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7 Unique Ways to Supplement U.S. History for High School

September 30, 2017 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

When I was taking paralegal courses after high school, I had an assignment to read Wills and Deeds from the 1800s at the local courthouse.

Losing track of time was easy as I was absorbed in reading not only legal language, but reading the household property that was bequeathed to family members.

Engaging US History

It was like stepping back in time as I read about the lives of past Americans. It was fascinating and stirred a love of not only the history of law, but of American history.

Remembering that time in my life, I was determined to supplement U.S. history for high school in a creative way.

I’ve rounded up 7 unique ways to supplement U.S. history for high school because engaging ways to learn history for high school can easily be overlooked.

One/ Read old documents.

Planning a trip to the courthouse to have your teen read old documents which are public record is a fun field trip for a teen.

Also, we used primary resources from Jackdaws when we read about Lewis and Clark.

Scanning, studying, and analyzing old documents are a wonderful way to allow a teen not only a chance to step back in time, but to develop critical thinking skills.

Two/ Historical reenactment.

Many areas in the states put on historical reenactments whether it’s the American Civil War or visiting the Plimoth Plantation.

Remembering the past by visiting and participating in historical reenactments is another way of bringing meaning to past events.

Instead of focusing on the terrible woes of war, we tried to focus on people that lived during that time and how they were were affected by the decisions made.

Three/ Watching documentaries or movies.

Using documentaries as a unit study opener is a great way to engage your high school kid.

I’m always looking at ways to connect what we’re learning about to a movie so that it’s more memorable.

Look at this quick list that hopefully will stir you or your teen’s creative juices:

  • Gone With the Wind
  • Lincoln
  • Amistad
  • The Searchers
  • Drums Along the Mohawk
  • The Alamo
  • Davy Crockett
  • Wyatt Earp
  • Far and Away
  • History of Henry Ford

Four/ Visit historical homes or towns.

Visiting a section of town like the French Quarter in New Orleans which is full of history widens your teens’ love of how other cultures influenced America, immigration issues, and architect.

Also, tour famous historical homes like the White House or Monticello.

Some homes are more famous than others, but many towns have a historical home or two preserved.

What better way to learn about Amelia Earhart than to visit her birthplace in Kansas?

Five/ Use American artifacts.

Whether it’s blue jeans or Fiestaware, this is a great site with a free teaching guide and writing activities using artifacts from American culture to teach history.

Six/ Field trips. And not to the Zoo.

Let’s just face it. Field trips at the high school level may seem harder to find. They are, but there are also many opportunities to extend a teen’s learning past a textbook on a field trip.

It may take a bit more creative wit, but the opportunities are there. Unless your teen is planning to be a zookeeper (which is great too) he probably has been to the zoo many times.

Look at these ideas for field trips for a teen that bring history alive:

  • Plan to attend a trial in the local courthouse or a court docket call. Check with the bailiff because he is the person that deals with the public. He may recommend an upcoming trial that would be permissible for your teen to sit in. We did this one time and my boys never forgot it.
  • I planned a trip to the federal money reserve for our teens to learn about the federal government and how money is made.
  • Our local ferry was a great way to learn about the history of the port and about early life on the coast.
  • Living near a major college, we watched showtimes for plays about history and got invited one time by local students.

SEVEN/ Supplement American history through reading about the life of an American.

We love the series of books by Genevieve Foster like George Washington’s World and Abraham Lincoln’s World.

Instead of thinking about the events in American history as isolated from the rest of the world, these books tie in other world events happening simultaneously as key American history events.

Studying U.S. history can be challenging when trying to make it engaging for a teen. Add one or two of these ideas and your teen won’t easily forget some of the key events of U.S. history.

I've rounded up 7 unique ways to supplement U.S. history for high school because engaging ways to learn history for high school can easily be overlooked. Click here to grab these AWESOME ideas!

You may also like:

  • 15 EASY History Ideas for Homeschooled Kids Who Don’t Like School
  • American Revolution and Free Lapbook
  • How to Create a Creditworthy American History Course (& resources)
  • How to Teach History in 14 Lessons (From Daunting to Doable)
  • 14 Fun and (maybe Frugal) Homeschool High School Electives
  • What You Must Know to Teach High School Unit Studies
  • 22 Awesome Homeschool History Field Trips.
  • How to Use a History Spine to Build Your Study of History

Hugs and love ya,

1 CommentFiled Under: Graduate a Homeschooler, Homeschool Teens _ From Teen to Graduation, Teach Homeschool History Tagged With: american history, early American history, history, history resources, homeschoolhistory, teens

3 Beginner’s Tips: Homeschool High School Literature

September 16, 2017 | 3 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have easy beginner’s tips for teaching homeschool high school literature. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool High School.

