Parenting « NutBugs

Homeschooling: All Things

Project Play

By KristinN, on August 24th, 2010

Did you know?

Since 1980, the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for children ages 2 – 5 and more than tripled for children ages 6 – 11.
Between 1981 and 1997, free playtime among 6 to 8 year olds dropped 25% and homework more than doubled.
Since 2005, the amount of time children and teens ages

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Homeschooling: All Things

Homeschool Day at Pump it Up

By KristinN, on August 11th, 2010

Homeschool Fun Day
Pump It Up

Pump It Up
It's Like One Big, Amazing Playdate

Pop-In Playtime for Homeschoolers! It's a special open jump time when homeschooler can take a break from their studies and slide, bounce and play in the inflatables, while parents relax and unwind. At this homeschool fun day, we play classical music. Tell all your

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Work & No Play Makes For Really Cute Bedrooms

By KristinN, on July 19th, 2010

So this summer has been very busy for me so far. Besides doing summer school 2-3 days a week, going on several field trips so far, play dates at the park a couple times a week, I decided to start

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By KristinN, on July 13th, 2010

I had to repost this article I just got in my email box a couple days ago. I have several friends who are thinking of going back to work and giving up on homeschooling. So I when I saw this article I thought I had to share it with everyone. Enjoy!

Kristin

Years ago, homeschooling or working

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Happy Independance Day

By KristinN, on July 4th, 2010

Price of Freedom Video

Oh say can you see….the bombs bursting in the air….for the land of the FREE and the home of the brave!

Today we thank God for the freedom we have here…I mean really thank God! We live in a country that is like no other. For all the good and even some

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Surprising Changes in DMV Policy

By KristinN, on June 24th, 2010

In the state of California, parents have not been authorized to teach driver education and driver training. Any parent wanting their child to obtain a driving permit needed to have him or her complete a driver education/driver training course through a public or private Surprising Changes in DMV Policy

Happy Father’s Day DAD’s of the World

By KristinN, on June 20th, 2010

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's all over the world. May you have a wonderful day filled with love, fun and the closeness you all deserve. God bless you all!

Homeschooling Breeds Precocious Cats

By KristinN, on June 15th, 2010

I absolutly loved this article from Heart of the matter.

When my oldest daughter, Meghan, was four years old, we discovered that she was allergic to cats (and grass and dust). Uh oh. We were very attached to our feline lap warmer and just couldn’t see giving him up. We

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NERTZ! A Fun Family Game

By KristinN, on June 12th, 2010

Ok, I got this article form heart of the Matter and it is all about games. I found this game to be very interesting and thought I would post if for those who do not get their newsletter. i plan on trying this game myself. have any of you ever played

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Raquel and Grandma Sing

By KristinN, on June 8th, 2010

You know when your parents get to be in their 80's you treasure every moment you have with them. And unlike with my moms parents I have the wonderful invention of the video camera phone. I was able to capture a moment in time with my Mom and my aspiring singer daughter, Raquel that is really

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Ohio Superintendent Makes Up Law

By KristinN, on June 2nd, 2010

Superintendent Makes Up Law

Homeschool families in the Shelby County school district recently received a letter from the local superintendent’s office reminding them of Ohio’s legal requirements for homeschooling, which included a copy of the district’s notice of intent form. In

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California Surprising Changes in DMV Policy

By KristinN, on June 1st, 2010

Surprising Changes in DMV Policy

In the state of California, parents have not been authorized to teach driver education and driver training. Any parent wanting their child to obtain a driving permit needed to have him or her complete a driver education/driver training course through a public or private California Surprising Changes in DMV Policy

Local Mom Review

A Short Neurological Test

By KristinN, on May 20th, 2010

Ok, so this is one of those pass it along emails you get, but I thought it was very interesting, enough so I wanted to post it here. I was very amazed at how I was able to pick out the letters and actually A Short Neurological Test

Parental Rights.com

By KristinN, on May 17th, 2010

As ParentalRights.com announced last week, Senator Jim DeMint on Tuesday introduced S.R. 519, a resolution urging the President not to deliver the Convention on the Rights of the Child to the Senate for its advice and consent. Now it is time to make phone calls. We need 34 co-sponsors of S.R. 519 in

