The Winter Blues

Burn Out, Classroom Help, Informative

Written with Permission
By Debbie Slaughter
HeritageCreek.blogspot.com
www.TOSMagazine.com

This time of year is really tricky for teachers, at least those of us who teach at home. Recently I’ve come across several women (fellow homeschooling moms) who are tired and weary. Some are ready to give up and stick their kids in the public school; others are just in need of some changes at home. Let me just say, “Been there; done that.”

I have experienced those feelings before: being weary of the same old routine (or lack thereof) and feeling like I’m cheating my children out of activities, friends, and academic success. All of these feelings would hit me at the same time every year—right after Christmas. (more…)

READ MORE

What Can I Do When My Child Is Hurting?

Burn Out, Classroom Help, Informative, Special Needs

Written with Permission
By Zan Tyler
www.TOSMagazine.com

 

For three and a half years, my son Ty attended Covenant College on a soccer scholarship. During the fall of his junior year, after a particularly arduous practice, Ty suffered from a migraine headache. He used a newly prescribed medication and subsequently lost the vision in his right eye. The whole ordeal was a time of darkness and difficulty for me, although Ty embraced his loss with faith and handled the situation with grace.

Ty’s desire was to stay in college, so helping him accomplish that became our family goal for the year. (more…)

READ MORE

Homeschool Support Groups: Do You Need One?

Burn Out, Classroom Help, Informative, Preparing for College, Preschoolers, Single Parents, Special Needs

Written with Permission
By Pamela Greer
www.TOSMagazine.com

 

“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). The Bible clearly encourages employing the counsel of others in our endeavors, and homeschooling is no exception. With the myriad of choices and decisions regarding curriculum alone, the support of other like-minded individuals is vital. I could not imagine venturing through this journey alone.

When I was invited to join our support group, my 3-year-old and I were singing rhyming songs and playing Candy Land and identifying colors and shapes in library books. I was so new to homeschooling I didn’t know support was something I needed. Nearly ten years of homeschooling later, I think of my support group as more of a life support group. (more…)

READ MORE