Notes from the latest Mom’s meeting

Hello, everyone! Last night, I attended the monthly Mom’s meeting, from the awesome home school group I’m apart of. Every time I go to these get togethers, I feel so spoiled to be there and learn so much from these amazing women. It was a fondue party, my first one. About ten of us sat at a large table, talking and having a great time. There were fondue pots on the table attached to extension cords, heating up Gruyere cheese for us to dip apples (that’s a new one), bread, and broccoli. As I learned that art of twirling my skewer of food in the pot, I listened to the women share what books have inspired them in homeschooling. The evening was wonderful, and I got home at midnight, a rare late night for me:) Time flies at these meetings. Many ideas were discussed. Needless to say, I took 4 pages of notes, and soaked in all the wonderful food for thought that was shared.
For those who are interested, here are a sample of my notes:)
Some good books that were spoken of:
Gift From The Sea-Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Thomas Jefferson Education For Teens-Oliver DeMille

A Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion-Oliver Demille

Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff For Teens-Richard Carlson

The Other 90%: How To Unlock Your Vast Untapped Potential For Leadership and Life-Robert K. Cooper (Looks super! Just bought it off Amazon for a penny today. I LOVE AMAZON!!)

Goodreads.com A website that has loads of books and reviews!
Some fun games that make for great teaching:
Games are a great addition to curriculum. I hope to keep learning fun for the boys. Its a great way to learn and retain knowledge. When I was in elementary school, my reading and spelling level was very high. Here’s the main reason why:

Remember the Speak and Spell game? I loved it, and played it all the time. (I’m totally getting it on Ebay soon! Just found it.) So, games can be a great way to learn!
Sum Swamp-Great math game!

Professor Noggin’s Card Games-(This link shows all the editions of the games) Fun card games that cover multiple topics. The mom talked about her kids playing these games, then hearing the facts they learned in movies they watched, like “Percy Jackson”

Wildcraft-A neat game that teaches about herbs.

While we’re on the subject of games, here’s one that I have heard awesome things about:
Learning Resources Money Bag-A Coin Value Game

Classical Kids-CDs that teach about the classical artists

Some neat thoughts:
A sign in one homeschooler’s school room:
1. We respect the rights of others.
2. We are free to make mistakes while learning.
3. Its intelligent to ask for assistance.
4. Take time to think.
5. Have courage to risk.
6. We don’t have to know everything today.
(Beautiful and encouraging words:)
Teach friendship skills, and to be a good listener. Set family rules and boundaries, and stick to them.
If you’re not going to stick to it, (such as “I’m going to ground you for a month!”) don’t say it. Kids will call you on your dishonesty.
Homeschooling is not for everyone.
Create a safe place for your kids.
Sit and talk about stories. Infuse your life with stories.
A fun game: The ‘age’ game; Say an age to someone, and have them tell a story about themselves when they were that old. Neat!
“When homeschooling, the influences from the world come into the home in manageable portions. When the kids ask questions, I’m able to filter the answers and give age appropriate responses.”
When asked about teaching merits, one mom responded “I have a degree in life".
Do your best and enjoy it.
Play the learning games with your children.

All of the books and games above could be applied to any learning, not just homeschooling. There is such a wealth of resources to help learning be fun, enriching, and spiritually uplifting, its amazing! I just wanted to share that with you guys:)
One last closing quote:
“There is no passion to be found playing small-in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” Nelson Mandela

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