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I received so many good questions about our homeschooling journey on Instagram recently that I decided to turn it into a little series! I'm going to answer one question once or twice a week until we are done. If you have any to add, please comment below!
How do you balance teaching one kid and managing other kids that are too young for school?
I get asked this question quite a bit. I was honestly a little nervous myself about how to balance older kids and babies before we started homeschooling, but I've found it to be not as big of a deal as I thought it would be. I touched on this question when I wrote about our routine in my mid-year homeschool update, but these are some things that have been helping us quite a bit.
1) I include the younger kids where possible. For things like our daily Morning Time, Bible, and History, we do those subjects all together. The little kids love to sing and memorize just as much as the big kids. Our history curriculum is made of picture books, and the little ones enjoy hearing the stories as well (I only make the big kids narrate back to me). And Bible time is something I always want to do all together.
2) We do all-together subjects during mealtimes. The little kids are alot quieter when they have food to keep them occupied. I've also considered implementing play-dough mats, coloring books, bead-stringing, and other hand-busying activities for the little ones while I read, but I actually haven't had to resort to that yet because mealtimes have worked so well.
3) We do one-on-one instruction during the little kids' nap/quiet time. I've tried doing reading lessons and math while the little ones play in a different room - while possible, I've found it's a little more distracting to my big kids when I do that. They wonder what fun they are missing out on. I've mostly done individual instruction while the little ones are napping in the afternoon. It extends our school day longer than if we did all our work in the morning, but having a quiet house and a more focused child is a worthy trade-off to me. I imagine this will shift as the kids all get bigger.
4) I know we don't need a four-hour chunk of time to do school. I think I might have a little bit of an advantage here as a homeschool graduate myself, because I knew ahead of time that one of the perks of homeschooling is that you can get the work done whenever it works best for you. This isn't public/private school. You aren't running a school at your home - school is just incorporated into your life. We do history lessons during mealtimes, math lessons on the couch, reading lessons in the car. We break subjects up into bite-size chunks, take lots of breaks in between for playing and cleaning up messes, and put subjects off to the next day if everything gets too crazy and falls apart. You are allowed to do that! I wrote a while back about why I do not make daily plans - I make weekly plans, and that takes a ton of pressure off. Instead of only having this one day to finish this one thing, I know I have the whole week. That helps alot when you are trying to homeschool with little ones underfoot.
(All five of my babies, listening to Wyatt read in the playroom. My heart just melts.)
Homeschool moms with babies - what do YOU do about the little ones while homeschooling?
Can you tell my succulents are fake in this picture? If you remember, I asked you all to help me figure out what to do with the ledge in this post, and I found these succulent planters. They are still pretty even if they are fake, right?
A few things I enjoyed in February!
Herman Who?
As an average person, I have never taken a class in hermenuetics (the art and science of biblical interpretation), but after watching this DVD I feel like I have! Todd Friel put out this mini-course on hermenuetics, and it's basically a college-level course condensed and brought to the average Christian in an entertaining way. I love the different examples he gives of why hermeneutics is important, and I basically wish I could give a copy of Herman Who? out to every single Christian I know. If everyone understood proper hermeneutics and took it seriously, we'd have so many less Christians caught up in false teaching and silliness. Highly, highly recommend this course. Derek and I have been watching it together in the evenings, and we have learned so much. You can grab a physical or digital copy here.
I also have to note that pretty much anything Todd Friel puts out is gold around here. They have one of their resources available to watch for free right now called "What Hath Darwin Wrought?" - just click here and go through the steps (donating is optional). If you don't know the connections between darwinism, racism, and eugenics, you'll want to check it out.
The Greatest Gift
This is a kids' book that my dear friend and penpal from childhood, Felicia, sent me as part of her Christmas present. I read it to the kids yesterday, and all of us LOVED it! The illustrations are perfect, and the story is a retelling of the story of the widow with the two copper coins, from Mark 12. It even has discussion questions in the back, so it was perfect for our Bible time! I kind of want the next book in the series now. Felicia's husband illustrated this book too, and wow, I was impressed. It wouldn't be nearly as cute without the beautiful illustrating work! You can check it out here. I'm basically going to share too many pictures now, because I enjoyed the illustrations so much.
