Monday, July 30, 2012

Trivium Tuesdays-Classical Link-Up #17

Welcome to another week of Trivium Tuesdays!  If this is your first time here, this is a link-up aimed at encouraging and informing other homeschoolers who use the Classical model of teaching.  Here we can share with each other and learn from one another.

Don't forget to visit the All Things Classical Blog Post Index if you are trying to remember a post that someone linked up or are just looking for encouragement or help on a specific topic related to Classical homeschooling.  I have organized most of the posts that you have linked up here at Trivium Tuesdays so that you can easily find posts on the topic you are looking for.

This week's featured post is from Teaching Stars.  Kristen talks about keeping the learning going during the summer, specifically how they learn and review while spending these hot days in the pool.  Whether you school year round or not, there's always room for some learning in the summer =)


Now onto this week's link-up!

Here are the rules:
  • Your post must have to do (in some way) with classical homeschooling (any age children).
  • Your post may be from your archives as long as you only post it one time on this link-up.
  • Please link to your direct post, not your blog in general.
  • Please place my Trivium Tuesdays button (found on my right sidebar) on your blog post so others can learn about this link-up!
  • It may be helpful to state in your link description what stage of the trivium or what subject your post is about, if applicable, so others can easily find posts they are interested in looking at.
  • Remember, everyone loves comments =) So don't be shy, and tell someone if you liked their post!

I reserve the right to remove any link-up that does not have to do with classical homeschooling.         If you are a regular here at Trivium Tuesdays and have something to share that is a little off topic, but still would be an encouragement to the readers here, please still share it =)  I'm referring to people who are just trying to get their blog more exposure without following the rules above.

I will visit each of your blogs this week and feature my favorite link-up for all to see next week!  Also, if your blog has a button I will place it on my sidebar (under Friends to Visit) for the week until it is replaced by the next week's favorite =)

Happy Linking!

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Posted by Amy Maze at 10:28 PM 2 comments
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Friday, July 27, 2012

Book Review - From the Library of C.S. Lewis

From the Library of C. S. Lewis, compiled by James Stuart Bell, is a compilation of one-page snippets from books that C.S. Lewis read.  There are a couple hundred pieces from over 100 different authors.  What fascinates me most is that there are pieces that were authored from all different times in history.  Some pieces are from just a hundred years ago, some five hundred, a thousand, and even almost two thousand years ago!

If you are looking for information about C.S. Lewis, this is not the book for you.  It has nothing to do with him, other than these were books he read (which I'm sure many other scholarly people could say they have read these as well).  The only negative thing I have to say about the book is that the selections are so short that you can't get a good taste of what the author of each particular selection is saying.  It reminds me more of a devotional style book, although it is not mean to be that.  I did learn from some of the selections and was convicted by others, so that was a bonus.  I did not (and you probably won't either) agree with everything that each author had to say, but the book isn't claiming that these are all of C.S. Lewis' favorite books, authors, or selections, merely that he read them.

I really enjoyed that at the bottom of each selection, there is a blurb about the particular author, telling us when and where he/she lived, and sometimes how he/she related to Lewis or why Lewis liked him/her.  This book provides a unique opportunity to sample many authors that you may have never heard of, and to read pieces from long ago from books that you may have never otherwise procured.  This would be a nice book for any rhetoric stage student to have on hand to look up the pieces that were written in the time period they are studying.

One petty thing to note is that the book feels cheaply made.  It has a super thin paperback cover.  If you are looking for a nice book for your shelf that will look beautiful and wear for years to come, you might want to see if there is a hard cover edition.

I received this book to review from Waterbrook Publishing and I am happy to recommend it to you!

If you would like more info about this book, check out the links below...

Happy Reading!

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Posted by Amy Maze at 1:29 PM 4 comments
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Tuesday, July 24, 2012



This is an index of posts (from Living and Learning at Home and also other blogs) that have to do with Classical homeschooling.  These are posts that have been linked up to Trivium Tuesdays here at Living and Learning at home.  If you have a post that you would like to have included in this list, just link-up to the next Trivium Tuesdays and I will add your post!