As if entering the high school years wasn’t daunting enough, you’re expected to be instantly informed about how to teach high school literature.

I began gathering teaching tips and resources for my first high school son.

However, all I could think of was my own high school years, and that was a long time ago.

Gradually, my basic plan for a starting point has changed as each son entered high school because my own high school experience was not much help.

3 Beginners Tips for Homeschool High School Literature. Look at this quick and easy overview to give you a heads up about what to expect. Click here to scoot by and read the AWESOME tips! #homeschool

Today, I want to clear away some of the mystery surrounding how to teach literature because I want to give you a beginning point.

Also, teaching high school literature is a very comprehensive topic.

Instead of taking you to the glazed-over-eyes point I want to stick to a basic foundation, which I think is more helpful.

Try to remember as I share the three beginner’s tips that you can build on them each year.

Try not to sock it all to your teen like I did in the beginning.

Look at my 9th Grade Homeschool High School – Avoid the Sock It to Them Attitude.

ONE/ Hone your definition of what is high school literature.

Literature is any written material.

That doesn’t help much so you need to help your teen understand what is the importance of studying literature.

Battle for the Mind

Try this.

Literature is any written material, but it normally means works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama which having artistic value and makes one think.

In addition, classic literature is written work that transcends time or has outlasted current thinking.

Too, great literature or masterpieces are written works that gives shades of meaning to their topics. Opinions, feelings and emotions will vary.

Whether it’s a short story with limited characters or poetry that reflects the author’s world, they all share identifying marks which are to move you and make you hate or delight in the undertone meaning.

And like one of my boys said, they just keep talking to you today.

Whether the material is about showing a stylistic technique or it’s an unusual genre, it’s a battle for the mind.

TWO/ Introduce literature through American, British, and World authors.

Something else I did wrong was to be all over the place when selecting curriculum.

No matter how organized my first high school teen was, I frustrated him because I didn’t have a method to my planning.

Dividing up grades or semesters by reading and analyzing poems, novels, and short stories from different parts of the world and different time periods gives your teen a well-balanced view.

3 Beginners Tips: Homeschool High School Literature. Look at this easy starting point!

For example, a study of World literature would obviously include authors from all over the world, but it should coincide with the different time periods of history.

This way you’re covering some of the greatest material from different ages.

Don’t forget the timeless tip of using one history book for analyzing literature while reading about history.

For example, when I read the novel by Dickens of A Tale of Two Cities with my boys, it gives a good view of the Victorian period and the French Revolution.

You’ll want to add to it by having your teen research a bit about the French Revolution unless he has already studied it.

Understanding the world the author has created or is writing about places your teen right in the middle of the conflicts.

The conflict of two distinct classes, the rich and the poor, along with the way Dickens explains sad times gives your teen a preview of not only literary topics, but history.

THREE/ Literary devices or terms need to be your framework.

I never required my boys to do a book report when they were younger, but I did require critical thinking skills and a broad understanding of literary devices in high school.

I would hear moans of how boring it was and I tried not to make it boring.

But, this is high school literature and the skills taught at these grades should equip your teen at the least to think like an adult.

Whether you’re preparing your teen for a college prep course or not, he still needs to learn how to think beyond black and white.

This is the time when your teen forms values, opinions, and beliefs and you need to look beyond the idea that you’re mutilating a good read.

How to Reflect on American, British, and World Literature

Making the connection to our belief system during our study time as we discussed it together was an unexpected benefit.

What I mean is that this is not just the time to read about boring literary devices, but the time to understand the message that the author is illustrating through literary devices.

Sometimes, it’s necessary to memorize definitions like rhyme, meter, or sonnet, but it’s more engaging when you and your teen understand why poetry was written in that style.

Digging into why ancient poets wrote how they did gives your student a richer understanding of the world around him.

You want your homeschooled teen to clearly state a verbal or written response to the topics of today’s world. It begins by analyzing a great book.

I hope this simple beginning and quick glance will give you a good foundation to begin your planning. In my upcoming posts, I will be sharing resources to help guide you and your teen.

Do you think you would like that?

Look at these too, you may like to grab the tips there.