Serial Reader
This app is just the thing my reading life never knew it needed. It serializes classic books. You pic the ones you want, "subscribe", and it sends you a 10-15 minute reading "issue" each day. Before you know it, you've read a classic book! I love this app for so many reasons - it makes the classics feel more attainable, and I think it's so clever since many classic books were actually originally published as serials in magazines (including one of my current picks, North And South). I am also reading The Secret Garden, Grimm's Fairy Tales, Our Mutual Friend, and The Wind In The Willows through the app right now. I want to tackle Democracy In America next. Have I mentioned all this is free?
The Astronaut Wives Club
I was at the library a couple weeks ago and spotted this TV mini-series on the wives of the first astronauts. I have been watching it and it is so interesting! The stories of these women sucked me in. It leans a little feminist here and there (I am not a feminist in the modern sense), but overall I have really enjoyed it! I also started listening to the audiobook, and it's just as good as the show.
This Article On Homeschooling
I don't know how I ran across this new blog, but Jane's article on 9 Reasons Why Homeschool Is A Blessing To Our Family - well, basically I could have written it myself. I think often families are running away from something they don't like in the public school environment when they choose to homeschool, which is entirely valid - but I also love to hear from someone who, like me, is not just running away from something but running toward something that we see in homeschooling.
The Minimalist Home
One more book! Full disclosure: Once upon a time I was supposed to be on the launch team for this book, and I received my free launch team copy in the mail right after we moved. I greatly underestimated how much I would NOT want to declutter right after moving and remodeling, so I did not read this book as quickly as I wanted - out of guilt, ha! I'm slowly getting back into gently minimizing though, and this book is the perfect inspiration! I am enjoying it so far. If you need some more minimalist inspiration after your "tidying up" purge (am I the only one who didn't watch that special?), I'd recommend this one! I'm finding The Minimalist Home by Joshua Becker helpful and inspiring while also being realistic. Full review coming as soon as I finish it (I've been listening to part of it on audio as well and the audiobook is great).
Do you have any new finds from February?
It's Middle Grade March!
If you have never watched the bookish corner of Youtube - affectionately referred to as "Booktube" - then you might not know that March is the month to read middle grade books! All the cool kids are doing it.
I had actually not read many middle grade books since..well, middle school, until a couple years ago. I discovered Sarah Mackenzie's podcast, Read-Aloud Revival, and was inspired for the first time in many years to pick up a middle grade book, a book written for the 8-12 age group. The one I picked was The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt, which I read in the wee hours of the morning on my phone, when I was awake nursing Georgie after she was born.
After reading that book, I wondered why I ever stopped reading middle grade.
So I'm here today to tell you, if you haven't picked up a middle grade book in a while, you might consider finding a good one! Here are a few things I appreciate in middle grade books as an adult.
1. They are generally clean.
If you have picked up any recently published adult fiction books that aren't Christian, you know of which I speak. Some things I can overlook in my fiction, and some things I can't. It's a bummer to get part way through a book and then have to put it down because they crossed the profanity/violence/sexual content line. It's not good for my soul, as a believer in Christ, to be constantly immersed in things that are not pure, lovely, admirable, etc (Philippians 4:8). Sometimes I just want a break from wading through smuttiness, and aside from Christian books which can generally be trusted, middle grade is a nice place to turn.
2. They deal with relevant themes (if they are good), while remaining hopeful.
Just because a book is written for a younger age group, doesn't mean it's not going to have meaningful content. Alot of the middle grade books that I've read have given me alot to think about. They often deal with themes that even adults can relate to, like grief for example, but they more often retain a sense of hopefulness about them since they are written for kids.