This list is broken down by stage (Grammar, Dialectic, and Rhetoric) and then by subject.  This way it will be easy to find ideas, inspiration, encouragement, etc. on just the topic you need!  It will be an ever-growing list, so check back often!
 
If one (or more!) of your blog posts has been listed, feel free to grab this button to place in your post, or anywhere on your blog.


Living and Learning at Home

 

The posts on this page are being moved over to Pinterest.  Please see the new All Things Classical - On Pinterest page to find the posts that have already been moved over!



Weekly Wrap-Ups and Lesson Plans:

All Ages:



Grammar Stage:


History -
Geography - 

Science/Nature -
Latin (and other languages)-

Dialectic Stage:


General - 
Science -
Literature -
History - 
Logic - 


Physical Education -

Rhetoric Stage:


General -

History -
Geography -
Literature -
Writing - 

Science - 
Math -
 Latin -
Economics -

**** If I have included one of your posts in this list, but you would rather it not be here, please let me know and I will remove it immediately!

Also, if you think that your post should be categorized differently, let me know and I'll change it! ****

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Posted by Amy Maze at 2:11 PM 6 comments
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Monday, July 23, 2012

Trivium Tuesdays-Classical Link-Up #16

Welcome to another week of Trivium Tuesdays!  If this is your first time here, this is a link-up aimed at encouraging and informing other homeschoolers who use the Classical model of teaching.  Here we can share with each other and learn from one another.

Don't forget to visit the All Things Classical Blog Post Index if you are trying to remember a post that someone linked up or are just looking for encouragement or help on a specific topic related to Classical homeschooling.  I have organized most of the posts that you have linked up here at Trivium Tuesdays so that you can easily find posts on the topic you are looking for.

Also, if you haven't already entered, don't miss the giveaway I have going on for Heritage History!  The winner gets the curriculum set of their choice.  Today is the last day to enter, so go do it before it's too late =)

This week's featured post is from Hope is the Word.  It's actually more than a post, it is a bookclub series for the book, The Core.  It is a book about the fundamentals for Classical education, and I am being very encouraged so far by the first two chapters she has covered!  Head on over and check it out Hope is the Word's series!



Now onto this week's link-up!

Here are the rules:
  • Your post must have to do (in some way) with classical homeschooling (any age children).
  • Your post may be from your archives as long as you only post it one time on this link-up.
  • Please link to your direct post, not your blog in general.
  • Please place my Trivium Tuesdays button (found on my right sidebar) on your blog post so others can learn about this link-up!
  • It may be helpful to state in your link description what stage of the trivium or what subject your post is about, if applicable, so others can easily find posts they are interested in looking at.
  • Remember, everyone loves comments =) So don't be shy, and tell someone if you liked their post!

I reserve the right to remove any link-up that does not have to do with classical homeschooling.      If you are a regular here at Trivium Tuesdays and have something to share that is a little off topic, but still would be an encouragement to the readers here, please still share it =)  I'm referring to people who are just trying to get their blog more exposure without following the rules above.

I will visit each of your blogs this week and feature my favorite link-up for all to see next week!  Also, if your blog has a button I will place it on my sidebar (under Friends to Visit) for the week until it is replaced by the next week's favorite =)


Happy Linking!

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Posted by Amy Maze at 11:28 PM 6 comments
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Saturday, July 21, 2012

Early Grammar Stage Focus - Discipline

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This is part nine of my series based on the article 10 Things To Do With Your Child Before Age 10.  To learn more about what I am doing, read my first post on Reading and Writing.

You can get this "10 things..." article plus SO much more information in the book Teaching the Trivium from the good people at Trivium Pursuit.

This week's focus is on Discipline.


