Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Activity, Change, Progress

Tina Robertson

How Do I Socialize My Homeschooled Kids? Are We Really Talking About this AGAIN?

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

How Do I Socialize My Homeschooled Kids - Are We Really Talking About this AGAIN @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Tips for First-Time Homeschoolers

If there is one question we get asked over and over again as homeschoolers, it has to be, “How Do I Socialize My Homeschooled Kids?”.

It is a valid concern because nobody wants children that grow up to be social misfits. Again though, this has to be a topic where your definition of socialization has to be defined.

Start here to zero in on a well-rounded definition of socialization.

  • Is it interaction with other children their age?
  • Is it going places or field trips?
  • Is it being with people?
  • Is it knowing how to interact with people of different beliefs and cultures?
  • Is it knowing how to interact with children who are not their age?
  • Is it knowing how to carry on a conversation with an adult?
  • Is it knowing how to tolerate the company of younger children that throw temper tantrums?
  • Is it knowing how to be respectful to any who are not respectful in their speech or conduct toward homeschoolers?

Guess what? Homeschooling is ALL of those things!

Contrary to what some folks feel is homeschooling, the homeschooling environment has all those things I just mentioned.

I feel the bigger question and more important question to ask is this:

WHO IS GOING TO TEACH YOUR CHILD ALL THOSE THINGS?

In life, as my mom always told me somebody is going to inflict their will on your child. Isn’t that what a peer does?

Why then should that peer be somebody who does not care or cares little for your child? Why can’t the parent be the one who models the behavior or sets the pattern? A parent can be a peer.

However, we know kids love being with other kids and we want to nourish friendships.

In the homeschool world, each city or area is different in what they offer as far as activities.

Activities include homeschool football teams, basketball, volleyball, national spelling bees, Bible bees, geography bees, plays, reenactments, co-ops to learn just about any subject or topic under the sun from sewing, baking, cooking, being a responsible babysitter, to legos and robots.

Check out my article Day 6: Homeschool Hangouts & Socialization Situations
Check out my 5 Days series on a Homeschooling Co-op Convert

Adopt your definition of socialization and whatever definition you adopt, be sure the emphasis is on family learning.

Sure, we all could probably go for days and not leave the because we love our homes and set it up for relaxed learning.

However, I have seen homeschoolers focus only on the needs of one or two of  their children instead of learning together as a family.

Why is this fine point worthy of mention?

Because it goes straight to the heart of socialization, which is that its the right, responsibility and privilege of the family to foster social skills. The whole homeschool journey should not just revolve around one or two kids because life is not like that.

Parents model social skills by reacting to various scenarios throughout the day and thus model behavior that children will want to follow.

Beginning with the family is a great place to start socializing homeschooled kids!

What about you? Have you over joined too many support groups and need to spend more time together as a family?

Hugs and love ya,

Tina Signature 2015c

Inspiring Your Homeschooled Kids to Do Chores – Cleaning or Character Building?

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Teaching parents about how to inspire homeschooled kids to do chores was one of those hotly debated topics always in my workshops.

Answers varied on motivating kids from stars on a sticker chart to a treasure trunk of surprises to pick from at the end of the day to more device time.

Though this can be a delicate subject because topics of this nature head straight toward parenting skills or the lack thereof, sharing a few things that worked for me may make your path a bit smoother.

I too was counted among those that tried all of the “solutions” mentioned above and a whole host of others.

Inspiring Homeschooled Kids to Do Chores - Is It About Clearning or Character Building @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

See, I wanted my kids motivated, but what I hadn’t realized yet was that what is appropriate at one age is not the same at another.

On top of that, something else much more significant was being developed than worrying about an age appropriate reward system. More on that in a minute.

Looking back now, I can say it is perfectly acceptable to reward children for work well done.

I think about when my husband was in sales and he got bonuses for staying on task and completing his work. Rewards are a natural part of life.

However, what I have really come to appreciate more is that type of reward is momentary.

A reward only lasts a short time and doesn’t really build in our children, as they grow older, a sacrificing spirit of love.

