Chores serve several purposes. One way is to have some additional help with household and yard duties. Another is listening to instruction and following directions. And, the last but what I feel is the best purpose, is they help teach responsibility.

Did you ever want a pet when you were growing up? Do you remember one of the first things you would say after you asked? I will feed it and clean up after it. Ah! You were using your powers of persuasion to make the argument that you would be responsible. Did it work? 🙂

Children can begin at a young age to help with chores around the house. Always show your child how you would like the chore to be done and follow up with them afterwards to see that it was done according to your directions and satisfaction. Here are some ideas to consider, but make a list based upon the capability of your child.

Ages 2-3

• Pick up toys, books
• Put dirty clothes in laundry
• “Wash” dishes
• “Sweep” floor

Ages 4-5

• Help make bed
• Fill empty pet bowl (water, food with supervision)
• Help set the table
• Match socks

Ages 6-7

• Straighten bedroom
• Make bed
• Get the mail
• Put away folded laundry
• Collect garbage from around the house
• Help set the table

Ages 8-9

• Pick up room, things around the house
• Fold laundry
• Set the table
• Make simple lunches (sandwiches; humus and veggies, etc.)
• Bake desserts (with supervision)
• Load/ unload dishes in dishwasher
• Put away dishes

Ages 10-11

• Be responsible for personal items (Pick up, put away)
• Iron clothes
• Rake leaves
• Collect library books and get ready for returning
• Clean bathroom
• Load washing machine (with supervision)
• Put clothes in dryer
• Take out and bring back garbage cans on trash day

Ages 12-13

• Keep room tidy
• Change bedsheets
• Take showers regularly (For you mothers of boys, I had to put that one in!)
• Mow the lawn
• Watch younger siblings for short periods of time
• Prepare basic meals
• Unload washing machine and dryer
• Vacuum
• Per care (walking dog. grooming cat, etc.)

Ages 14+

• Do all chores from younger ages
• Watch siblings
• Check automobile’s oil, change tires
• Bring in and put away groceries
• Do family’s or own laundry
• Mop the floor
• Create one meal a week.

Of course, you can do other things with chores.

• Add or delete what chores that work for your family. The above lists were just to give you an idea of things your child could do. Many of these chore options were taken from the Focus on the Family’s website.
• You create cards with chore descriptions for easy reference once you have instructed and overseen chores.
• You can create a simple chore chart with the name of the chore on the left-hand side and the days of the week that you want them completed on the right-hand side.
• You can have your child earn some cash by giving them a weekly allowance. How much to pay then is up to you. This would be a terrific finance lesson on saving, spending, giving to the church or another charitable organization.

Have a great week! ~Lisa ~ 

So, you are thinking about homeschooling next year. That’s awesome! You may be wondering, “Where do I start?”

I found it helpful to find a few trusted sources for information. Start out with just a couple of things to investigate. It can be overwhelming if you try to tackle it all at once. After you have answers for those couple of questions, then pick a couple of more to research. Pretty soon you will be a pro and ready to go! Here are a few great resources to help you get started.

• State homeschool organizations These well established and well respected organizations have all of the information and forms you need to notify the school.
  • Home School Legal Defense (HSLDA)
  • Christian Home Educators of Ohio (CHEO)

• Website: Homeschool State Laws has the requirements for every state should you not live ion Ohio.

Are you looking for curriculum? Cathy Duffy Reviews is a good resource with a summary of each of her top picks. She also has a book called How to Choose Homeschool Curriculum that would be worth the investment since it covers setting goals, types of learners, and  philosophies of education.

Two great companies from which to buy homeschool books/ curriculum are:

• Christainbook.com
• Rainbow Resource

Join a Facebook Group and/or a support group. There are both secular and Christian groups. Facebook groups are very helpful, but I liked talking and meeting up with people. People are more than happy to help you. If you have any questions that I can help you with, comment below.

Have a great week! ~Lisa~

Did you know that we all remember and learn better if we have information presented when it involves our senses?  I think about when I am learning something new (like gardening) I like to read a description of the plant and growing conditions, and see pictures of it. If there is a video about the care of it then I like to watch it which involves both seeing and hearing. The final step in the learning process is to purchase the plant and care for it. (hands-on) Sometimes that’s more multisensory than I want!

Do you have a child who just can’t seem to get a concept? You have gone over the example in the text several times. So, instead of just reading the directions and explanations one- more- time, try doing something else, get the senses invloved. For instance, instead of textbooks and worksheets see if you can…

• watch /take notes on an educational video on the subject
• discuss the video that was viewed
•  read library books on the topic
• go on a field trip if appropriate
• talk to someone who understands the topic and might be able to give a different perspective
•  go on to another topic and come back to it a while later
•  have your child draw pictures of what they understand this far
• create a comic book about the topic
• listen to an audible version if possible
• give your child an opportunity to vent (Write a nasty letter to fractions, geography, etc. Just remind them that what is written on the paper only applies to inanimate objects. 🙂 )
• Act out the topic if possible. Years ago I had a student that did not understand Shakespeare so the whole family did a reader’s theater and even acted out particularly difficult scenes he was struggling to understand.
• Create a  video, PowerPoint, or a tri-fold board If you are reading about the Battle at Vicksburg, find maps of the battle; go on Google to see the battlefield; draw the area and the battle plan, etc.
• Use Post-It Notes and break down the topic into smaller pieces. Addition- Point 1- Each number of objects is represented by a number. (2 candy bars or small candies) and (2 people). Point 2- You can add these together to see how many you have in total. Ask your child what they think the number will be. Point 3: Count them (2 candy bars or small candies ) and (2 people) and determine if the answer given was correct. Point 4: Eat the candy bar or small candies if the answer was correct. If not, cut the candy bar in smaller pieces or use more small candies for extra examples.

I know there are other ideas, but I hope this will give you some other options for teaching. If you care to share I’d love for you to comment.

Have a great week! ~ Lisa ~