What mother of preschoolers or other children hasn’t found broken crayons in the couch, under the couch, and all over the floor?  You may even have been frustrated to find a crayon in the laundry, way after it’s too late to salvage the clothes in that load.  Help your child create crayon wax-melting art to keep from having to throw all the broken crayons away.

Melted wax is dangerous for anyone, especially for children.  Please be careful when trying any of the following crayon wax-melting art projects.  Adult supervision is definitely a must for melted wax artists.  Here’s how to do it:

In the oven:  Set your oven to 250 degrees.  Create new crayons by melting the old broken pieces.  Break the pieces up into smaller pieces and sort the crayons with like colors.  Place the crayon pieces into an old muffin tin.  Put the tin into the oven and then turn the oven off.  Watch the crayons so they don’t melt entirely.  When the crayons have melted sufficiently, remove them from the oven and then place the tin into the freezer for half an hour.  Take the tin out and then pop the new, larger crayons out.

Double Boiler:  Another way to melt peeled crayons is over a double boiler.  Use an old pan that you were going to throw away.  Get a larger pot and place water in the pot to boil.  Put the old pan into the water so it floats.  Put the crayons into the upper pan and allow them to melt.  You can then use a ladle or measuring cup to remove small amounts of wax.  Dribble or paint the melted wax onto paper or into old candy molds.  You can also dribble or pour melted wax on wet sand.

Color on Fabric:  On a blank sheet of paper, create a design you’d like to have on a T-shirt or other piece of fabric.  Color the design heavily, using plenty of crayon.  Set your iron to cool and allow it to heat up.  Place newspaper between the layers of fabric so the colors don’t bleed through.  Then iron the paper until the design shows through.  For best results, use 100% synthetic fabrics.

Sun catchers:  Children love the colors that are thrown across the room through sun catchers.  You can help your child create a melted crayon wax sun catcher.  Give your child a pencil sharpener and let them make crayon shavings.  Fold a large sheet of wax paper and sprinkle crayon shavings on half of it.  With a warm iron, run the iron over the wax paper quickly.  Allow the wax paper to cool and then cut it into various shapes.  Make butterflies or flowers with holes in them where you can tape the melted crayon wax sun catcher on the back so the light and colors shine through.

Let the artist come out in your child.  However, since you’re working with crayon wax-melting art, be sure to supervise closely to keep your child from injury.  The artwork they create will spread colorful light across your room and into your heart.

Everyone in the family has the responsibility to help keep the home running smoothly.  Obviously there are some chores very young children can’t do like shoveling snow.  What are the age-appropriate chores for the winter months?

There are many benefits of giving children chores to do.  It helps them learn responsibility, time management, and helps them play a contributing role to the success of the home.  Usually younger children are eager to help out.  It’s only when they get older that they start fussing and being slow in getting their chores done.

Toddlers as young as two or three love to do what their mommy and daddy do, so it’s a great time to enlist their help and begin to teach them how to do chores.  You might as well take advantage of their willingness to help while you can because it won’t last for long.  Of course, you’ll want to supervise them as they’re just learning, but it’s good for them to learn the proper way to do chores as early as you can.  Children this age can:

* Put their gloves and hats inside their coat pockets so they don’t lose them.
* Dry off pets that have come in from outside.

Preschool children still want to be helpful but they want to do things for themselves.  Thankfully they’re a little older so they don’t need quite as much supervision.  They can help around the house during the winter months by:

* Sweeping the porch or walkway right by the main door.
* Helping to carry shopping bags into the house.

Early school-age children are at the age that they may not want to help as much.  The level of supervision at this age is much less than with the younger children.  They can:

* Help take care of and walk the pets out in the yard.
* Take garbage out to the garbage cans outside.
* Sweep the sidewalk leading to the door.

Pre-teens are going to start pushing the boundaries so they may argue about doing chores.  At this age your child can:

* Help shovel snow from the sidewalks and driveway.
* Take garbage cans out to the road.
* Help scrape ice from side windows on your vehicle.

Teens are able to do much more without supervision, but they will likely fuss the entire time they’re doing their chores.  Teens can help out by:

* Shoveling the sidewalks and driveway.
* Depending upon how you heat your home, teens may be given the chore of chopping wood.
* Teens may have their driver’s license, so they may be able to help drive if your vehicle gets stuck in the snow.

