Are We Spoiling Our Children?

As I get older and my children grow into adulthood one by one, I begin to ponder how well I’ve raised them.  I loved them all the best way I knew how.  They grew up through both lean times and times of plenty.  Through it all, I tried to provide the best for them that I could offer within the confines of what we could afford.  We made sacrifices so they could live a more comfortable life than we did growing up.

Now that they are older, I’ve begun to wonder if that was the right approach.  Are they spoiled?  An older and wiser friend once asked me that.  But never having been a parent himself, I didn’t give it much too much thought at the time.  I do for my kids because I love them.  I live a life of willing servitude for my family because I enjoy giving to them.  Some are more appreciative than others.  Some have more of a sense of entitlement than any real gratitude that I can see.  Is it just a difference in personality, or did my choices create that attitude?  

Homeschooling has been the forefront of my existence for the last 16 years.  The years flew by in the busy-ness of it all.  I’ve often wondered if I should have chosen another path.  My frustrations with their lack of cooperation and responsibility in their school work frustrated me more as the years went by.  I found myself yelling more often than I’d like, feeling a deep sadness and unhappiness welling up within myself for a number of years.  Suddenly, I didn’t feel like the mom I set out to be…the mom I was in the beginning.  Was the sacrifice too great for the benefits?  I don’t know.  But I gave my best and perhaps more than was wise for my own well-being at times.  Honestly, sometimes, I wonder if I was even cut out to be a mom, much less a teacher, too.

Do you have these kinds of doubts?  If I’ve gone about it all wrong, I guess it’s too late to fix it.  I’m quickly turning them out into the world and wondering what will become of them.  I know I started out with all the best of hopes and intentions, trying to mold their hearts into loving, God-fearing little souls who would leave a meaningful mark on the world, making it a better place than the one they entered. I guess it’s too early to tell if I did my job well or not.  I tremble at the possibility that I’ve failed, because that amounts to a failure of epic proportions…essentially my whole life’s work.  That’s a sobering thought.

In the meantime, I continue to make them three meals a day whether they choose to eat them or not, do all the shopping, do their laundry and put it all away, clean up their messes, make their beds, and clean their rooms.  I surprise them with little treats and treasures to let them know I am thinking of them even when they aren’t with me, and I do all kinds of small gestures and kindnesses to let them know they are special people in my life, and I’ve given them my time, attention, and a heart full of love.

I guess the scary part of parenting is that in the end, you just don’t know how they will turn out.  There’s no instruction manual, and situations arise sometimes to which there is no obvious answer, so you just do the best you can.  There were times I butted heads with my parents, but mostly, I just loved them, respected them, and appreciated their approval tremendously.  I no longer have either of my parents, and I’m sad for that.  I wish I could have shared more of my life with them that time allowed us. 

All I can really do is pray and study the bible and hope I’ve done right by my kids.  But honestly, I just don’t know!  I guess time will tell.

Sorry I don’t have any words of wisdom to offer.  I obviously don’t have the answers to this parenting gig.  But then again, do any of us?

REVIEW: Drive Thru History® “Acts to Revelation” by Drive Thru History®

I was super thrilled to be reviewing Drive Thru History® “Acts to Revelation” by Drive Thru History® since I enjoyed reviewing Drive Thru History® “The Gospels” a couple of years ago.

WHAT IS IT?:

Drive Thru History® “Acts to Revelation” is essentially the sequel to Drive Thru History® “The Gospels” that came out in 2017.  It continues Dave Stotts’ journey through the remainder of the New Testament, beginning with the book of Acts.

This DVD set includes 3 discs and 18 episodes with each episode lasting 30 minutes.  It comes in a hard-sided case with a thin cardboard outer sleeve and a full-color book/study guide built into the case.  It’s intended for viewers in grade 6 through adults, but even younger children can enjoy the series.

It can be purchased for just $89.95.  You can watch a trailer and see if it’s right for you.

OUR EXPERIENCE:

Let me start by saying that I enjoyed the previous series about the Gospels so much that I was super excited to continue this journey through the rest of the New Testament.  I am a Christian, and while I have a strong belief system, I also have a deep appreciation for history and archaeology.  So any time I can tie the two together and use one to reinforce my beliefs in the other, I’m very interested in doing so.  For me, that’s what makes this Drive Thru History® series so remarkable and fascinating!