I feel a little funny writing about this topic because I am no where near the perfect parent and my children are no where near near the perfect children (but God made us perfect for each other! =)   As far as discipline and obedience goes, we are still in the training process, but I still want to share with you all today because the article mentioned above has some great thoughts on the subject.

This section of the article begins by saying that if the area of discipline is neglected, you might as well forget about academics.  If our children do not learn to be obedient to us, then they will most likely struggle with self-discipline in their own life.  We work on that a lot in my home.  It is fun to do loud, active things sometimes, but we also need to learn to be in control of our body and our mouths (and our thoughts...but we're not tackling that one yet with our 3 and 2 year olds =).

Ideally, we should have the respect of our children, they should love to please us, and they should be obedient (happily) at our first request.  I don't know that this is ever possible to get 100%, but it's a good goal!  Also, as children mature, you want them to be critical thinkers and not just follow commands blindly, so this concept needs to be tweaked at each developmental stage.  For example, it is appropriate for two year olds to obey for no reason other than because their parent told them to.  A four year old has new processes going on in his head and wants to know "why?"  It is good to explain things to this aged child, but it is not appropriate for them to need to know the answer in order for them to obey.

I have found with my children that a huge impact on their obedience (and attitude that goes along with it) is my attitude.  If I let my 'in the moment' anger get in the way, it doesn't accomplish much and in fact I am convinced that it causes more anger and aggression in my children in the near future.  So, as parents it is very important for us to react calmly and lovingly, yet still unwaveringly.  It is also important to make sure that you child hears you when you give them a command or ask them a question.  In order for that to happen, you need to train them that it is of utmost importance for them to look at you right away when they hear your voice.  This is for their safety if nothing else!

I do want to make clear that the goal of discipline is not to make robots of our children.  Ultimately it is to have an enjoyable, peaceful home and to win our children's hearts, to guide them to loving God, and to raise thoughtful, considerate, teachable, young adults.

If for no other reason...

 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land."  Fathers, do no provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.   Ephesians 6:1-4

This section in the article has a few other very informative sub-sections on socialization, work ethic, having a peaceful home, having a good attitude, and a few others.  They are definitely worth a read!  Even if you do not agree with every word, there is much food for thought. 

How do you handle obedience and discipline in your home?  What do you expect from your children and how do you go about getting it?  I'd love to hear some tips from you, or ask a question that someone else here can help answer!


Check out how we are doing in this area in my follow up post, Discipline Re-Visited.
This post is a part of the following series:



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Posted by Amy Maze at 1:28 PM 15 comments
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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Heritage History Giveaway!

HeritageHistorybanner


Last week I shared with you a great new living books curriculum called Heritage History.  You can read my review from last week here.  Basically they compile and reformat public domain books that tell history in a living, story sort of way.  The books are in e-book format for you to use on your computer, print out, or read on your e-reader device.

Heritage History sells complete curriculum packages for $24.99, extra book libraries for $19.99, and also individual books in case you just see one that you want!  (But you can win a curriculum set or library today by entering below!!!)

Curriculum Sets:
  • Young Readers (an overview of history)
  • Ancient Greece
  • Ancient Rome
  • British Middle Ages
  • British Empire
Libraries:
  • Early America
  • Spanish Empire
  • Christian Europe
  • Modern Europe

Heritage History has been kind enough to give me one set (either curriculum or library) to give away to one of my readers.  The best part is that you get to pick out which set you want!

If you don't want to wait (or if you don't win =), Heritage History has two great promotions going on right now.
  1. With the purchase of any curriculum package, can you get the Spanish Empire library FREE.  Just add both items to you cart, then enter discount code 'MAZEbugs' to get the Spanish Empire library FREE.
  2. Either sign up on their email list or make any purchase and you will be entered to win a Kindle Fire loaded with the curriculum set of your choice! (Click here to learn more and sign up for their emails...scroll down to the bottom of the page.)
Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter this great giveaway!  This is a great way to get some fantastic history material for this coming school year! Oh, and don't worry if you don't win, I'm going to have three more of this exact giveaway once a month for the next three months =)


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Posted by Amy Maze at 6:00 AM 25 comments
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Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Trivium Tuesdays-Classical Link-Up #15

Welcome to another week of Trivium Tuesdays!  If this is your first time here, this is a link-up aimed at encouraging and informing other homeschoolers who use the Classical model of teaching.  Here we can share with each other and learn from one another.