3. They are quick to read.
If you are struggling to get through books as an adult with a busy life (that's all of us, right?), middle grade is nice because middle grade books are quick to read. If you are in a reading slump, middle grade is the way to go.
4. They bring back memories!
So many middle grade books take me back to memories of a carefree stage of my life, when I was a kid figuring out who I was. I have a weak spot for a good coming of age novel, and alot of middle-grade books have coming-of-age themes, while keeping it light and fun and inspiring (and clean).
5. They give me a head start on screening books for my kids.
I try to write really thorough reviews of the middle-grade books that I read so I can remember any themes or content that I'll need to discuss with my kids when they eventually read these books.
All that to say, I love middle-grade, and give middle-grade a chance! Middle Grade March is a good month to start.
Here is my reading list for Middle Grade March:
(Some affiliate links here.)
Pay Attention, Carter Jones and Lizzie And The Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt - I'm pretty much there for anything Schmidt writes after reading The Wednesday Wars.
Dead End In Norvelt by Jack Gantos - I heard this one was quirky and fun and had a Schmidt-like flair to it!
Louisianna's Way Home by Kate DiCamillo - I read Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo a couple years ago, and this book is about one of the side characters.
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall - Am I the only one who hasn't read this? It feels like everyone has.
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin - I heard this book is like the game of Clue, so I obviously have to read it.
Famous Mistakes: Nancy Drew Diaries by Carolyn Keene - I have an abiding love for anything Nancy Drew, so I obviously have to see what this new series is doing with her - they better not mess up Nancy! I'm also reading this to screen for Gwen to potentially read it someday.
Sweep: A Story Of A Girl And Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier - I'm not really into books that have anything to do with monsters, but this is the read-along they are doing on Booktube for Middle Grade March, so I thought I'd give it a try.
Inside Out And Back Again by Thanhha Lai - The first book I'm ever going to attempt that is written in verse (also potentially my last? I'm not sure about this).
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia - I bought this last year at a library sale and need to see what it's all about!
If I focus I think I can definitely get through all of these in March - I told you, middle grade books are quick reads!
Have you read any of these? Do you read middle grade books as an adult? What is your favorite middle grade book?
A couple weeks ago, we hit our 100th day of school for the year. I have seen alot of celebrations for the 100th day in public schools, in which parents are supposed to dress their children up like 100-year-olds. It's adorable and funny and completely... something that I have no desire to do! As an un-crafty mom, one of the perks of homeschooling to me is that I don't have to come up with themed costumes and seasonal crafts unless I want to, ha! So I'll just do a mid-year recap to mark our 100th day instead. Here is how it's going:
Curriculum and My Plan
I am actually very happy with all the curriculum I picked for this year, and I have no complaints! You can read in-depth about my second grade and kindergarten plan in this post, but here is a quick summary:
Reading: All About Reading/ All About Spelling
Writing: Institute For Excellence In Writing
Math: Rightstart
History: Beautiful Feet Books for ourselves, and Story Of The World for co-op.
Science: ? A mix, but mainly Building Foundations Of Scientific Understanding
Geography/Social Studies: My Story (Master Books)
I'm going to be really honest and say we have been doing fantastic at staying on schedule with the first four subjects listed there, but Science and Geography? Not so much.
A week before Christmas we had "Science Week" and knocked out several science lessons (lessons I had hoped to do once a week - oops). Science Week actually worked really well for us, so I think we will be doing something similar toward the end of the year. We are on track to finish our reading curriculum early, and I'm thinking that before I pick up the next level, we may incorporate a couple weeks where we do some science lessons in leu of formal reading instruction. I'd also like to point out that I have a very science-y second grader, and he reads almost exclusively about science-related topics during his free time. I totally count that.
As far as our Geography/Social Studies book, I think I'm just going to call that a casualty of the year and move on. The kids are getting different social studies and geography lessons naturally as we discuss our history lessons, so I am okay with not making it through the book I had picked out for Wyatt this year.