When the colder weather comes, it’s important for everyone in the family to pitch in to do the chores.  It’s also important for children to learn to help with the success of the household.  To be sure everyone is helping, give them age-appropriate chores for the winter months.  When it’s time for spring cleaning, they’ll already be knowledgeable and able to take on their new chores.

Parents often go overboard when buying Christmas presents for their children, especially when that child is their first.  What parents find out, after their babies are old enough to sit up and play, is that babies usually love boxes more than the toys that were originally in them.

Don’t become too discouraged.  It happens to nearly every parent.  When someone suggests that you may not want to spend so much on actual gifts because an infant won’t be able to appreciate them, you might want to listen.  If they have children of their own, you may be able to avoid some of the same frustrations they’ve had.

What is it about boxes that draws the attention of babies?  Part of the appeal may be that boxes are large and easily manipulated.  Boxes are also lightweight so they won’t hurt if the baby drops them.  Finally, as everyone knows, nothing tastes better than cardboard!

Since babies love boxes so much, don’t fight it.  Take advantage of their interest in boxes to begin to teach them to use their imagination.  Your baby won’t totally develop their sense of imaginative play until they are pre-school age, but there’s no reason to wait too long before encouraging this type of play.

Actually, if you haven’t looked at toys lately, you can buy pretend food to use in play kitchens.  These are smaller than normal foods, so they’re easy for little children to handle.  There are also plastic foods that are safe for children to put in their mouths.

One box that parents probably have in large numbers is wipe boxes.  Not only can they be used to store small things in, they can be used to build with like building blocks.  If your baby is a boy, he can put his chunky cars in the box and then take them out and play with them.  Little girls, once they start playing with baby dolls, can put their baby’s clothes in the wipe boxes and even use the wipe box as a bed.

With babies, it seems that simple is best.  They really don’t need to have toys with all the bells and whistles.  Lights and noises at this age may get their attention, but they may not hold that attention for long.  Give them a couple of small boxes and they’ll be happy for quite some time.

As your baby grows, they have the potential to turn almost anything into a toy.  They’ll find things in your home that you may not wish them to play with, so be concerned about baby-proofing your home.

Babies grow up so fast.  One minute they’re brand new, small, and helpless.  The next thing you know, they’re trying to get around on their own.  Give them simple things to play with.  Babies love boxes and they’re great items to help them use their imagination.

As soon as we enroll our children in a public school, somehow, we give out this sigh of relief, thinking that our children are getting quality education. But there is always more than one possibility in any situation. So probably they are learning the right way and the right things while we are getting our money’s worth. But what if it’s the other possibility? What if we realize that ‘quality education’ is just but a dream after paying real money for it? What happens to our children?

Socialization is deemed to be the biggest benefit of normal schools. The child gets to meet different kids from different backgrounds. He gets to be taught by people he initially has (or may never have) any emotional attachment to. He will be forced to behave in a social circle outside his own comfort zone. He will learn fear and embarrassment and probably pay the price later on. Nobody knows really because the environment can’t be controlled. Normal school environment, because of ‘need’ to fit in, will encourage the child to interact only with his peers. In a homeschool environment, the comfort of the child is used to his advantage. He can interact with anybody.

The artificial business imposed on the child by the normal school environment takes away the important moments of silence when he can think deeply about his interests before he expresses them. He can’t read literature for all the other kids might think he’s a nerd. The idea of bullies and weaklings are more pronounced in a public school environment where there is a variety of children from different backgrounds of upbringing.

Retention of knowledge may also be low in normal schools as usually, school-goers are forced to study within a time period to pass an exam which is on nearing deadline. It’s about what comes out of the school card at the end of the semester rather than how much a child has truly and willingly learned. Learning and understanding are two different things. A child may have learned just to keep up with the requirements but he may not have understood. This is where homeschoolers beat normal school-goers. Surprising for those who are used to the normal system of education, homeschoolers turn out to be more adept in facing the realities of the social world.