Don't forget to visit the All Things Classical Blog Post Index if you are trying to remember a post that someone linked up or are just looking for encouragement or help on a specific topic related to Classical homeschooling.  I have organized most of the posts that you have linked up here at Trivium Tuesdays so that you can easily find posts on the topic you are looking for.

This week's featured post is Why Classical? from Growing in Grace.  I love how she describes her homeschool journey and how they ended up with the classical model.  She also links to a neat video that explains the trivium quite well.  Lastly, she shares their curriculum plans for the coming school year.  If you missed it last week, make sure you check it out this week!

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Some of Growing in Grace's book choices for next year!


Now onto this week's link-up!

Here are the rules:
  • Your post must have to do (in some way) with classical homeschooling (any age children).
  • Your post may be from your archives as long as you only post it one time on this link-up.
  • Please link to your direct post, not your blog in general.
  • Please place my Trivium Tuesdays button (found on my right sidebar) on your blog post so others can learn about this link-up!
  • It may be helpful to state in your link description what stage of the trivium or what subject your post is about, if applicable, so others can easily find posts they are interested in looking at.
  • Remember, everyone loves comments =) So don't be shy, and tell someone if you liked their post!

I reserve the right to remove any link-up that does not have to do with classical homeschooling.      If you are a regular here at Trivium Tuesdays and have something to share that is a little off topic, but still would be an encouragement to the readers here, please still share it =)  I'm referring to people who are just trying to get their blog more exposure without following the rules above.

I will visit each of your blogs this week and feature my favorite link-up for all to see next week!  Also, if your blog has a button I will place it on my sidebar (under Friends to Visit) for the week until it is replaced by the next week's favorite =)


Happy Linking!

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Posted by Amy Maze at 7:21 AM 0 comments
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Monday, July 16, 2012

McGuffey's Primer Copywork


Each of the following pages correlates with a lesson in McGuffey's Eclectic Primer (Revised Edition).  Each page has sentences from a particular lesson typed clearly for your beginning reader/writer to easily follow and has ruled lines directly underneath to easily copy.  You can print these pages out for your child to write on.

This copywork is designed with a beginning writer in mind.  Your child will start writing on half inch lines and as the pages progress, the lines slowly get smaller, ending at a quarter inch.  This will gently prepare your child to write on standard wide-ruled paper.

Every fifth lesson in McGuffey's Eclectic Primer is a review lesson.  The lesson in the primer is simply a few sentences for your child to read that incorporate the previously learned words.  I recommend using these review lessons for dictation.  Dictation is reading a sentence to your child and having him write it from memory (not looking at the words and copying them).  I did not write any sentences on these pages, instead provided just blank lines so your child can write whatever you choose to read aloud to them.

Copywork is a fantastic way to help your child master reading, penmanship, grammar, and spelling all at the same time simply and subtly. 

Sample Pages: (click on an image to enlarge it)



$1.00 - 52 copywork pages, one for every lesson in McGuffey's Eclectic Primer.       

To purchase, please visit Classical Copywork!
 

*** If you do not already have McGuffey's Eclectic Primer (1881 Revision) it can be purchased at amazon here.  Since it is a public domain title, it can also be accessed digitally for free on Project Gutenberg here.***
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Posted by Amy Maze at 6:49 PM 8 comments
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McGuffey's First Reader Copywork

First Reader (1st-2nd grades)

Each of the pages in this copywork e-book correlates to a lesson in McGuffey's Eclectic First Reader (Revised Edition).  Each page has sentences from the particular lesson typed clearly for your young reader/writer to easily follow and ruled lines directly underneath for easy copying.  You can print the pages out for you child to write on.