I was the primary viewer for this, although my husband and my 11 year old son did join me for a couple of them.  My husband remarked that it seemed like a really interesting program.  My son thought it was super cool that Dave Stotts got to walk through the ruins of places where the disciples once walked, and he said he wished we could take a trip there some day and see it for ourselves.  Personally, I was mesmerized by the twelve episodes I got to watch during the review period!  Sometimes, I really had hard time turning it off to go to bed.  Each episode left me anxious to see the next one.  With only 6 more episodes to go, I know I’ll ending up watching this series again and again and will be inviting others from church to view it with me.  The timing of this was perfect for me, because we’re currently studying the book of Acts at our Wednesday night adult bible study class.

Before I viewed each episode, I reviewed the information in the book/study guide.  It provided me a nice overview of what each episode would be about, some basic discussion questions you’d use if you were using this as a study with your children, a “Side Road” section with a bit more historical and cultural background information on the people and places in the episode, and a nice array of related full-color photographs and illustrations with labeling information.  Complete answers to the discussion questions are located in the back of the book.  I would describe the discussion questions as more like comprehension questions.  They have factual, defined answers rather than requiring any deep thinking or drawing of conclusions.  They are something I’d use to make sure my kids were paying attention and understood the basics of the episodes.

The episodes I watched took me through Pentecost, the growth of the early church, the spread of the gospel to the gentiles, Saul’s encounter on the road to Damascus, Paul’s three missionary journeys and the opposition he faced along the way, and his final trip to Jerusalem and Caesarea where he appealed to have Caesar hear his case.  The remaining episodes will cover Paul’s shipwreck at sea and his experiences on the island of Malta, his final journey to Rome, the martyrdom of Paul and Peter, John’s experiences on the island of Patmos, the events of Revelations, and the end of the New Testament period.

Throughout the episodes, I saw the ruins of outdoor Roman ampitheaters, roadways, public baths and toilets, temples to pagan gods, jails, a library, and the remains of places where Paul taught those who would listen.  Seeing these places as Dave Stotts shared the stories of Acts, Corinthians, and Ephesians really helped me to visualize the environment where these events took place.  It helped me to understand how physically taxing it was to travel during that time.  It helped me to understand Roman culture.  It helped me to “see” in my mind’s eye what it must have been like for the apostles to speak to the masses that gathered around them.  I better understood why the Jewish leaders felt so threatened when Jesus spoke outside the temple…it was because the Jews from the diaspora returned from foreign lands to keep the feasts and gathered en masse at the temple.  Jesus had been able to speak to them there, right on the doorstep of the Jewish leaders, and the leaders witnessed the attention Jesus received and the thousands who were baptized right then.  I also saw many of the inscriptions that have been uncovered that match up perfectly with names and dates of various Roman leaders mentioned in the scriptures, supporting the great historical accuracy found in the bible.

In short, this series is all that I’d hoped it would be and more, and I feel even more immersed in the Bible after watching it.  It has definitely strengthened and deepened my understanding and has given me an even richer historical experience.

I highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a deeper experience and also to be shared with those who are on the fence about the scriptures because they have a need to see it tied to factual historical findings.  It would be great for individual study but also to be viewed as a family.  I had some great conversations with my son while we watched it together, and I could see his eyes get bigger every time an archaeological finding matched up with something he already knew from the scriptures.  He was just as fascinated as I was!

Take a look at what other Crew members have to say about this wonderful series by clicking the banner below.

Freebies Next Week!!!

This next week is a holiday week that kicks off with St. Patrick's Day and also includes the first day of Spring.  There are several great deals to be had!  Check them out below:

Saturday, March 16th:

• As an early celebration of St. Patty's Day, stop by any Michael's store between 1-3 PM with your kids so they can make their very own super-glittery green slime!  They're calling this the Pinch of Luck Slime Event.

Sunday, March 17th (St. Patty's Day!):

• Through St, Patrick's Day, Papa John's is offering FREE delivery on orders of $10 or more placed through the Door Dash website or app at participating locations.

Wednesday, March 20th:

• In celebration of this first day of Spring, Rita's Italian Ice is offering a free Italian ice treat to customers who stop by between noon and 9 PM.
  
