Photo by Tonya Vander circa 1996

How many things do your kids do in a day that make you laugh?

If you are scratching your head trying to remember the last time they did something that made you laugh, maybe it’s time to look at the schedules and responsibilities and see what is becoming more demanding than enjoying your day with your kids. I think as moms, it is so easy to get caught up in the time management issues, that we don’t take the time to be in the ‘present’ with our children. I was always in that “hurry up and finish” mode, and I didn’t relish that it is a gift to home-school my children.

Let’s face it, it is very hard to manage a home and teach children, too. Not to mention that most moms today work from home and there are a growing number of moms that home-school and work outside the home. So time becomes our enemy instead of our friend. Moms can feel frustrated by an ever growing list of things that need to be accomplished. How does a mom still get things done, and enjoy her kids?

I remember when our family had attended a Bible study one Sunday evening years ago, that my best friend hosted at her house. Always trying to be conscientious, I tried to look in where they were playing and make sure that the kids had picked up after themselves, but that night we left especially late and the kids were already asleep in our arms. So the next morning I called my best friend to make sure that the kids had cleaned up after themselves. Renee stated that everything was in place except for the fact that my children had hung all of her daughter’s stuff animals by the necklaces that she had hung on her walls. At fist I was mortified. Then I had to question why would my children hang stuff animals? For a brief moment I wondered what I had done so wrong as a mom and as a teacher. Then it came to me, in our learning we were using KONOS and studying trappers and the techniques of trapping. My children were six and seven at the time and they were naturally playing out what they had learned. Once I realized what happened, and I explained it to Renee, then we all felt much better.

I called Chuck right after I finished smoothing things over with with Renee to let him know what happened. We giggled at the thought of Renee’s daughter walking into her room finding stuffed rabbits, teddy bears, and puppies hanging by their necks all along her wall. I couldn’t imagine all the thoughts that went through her head. To this day both families still laugh at how our kids reenacted what they had learned from that week.

Perspective is everything. Now that I have a senior and junior in high school, I can’t believe how fast it went. In the early years, I was so stressed and worried if my kids would turn out normal, educated, and still love me. I can say that all of that energy was wasted on things that didn’t even come to fruition.

Side note: As I was preparing my post I read it to my son. As soon as he realized what story I was telling this was his response. “Really, mom this story? Of all the stories you could tell this is the one you chose?”
Laughter, the gift that keeps on giving…

Visit Tonya at The Denver Homeschool Examiner for more articles.

http://www.examiner.com/x-4997-Denver-Homeschooling-Examiner

It is a pleasure to introduce Bev Linder, our guest blogger. Bev has been homeschooling for 12 years and has a special heart for children with special needs.
“Two of my three children have been special-needs (and if you count the one who most likely would have been diagnosed ADHD if he went to public school, that makes three!)”, says Bev.
“The blog is more than my own thoughts. It offers hope from God’s Word, from other perspectives, and from my own lessons in life.” Check out her blog for a wealth of encouraging words for moms of children with unique challenges.

Recipes for Kids with Chemical Sensitivies

These aren’t food recipes. I’ll share some of those soon. These are recipes for things that we put on our bodies like cream and lip balm. The kind we buy at the store contain fragrance and lots of other “stuff” that can be irritating to kids who have chemical and environmental sensitivities. Many autistic kids have these sensitivities and a growing number of the population (including myself) find themselves sensitive to things that previously didn’t bother them.

Because we are “whole” people, lightening your child’s physical load can do wonders to help him gain control of other areas of his life. It’s quite a burden to have to constantly fight off reactions to things that make you feel bad.

So here are just a few of my favorite recipes. If you want more, let me know!

All of these ingredients can be found at a store like Whole Foods.

Rich Cream (great for psoriasis, eczema, and very dry skin)
2 oz. shea butter

1 oz. jojoba oil

½ oz. aloe vera gel

optional: 2-3 drops of lemon essential oil (warning: citrus oil can cause a reaction to direct sunlight, so experiment with the cream containing it before using large amounts)

There is little we can do to change the environment “out there”, that is, outside of our home; but there is plenty we can do to control the environment within our own walls—and especially what we put on our bodies. The good news is that if we successfully make our homes a place where our weary immune systems can get a much-needed break, then we will be more likely to be able to handle what we might have to face when we step outside of our doors. This means that if your child is struggling with sensitivities, there is something very practical you can do that does not involve loading him down with drugs (which often creates problems of its own).
By the way: The following link gives the basic ingredients of store-bought hairspray. The article was not written with the intention of being negative, simply matter-of-fact. But just reading these ingredients gives me the willies!

http://sci-toys.com/ingredients/hair_spray.html