more information. (Sign a contract.) We learn about history to keep from making the same mistakes. (Wars, etc.) We learn so that we can have a job someday. Ask your teens what they want to learn about and if they could study anything. Discuss. One of my children studied photography, another oceanography, and another built catapults and fixed machinery. Giving your child the tools they need to help them learn something of interest encourages them to learn what is on the “requirements” for graduation. Out of my five children, three went to college, and two went into blue-collar jobs. I now wish I had listened to my non-college-track kids about what they wanted to do instead of preparing them for the “if they decide to go to college track.” One of my college-bound children decided too late to go into engineering, and he couldn’t handle the difficult math requirements. My son still went into an intense engineer-focused college track and graduated with honors. Exploring careers when in middle and early high school is important and will aid in their interest in learning with a possible career in mind. You can inspire kids to learn with real-life applications. Especially for your teens, and they may actually observe you learning each day as well. We learn whether we listen to or read the news, try to look up a new tax rule, or look for the best insurance rate on our homes and cars. It requires comparison, evaluation, and, ultimately, finding the best deal for our budget. Give your children real-life examples and include them in your search whenever you can. If they have a car or are saving up for one, they can begin to research different insurance policies and coverage and the meaning of each of the terms used in insurance. Practical skills are important for anyone. The one thing you can’t take away from someone is their knowledge. In today’s world, knowledge is important to make good decisions, face challenges figure out the best outcome, and to keep ourselves moving forward and thinking. The post Inspire Kids To Learn appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

History History is about a bunch of dead people and stuff that happened long ago or so I thought when I was a kid. As a homeschool parent, I found that history is actually “HIS” story and when it is revealed we find so many wonderful lessons to learn. In this session, you’ll hear some of the ways that both Meredith & Felice have taught history to their children from the zany to the classes Felice asked her brother-in-law to teach to homeschool kids! Meredith and Felice discuss their favorite resources – here is a list of their combined books, below the audio player. American History Online Course World History Reading List – All rights reserved Media Angels, Inc. 2014 September History Reading Books In the Days of Noah by Gloria Clanin Life in the Great Ice Age by Michael and Beverly Oard The Mystery of the Ark by Paul Thomsen The Lost Kingdom (Reg Danson Adventure #2) by Clint Kelly Adam and His Kin: The Lost History of Their Lives and Times by Ruth Beechick Genesis: Finding Our Roots by Ruth Beechick Dinosaurs in God’s World Long Ago by Henrietta Gambill What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs? (DJ and Tracker John) by John Morris and Ken Ham Priceless Jewel at the Well: The Diary of Rebekah’s Nursemaid, Canaan, 1986-1985 B.C. (Promised Land Diaries) The Magic School Bus Shows and Tells: A Book About Archaeology by Jackie Posner Exploring Ancient Cities of the Bible by Michael and Caroline Carroll October Reading Books Tutankhamun by Robert Green Tirzah by Lucille Travis Mummies, Tombs, and Treasure: Secrets of Ancient Egypt by Lila Perl Miriam’s Cup, a Passover Story by Fran Manushkin Learning About Passover by Barbara Soloff Levy Shadow Hawk by Andre Norton Adventures in Ancient Egypt by Linda Bailey The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt by Elizabeth Payne The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone: Key to Ancient Egypt by James Giblin Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw Mummies Made in Egypt by Aliki Kids Discover: Ancient Egypt The Peaceful Warrior: The Diary of Deborahs Armor Bearer, Israel, 1200 B.C. (Promised Land Diaries) Hittite Warrior by Joanne Williamson Journey for Tobiyah by Barbara Morgan King Solomon’s Navy by Nora Benjamin Kubie The Temple at Jerusalem by Jacqueline Morley November Reading Books The Usborne Story of Music by Simon Mundy The Usborne Story of Painting by Anthea Peppin The Usborne Book of Living Long Ago: Everyday life through the Ages, by Felicity Brooks and Helen Edom God-King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah by Joanne Williamson Aesop’s Fables for Children Hour of the Olympics (Magic Tree House #16) by Mary Pope Osborne The Seven Voyages of Sinbad (and Other Tales from the Arabian Nights) retold by Gladys Davidson King Solomon’s Mines (Puffin Classics) by H Rider