Our Routine
It was difficult for us to get into a routine during the first part of this year because we had several weeks when we were packing/moving/unpacking/major remodeling, so we had to squeeze schoolwork in wherever we could. It got done, but there was no routine. Now that we are (mostly) settled in and there is no major remodeling going on, I have been pleasantly surprised by how we have found our rhythm.
This is how our ideal homeschool day looks. Keep in mind this is an ideal. Usually we end up not doing at least one of these things each day, but over the course of a week it all evens out.
-Morning Time during breakfast. This time would include our hymn singing time, Bible reading, Bible memorization, catechism, and other memory work.
-Play time. I let the kids get all their energy out, and they play most of the morning while I read, bake, clean, or write.
-History over lunch. Our history curriculum uses picture books to teach American history, and my kids love it. We read it, I have the two big kids narrate what they remember back to me, and we discuss the chapter.
-Individual instruction in the afternoon. The little ones go down for nap/quiet time after lunch. While I'm getting them settled, I usually have the big kids work on copywork, writing projects, or math practice. Then I spend nap time doing bookwork with the big kids. On a good day we knock out math for both kids, reading for both kids, and writing and spelling for Wyatt (Gwen doesn't do these subjects yet).
-Fun stuff after nap. If I have a good amount of energy, then after the little kids wake up we might do an extra "fun" subject, like a drawing tutorial or a nature walk.
I know this is kind of unusual for a homeschool schedule - most homeschoolers like to finish school in the morning and have free time in the afternoon. However, with the little ones, it really works better for us right now to do schoolwork during their nap time. I thought I would really miss having nap time to myself, but I don't. My kids keep each other so occupied with play, that most mornings I still have time for things I want to accomplish, and often time to relax and read too. I think I actually get more "me time" with this schedule than if I reversed it, because my big kids don't nap anymore anyway and they get bored during nap time if we don't have schoolwork to do.
My Developing Philosophy
As a homeschool mom, I've grown and changed alot this year. I'll probably write a full post at the end of the year with lessons I've learned about homeschooling and some of the philosophies I'm developing for our family, but as a quick preview/recap, these are some things that teaching each subject has taught me this year.
Reading: It's amazing how much your child can improve in reading skills when you quit giving them reading lessons over break. It seems counter-intuitive, but I'm amazed every time.
Writing/Spelling: I have never worried about adding in writing (as in composition/creative writing) and spelling until my child has some solid reading skills under their belt, and it's worked really well for us thus far. Formal writing and spelling has been no big deal with Wyatt so far this year (aside from complaining about copywork, but I'm pretty sure that's normal).
History: The biggest struggle with history has been helping the kids remember what we read, which is why I have them narrate back to me (read more about narration here). We were getting a little sloppy about narration until I gave Wyatt and Gwen a talk and told them I'm serious about it and there would be consequences for them if they did not pay attention and have a reasonable narration to give me after our readings (I have no idea what the consequence would be, I just said that, ha!). It's amazing how many details they have been remembering since then. Note To My Future Self: Do not slack off on narration! It's worth it to do it right.
Science: You do not have to do science every day, or even every week. You can cram it all into two weeks at the end of the year if you want. It makes no difference in the end.
Math: I purposely planned for Gwen to only make it through one half of our math curriculum in her kindergarten year, and it was absolutely a good decision. This year I've really been ironing out my math philosophy for my particular kids, and if I had to sum it up I'd say it's "slow and steady wins the race". If a kid is specially gifted at math and can get ahead of grade level easily, that's great! But at this elementary stage, my main goal is that they progress, they like it (as much as can be reasonably expected), and they feel like they are fairly good at it. Sometimes maintaining those three things means choosing to take it slow instead of pushing ahead. I think sometimes the difference between a high schooler who is good at math and one who isn't is a matter of their attitude toward math. I'd like to build a foundation of a good attitude toward math now.