This copywork is designed with young writers in mind.  The space for their printing is 3/8in.  There are also sections where cursive writing is introduced, by having your child trace over dotted cursive lines.  If your child is not ready for this, simply skip these parts.

In a few places throughout the e-book there are pages with only blank lines.  These pages are to go along with the review lessons in the reader.  Either read a sentance to your child and have them write it (this i called dictation) or show your child one word at a time, have them study it and then write it without looking at it (this is called transcription, a bridge between copywork and dictation).  If you are using this e-book independently from McGuffey's reader, just skip these pages.

Copywork is a fantastic way to help your child master reading, penmanship, grammar, and spelling all at the same time, simply and subtly.  I hope you and your child enjoy using this book together!

Sample Pages: (click on an image to enlarge it)


 $2.00 - 63 copywork pages, one for every lesson in McGuffey's Eclectic First Reader

To buy, please visit my other site: Classical Copywork

*** If you do not already have McGuffey's Eclectic First Reader (Revised Edition) it can be purchased here. Since it is a public domain title, it can also be accessed digitally for free on Project Gutenberg here.***

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Posted by Amy Maze at 6:29 PM 0 comments
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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Heritage History Classical Curriculum

Heritage History Homeschool Curriculum


If you use the classical or Charlotte Mason style of homeschooling, you are most likely very familiar with 'living' books.  I have found many great living books for free on Project Gutenburg.  Here you can find all sorts of public domain books (anything before 1923 I believe) to download and read from your computer, e-reader, or print out.  It's a great resource, but I find that I don't use it as much as I would like because it's hard to know what is available in the subject you are looking for, there is a ton to search through, and once you find what you want it isn't necessarily in a good format.  I love the concept, but it is just a little lacking (but it's free, so I'll just be grateful for the service =)

So when I heard about the Heritage Classical Curriculum from Heritage History I was thrilled!  Essentially they take these public domain books and reformat them into clean, user friendly format.  The e-books can be uploaded onto any e-reader, read from your computer, or printed out.

Another huge benefit is that they have grouped large collections of books into curriculums and libraries by time period so that you have all you need for the time in history you want to study!  They have a recommended course of study and then many other choices for extra reading.  What is great is that you can use this as a curriculum in and of itself, or use the books as supplements to your current history program (Story of the World, Mystery of History, Tapestries of Grace, etc.)

Here is what they offer:

Curriculum ($24.99 each)

  • Young Readers (an overview of history)
  • Ancient Greece
  • Ancient Rome
  • British Middle Ages
  • British Empire

 

Libraries ($19.99 each)

  • Early America
  • Spanish Empire
  • Christian Eurpoe
  • Modern Europe

Their curriculum comes complete with maps, timelines, battle summaries, teachers/users guide, and lots of other helpful information!

Heritage History was kind enough to send me the Young Readers curriculum to review.  This curriculum is designed to be an overview of history that will provide your child a strong foundation for further study in the years to come. You can use it as a complete curriculum, or can used the books in any way you want.  We are planning on beginning history this coming year and I already have my plan ready, so we are going to pick and choose which e-books we will use to integrate with out plans.  The Young Readers curriculum contains over 80 books, so there are many that are prefect complements to our course of study.

The stories in the Young Readers curriculum are simple enough for grammar students to read on their own, but they can also be great read-aloud choices for the whole family!  Heritage History recommends a student spend at least three hours a week reading history material.  This would be a lot for a beginning reader, but if you include reading aloud to you children I think this is a great goal!