  
• Dairy Queen is offering a FREE small vanilla cone to any customers who stop by a non-mall location during business hours.

Enjoy your treats this week!

IHOP Free Pancake Day 2019

This Tuesday, March 12, 2019 will be the annual FREE Pancake Day at IHOP!  Just stop by between 7 AM and 7 PM and enjoy a FREE short stack of their original buttermilk pancakes at participating locations. 

While you’re there, consider making a donation to help children battling critical illnesses.  The company’s goal is to raise $5 million in donations this year.  Help them reach their goal!

Baskin Robbins FREEBIE on March 3rd

At participating Baskin Robbins locations, you can get a FREE sample of the featured Milkshake Mixology flavor combination from 3-7 PM on Sunday, March 3rd.

Making a Home Management Binder

As much as we all love our digital reminders and lists, there’s still something to be said for a good old paper binder to manage our home information and lists all in one handy place.  I like to use a binder with pockets.  It makes it easy to three-hole punch pages and add them in as needed, remove pages that have become obsolete or that need to be replaced with new ones, and the pockets allow you to insert things that just need to be handy in the near future.  I’ve never found all of my planner needs met in one place, so I tend to pick and choose FREE printable pages from various internet sources and piece together something customized just for me. 

Fortunately, many sites offer undated pages and calendars so you can download them to your computer and print them over and over again just when you need them.  I keep a folder on my computer full of free printables that I really like so I can access them whenever I want.  That way, I don’t have to keep track of where they all came from when I need them again.

To get you started, I’m going to link a couple of sites that contain some of my favorite mix-and-match, undated pages.

This site has the cover, password, and contact pages I like best.  And it also has homeschool planning pages if you need those.  I use a digital planner for my homeschool stuff, so all I’m interested in here is stuff for home management.

This site has pages to track doctor’s visits, pantry and freezer inventories, to-do lists, gift list pages (loved those this Christmas), bank account information, books to read, movies to watch, and so many others.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page to select individual pages that meet your needs.

In my binder, I like to tuck things like my symphony subscription tickets, monthly bill calendars, invoices and estimates for work currently being done at my house, etc., in the binder’s pockets for quick access until they need to be filed away.  I also bought some trading card pages at Walmart to store business cards for services I use at my home.

In the front of the binder, I keep some laminated pages for things that needed to be updated often.  I can use a dry erase marker to write on them and wipe them off as needed so I’m not constantly burning through new pages for the sheets I use the most.  These include a daily agenda, a daily cleaning schedule that I created for my this specific home, an errand and shopping list, and a list of leftovers with dates so I don’t forget about using them up.

I can’t tell you how handy this binder has been.  All the key pieces of information I need are in one handy place, and I keep it updated and stored in my desk drawer so it’s always at hand.

Try making your own and see if it helps you manage your home this year!

REVIEW: IXL by IXL Learning

When we learned that IXL Learning offers practice in core subjects as well as Spanish language with the annual subscription we’d receive for IXL, we were really excited to try it out!

WHAT IS IT?

IXL is an online program offering comprehensive practice in the core subjects of math, language arts, social studies, and science, with additional practice in Spanish language.  For native Spanish speakers, they also offer the entire program in a Spanish version.

All core subjects are offered for grades 2-8, with math and language arts offered for grades PK, 1, and 9-12.  Spanish is available for all grade levels.  When you subscribe, you have access to over 7.500 unique topics and all grade levels, plus there is tracking information to chart your child’s progress.

The program can be used on your computer or with apps for your mobile devices.

Both monthly and annual subscriptions are available, and there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee if you decided to try it out.  You can choose the package that’s just right for your needs by choosing a just math or language arts or Spanish, or a combo of math and language arts, all core subjects, or any of the above with Spanish added.  The annual subscription I received that includes all core subjects plus Spanish costs just $199/year!

OUR EXPERIENCE:

We recently finished with our science and math programs for this year, so the timing was perfect to give IXL a try so we could continue practicing daily in these important subjects.

Right away, I was impressed with the extensive topics available for each subject!  There are just so many concepts available to practice.  I immediately thought this could really be a great tool for filling in learning gaps we might have encountered this year.