Geography/Social Studies: I sort of understand why these are separate subjects, but sort of not. Aren't these things incorporated into history lessons? That's how we are approaching it anyway.
As I was preparing to write this post, I asked some of my Instagram buddies (follow me here) if there were any topics they'd like me to cover in this mid-year post. I got so many good questions! I touched on some of those topics in this post, but I decided to actually turn some of those questions into their own posts. So stay tuned!
(My munchkins, minus Georgie.)
How is the school year going for all of you? (Homeschool or private/public schoolers, feel free to comment!)
Dear Candy Hearts, I love you. I love you too much, especially with tea. This has become a really unhealthy relationship. I'm thinking of breaking it off on Valentine's Day.
Dear Galentine's Day, Are you actually a thing? Like, do people actually get together with their girlfriends on Galentine's Day? How do I get in on that?
Dear Husband, Why is it so hard to buy you presents?
Dear Snow, It's time for your mid-year performance review, and I have to say, your results are above average. You've beautified the landscape, and you haven't melted off right away. Keep up the good work.
Dear Red Rising Series, Why are you so hard to put down? You are vulgar. You are violent. You killed off alot of the characters I liked. You are everything I don't like in books. If you were a human, we would not be friends. So why can't I stop reading??
Dear Birds, Just sit. Sit still. Just for a minute, so my bird-crazy boy can get a picture of one of you. Please and thank you.
Dear Homeschooling, You are so much more fun than I thought you would be when we first met. And I thought you would be pretty fun. Those days when I cried because I thought we weren't getting along, they were just a phase. I didn't mean what I said. If it happens again, just disregard. In my saner moments (like now) I think there is something special here, and I know you can handle my crazy. This relationship is worth fighting for.
Dear Churches Everywhere, At the risk of being shouted down for dipping my toes into the broiling controversy of church music - my friend, it shouldn't be that hard to get the music volume level right. It's not that complicated - I need to be able to hear the words and I need to feel like I can sing along. If I can't hear the words or sing along, I fail to see the point of getting to you in time for the music. If the music is too quiet, I hear myself sing too much, and realize I'd be one of those people that are laughed off the stage on American Idol, which is not fun for me or anyone around me. If the music is too loud, I can't understand a word those people up front are saying, and I can't hear myself sing, and I can't hear anyone else sing, and I start to wonder what the point of all this noise is anyway, and I fear my eardrums may bleed when I leave. Let's just try to avoid both these things, please.
Dear People Everywhere, Think of something more interesting to say about my five kids than "you have your hands full". If I had a dollar for every time I heard that phrase, I'd never have to scrounge for coffee money again. Preferably, pick something that is not rude, and bonus points if it's encouraging (because as you've noted EVERY DAY OF MY MOM-LIFE, yes, this is quite a job). Comments on the cuteness of my offspring are always welcome.
P.S. People Everywhere, if you want to GIVE me a dollar each time you utter the aforementioned phrase, then please continue. This mom needs her coffee.
(Moi on our nature hike the other day, powered by coffee.)
I'm going to try something new here on the blog and share different things I'm liking or loving each month. I always enjoy reading these kinds of posts myself, and I'm hoping to put together my own once a month as part of my blog goals this year. We'll see how it goes!
The Book With No Pictures - My kids are finally old enough to find this book completely hilarious, and what makes them happy makes me happy. Also check out the book I'm Just No Good At Rhyming. Derek and I have laughed our way through the title poem, but the kids were cracking up at "The Sweetest Lullaby Ever" and "Hey Kids! Get Your Parents To Read This Poem!" You have to have a goofy side to your personality to make any of these work!
Wild Thing podcast - You all know I live in the mountains, and supposedly people have sighted Bigfoot in our area. I think there was even an episode of Finding Bigfoot filmed here. There is a local Bigfoot club. I know people who believe Bigfoot is a real thing. I'm not convinced it's not a real thing. After visiting Washington last year and seeing how much wilderness is out there, I can see how something might be able to hide in those woods. Anyway, if you have even a little part of you that is interested in learning more about Bigfoot, Wild Thing is a fun podcast to check out! It's an investigative podcast about...you guessed it...Bigfoot.