Parents naturally make good teachers. After all, the first lessons that a young child learns is usually what he has observed and imitated from his parents as young children look up to their parents as people who never go wrong. That is why in homeschooling, the participation of parents is highly recommended. However, this does not realistically happen all the time as some parents may be too busy with work to be the homeschool teacher. In any case, the success of homeschooling depends greatly on a good teacher— parents, being natural candidates.

Teaching is not just about being able to pass as much information to the child. Learning, in a lot of ways, is greatly anchored on the emotional reception of the child. Lessons have to be tenderly incorporated into the child’s daily life for him to truly absorb and be able to apply them. Parents’ natural gift of charisma to their own children comes into the picture. More so, their patience and natural concern to teach their child is very essential. Grandparents, because of their patient & tender nature, also make good teachers.

As your child’s teacher, it’s natural for you to have certain fears, especially that you know your child’s future depends on your directly, more than ever. Don’t be afraid if you know you don’t know everything. Nobody does. But the good news is that there are always readily available materials online and in your community to help you learn what’s needed. As a first timer, you may be tempted to settle for commercial resources, which is natural and advisable, as well. There are also ready-made softwares that can help you in logging and recording your child’s progress.

Local support groups can’t just provide you with the information you need but also, with the personal and moral support you’ll need as a first time homeschooler. You will be able to meet experienced homeschool teachers who will be more than happy to give you tips and sources of effective homeschooling materials. Once you get the hang of teaching, you’ll find out yourself how much of a natural-born good teacher parents become for the sake their child.

Although regulation and laws about homeschooling vary from one state to another, homeschooling is legal in all 50 states of the U.S. There are varying interpretations of these laws in different school districts. Homeschooling policies may also change every year.

Such changes and variety may prove to be confusing especially for first time homeschoolers. That is why it’s recommended to go to the National Home Education network to inquire on existing homeschooling regulations and to get updated on future changes. Since policies vary from state to state, it is important to concentrate on reading and understanding the laws pertaining to the state you’re in. Some even seek the help of lawyers to interpret the laws for them. To save on legal costs, you can seek the help of a local support group who may have legal representatives who can attend to your questions for free, if not for a lower fee. Many state education departments also have websites which can help you interpret the state’s requirements on setting up and maintaining a legal homeschool.

Once you and your child start on homeschooling, it’s best to be able to keep focused on both of your roles—your child as a student and you as a teacher. An unnecessary legal glitch in the future may break your mindset and have negative effects on the levels of your interest. Additionally, if you need to move to another state, don’t forget to check if there are any examinations your child is required to take.

Record-keeping is almost always brought up in homeschooling meetings. No matter how fluid the system of homeschooling is, record-keeping should still be done to keep track of your child’s development. In some states, it’s even required. Interest-driven homeschooling operators will most-likely put genuine effort in preparing topics and conducting classes. With the usually unformatted nature of homeschooling, it can prove to be challenging to prepare quarterly reports for the school district’s evaluation.

Above complying with regulations, record keeping is important in monitoring not just your child’s progress but also as an effective checking tool you can make use of to improve your own performance as a teacher. It is also fun to document the whole process as you will be encouraged to become even more observant. You will start to notice even the little points that make big impacts. If most of the learning is done through play and there is an even more indistinct identification of the topics involved, it will be recommended for you to keep a log to keep track of the child’s advancement.

Record keeping can be just like keeping a journal or a diary. Just like in conducting your classes, you can also be creative in your way of documentation by using different media like videos, audio and pictures. If you’re part of a group, you may have some set of forms as requirement.

To help you start on track, here are some basic record-keeping methods used by various homeschools:

Daily planner:

This works almost the same as a normal teacher’s planning notebook. You can prepare a daily table and tick on the items that have been covered. Maintain a separate area where you can record changes that can’t simply be concluded in checklists. This may include journals on field trips, media viewing, etc. Miscellaneous topics that have been discussed can also be written in this area. Make a summary report every month then every quarter.

Journal:

This can be maintained by the teacher, student or even both. This aims to keep a more personalized record on what has been learned or taught. Memorable events during the course of classes can be written, as well, just like how one would do it in a diary.