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New Protocol for UN Children's Treaty

By KristinN, on April 7th, 2010

I recieved this email from Mike Farris from ParentalRights.org and thought that it was worthy enough to repost here on my blog. Please read through it and discuss it within your own homeschool groups and see

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Cow’s Tail

By KristinN, on March 26th, 2010

My family and I subscribe to "God's World News" and have enjoyed reading their magazine for sometime now. They have magnificent and interesting articles for the kids to Cow’s Tail

Encouragement Along the Way

By KristinN, on March 24th, 2010

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon

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Missionary

By KristinN, on March 12th, 2010

Every week our head pastor sends out a letter to us all writing of what is going on and what is coming up for the following week at our church. There are many letters I have Serving Christ No Matter Where You Are

Focus/Attention Processing Dysfunction Characteristics

By KristinN, on March 8th, 2010

Because I deal with an ADD child on a daily basis and an ADD husband I figured there had to be many more people out there that read my blog that might be interested in Continue reading Focus/Attention Processing Dysfunction Characteristics

Many Hats

By KristinN, on March 1st, 2010

Motherhood equals a Woman of many hats. I don’t mean those crazy big church going hats that are all fancy like. I mean hats that are sometimes messy. Hats that are not in the literal sense at all. These hats are the actual roles given to us to play. As a mother I can be

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Home Schooling and Community Service

By KristinN, on February 28th, 2010

I am the daughter of a home health nurse who worked in one of the poorest counties in our state. Whenever my brother and I were out of school (either we students had a holiday, it was the weekend or

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Learning Styles of Children

By KristinN, on February 20th, 2010

For as long as I live, I will never cease to be amazed at how so many different looking children can come from the same two parents.

My husband and I have five children – five very distinctly different looking children. The oldest is very Italian looking, like his father. He has very straight black hair,

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Genetics and Ability

By KristinN, on February 12th, 2010

I read this articel and I had to re-post it here to share with all of you. Most of us at one time or another have thought that we can not homeschool

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Picture Show Theater

By KristinN, on February 9th, 2010

I have the best place for the best price in a family night out. Ok, it may not be a huge movie screen of SOME of the AMC type theaters, but it is clean, the popcorn tastes the same, the soda is bubbly, the movie sounds and looks the same and you get to see it for

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The History of APRONS

By KristinN, on February 8th, 2010

The History of 'APRONS'

I don't think our kids Know what an apron is.
The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, because she only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they

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VBS

By KristinN, on July 31st, 2009

Ahh, it is that time of year once more. VBS time. My kids have already been to one VBS this year at another church. VBS is not about getting rid of the kids for a half of a day, but about reaching out to your kids un-churched friends and the un-churched community around us. VBS

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Are You Thinking Of Quitting Homeschooling?

By KristinN, on July 21st, 2009

Most traditional school systems have a need for cookie cutter children. You see if they allow for individualism, they might not be able to keep control. We see this all the time in a traditional Continue reading Are You Thinking Of Quitting Homeschooling?

Academics and Beyond

By KristinN, on June 17th, 2009

When I started homeschooling I thought for sure that homeschool was all about getting the grade so to speak. I thought that it was so important to make sure my kids lived up to the homeschoolstandard. You know Academics and Beyond

Local Mom Review

Oak Canyon Nature Center

By KristinN, on June 3rd, 2009

I had the opportunity to go on a hike with my home school group this past week. We decided to try a different park and so we decided on Oak Canyon Nature Center. It is locate at 6700 Walnut Canyon

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Local Mom Review

Hair Cut and a Shave

By KristinN, on June 2nd, 2009

You know I use to color my hair and have highlights put in. Yea, that was well over $125 every 6 weeks. Yes, you guessed it, I am back to my natural color. I was always jealous that my husband could go and get a hair cut for $20.00.. Well, now I am even more

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A Parent’s Right To Raise Their Children