If we don’t teach our sons and daughters from an early age to have a spirit of serving others, no amount of academics can make up for it. Who cares what you know then?

Have you ever heard nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care? It’s true.

So how do we motivate our children?

3 Ways to Inspire Our Homeschooled Kids to Do Chores

The same way we are.

  • It comes from the intrinsic value we receive from seeing our family members cared for and knowing they are loved.

Thanking kids for their support after they cleaned their rooms or did some other chore may seem like a little thing, but it is not.

This is the way I instilled compassion into my sons because they too want to be part of something greater and feel that they matter. As a side point, independence and confidence is built when they independently handle chores.

So not only do they get that good feeling that comes from helping others, but chores foster self-reliance.

  • If our children receive loving, not harsh words from us when tending to their chores and see how the rest of the family benefits, then they are happy and satisfied.

This is not idealistic, but realistic. This is not an attitude that exists in the world today where the me first attitude exists.

  • In addition, it is much better to give them simple chores each day than to take one or two days sporadically where there is nothing but drastic top to bottom to cleaning.

I am not talking about those times we have to do that to the house, but I am talking about on a regular basis to keep chores simple and regular.

When I look at chores now I don’t see chores, but I see more character building.

I am grateful that on days when I cried because I was outnumbered by little ones and the house looked the same way in the late evening like it did early morning, that I took time to make my sons do chores.  Progress was barely visible, but the positive impact it made on them as they reached adulthood are beyond what I can hardly put into words.

Not only are they hard working, but enjoy chores and know that chores are a valuable part of each day.

Cleaning is about seizing timeless moments to build and mold the “gems” of the kind of persons I wanted my sons to be.

I really have come to appreciate that chores are about more than just cleaning house, taking out the garbage, feeding the pets, washing clothes and cooking.

They are ways that character is built and no amount of curriculum can make up for the time we spend with our children teaching them chores each day.

I encourage you to NOT just focus on your curriculum, but on teaching your children.

In the long run you get a clean house, but realize it’s not just about the chores, but the person you are raising.

Are you tired today? I promise, stay after it because it’s so worth it in the end.

Look at these other tips below:

3 Things to Avoid When Teaching Homeschooled Kids Beginning Composition

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.




Penmanship, copywork, and composition can be quite confusing understanding the purpose of each when you are new to teaching composition.

Cultivating the Creative Process

Penmanship is learning how to write and form letters, while composition is composing or crafting sentences to convey thoughts in an organized and logical way.

1. Practice does make perfect. Avoid Stop and Start.

The physical act of learning how to write comes before being able to pen words into beautiful thoughts.

The mistake made by many moms is not knowing in the beginning if your child is struggling with the actual physical act of penmanship or if it’s the actual process of of forming his thoughts down on paper in a coherent way.

You don’t know that until you sit down together and start writing.

3 Things to Avoid When Teaching Homeschooled Kids Beginning Composition @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool PlusToo, a lot of schools don’t have time to teach cursive anymore or think that writing will be obsolete soon. Assuming that your child has decent and legible handwriting before teaching composition is a common mistake.

There is nothing more frustrating for a new writer than to struggle with the physical act of writing with the added pressure of composing ideas.

2. Process over Product. Avoid Rushing the Flow of Thought Just to Put “Something” on Paper.

As I mentioned, composition is a mental process of learning how to organize thoughts and convey words that are easily understood. Handwriting is a physical process.

As you can see when a child is still struggling to write, then your expectations for a 5 paragraph essay may not be met. It is very laborious and children need a lot of encouragement.

It is important to emphasize to your child that writing is a process. Don’t assume they know that from the curriculum you are using.

Excellent composition curriculum has a way of taking them down a path to model that process, but some kids need to understand the big picture so they know what they are striving for.

Look at these steps to a good masterpiece:

  • Pre-writing;
  • drafting;
  • revising;
  • editing; and
  • publishing.

This takes time.

You can help by being consistent and choosing quality over quantity in the beginning.