You probably could skip episode 2 since it's all about evolutionary theories (which I don't agree with), and watch out for one inappropriate part in episode 8 that you'll have to skip past - but also, my town is mentioned in that episode, ha! Told you, Bigfoot is big here (no pun intended, but it's funny right?).
These two articles - Weirdly, in the last month two completely unrelated friends have brought up the same question: "What happens to people who never get an opportunity to hear the gospel?" I've been frustrated with myself for not being as concise and clear as I wish I could be during these recent discussions, because the Bible is clear on what happens to people who never hear about Jesus. It's a hard question and perhaps a hard answer, but "there is no other name under Heaven by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:10-13). It is only through Christ that we are saved. These two articles solidly answer this question biblically, and say everything I was trying to say to my friends, only better. Definitely worth a read if you've ever ran into (or wondered about) this question. What Happens To Those Who Have Never Heard About Jesus? Can A Person Be Saved Through General Revelation?
Also a quick note: I think if someone in a remote tribe (for example) is truly seeking after God, that is a work He has begun in their heart, and He will get the Gospel to them. It's important to remember that God is infinitely more compassionate and just than we are, and everything He does is good and right. You have to start with that understanding or this question can never be answered satisfactorily.
Little Letters Linkup - I've been thinking alot about old-fashioned blogging this month, not just what happened to old fashioned blogging, but whether and how it can make a comeback. As far as I can tell, there are precious few old-school linkups still going, which is a pity - I used to find so many other blogs to read through a good linkup. They used to be very social things, where you wouldn't just drop your link and run, but you'd take time to look around and make connections with other bloggers. Well, recently I came across this "Little Letters" linkup. Guys, I think we should participate! Sharing mini-letters to random things in your life - old-fashioned blogging used to be all about this sort of post, and I want to support it. So keep an eye out for my little letters post in the next few days, and write one too if you want!
The Big Words Of The Bible Cards - Still loving these cards, which you can read more about here.
Snow - We had several snow days in January, and I am loving the snow so much! It's supposed to snow again today, and I couldn't be happier. It's pretty, and it's moisture. If we don't get snow, then there is a much higher likelihood of wildfires in the summer. So bring on the white stuff!
Did you find any new stuff you like in January?
My arms are filled with laundry as I trudged up the stairs, turning the corner to put the clothes away. Why is it that the laundry is never done? I think to myself. But my steps slow down as I near the girls' room - one of them is singing in there. I turn my hear to listen, and recognize one of the lines (amidst some other made-up words). To God be the Glory, great things He has done! The words drift out of the bedroom, and I feel a laugh bubbling up in my chest.
One of my greatest joys right now as a mom is to randomly catch one of my children singing a line to hymn. Or to hear an echo of a catechism question or Bible verse we've been working on as they chatter to other people. It doesn't happen all the time, but every couple months I catch one of them repeating something that we've been working on, and it makes my heart so happy.
This year one of my focuses with the kids has been developing a morning time routine. Not only for our homeschooling, but also as a dedicated time each day to pour eternal truths into my kids. We usually sing a hymn, work on memorizing catechism questions and Bible verses, and read from our Bible, and perhaps one other book.
I haven't even been as consistent with this as I would like, but somehow things are still soaking through. It's moments like the one above that remind me why I need to be consistent, why this is important. I want these truths hidden in their hearts.
This week I have been thinking over a few things that I am trying to remember as I teach my children about Jesus, since we just got a new resource that I am excited to add to our morning Bible time routine (see the end of this post!). I thought I'd share a few of my little Bible-time "notes to self" here.
Note To Self #1 - Don't refer to the Bible as a "storybook". To be honest, I'm still working on this one, but I am really trying to not talk about reading a "Bible story" to my kids. Every other time I tell the kids we are going to read a "story" from a picture book, I'm reading them something that is not true. I don't want my kids to get the idea that the Bible is just full of nice "stories". I want them to know it is history!