By KristinN, on June 2nd, 2009

A parent’s right to raise their children as they see fit is a time-honored American tradition, but today it is being threatened. The Supreme Court’s Troxel v. Granville decision in 2000 undermined a 75-year heritage of Constitutionally-protected, fundamental parental rights, which 8 of the 9 justices abandoned. At the same time, a growing body of

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I Wanna Be A Chef Unit Study

By KristinN, on June 1st, 2009

I found out one of my friends older kids who happens to be in public school was going to have a career day. So, I was thinking to myself…as a Homeschooler, how do I go about having a so called

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Do Not Be Ashamed

By KristinN, on May 31st, 2009

I find it interesting that a high school principal can see the problem, but not our society.

This is a statement that was Do Not Be Ashamed

Local Mom Review

Ikea, The Lunch Spot?

By KristinN, on May 28th, 2009

You know as a mom who is on the go a lot, I am always looking for a place where I can have a good lunch that is somewhat affordable and that is better for the kids then a hamburger and french fries. One of my favorite places is Ikea.

OK so now you say…What? Ikea?

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The Push to Make Our Children Read

By KristinN, on May 27th, 2009

I just loved this short little article I read this morning and had to share it with all my friends….

A Late Bloomer Blossoms Into Something BigFamilies today feel a lot of pressure to have their children

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Homeschool Fair in the Newspaper

By KristinN, on May 25th, 2009

I thought this was a great way to finish off our day at the homeschool fair. I found this article written about the fair. Hey if you don;t mind if I can brag for a moment, My kids did great at the science and art fair. Six 1st place ribbons as well as two best

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Sheltering our Children

By KristinN, on May 23rd, 2009

You know, now a days when we hear people say that they shelter their children it is not intended to be a compliment. Why is that? Why is sheltering such a bad thing to do? So I was asking myself what exactly does it mean to shelter my kids? Do I shelter my kids? Is

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Mothers Day

By KristinN, on May 7th, 2009

It comes around one time a year. The day I can do absolutely nothing and have my family do it all for me. The day I do not have to be active in the taking care of the family and the house and have the family be actively taking care of the house and me.

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Two Sides to Every Coin

By KristinN, on April 12th, 2009

Home educating is not without challenges. Let’s face it, there are days when it can just wear us down. How many times have you thought: Homeschooling is tough because……

“There’s so much to do!”The flip side: Homeschooling is great, because while our children are still at home, we get to re-prioritize our lives and let go

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A Homeschool Moms Psalm

By KristinN, on March 10th, 2009

A friend of mine sent this to me. I am not sure if she came up with this or if she got it from somewhere else, but I thought it was a great and I wanted to post here in my blog. The bible verses were taken from Psalm 4.

“Answer me when I call to

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Choosing Your School Year Schedule

By KristinN, on March 1st, 2009

One of the most difficult tasks to accomplish with homeschooling is planning your schedule. We sit down a month or so before we are ready to begin school and we outline everything we want to accomplish. Then we plan out

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To Grade Or Not To Grade: That Is the Question

By KristinN, on February 26th, 2009

I used to be a firm believer in not issuing grades and not “testing” my children. Sure, I drilled them regularly but I never gave them written or oral tests because I wanted their education to be full of encouragement and mastery. I believed that receiving a “C” or or an “80%” on a test

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Inspirational Prayers

By KristinN, on February 26th, 2009

I do not know who this picture is of but I do know this is circulating through emails like mad. So i just had to post it here. I thought this was just one of the cutest pictures I have seen in a long time. Hope it gives you a little inspiration and a smile.Continue reading Inspirational Prayers

What is the Goofiest Questions Asked About Homeschoolers?

By KristinN, on February 3rd, 2009

So this weeks Heart of the Matter Weekly Meme question is great and I can not wait to read some of the responses. But meanwhile, here is mine.