It is better to write a few sentences each day than to go days without writing and then expect your child to sit down and go through the 5 step writing process.  Too, I’ve used many writing programs through the years and each one having something I needed at the time. I used WriteShop when my kids were young because it breaks the writing process down for me. In addition, an added perk for me is that it’s written by a homeschool mom. That means she understands my background is not in teaching. So plenty of hand holding, background information, and tips are given in the currriculum.

WriteShop Junior

3. Manageable Chunks. Avoid Handwriting in Areas that are not Important.

Also, cutting back writing on subjects that don’t matter like workbooks or working math problems orally will save the hand and brain power until composition time.

Copywork is also a valuable aid for any writer and not just new writers.

Is Writing Obsolete?

Copywork means to learn by mimicking good writers and copying short passages.

This trains the child to see and hear how well crafted passages, verses and prose should flow.

It is not meant to keep your child busy, but it is about him taking his time and learning by copying great writers of the past.

The mechanics of writing like punctuation is another part of learning to write correctly.

A visual picture of where commas, periods, and capitals are placed in the sentence helps your child to pay attention to the details in his writing.

WriteShop Primary

Understanding the basics of composition will help you to avoid common mistakes of teaching beginning composition.

What do you think? Have you already started to make a few of these mistakes?

Look at these other tips:

Hugs and love ya,

Check out these posts too:

Teaching Handwriting When Schooling the Early Years Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3

2016 Physical Year Calendar –2 Pages Per Month At A Glance. Dreaming Option

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

2016 Physical Year Calendar Dreaming 2 Pages at a Glance @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool PlusToday, I am sharing the 2016 Physical Year Calendar –2 Pages Per Month At A Glance with you. It is the dreaming option.

You know how sometimes you do something and then you realize it is a keeper?

After many of you have emailed me asking where is the 2016 option for this dreaming color combination, I decided to bring it back for 2016.

What I am so passionate about in my 7 Step Homeschool Planner is to keep it ever changing with color options and functions.

That is part of the reason I luv using it each year.  But some things, like this color combination makes my heart go pitter patter too.

So I brought it back as an option for you for 2016.

Curriculum Pages for Planner

Each month has a different color for the month name and on the note section, I kept the background white and bright.

It has a top right section, which is a task list.

Separating that from the bottom section which is more of a to do list for the month, it helps to divide priorities.

I tend to keep a running lists for tasks whether they are due that month or not.  And my to do for the month at the bottom is just that, things that need to get done by that particular month.  I think the reason I put that list at the bottom is that I am hoping it will go away too. {ha ha}

Whether you want to add an academic school year that runs from July to June {find them here on STEP 2. Option 2} or this physical year calendar for 2016 or you’re obsessed and using both like me, you decide what works for your unique planner.

Guess what? You can get it now for .99 cents!

TOS

Important: READ THIS FIRST.
Before you email me asking where your download link is or tell me that it is not working, read this to ensure that you get your pretties timely and that you don’t pay for something and not get it.
• All my products are digital. You will not receive a physical product for anything in my store. A digital physical year calendar does not mean a physical product or calendar.
• Downloads are INSTANT. When you pay, you will receive an email with a download link INSTANTLY. Depending on your internet connection, the email could be just 30 seconds or so, or a bit longer. The point is it will be soon, not a week later,etc.
• The email with the download link will go to the email you used for paypal. If you used your husband’s paypal, your downloads will go to that email. Please check that email and your spam before emailing me telling me you can’t find it.
• Please put my email tina @ tinasdynamichomeschoolplus dot com in your address/contact list so that your product does not go to spam.
MY GUARANTEE: To treat you like I want to be treated which means I know at times technical problems may cause glitches, so I will do everything possible to make your experience here pleasant. I value your business and value you as a follower. I stand behind my products because they are actual products I use and benefit from too. Though I cannot refund purchases after you have been given access to them, I will do what I can to be sure you are a pleased customer.


Hugs and love ya,

Tina Signature 2015c

7 Easy Steps – “Tons of Options & Pretty Color”

Step 1. Choose a Pretty Front/Back Cover

Step. 2. Choose Calendars/Appointment Keepers

Step 3. Choose Goals/Objectives

Step 4. Choose Lesson Planning Pages Right For You!