We started off by using the diagnostic testing that’s available at IXL.  This can be done at any time.  There’s no ending to the testing, so it’s just something your child can do periodically to find out where they might need further study.  The more questions the child answers, the “smarter” the program gets at identifying learning deficits.  It then lets the child know that there are recommendations available for which topics they should practice more.  This is a great tool for parents who might not know where to start with the program.  Since you have access to all grade levels with your subscription, the diagnostic tool will help you identify where the child should begin with each subject, and it will indicate when they should advance to the next level, as well.  After they’ve done a fair amount of content in the diagnostic so that useful information is generated, you can even download a detailed analysis of where they stand in math and language arts.  I was really happy to see how well Holden did in language arts, especially, because we completed a really thorough grammar program this year, and I can see that it served him well. 

  

Even though we tried out the diagnostic tool, we were mainly focused on starting at the beginning of the 5th grade level of Spanish and science and just working our way through the topics in order.  Even though some of it was easy for him, there were a number of topics we simply hadn’t discussed, particularly in science, since we concentrated our studies solely on anatomy and physiology this school year.  I assigned Holden to work on one topic each for science and Spanish 4 days per week with his other school work.

To my surprise, he never complained about the extra work!  The questions are adaptive, so if he got several wrong, it would ask a lot more questions.  If he got a bunch correct in a row, it would move him into more challenging questions.  When he’s gotten through the different challenges with enough correct questions, then he’d mastered the topic and could move on.  Holden has ADHD and a pretty short attention span, but he has always liked computer-based learning.  I was so pleased to see that he was really motivated to “master” each topic, no matter how long he spent trying to get it right!  Sometimes, I would try to get him to stop for the night, and he’d insist he had to keep going until he could reach mastery of the topic that had him stumped!  I never imagined he’d take it to the way he did!  That was a pleasant surprise.

Another motivation was the constant stream of award certificates that would come to my email inbox.  He got awards for his progress and for milestones such as how many questions he’d answered in a subject, on the site overall, or time spent mastering a subject. 

 

I would also get a weekly summary of the time he spent and the number of skills he mastered.  At any time, I can log in as the parent and see a comprehensive breakdown of how well he’s doing and what he has accomplished.  I loved being able to check in on his progress, even if I hadn’t been sitting with him while he did the work.

 

Although the site does NOT claim to be a complete curriculum because it does not offer lessons before the practice sessions, it kid of DOES have some lesson material after the fact.  The difference is that the material is only shared with the student in the explanation of why they answered a question wrong.  But if you spend some time reading through that explanation, you get enough information to be able to answer future questions in that topic correctly.  So in a backhanded way, it does have lesson material in there.  In the future, it would be my hope that they would put the “explanations” that are really like mini-lessons up in front of the practice questions, and then it really would provide instruction as well as practice.  I think for our own use in the future, I may log in as the parent, answer a question wrong, and try to copy and paste the explanation so I can print it out for my son to look at as he answers the questions, thereby providing him with some lesson materials to view beforehand.  But even without that, you could use the diagnostic tool to identify areas of weakness and look up instruction for that material elsewhere, teach or reteach the material, and then have them practice the recommended topics again.

 

However you choose to use it, IXL is essential to providing ongoing practice in your educational topics, as well as in identifying learning gaps before they get out of control.  For that reason, I can understand why so many students across the country use IXL, whether they are in public school, private, or homeschooling!

We did try out the program both on the computer as well as with the app on my Android tablet.  Holden enjoyed using it both ways, but he said he really liked the sound effects of the app the best.  Using it on the tablet also made it more portable, so if I was cooking dinner or was elsewhere in the house, it was easy for him to bring it to me to ask for help with understanding a question.

Overall, I’m extremely pleased with this program.  I actually reviewed it many years ago when he was a kindergartener and my daughter was in 4th grade.  The site has expand by leaps and bounds since then, and there’s so much more content in many more subject areas.  Holden has enjoyed it even more this time around, so much so that I fully intend to continue using the program as part of our regular daily school work.  I’ve already added the topics into our digital schedule for the rest of the school year so they will appear on his assignment list!  And I absolutely love that I don’t have to force him to do it.  He’s been asking to do it first!

With the 30-day money-back guarantee, there’s nothing to lose in giving this a try.  That gives you plenty of time to figure out how to make the best use of the program for your kids.  I highly recommend it!

Check out what other Crew members have to say about IXL by clicking the banner below.