Homeschool Associates - Family

Pg 151: The greeting card store

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 12:21:22 -0500

Family

During my travels, I ran across a special kind of store. Men, if you ever see one, you need to take notice. And if you NEVER see one, maybe you should open one. This store was a card store -- but with a twist.

This card store had every type of occasion card right there. Think of it! Right here and right now I could buy my wife’s birthday card, Mother’s Day card, Christmas card, anniversary card, all of them all at

Pg 149: Grandma's mouthwash

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 12:16:11 -0500

Family

We watch the adults we spend time with.

One summer when I was about 12 years old, I lived with my grandmother on the sprawling estate farm where she was the cook.

At night we both went to bed at the same time in her servant’s quarters, where I slept on the sofa.

Every night I watched her wash her face, brush her teeth, and gargle

Pg 148: Mr. Bug

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 12:14:15 -0500

Family

My 16-year-old daughter had a job at Fashion Bug. At Fashion Bug, a clerk is stationed not far from the door to greet people immediately and to watch for any inventory theft.

I went in one night to pick up Stephanie for 9pm, the close of her shift. I stood inside the front of the store for a few seconds, a new clerk approached me and asked if I needed help.

I told her I was waiting for someone.

Pg 147: "Call you back in 20 minutes"

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 12:08:24 -0500

Family

When we are invited by local support groups, we do workshops for the North Atlantic Regional High School.

We set up the meeting places with local families who really want direction as they consider homeschooling high schoolers. Meetings would be arranged in their church, or a meeting room at their husband’s work place, or some other such meeting area. And, of course all these families are homeschoolers, too.

I remember calling a lovely lady in Orlando. She was willing to have us come to her church and present the high school workshop there. I asked her to call the church office to confirm the date we would be there, and she said,

“Yes, but first I have to get the kids started in their school work, put in the laundry, set up the meal in the crockpot, fix lunch for my husband and feed the toddler, then I’ll call the church, so is it okay if I call you back in 20 minutes!”

Pg 145: "Digestive" time

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 12:04:11 -0500

Family

Someone has said children learn like they eat. They cannot keep “taking in” stimulating things without a break -- just like they can’t keep eating without a break. They need time to digest what they eat and time to digest what they learn.

If not provided by the parents, the child might take their own “break” from the stimulation -- it might show up as a tantrum, or defiance, or some other no

Pg 144: Amish fathers, their lesson for us

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 12:02:32 -0500

Family

Sometimes you just need to hang around. Linger in the kitchen, stay a little longer at the table. Lay down on the living room floor.

Just be around. You don’t have to say anything, you may not need to do anything. Just hang around where the rest of the family is. Be available so the children can say stuff, so your wife can remember something she’s been trying to tell you...so your children can see that you’re available.

In the Amish community the houses are built with huge kitchens. Near the stove, they build a woodbox or coal bin that’s at least 6 feet wide...and about 3 feet off the floor, there’s a shelf built over the woodbox.

That shelf is where the father of the family lays down after he finishes eating, while the rest of the family lingers in the kitchen and cleans up -- the father stays right there with them.

The father’s presence has a powerful impact.

Pg 138: A picnic is no picnic

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 11:37:01 -0500

Family

There was an incident when I suggested to my wife that we take the children and go on a picnic up by the lake. She gave me some resistance, and I was taken aback -- I thought this was a valiant, honorable, caring thing to suggest -- a way to spend some family time.

She finally admitted that it was too much work. She was already wasted and didn’t need to think about packing lunches, drinks, towels, and all the rest. To he

Pg 137: Meatloaf to meatballs

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 11:31:53 -0500

Family

Emergency problem-solving comes in handy.

I was preparing the evening meal for the family when Stephanie and Carol came into the house. Stephanie’s fiance was coming to dinner, and Steph noticed I was mixing meatloaf.

She said, “Dad, I am sorry, but Luke does not like meatloaf."

Immediately the meatloaf beca

Pg 133:

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 11:20:41 -0500

Family

It appears to me that women need alone time.

I was reading recently that when you work until you’re frazzled, and you’re not effective in what you’re doing, you need to rest. And it isn’t your body that needs the rest, it’s your brain. If you can rest your brain (say with a 20-minute nap), your body is made to keep going like the Energizer Bunny.

Pg 129: "Your mother is your mother."

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 11:00:47 -0500

Family

Perhaps it doesn’t happen in your house, but in some homes the wife and the children might disagree or have a set-to.

Sometimes it might involve ME being forced to take sides. It’s okay to say something like, “You know, kids, your mom was my wife before you were my children. So I’m going to support mom in this."

Or you can try one of my favorites -

Pg 126: The forklift

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 08:52:58 -0500

Family

We ran the family business on a 100-acre farm. One Sunday afternoon, my sister and her family came to visit at the farm house.

As we visited, one of the flatbed 18-wheelers arrived the day before it was scheduled. This happened on other occasions and drivers would just settle in until Monday morning.

I thought I would empty the truck today and let this driver go home. I asked my 4-year old

Pg 108: Contact lenses

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 07:52:50 -0500

Family

When my 30-year-old niece got married, she came back to report, she had forgotten to pack the accessories for her soft contact lenses. It was the first night of the honeymoon, and she had no way to get the little left-right cases, solution, etc.

To solve this problem, she took a hotel drinking glass, used a little water, put her right contact lense in it, and put it to the far right-hand side of the sink. She put the left lense in a

Pg 106: Risk-taking, consequences

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 07:47:19 -0500

Family

I am a risk-taker. My wife is not. We came to agree that we would raise our children to be “limited” risk takers.

We taught them to take the kinds of risks that, if things went wrong, our family’s “net” could catch them and set them back on their feet.

The “net” is made up of our resources, support, and help woven carefully and stretched far and wide under their risk-taking high wire.

Pg 104: When we traveled...

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 07:42:53 -0500

Family

We traveled for the business and we traveled for family. Some of these trips took days.

Our elementary-age children sat up close to the front seat, asked questions, and listened to our stories. Family stories, church stories, school stories, sports stories, car stories, truck stories, funny stories, sad stories, vacation stories, and work stories.

The point is, they listen

Pg 095: Sitting next to myself

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 06:54:14 -0500

Family

As I walked though the living room, my 8-year old daughter was sitting in a strange position on the couch.

She was sitting upright, her feet on the couch in front of her, and her knees were bent way up to her chest. Then, to top it off, she pulled her T-shirt over her knees, way down to her ankles.

I asked her, “Stephanie, are you cold?"

She said, “No, I’m just sitting close to myself.” (A phrase I've never heard before.)