More Homeschool High School Literature Tips

  • 12 Great Options of High School Literature Curriculum
  • How to Choose the BEST Middle and High School Language Arts Curriculum & Options
  • Best High School Literature Suggestions For Teens
  • Online High School Poetry (No Teaching Involved)
  • Free Middle and High School Homeschool Language Arts

3 CommentsFiled Under: Graduate a Homeschooler, Homeschool Teens _ From Teen to Graduation, Teach Homeschool Language Arts Tagged With: high school, language arts, languagearts, literature, teens

3 Ways to Homeschool the BIGS (a.k.a. Older Kids)

July 28, 2017 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

3 Ways to Homeschool the BIGS (a.k.a. Older Kids). Don't give up some of the ways you taught your kids when they were young. Just add some new ways. Click here for the sanity-saving tips!

If a totally perfect guide on how to homeschool older kids existed, it could instantly become obsolete because of the changing body and mind of an older kid. Unlike the younger years where kids are more compliant, older kids are ready to flex their decision making muscles.

Whether tweens or teens, homeschooling older kids can be like navigating new homeschool waters each year.

There are some tried and true tips I’ve learned that will help you to keep older kids passionate about learning all the way through to and including high school. It’s not easy, but grab these 3 tips for your arsenal.

One/Plan monthly field trips targeted especially for older kids. This one time don’t think about your younger kids. (Okay, maybe just a little.)

Reject the thinking that field trips are just for younger learners. Until Mr. Senior 2013 did part of his Kindergarten in public school, I didn’t know that field trips are almost non-existent in any grade past Kindergarten.

From playmate to lifelong friend

Although field trips are important when kids are younger, they are vital as kids get older.

Don't just plan homeschoo field trips for younger kids. Plan them for older kids too!

(Federal Reserve Bank field trip for older kids)

Look at these reasons why field trips are essential as your child grows.

  • Kids need to learn how to make friends and have them outside of the family. I’ve always believed that as parents we are our kids foremost and best friend. However, kids can’t learn how to make lifelong friends unless they experience other personalities. A field trip with like-minded individuals sharpened my boys sense of self-worth and it also showed them how they didn’t want to be.
  • Field trips with other families which have our same family values sharpened my sons’ values.
  • Although as a parent I was glad we went to the field trip at the end of it, some moms felt like we really didn’t need it. Older kids are not like us. They need and want friends. Loneliness can run rampant among young people. Don’t forget that just because you have made your friends and are comfortable with your circle, that may not be the case for older kids.
  • Nurturing a love for a new hobby, course or career happens at a field trip. If a kid spends his summer outside at the beach learning about science which he may love then that can feed his desire for a career or college track in biology.

Two/ Move away from the books!

To say as kids get older that they can be moody is an understatement. In the same day they can be relaxed and restless. With their bodies changing, it means that their brain is not always in gear for learning. When we had days like that we just put away the books.

Don’t worry about the stress of high school. There are many more days that your kids will have good than bad. So ease up on them and savor the days of homeschooling them while they’re older.

Unit studies are my way of giving my sons control over their learning.

When they could control very little in their day, it gave them a sense of empowerment to study something they chose. Not only did it break up the day, but it kept the joy for learning while they hit the lows and highs of hormones.

Look at just two of these hands-on middle school unit studies which a highschooler who needs a break would enjoy soaking up.

Zoology: Amazing Animals and Estuary Ecology are both great for hands-on learning and for getting older kids out of the house to learn.

Three/ They need to get physical. (And no, it doesn’t have to be an over the top class or activity.)

Getting past the younger ages, I just knew my boys energy level would settle down. In one way it did and in another way, they needed more physical exercise.

Although I don’t consider myself an exercise enthusiast, we do love to walk and stay active. We’ve always had some kind of exercise in our daily routine. But it was nowhere near what my boys needed.

One year my boys had asked to be around other young homeschooled teens more,  I also knew they needed more movement, and we needed another one-half semester credit.  I combined all three needs into one and chose ball room dance lessons as my teacher mandated elective (ha).

Moans could be heard far and wide because ball room dancing was not for macho men – right? Or at least that was their preconceived notion.

The Mr. backed me up on my new brainstorm and we gave our teens no choice. We were reasonable and told them that if they didn’t like it after the first month, we could do something different.

It took only one lesson and they were hooked. Did I mention to this day, they all love to dance?

They are not the shy boys at the party, but the ones soaking up fun times and dancing the whole time they are there.