Haggard December Reading Books The Odyssey for Boys and Girls by AJ Church Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne Famous Men of Greece by John Haaren and AB Poland The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky Usborne: The Greeks by Susan Peach & Anne Millard Adventures in Ancient Greece by Linda Bailey Cyrus the Persian by Sherman A Nagel Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher Within the Palace Gates: The King’s Cupbearer by Anna P. Siviter The Greek and Roman Eras: (Journey Through History) by Carme Peris and Gloria & Oriol Verges Hand Me Another Brick by Charles Swindoll Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights January Reading Books Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile, Egypt, 57 B.C. (The Royal Diaries) by Kristiana Gregory About the History of the Calendar by AE Evenson Battle of Actium (Great Battles Through the Ages) by David Califf The Runaway by Patricia St. John Fountain of Life by Rebecca Martin Adventures in Ancient China by Linda Bailey A Grain of Rice by Helena Clare Pittman Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace Titus: A Comrade of the Cross by Florence Morse Kingsley Augustus Caesar’s World by Genevieve Foster Famous Men of Rome by John Haaren & A.B. Poland Rome and Romans (Usborne Time Traveler) by Heather Amery and Patricia Vanags I and II Maccabees from the Apocrypha (available in Bibles that include the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books) Life Stories Of Men Who Shaped History, From Plutarch’s Lives Pompeii…Buried Alive! by Edith Kunhardt The Robe by Lloyd C Douglas Masada by Tim McNeese (Sieges That Changed the World) February Reading Books Devil’s Island by John Hagee Outcast by Rosemary Sutcliff[ See You Later, Gladiator (Time Warp Trio) by Jon Scieszka Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfeld The Eagle (previously published as The Eagle of the Ninth) by Rosemary Sutcliff The Story of Valentine by Wilma Pitchford Hays Augustine, the Farmer’s Boy of Tagaste by P. De Zeeuw The City of God by Augustine Ancient Rome: How It Affects You Today by Richard J. Maybury The Ides of April by Mary Ray Beyond the Desert Gate by Mary Ray Jesus Freaks: Martyrs by dc Talk Foxe’s Book Of Martyrs by John Foxe (many different editions of this work are available) Saint George and the Dragon retold by Margaret Hodges Saint Patrick: Pioneer Missionary to Ireland by Michael McHugh March Reading Books Anna of Byzantium by Tracy Barrett Famous Men of the Middle Ages by Haaren and Poland Augustine Came to Kent by Barbara Willard Beowulf The Shining Company by Rosemary Sutcliff Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck Against the World: The Odyssey of Athanasius by Henry W. Coray Saladin: Noble Prince of Islam by Diane Stanley The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow by Allen French Le Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory The Sword in the Tree by Clyde Robert Bulla The Book of Pastoral Rule (also published as Pastoral Care) by St. Gregory the Great The Song of Roland (an epic poem) A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle Idylls of the King by Alfred Lord Tennyson Camelot by AJ Lerner (script for the Broadway play) Viking Raiders (Usborne Time Traveler) by Civardi, Graham-Campbell, & Wingate April Reading Books Famous Men of the Middle Ages by Haaren and Poland Son of Charlemagne by Barbara Willard The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer A Chaucer Reader edited by Charles W. Dunn Leif Eriksson: First Voyager to America by Katherine B. Shippen In His Name by Edward E Hale Paula the Waldensian by Eva Lecomte Lost Baron: A Story of England in the Year 1200 by Allen French Macbeth by Shakespeare Hamlet by Shakespeare El Cid, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean Don Quixote (also published as Don Quijote) by Cervantes A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver by E. L. Konigsburg The Hidden Treasure of Glaston by Eleanore M. Jewett Castle by David Macaulay Cathedral by David Macaulay The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman Knights and Castles (Usborne Time Traveler) by Judy Hindley The Striped Ships by Eloise McGraw *** The Third Crusade: Richard the Lionhearted vs Saladin (Great Battles Through the Ages) by Samuel Willard Crompton The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle (who also drew original illustrations for this book)[ The King’s Shadow by Elizabeth Alder May Reading Books Men of Iron by Howard Pyle If All the Swords in England: A Story of Thomas Becket by Barbara Willard Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott Genghis Khan and the Mongol Horde by Harold Lamb A Morbid Taste for Bones (Brother Cadfael Chronicles–we recommend this series) by Ellis Peters) Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray The Dragon and the Raven (The Days of King Alfred) ...