So we don't read "Bible stories", we read the "biblical account" of history. We don't talk about "Bible characters", we talk about "biblical figures". It's a small shift, but I want my kids to know that this isn't a bunch of fiction - these are accounts of people that really lived, and things God really did!
Note To Self #2 - Memory work matters. I need this reminder sometimes because when we are having a busy week, our Bible memory work is one of the first things to drop off - but it shouldn't be. I know from firsthand experience that the best way to truly know God's word is to embed it into your mind from a young age. When I was a kid, we memorized around a hundred verses each year, trying to earn our way to summer camp as part of a program at our church. Now when I'm facing a tricky situation or doing something wrong or hearing something from a speaker that's just a bit off, the Holy Spirit brings to mind one of the verses I learned as a child. I may not always remember the reference, but the words are there, hidden in my heart. I want that for my kids too, for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). And the only way to get God's word hidden in their hearts is consistency (and maybe a healthy dose of bribery motivation).
Note To Self #3 - Kids can understand theology. And probably a lot more than we typically give them credit for. One of my current pet peeves is when Bible lessons are dumbed down for little ones. Instead of giving them the real meat of God's word, I think we too often give them a lick and then take the meal away!
I think I first started to realize this when one of my children asked me why we still sin if Jesus takes our sins away. Instead of giving a light answer, I had to really dive into our sin nature and justification and sanctification - how Jesus paid for our sins and gives us His righteousness, so we are justified before God when we trust in Him, but we still struggle with sin as God continues to sanctify us while we are on the earth. Obviously I had to define these words, but I was shocked at how much my little five year old understood! We underestimate our kids too often.
Note To Self #4 - It's okay to make religion fun for kids. Lest you think it's all serious doctrinal discussions around here, I have to point this out (and remind myself of this too)!
I don't take many points from Dennis Prager on religion, since he is not a believer in Christ, but this last Christmas I watched one of his videos where he talked about why it's good to make religion fun for kids. What he said made so much sense to me. It gave me some peace of mind as I give my kids the presents, make the Bible-themed snacks (two [swedish] fish and five loaves [crackers], anyone?), play the games, sing the silly songs along with the great ones! I want to make Bible time fun, so they look back on it with fondness.
God willing, someday each of my kids will grow to the point where these things I am trying to teach them become personally meaningful and life-changing, as the Holy Spirit convicts them and they truly realize their need for Christ and turn to Him in repentance and faith. I pray for that and it's the reason why I am teaching them in the first place. But for these little years, they really still need it to be fun too. It's serious work, teaching our kids about Jesus, but there is no reason we can't laugh while we do it - it may even help it to stick better!
One of the things I do to keep Bible time fun for all of us is to look for new resources periodically to refresh out routine. We have the Bible we like to use, and the hymn book we sing from, and I am trying to rotate some other resources in and out. So I was so excited to be able to be on the launch team for these wonderful "Big Words Of The Bible" cards from Tiny Theologians!
These cards each represent and important Greek or Hebrew word that it would be helpful for kids (or you!) to know. I knew some of these, but some of them are new to me as well! I am going to add these to our Bible time rotation - we will discuss one each day until we get through them all, and then work on memorizing them. I am so excited to have a colorful fun resource that also teaches Greek and Hebrew vocabulary words that will be so helpful for my kids (and me) to learn!
The cards are launching on Friday!
I'll be reminding you on Instagram if you are interested in snagging a set, or you can hop over and follow Tiny Theologians to stay updated and see all their resources (I'm eyeing the ABC Attributes Of God cards and the Fathers Of The Faith cards too)!
Note: I am on the launch team for the Big Words Of The Bible cards and received a set for free from Tiny Theologians!
Note: I am on the launch team for the Big Words Of The Bible cards and received a set for free from Tiny Theologians!
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