Step 5a. Choose Unique forms JUST for You!

Step 5b. Choose MORE Unique Forms JUST for You!

Step 5c. Choose MORE MORE Unique Forms Just for You!

Step 6. Personalize It

Step 7. Bind it! Love it!

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A Tisket, A Tasket a Back to Homeschool Organization Basket Giveaway – Swoon! Now CLOSED.

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. I HOPE YOU STICK AROUND AND FOLLOW ME. I LOVE MY FOLLOWERS AND DO GIVEAWAYS OFTEN.

Homeschool Organization A Back to School Basket Worth Swooning Over @ Tinas Dynamic Homeschool Plus

A tisket, a tasket a back to homeschool basket.

I just love that nursery rhyme and I especially love hosting this giveaway for the third year in a roll.

This year I have a homeschool organization basket giveaway filled with some of my favorite things that I swoon over.

Homeschool Organization Giveaway @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

I have all kinds of fun organizing tools in it.

From bins to a basket, from pins to pens, from zippers to hanging storage, I had fun picking out all kinds of fun things to help you get inspired.

It’s just overflowing with “organizational-ness”.

But that is not all!

I am also including my new Glam It Up package homeschool planner. {Note if you bought this already, I will refund you your money.}

Glam It Up Homeschool Planner @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool PlannerThen I love when my sponsors go the extra mile and love homeschoolers too.

Plus I think geography goes hand in hand with being organized.

Like Maggie Hogan says of Bright Ideas Press, “Geography—you’d be lost without it!”.

Something for the Big Kids

So one item they are including in my giveaway is the geography program, North Star Geography, (the digital download so the boys can read on their devices.)

I love using it for the boys because it emphasizes hands-on learning even at the junior high and high school level.

I am a stickler about keeping learning hands-on at the upper grades when most curriculum providers move into an all textbook approach.

So Bright Ideas Press is giving away a digital download of North Star Geography.

North Star Geography and WonderMaps Bundle

Oh, but that is not all.

Something for the Little Kids

They are also giving away in this basket the Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide. (Paperback, 352 pages K-12).

Note: Since this is a physical book, it will be shipped to you.
From their website: This one source book will provide you with everything you need to competently teach geography from kindergarten through graduation. Part lesson-plans, part idea book, part unit study and part inspiration!

Are you ready?

 Easy Rules – They always are!

Begins: Monday, August 17, 2015.  Ends: Friday August 21, 2015 @ 8:00 a.m. CST

Just comment here on my blog. {Go to the bottom of this page where it says LEAVE A REPLY after you finish reading all the sweet details.} The winner will be selected using random org and will be notified afterwards.

Also, because you can’t be a once a month email reader, if my winner does not respond to my email within 24 hours, I will choose another  winner.

  • 1. Open to US residents only. (I know, but I have some more giveaways coming up opened any resident.)
  • 2. You can comment twice. Comment 1 x time letting me know how long you have been following (best you can remember or if you are a new follower) and comment the second time about what you want to organize this year or something along that lines. You can keep it easy. I am about not fuss but love reading about you if you want to share.
  • 3. You have to be a blog follower. If you are not, I would love for you to follow. You can join by signing up in the box below and then be sure to confirm the automatic email that you get in your inbox. (It takes just a minute or so and then come back here to comment.)

    I wish ALL of you could have won, but I drew the winner.

    Congratulations to Lisa! Comment Number 362.

    Giveaway Winner Winner

    Let’s get this party started!!

    But this is a blog hop too.  This Back to Homeschool blog hop is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutual beneficial projects. Visit us on  Pinterest, Google Plus and Twitter .

    34 homeschool bloggers have joined together to provide one massive back-to-homeschool blog hop with each blog having a different giveaway! Take a peek at the 34 sites and enter to win as many baskets as you like.

    Click the image below to visit all the other giveaways from the homeschool moms of the iHomeschool Network.

    Gift-Basket-Collage-2015

    Linking up @ these awesome places:

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