Teaching with Creation Science Study Guides Episode 362 How do you teach Creation Science when you have no background in science? Try teaching with Creation Science Study Guides! Primary sources are always the best, but how about first-hand research? In this episode, we will delve into not only why teaching creation science is important but some amazing resources to complete your homeschool library. Sponsor! Overcomer Movie Trailer URL for Overcomer Movie: Site URL for the Overcomer Movie Many years ago, early in my homeschool journey I attended a homeschool conference and walked away with hundreds of dollars worth of books on the topic of creation science and no idea how to teach the topic. I had attended an amazing set of talks but creation scientists who were all degreed in science for the universities in different areas. For example, Dr. Jay Wile has a Ph.D. in nuclear chemistry from the University of Rochester. While I was impressed with the science credentials and knowledge of many of the people that I listened to, they taught me many great facts, but not how to implement teaching creation science into my homeschool. So, I began as many other homeschool moms before me and I wrote a curriculum series. The Creation Science Study Guides still is as relevant today as when I co-authored the series in 1994 (when our first book was published). God introduced me to a creation scientist. A geologist by degree and homeschool mom to three boys by occupation. We met by a God-incident and became friends and soon co-authors. You see, Jill Whitlock had been an atheist and had worked as an oil and well geologist for a big company. When she lost her job she found a new one at a church. When they handed her a Bible she told me that she opened it an immediately had a difference of opinion with the first sentence, “In the beginning, God created…” Jill went on to study creation for ten years before I met her. She was able to take all those books I wrote and we used them as resources for our study guides. We wanted something parents could use with their kids with no prior science knowledge. My background was education so I could teach. I just didn’t know enough science to teach from a creationist perspective. Teaching creation science became my passion and taking difficult topics and bringing them down to basics while the kids had fun was a challenge. First, why teach creation science? Why not? Secular books, and all public and some Christian schools teach evolution as fact. Why can’t we teach both? I’m not opposed to teaching science from an evolutionist perspective, besides a creation one. If your children are little, begin with the Bible as a foundation. Start at the beginning in Genesis and study Biblical history. This foundation helps when teaching creation science. Give big bang theory example here. DNA example here. Another example in our book deals with plate tectonics. This is the divide of the continents. Have you ever looked at a map of the world and see that it could fit together into one landmass if you cut out all the continents and puzzle-pieced them together? Evolutionists claim that it took millions of years for the division of the continents from one landmass to land masses that are continents that are divided by oceans. Creationists believe the continents split, quickly as stated in Genesis 10:25 where God divided not only the lands but the languages. For example, our study guide talks about radiohalos. A quick search online recently showed that this finding set the scientists crazy trying to refute the claims. I’ve included two links you will find helpful. The bottom line is the radiohalos are an indicator of a young earth. The question becomes, does this matter? Evidence For: http://www.halos.com/ https://creation.com/new-radiohalo-find-challenges-primordial-granite-claim It matters. Why teach from only one perspective? Here are my reasons for teaching creation science: Your kids won’t get it anywhere else. Evolution has many false findings taught as fact. Ernst Haeckel among others. I believe God created the world as he stated in Genesis. If we teach creation as a myth or allegory then that means the entire Bible is one as well. Darwin said that the fossil record would validate this theory and it never has. If you want a series of study guides that will entertain your kids from preschool to high school I highly recommend you check out the Media Angels Creation Study Guides. They are available for immediate download on the website – all of my books for one low price and they include the study guides which are ready to go experiment sheets, games and puzzles as well as the books. One of the great things about teaching creation science is that it is so hands-on. Your kids will love doing the activities and learning as they have fun. I do believe there is an added benefit. Creation science points to a creator God. It talks about the wonders of God’s creation and gives us awe about the world God created! Special Thanks to Our Network Sponsor -Overcomer Movie Life changes overnight for coach John Harrison when his high school basketball team’s state championship dreams are crushed under the weight of unexpected news. When the largest manufacturing plant in town suddenly shuts down and hundreds of families begin moving away, John must come to grips with the challenges facing his family and his team. Urged by the school’s principal to fill-in and coach a sport he doesn’t know or like, John is frustrated and questioning his worth… until he crosses paths with a student struggling with her own journey. Filled with a powerful mix of faith, a twist of humor, and a ton of heart, the Kendrick Brothers return to theaters with OVERCOMER, their newest feature following FACING THE GIANTS, FIREPROOF, COURAGEOUS, and the #1 box-office hit, WAR ROOM. The inspiring family film stars Alex Kendrick, Priscilla Shirer, Shari Rigby, Cameron Arnett, and introduces Aryn Wright-Thompson. Opening nationwide on August 23, OVERCOMER dares to leave you filled with hope, inspired to dream, and asks the question: what do you allow to define you? Click here to learn more! The post Teaching Creation Science appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.