Weekly Childcare Calendar Organizer for Summer Vacation

So kids are home from school for summer vacation. Pretty exciting for them, but for work-at-home parents, not so much. Now you'll have three months of childcare to juggle, too. Here's a weekly childcare calendar organizer to manage family, activities and work. Start by setting up a four-pronged weekday plan to get the work done and enjoy the summer. Make a weekday checklist chart.   Weekly Childcare Calendar Organizer for Summer Vacation

Father's Day Gift Coupons: English Language Arts, Writing, Spelling Lesson Plan and Craft

Gift coupons make perfect gifts for children to give parents. Here's a language arts lesson plan for homeschool or classroom use. Design and fill out love coupons for Mother's Day, Father's Day or Grandparents Day craft projects. Use for English Language Arts (ELA) lesson plans to teach composition, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation lesson plan. Designing coupons could be a math lesson and decorating them, an art project.  Father's Day Gift Coupons: Lesson Plans and Activities 

Free Printable "Frankenstorm" Lesson Plans--Hurricane Sandy, Earthquakes, Earth Science, Emergency Preparedness

"Frankenstorm" is the nickname meteorologists are giving to a trifecta of hurricane, snow and nasty weather, converging on the eastern seaboard of the U.S. This "perfect storm" mass, which includes the notorious Hurricane Sandy, is due to collide over NYC and New Jersey on October 31, 2012--Halloween (hence the name). What causes storms? How can families stay safe? Here are resources to help children learn more about earth science, weather, natural disasters and mostly importantly, emergency preparedness.  This article was written about earthquakes, but the resources are the same for storms and hurricanes. These resources can be printed and used in home schools and classrooms. If you're in Frankenstorm's path, please, avail yourself of these helps and get ready. Forewarned is forearmed. Read on Free Frankenstorm, Hurricane Sandy Lesson Plans, 

Teaching kids to understand and express emotions safely

Let your kid act up in public and you can be sure that some supposedly well-meaning (irritating) citizen will comment on how you can't control your child.  Maybe it's because people just need their daily dose of schadenfreude. Maybe it's that they've seen so many monstrously-behaved kids.

Homeschool kids (and parents) seem to come under heavier criticism (at least back when when I was homeschooling). Homeschoolers tend to take their children with them more often. And let's face it, by homeschooling  we're saying we're better fit to teach our kids than anyone else. We've set ourselves up on pedestals to some extent. Should people expect that our kids will be better behaved? I think they do. I think we do owe it to society to keep our kids in line.

Having said that, I'll be the first to admit that corralling a naughty kid, homeschooled or otherwise ain't easy. Short of gagging and hog-tying, a parent can't force an unruly child into submission. The ground work has to be done within the family. Children have to learn self-control. The best way is to do this is to teach kids how emotions work and how to manage them. Here are tools and feeling-facts for kids (and parents who love them).  Teaching kids to understand and express emotions safely 

Reasons Parents and Kids Should Cut Back on Facebook

Over a third of Facebook users are spending less time on the social network, says a recent study in Reuters. I'm not surprised. Though I still used my account for networking, I've avoiding Facebook for general use. Here's why.

Yes, I know, I probably sound like an out-of-touch old curmudgeon (can women be that? maybe it's curmudgeoness?). It's not that I've got a problem with socializing or online activities. Much of my work is done online. It's just that Facebook use (and to be fair other social network use) is mushrooming out of control. It's taking over healthy face-to-face dialog and replacing it with shallow, unfulfilling interaction. It's taking its toll on families and relationships. Not only kids, but parents are spending way too much time connected to the net and disconnected at home. Here are some considerations. Seven Reasons I'm Logging Out of Facebook 

Facebook Boredom is Inevitable Result of Cyber Life

Well, it looks like the Facebook social juggernaut may finally be losing steam. And none too soon, I say. Amanda Crum of WebProNews did a rather good analysis of a Reuters poll from earlier this week that showed a drop-off in Facebook use. The poll found that few people actually buy the products advertised on Facebook. That's not surprising. I think most of us are pretty saturated with Internet ads in general. And as for those silly little "like" buttons for products and keywords -- I'm not motivated to buy Ragu because six of my friends like it. I doubt "likes" translate to much in terms of buying. Facebook Boredom is Inevitable Result of Cyber Life

WAHM Balance Work and Family: Handling Interruptions, Setting Boundaries

How WAHM Balance Family and Work- Handling Interruptions and Setting Boundaries The internet is one of the fastest growing source of jobs for SAHM, Stay-at-home-moms and WAHM, Work- at- home moms. A WAHM faces similar issues balancing work and home. Let's look at the problem of setting boundaries with family. Read More

Cheap At Home Family Vacations

Cheap Family Vacations, Cheap At Home Staycations Are you stuck at home this spring break? Everyone else is migrating south for spring break, but your wings have been clipped? You need some at home vacation ideas to enjoy spring break even if you can't travel anywhere. Read More

Kids Bowl Free 2010- Free Bowling all Summer Long!

Kids Bowl Free: Free Bowling Every Day for Kids 16 and Under All Summer Long Do your kids love to bowl? Maybe you don't go bowling frequently because it's too expensive? Well, guess what? All your kids 16 and under can bowl free every day of summer 2010. And families can bowl for $24.95 all summer long. How? Read More

Free Printable Grocery List

Free Printable Grocery List As a home school family, our children were involved in the organization of the family grocery shopping. Grocery shopping makes great money and business math lessons. This grocery shopping list includes all foods, health and beauty aids and household products. To print this grocery shopping list, you may click the 'print' icon, or copy and paste into your wordpad, notepad, Word or Wordperfect document maker. free printable grocery list

Home School Field Trips: Behavior and Expectations

Home school Field Trips and Behavior in Public We homeschooled our four children for over ten years. Our motto was 'learn by doing'. We organized 100+ field trips, many as part of a larger group. I've found that one bad apple spoils the bunch.
homeschool field trips

Multiage Classroom--How to Home School Kids of All Ages

Trying to work or homeschool with toddlers and babies can be like trying to pour water into a crack; very little gets in, but a lot of mess happens! Here are several foolproof methods for entertaining the little ones while schooling the big ones. Based on years of parenting and homeschooling, years of teaching in a multiage classroom and work in preschool and day care. Tips based on developmental theory, child-centered philosophy. multiage classrooms

Valentines Day Activities-Easy and Inexpensive

Valentine Craft Projects - Make it Easy on Yourself! Inexpensive pre-cut craft projects for all ages at super low prices! Green crafts with less waste. DIY crafts for all ages. Easy instructions. Useful and user-friendly! Great for all ages in the homeschool family! Most crafts under $6-$7 a dozen. Check out Oriental Trading Company. free printable Valentine crafts