Prior to that, I had to clear out the garage for a couple set of weights and benches. Sharing my garage with exercise equipment is a small price to pay for the boys to have a place to stay physically and mentally fit.

These are just three easy things that have worked with my boys through the years. I have a few more things to share in my arsenal.

What works for you?

You also may want to look at my tips at how Teach Your Homeschooled Teen the Art of Studying (without nagging), When Homeschooling is Not an Overnight Success (Is it Worth the Risk?) and When Homeschooled Kids Are Not Excited About Ordinary Days.

Hugs and love ya,

 

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

2 CommentsFiled Under: Begin Homeschooling, Gauge Homeschool Progress, Graduate a Homeschooler, Homeschool Multiple Ages of Children, Homeschool Teens _ From Teen to Graduation, Homeschooling, Teach the Rebel Homeschooler Tagged With: high school, homeschool mistakes, middleschool, teens

21 Amazing Homeschool Graduation Ideas (Making Memories)

June 19, 2017 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I've gathered 21 amazing homeschool graduation ideas that will help your family to celebrate old traditions and make new memories. Click here to use them!

Planning two homeschool graduation parties has been one of the happiest times in my life and yet overly emotional at the same time. I’ve gathered 21 amazing homeschool graduation ideas that will help your family to celebrate old traditions and make new memories.

Before I share them though, I want to tell you real quick what I’ve learned – so far. Every day life affects how we feel when the time finally arrives to celebrate a special time as homeschoolers.

For example, in my life the Mr. had to recover from a life-threatening heart attack and Mr. Senior 2013’s graduation was a bit postponed. After the Mr. recovered, we celebrated. You can imagine how eternally grateful I was for not just the family gathering, but for life itself.

When Mr. Awesome 2015 graduated, we savored our time living overseas in Ecuador and celebrated that time differently and uniquely. Although we focused on the achievements of Mr. Awesome 2015, it was again a time to cherish our family being together.

Your journey up to this point will also define what this time will be for your family. Don’t try to separate life from one of the happiest times for your teen. Embrace it and make your time with family, loved ones and homeschooling friends a treasured time.

Like your homeschooling journey where you lived and learned together, don’t forget to do the things on that special day that mean the most to your family no matter how seemingly insignificant they are to others.

What I’m trying to say is that this is also a celebration of your family and the unique homeschool lifestyle you chose. Let your party reflect those values.

From mundane to memorable, from fun food ideas to family fun, I hope you can use one of these 21 amazing homeschool graduation ideas.

1._Have your teen show a talent he has studied. He could play a musical piece or have a collage to showcase his art talent.

We recently went to a graduation and the graduate had a beautiful voice as a jazz singer. We enjoyed a film presentation of her singing. It was nice that it was a prerecorded film so that the graduate could enjoy her family and friends.

2._Mr. Senior 2013 loves to public speak and prepared a short speech at his party. I found that about 5 minutes or so is enough time to talk to his audience.

Mr. Awesome 2015 didn’t want to be in front of the people to make a speech, so we didn’t make him.

However, he did know that he would have to make remarks to express his gratitude for the volunteers of his party. That is all we required of him. Each kid has a different personality for sure.

3._ Several picture collages placed around were perfect conversation pieces and especially for our family and friends that were not homeschoolers. It showed what an enriching introduction to a wide range of learning topics we had covered.

4._ Everyone differs on food. We love having a gathering where we can enjoy a meal. For Mr. Senior 2013, I felt like we had the best of both worlds, ie. catering and budget-friendly meals.

I ordered food at a local favorite restaurant and had it delivered, but not catered. I saved hundreds of dollars by having everybody go through the food line buffet style.

For Mr. Awesome 2015, we provided some of the main dishes like turkey and dressing, but had several volunteers bring side dishes.

Also, don’t forget finger foods like crescent roll sandwiches, ham and cheese and minisliders made ahead of time. Those are great and fun options.

On another note, a taco, nacho or even potato bar are great ideas that please a crowd.

I went to one party where all the toppings for tacos were lined up down the table and everybody built their own tacos or nachos.

This idea is great if you’re short on cooking help because the items can be made ahead of time.

Use crock pots to carry food to the party because they can travel easy and be turned on low to keep food heated.

Make Family Time Memorable

5._Have a ceremony where you and the Mr. present your teen with his diploma.

6._If your teen has studied a foreign language, use some of the words he has learned as part of the decorations. Todos Bienvenidos!