As your child reads these books, try some of these ideas:
  • record their time in a reading log 
  • narrate the story back to you
  • use the story as a basis for a writing assignment
  • include information on your timeline
  • include pages into a history notebook
  • draw pictures of events from the book
  • act out events from the book
 
Heritage History has generously provided a great deal for you as you prepare for your new school year this fall.  With a purchase of any curriculum package ($24.99) you can get the Early America library FREE ($19.99 value).  Add both items to your cart and then enter discount code 'MAZEbugs' to get the library for FREE!  

Head on over and check out this great curriculum!  I know you will love it =)

Happy Learning!

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Posted by Amy Maze at 10:18 AM 6 comments
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Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Preparing for a Classical Education


I love the classical model of education.  I love the idea of teaching children how to learn so they can eventually learn for themselves in any situation.  I love the idea of teaching history chronologically and incorporating many subjects together instead of segmenting them.  I have wanted to teach my children classically since, well, before they were born =)  I am now blessed with two little ones (currently 3 and 2 years old), but their physical abilities, attention span, and mental capacity are not ready yet for true classical teaching, so what do we do?  We prepare them for a classical education...

I'm excited to be guest posting today over at Homegrown Learners.  To read the rest of this post, click here! 

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Posted by Amy Maze at 6:44 AM 6 comments
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Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Trivium Tuesdays-Classical Link-Up #14

Welcome to another week of Trivium Tuesdays!  If this is your first time here, this is a link-up aimed at encouraging and informing other homeschoolers who use the Classical model of teaching.  Here we can share with each other and learn from one another.

Don't forget to visit the All Things Classical Blog Post Index if you are trying to remember a post that someone linked up or are just looking for encouragement or help on a specific topic related to Classical homeschooling.  I have organized most of the posts that you have linked up here at Trivium Tuesdays so that you can easily find posts on the topic you are looking for.  I'm not 100% sure that I love how I've organized it, so if you have any great ideas for improvement, let me know =)

This week's featured post is Historical Food Adventures from Highhill Homeschool.  Julie shares with us some of the ways they have incorporated food into some of their history studies.  I think that is a great way to help children (and us adults!) get a greater understanding of the time period you are studying and greater appreciation for the people of that time.  If you missed it last week, head on over and check out some of the interesting foods that they tried!

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Now onto this week's link-up!

Here are the rules:
  • Your post must have to do (in some way) with classical homeschooling (any age children).
  • Your post may be from your archives as long as you only post it one time on this link-up.
  • Please link to your direct post, not your blog in general.
  • Please place my Trivium Tuesdays button (found on my right sidebar) on your blog post so others can learn about this link-up!
  • It may be helpful to state in your link description what stage of the trivium or what subject your post is about, if applicable, so others can easily find posts they are interested in looking at.
  • Remember, everyone loves comments =) So don't be shy, and tell someone if you liked their post!

I reserve the right to remove any link-up that does not have to do with classical homeschooling.      If you are a regular here at Trivium Tuesdays and have something to share that is a little off topic, but still would be an encouragement to the readers here, please still share it =)  I'm referring to people who are just trying to get their blog more exposure without following the rules above.

I will visit each of your blogs this week and feature my favorite link-up for all to see next week!  Also, if your blog has a button I will place it on my sidebar (under Friends to Visit) for the week until it is replaced by the next week's favorite =)

Happy Linking!


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Posted by Amy Maze at 12:25 AM 2 comments
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Friday, July 6, 2012

Book Review - Some Fruits of Solitude



I was so excited to get the chance to review Some Fruits of Solitude by William Penn.  I am always fascinated by books that were written many years ago, and the content of this book was originally written somewhere between 1665 and 1693.  The book even has a fantastic roughed-up feel with uneven page edges and a distressed looking cover.

As the subtitle indicates, this book is essentially many short "Proverbs, Wisdom, & Principles for better Living."  Each morsel (there are over 800!) is thought provoking and challenging, often even convicting!  I love to see the superior moral standard that was striven for in that time.