Picture a lovely, sunny day at the park. It

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Homeschool Burn Out

By KristinN, on January 12th, 2009

Homeschool Burn Out. I have yet to get to this point, but as I have heard many of time…the day will come. I read this article in The Heart of The Matter The Homeschool burn

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My Christmas Wish to You

By KristinN, on December 24th, 2008

Well, the time has finally come. It is Christmas Eve and all the work and shopping and wrapping and baking we have done is all about to be demolished. Sometimes I look back at Christmas and ask myself was it all worth it. The answer…Yes! For me, the month of December is all about learning

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Get Rid of the Gimmees

By KristinN, on December 17th, 2008

This is such a great post, 9 Steps to a Meaningful Christmas for You and Your Family, by Terri Johnson at Knowledge Quest.

Christmas can be a magical time for children. Yet this holiday can also bring out whininess, disappointment and an ungrateful “gimme, gimme” attitude in our normally sweet children. How can we, as

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Christmas can be a magical time for children, yet…

By KristinN, on December 11th, 2008

What a great post by Jill Johnson at Knowledge Quest.

Christmas can be a magical time for children. Yet this holiday can also bring out whininess, disappointment and an ungrateful “gimme, gimme” attitude in our normally sweet children. How can we, as caring parents, counter-act this contagious and disheartening attitude? Let’s use the word CHRISTMAS as

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Raising our Leaders

By KristinN, on December 11th, 2008

If you read my blog, then you have kids. If you have kids then I know you want to raise your kids to the best they can be. I know my goal is to raise up

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Curriculum Reviews

Trigger Memory System

By KristinN, on November 24th, 2008

Trigger Memory System, has fantastic tool for your children. Clean n’ Flip Charts. Now what are these charts you ask. They are flip charts for your children that explain how to clean their room, bathroom, kitchen and do their laundry. I have been lookig at these for some time now and I was

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When a Child Acts Out in Public to Get Their Way

By KristinN, on November 21st, 2008

When your child acts out in public to get their way, you CAN get control back. Here, James Lehman, MSW lays out some step-by-step techniques for you to use next time you hit the mall or grocery store.

I’ve worked with many parents over the years who routinely gave in when their children acted out.

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Splish Book from TOS

By KristinN, on November 18th, 2008

And Then Mama Said…”It Takes Time to Learn to Read”. Isn’t that such a true statement? We sometimes forget this as a homeschooler and try to rush and push our children to keep up with so

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The Future Belongs to Our Children

By KristinN, on November 16th, 2008

OK, so I know there is this continuous battle between the public school Christians and the Homeschooling Christians. A lot of times the public school

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Hot Topic for Discussion

By KristinN, on November 11th, 2008

Now I think most people would agree that when a certain gene in an animal is not used over an extremely long period of time that the gene goes dormant. Would you say that in the animal kingdom most male animals find a female animal to procreate so that their species can live on and

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Gay Pledge Cards in Calif. Schools

By KristinN, on November 10th, 2008

Now I know allot of my friends are saying…Oh I am not worried about this homosexual thing coming to my school. I have Christian teachers. Or worst yet they are putting on the rose colored glasses and thinking it will

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Homeschooling: All Things

MOTHERS

By KristinN, on October 14th, 2008

Real Mothers don’t eat quiche; they don’t have time to make it. Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox. Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids. Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn’t come out of carpets. Real Mothers don’t want to know what the

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The Computer is a Great Tool for Homeschooling Families

By KristinN, on October 12th, 2008

The Familyman
Todd Wilson, Familyman Ministries

Let me just jump in and say that the computer is a great tool for homeschooling families. We use it for typing, piano, math, and grammar. The computer allows our children to learn at their own pace and get hands on instruction. . .sometimes from a person who is

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Extra Activities, Helping or Hindering?

By KristinN, on September 12th, 2008

You know Heart of the Matter asked a very good question. Do all the extra activities WE have our children do help or hinder our family time. I am going to make it real sweet and simple. Hinder.

I know some mothers who have their child in a cooking class, (like she can’t teach her child

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Letting the kids help with housework

By KristinN, on August 14th, 2008

You know creating a balance throughout the day in chores, homeschooling, mommy duties, cooking, cleaning, wife duties, taking care of Mom can be challenging. I do a pretty good job of it, but I still struggle with my never ending to do list I have going on not only in my head, but also on

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