7._If you’re hosting your gathering at home, have an area set up in your home, garage or media area for the kids to play video games together. They’ve enjoyed being with each other during the years at field trips and will love this if you’re planning a less formal gathering.

8._We love to dance group dances at any party we have. So the boys told some of their friends ahead of time the songs that we would playing. This allowed their friends to practice their polished dance moves ahead of time. Then they all did group dances together. It made for a lot of fun and laughs.

Also though because my boys took ballroom dancing in high school, they were able to make that part of the party.

9._Decide the dress and communicate it clearly to your guests. Mr. Senior 2013 wanted something a bit more dressy casual and Mr. Awesome 2015 was all about shorts and comfort.

Sometimes this is a time, especially by girls, to dress formal and wear that long formal gown they’ve been wanting to wear.

Let each kid’s personality dictate the night of fun.

10._Have a photo booth. We gathered up items from the dollar store and made some other props. Browse thrift shops for costumes and fun things to use in a photo booth.

This was so much fun because it allowed for friends to take pictures together as well as a whole family to get in on it. Even the little kids had fun doing this.

11._While some of our friends were having fun taking pictures, we had a prepared music list so that others could enjoy dancing. I didn’t just let the boys pick the music. We’re pretty selective, but too I wanted grandparents and older ones to join in. So we got music from different time periods.

12._If you don’t have a sound system you can borrow, some places still have a jukebox, which you can rent from a party or music supply place.

13._Don’t forget creating keepsakes like a program for the night. I wished I had done that but you have to remember, I have all boys. So in the scheme of things it wasn’t a big deal for them.

I think if I had a girl, she would like a few more momentoes.

A prepared program along with taking pictures of their homeschool classmates was on tap for the evening too.

14._And whatever you do also don’t forget to get a picture of you and your family for the special occasion. I had a list of photo ideas for the photographer that we hired.

Some photo ideas were non-negotiable meaning the photographer had to be sure to capture certain moments. Other ideas we had on the list were for fun things to take pictures of while the party was going on.

15._Don’t forget to put the ending time on your invitations.

I know some people forget to put the ending time on invitations and that makes it hard to clean up or pack up when everybody has been having so much fun.



However, because you and your family are probably doing most of the work, be sure you have enough time to shut the party down and not be dead tired the next morning. Okay, you will be but at least you won’t ever forget the party.

16._Remember to appoint somebody to record at the party AND to email different ones to follow up and get their recordings as well. If you like DVDs you can ask somebody to record and have a keepsake DVD.

17._Another graduation we went to the girl had a father and daughter dance.

The graduate was adopted by her grandparents and you could see her deep moving gratitude. The obvious emotion in the dance was full of meaning to all present and tear jerking because we all knew the story.

Create New Memorable Homeschool Moments

I know I’ve said it before, but each event should be unique to your family.

18._ Have a book or big board for your family and friends to write on for advice. One party the family had a huge poster board where all the family and friends could give their tidbits of wisdom. One party we went to recently, the graduate passed around a small book decorated by her for her special night.

19._As far as more fun food, we did a candy buffet at both parties complete with what each son really loved.

For the non-sugar eating friends, we assigned out a few deserts made with splenda. This was a big hit as not everybody can eat sugar. A lot of our family is diabetic. We have it on both sides of the family. So this night was one time to splurge – just a bit.

20._Another practical idea I liked by one family was to have a jar at the party. They ask family and friends to bring their favorite recipe to put in the jar.

Later the girl’s parents made a collage book out of it. Such a memorable and practical gift – a first cookbook.

21._Not every homeschool graduate wants to celebrate with others.

Some families I’ve known planned a special cruise or hike to their favorite vacation spot.

You’ll also love reading my 10 Days of Planning a Homeschool High School Graduation where I go into more detail and you’ll love these absolutely stunning and creative ideas from this Purdy Purdy Pink – Homeschool Graduation.

Tell me! What homeschool graduation ideas have you come up with or want to do with your family?

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

 

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Graduate a Homeschooler Tagged With: diy, high school, homeschool, homeschool graduation, homeschool joy, homeschool joys

When It’s Your Fault that Your Homeschooled Kids Don’t Do Chores

April 7, 2017 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

When the kids were young, I made chore charts, taught them how to clean, and made them do it. I’ve never been the kind of parent that gives up easily and does the chores myself. How did it become my fault now? Click here to read what happened AND how I changed it!