Portfolios:

Portfolios are a presentation that can be made of different materials and varied media. It will contain all the child’s achievement. This method gives a structure to the fluid nature of homeschooling. A drawing portfolio can consist of sketches, paintings or any visually communicative medium. A language portfolio, on the other hand, is almost like a journal that makes use of different writing techniques such as essays, stories, spelling samples, letters, quiz samples, etc. Progress in almost all subjects can be recorded through this method. Most of all, a tangible record of a child’s achievement is like a trophy. It will inspire the child to do even better.

Apart from the methods mentioned above, there are also ready-to-be-used checklists that are commercially available. Some can even be personalized, especially those that come in the form of softwares.

Record keeping, in whichever method you perceive it to suit you and your child’s needs most, is always as important. In the end, your child’s homeschooling records are not just a well-kept memorabilia your family can treasure alongside your family vacation albums. It could be your child’s future well-kept and well-prepared for.

One of the major concerns in homeschooling is maintaining the discipline of the child in studying even if his classes are held probably just a few feet away from the remote control or the video game console. It’s easy for a child to misinterpret homeschooling as a very long vacation especially if Mom or Dad has not explained to him properly what homeschooling is.

Indeed, homeschooling gives you and your child flexibility, not just on how to conduct your classes but also on how you can arrange your schedule. All these decisions has to be made in the beginning so you can explain to your child even during the earlier stages what all these ‘new activities’ are all about. If your child is too young to participate in the decision-making, try to prepare a certain schedule you can both follow and stick to it until the child adapts to at as a natural part of his regular activities. Once he’s old enough to make decisions, you can start asking him what he wants to learn and when he wants to learn.

Just like in normal schools, homeschoolers have to have homeworks, too. It will teach him to be responsible even after classes are over. After each lesson, some part of the course must be done by the child alone to somehow test how much he’s learned.

You will need to make sure that your child does his homework not because he feels he’s required to. He has to have a fair level of interest in completing his assignments.

Lasting values of a child are mostly developed at home. Molding the child’s character—teaching him about respect, punctuality, manners and other aspects of good character— shouldn’t be a far-fetched goal in homeschooling. The child should be taught to behave properly not just with family members but with other people, as well. His attention has to be called if his deeds are unsatisfactory.

It is advisable to allot a special room at home for homeschooling classes. The child should be expected to be at his desk on time, in proper attire and with all the requirements for class. It is easy for a child to forget that he’s still, afterall, a student if these simple details are neglected. As a teacher, principal, supervisor, janitor and guidance councilor all rolled into one, you should have the fair balance of professionalism and compassion as a parent.

Without patience and genuine interest to make it work, homeschooling will fail. Due to the environment and set-up, it’s very easy for a child to be too familiar and too comfortable. During those times, he may lose focus and not be able to listen attentively. When such situation happens, try talking about another topic or starting on a different activity. If all else fails, take a break. You may both need to.

Homeschooling is not as easy as most people may think. It’s never easy. The fact of homeschooling being an alternative form of education is confusing enough for most people. The key is to establish rules and relationships at the earlier stages and not when it’s already too late for you and your child to adjust.

Homeschooling is just as the name suggests. It’s studying at home. For most people who are more exposed to the format of public education, wherein everyday, there is an inevitable interaction with other children, homeschooling seems to suggest alienation. As the saying goes, no man is an island. Many critics believe in the essential role socialization plays in developing the skills of a child. In homeschooling where such opportunity to socialize seems limited, some critics perceive homeschooling as detrimental to the growth and development of a child. But studies have proven such generalization to be wrong.

Children who are forced to perform in a competitive school environment often lack the confidence to hold a conversation. Children who are not able to overcome such environment end up with little genuine interest in communicating themselves to other people, especially those coming from different age groups like their elders.

Children who are taught in the comforts of their home and with customized methods of teaching that effectively gets the information through their understanding become more aware of why they have to learn. So in time, they don’t just learn to digest information as simply additional components in their memory but as valuable information they themselves have learned to appreciate. They will start to have the initiative to ask more questions and seek answers by accurate observation. Children learn by imitation. Homeschooled children can learn by good example from their parents. At the same time, they are protected from the detrimental influences of the outside world.

Homeschooled children then become equipped with tools necessary for them to function effectively once they step out to explore the world. The positive encouragement that they get from their family as opposed to being embarrassed or left out in fierce unnecessary competition in a normal school environment strengthens not just their self-esteem but their interest and value for learning. Children grow up to be more balanced and well-rounded optimistic adults.