The original writing style has been preserved, oddly spelled words and all, which ads to the book's charm, but also makes it difficult to understand at some points.  Honestly there are many words that I did not understand, or else knew that my current definition of the word was not what his was 350 years ago.  This is not to deter you from picking up at copy of this book, though!  Just know that this is not a book to be sped through, but to be read slowly and savored.

Almost every principle in this book can make you stop and think.  Here are two to give you a taste (I would like to share a hundred, but you have to get it yourself if you want read that many =)

18. And yet we are very apt to be full of our selves, instead of Him that made what we so much value; and but for whom we can have no Reason to value our selves.  For we have nothing that we can call out own; no, not our selves: For we are all but Tenants, and at Will too, of the great Lord of our selves, and the rest of this great Farm, the World that we live upon.
52. It is a Reproach to Religion and Government to suffer so much Poverty and Excess.

This book would be a fantastic addition to a study of 17th century history.  It will not teach you history, per-say, but will give you a great taste of what someone living in that time felt and thought. 

Happy Reading!

I received this book from New Leaf Publishing for the purpose of this review.  I was not required to give a positive review and all opinions are my own.

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Posted by Amy Maze at 7:57 AM 2 comments
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Thursday, July 5, 2012

Early Grammar Stage Focus - Work and Service

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This is part eight of my series based on the article 10 Things To Do With Your Child Before Age 10.  To learn more about what I am doing, read my first post on Reading and Writing.

 You can get this "10 things..." article plus SO much more information in the book Teaching the Trivium from the good people at Trivium Pursuit.

This week's focus is on Work and Service.


This is an area that we work diligently toward in my home.  I can't say that we are anywhere near perfect at it, but we are working on it!  The author of the above mentioned article starts out by saying that we need to develop a love for work and service in our children.  My children are very young, but this concept seems so right!  People who love to work and serve become productive members of society, are capable of running their own homes when they get on their own, and gladly help those who are in need.

The article talks in length about giving your children chores from an early age (starting as soon as one!)  Obviously these are age appropriate chores starting with things like picking up toys and dirty laundry, moving to things like dusting and putting away laundry, then eventually to things like preparing meals and cleaning bathrooms.  It is good for any person to feel useful, and this is a great way to accomplish this instead of the hallow notion of self-esteem (based on nothing except someone saying your are worth something).

I have written about what we do with our children before here.  Basically I require Trevor to do a few chores just because he is part of our family/household and then he has the option of doing an extra chore to earn a small amount of money.  Currently he is required to pick up toys in the family room and his bedroom, sort laundry and put it into the washing machine.  Then I have various other chores for him to do to earn a quarter (dusting, wiping floors, using the dust buster, etc.)  This is working very well for us.  I find if we slip up, it is always my fault because it's easier to just do things than train the children to do them.  I am seeing a great need to teach diligence to my son, who always wants to take the easy way out.  That is something we definitely need to work on this coming year.  To see my earlier posts on this subject, see Chores and Allowance, Chore Time, and Cleaning House.

Next, the article moves on to talking about service.  Essentially service is just work for someone else's benefit, right?  Service opportunities are all around us, we just have to look.  A child can do a chore for a grandparent, visit with an elderly neighbor, play with an overwhelmed mother's young children to give her time to get something done, help mom make a meal for someone in need, or even do something for their sibling!  This is not an area that we have purposely focused on, but we have done things as they come up.  This year I would really like to focus on this more.  Would it be too much to try to do some service every day? I'll have to think this over more.  I'd love your input!

Goals for work and service:

  1. Be more consistent with Trevor's chores
  2. Work on diligence and instilling a love of work
  3. Formally start Mackenzie on chores
  4. Be purposeful about service
    • Help grandma and grandpa
    • Help someone from church
    • Help a sibling
    • Help a neighbor
    • Service projects

See how we did with these goals in my follow up post, Work and Service Re-Visited.
This post is a part of the following series:



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Posted by Amy Maze at 8:16 AM 8 comments
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