Before I come down hard on my kids, I first recall things they’ve done right. I try to mete out the same standard to myself. So when the kids were young, I made chore charts, taught them how to clean, and made them do it. I’ve never been the kind of parent that gives up easily and does the chores myself. I’m pretty mean determined that way. If I had done that, I knew it would’ve come with a great cost when they were grown. They would not be able to take care of themselves, but who wants to roommate with a slob. So at the cost of having a house cleaned exactly to my standards, I’ve always known the importance of my sons learning to clean. With that being said, recently I had become relaxed in coming up with a new system to fit our changing circumstances. And it’s been my fault that my homeschooled kids don’t do chores.

Quit Making this Common Mistake

Recently, I had to step up and change things in my home because it was much easier to have the kids clean while they were little. Now that they are older they have a full academic and work load. I’m still learning and changing as we go through the seasons of homeschool.

And what is ironic is that my kids have never rebelled or have a bad attitude for chores. Like me, they too simply got caught up in a new schedule.

My older two sons take business courses, are working an apprenticeship and have an active social life as young adults. I’m still homeschooling my younger son and this makes for a very hectic and different household.

Recently, I was wondering why I felt like dropping dead after mopping the floor. Before that I had wiped the baseboards and scrubbed the shower. All of those are chores my sons have no problem doing. They put on their headsets for music and happily do their chores.

But knowing that all of my sons are well past chore charts, I had to have a family meeting. Yes, that is what we call it now.

From that meeting, I learned three things that I hope can help you if you find yourself in a situation where your circumstances seem to change overnight and you may not have adjusted.

ONE/ I will always have to accept a kid-friendly cleaned house.

When the kids were young, I dreamed of times like now when the boys are older and are vibrant with energy because I knew the house would be cleaned to my standards.

Nope, it’s still not like that.

Although it is much cleaner, my boys are inexperienced in a relative sense – my sense. In other words, now, I’m the only that can tell if it was cleaned to my standards.

It’s the same feeling you have if somebody else came in and cleaned your home. It will never be you and you’re grateful that you don’t have to do it all yourself; if you’re a perfectionist, like I tend to be, you learn humility.

I’m grateful for still being trained in my thinking when I accept their methods of cleaning. Too, I do get surprised by the short cuts my sons teach me.

TWO/ I’ve learned to give up control for when my house will get clean. Try that on for a control freak like me.

Another thing I’ve had to learn is to accept when my sons can do their part on their schedule. Like I said, when they were little, it was much easier to plan my cleaning schedule although I didn’t think that at the time.

Now, no matter what I tout when I want things done, that is not reality. It won’t happen IF I want my sons to pursue their academic life after graduating.

With school, apprenticeship, volunteering and working, their chores at my home, like most young adults, have to bend to their schedule, not mine.

I miss those days when I could decide which days we did our housework and assign their chores on sweet little chore charts.

THREE/ Chores have not last their value in character building even with young adults.

Mostly what I value, though, is that now that two of my sons are taller than me and it’s starting to look like I live with all grown men in my home, chores reinforce willpower.

Doing things each day or each week that require routine is what adult life is all about. Most of adult life is about routine and it reinforces responsibility. It is a daily test of strength of character.

When my oldest two sons were teens they tried to undermine the value of their chores like taking out the trash, stacking the dishwasher, or doing their laundry. What I mean is that when it was accompanied by a lot of back talking and complaining, I was resolute about it being done and with a great attitude.

Repeatedly, I explained to the boys that their contribution to our family is like making an investment in themselves and will serve them a lifetime. Also, I continually reminded them that as adults we are tired too, but when chores are done willfully and happily it contributes to less stress in the home.

I’m so glad I didn’t let them view their chores as menial.

The Zen of a Well-Kept House

Dealing with pressures as teens, even the everyday seemingly mundane things, has now built great strength of character in my sons. What more could I ask of my sons.

Yes, it was my fault that I didn’t have a family meeting earlier, but I learned that if life gets hectic there is always time to make another set of plans.

Homeschooling is ever changing. Besides the kids want to help and they too need reminders about pitching in at the home.

Also look these articles and tips. Inspiring Your Homeschooled Kids to Do Chores – Cleaning or Character Building, 11 Tried and True Ways to Tame the Home When You Homeschool and 100 Ways to Organize Kids.

Hugs and love ya,

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Leave a CommentFiled Under: Build Character in Homeschooled Kids, Graduate a Homeschooler Tagged With: chores, house cleaning, housecleaning

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