Do whatever suits you best.

As shocking as it is to most people, the answer is as simple as that and probably, that’s the same reason why it’s often missed. But if you go back to the basics of homeschooling, it does make sense. It is essentially that simple reason that attracts parents to this alternative method of educating their children. Flexibility is the key. It is not about sacrificing your summer vacation or taking the autumn leave just because everybody does. For professional unschoolers, even a specific curriculum is not necessary for the method itself makes use of daily life as part of learning. Beginners, however, need to have some getting-used-to by first charting out their activities until they can form a comfortable pattern.

Some important issues must be considered in structuring your classes. Again, a lot of questions will start to pop up. What method of home schooling will you choose? What will be your teaching style and your child’s learning style? How do you balance the work and play schedules? How about your vacation plans? Some families prefer a one-time-big-time vacation that can last even more than a month. Some prefer dividing vacations into shorter periods spread over the whole year.

Following the traditional summer vacation schedule has some advantages. You can prevent your child from being totally disconnected from his own social life. By following the traditional schedule, you child’s break will coincide with that of his peers’. He can have the chance to join summer camps and classes with his school-going friends. A longer summer break will give both parents and their children a refreshing break from their lesson. This can also be unfavorable, though, since it might pose problems getting back on track once lessons begin again. Vacation-lags can prove to be difficult to shake-off especially that the environment does not change significantly in homeschooling.

Numerous shorter breaks have some perks, too. The constantly changing schedule prevents children from getting bored since they are given time to explore their different interests. It’ll also help families to choose alternative dates for vacation instead of being stuck in peak seasons when almost everybody’s rushing to vacation hot spots. It’ll help in saving time and money. Unfortunately, since the schedule is irregular, it also means that your child might not have enough adjustment period. It means that even before he gets in perfect focus to fully digest the current lessons, there might already be another set of schedules and lessons he has to get acquainted with.

Homeschooling puts the whole family in charge. It should work as closely as possible to the schedule that suits everybody. However, don’t forget the most important role of homeschooling which is to give your child the most custom-tailored education that fits his learning patterns. So try to stick to what you think would be best for your child. The structure may change periodically as you get to learn more about his studying behaviors and limitations through periodic evaluations. The key factor is not to push too hard and to leave your child and yourself enough breathing space to enjoy learning new things together.

Play is an important part of a child’s development.  For babies and toddlers, playing is the best way to learn.  When you engage both their curiosity and their desire to have fun, learning comes naturally.

Older children learn at school but they can also continue to learn through play.  Physical activities improve motor skills.  Toys and activities that encourage them to use their imaginations can help them develop cognitive skills.  And group activities enhance social skills.

Motor Skills

Motor skills are some of the first skills that children learn.  Gross motor skills are those that involve using a large number of muscles to make big movements, such as rolling over, crawling, running and jumping.  Fine motor skills consist of smaller movements, usually those of the hands and fingers.

Gross motor skill development can be encouraged through play.  Hopscotch is a great game for developing gross motor skills.  Playing catch or team sports are also beneficial.

Many toys are good for developing fine motor skills.  Blocks and puzzles are two of the simplest and best.  But almost any small toy can encourage the refinement of fine motor skills.

Cognitive Development

Many educational toys concentrate on cognitive development.  This includes things like remembering, problem solving and decision making.  These skills are essential for success in school and all other aspects of life.

Any activity that requires imagination has the potential to encourage problem solving and decision making skills.  Games such as Memory and Bop It can help a child develop his memory.  Adults might even benefit from playing them with their children.

Social Skills

Social skills are learned through play with other children.  Sharing and teamwork are two examples.  These skills begin to develop in the preschool years.  Proper development of social skills lays the foundation for good relationships with family and peers.

The same blocks and puzzles that help children develop fine motor skills can be used by a group of children to promote the development of social skills.  Children can work together to build something or solve the puzzle. They can share blocks with each other.  They can discuss ideas about how to best solve the puzzle.  They learn to enjoy one another’s company.  Competitive games foster healthy competition and good sportsmanship.

Kids need opportunities to play both alone and with other children.  This will ensure that motor skills, cognitive skills and social skills all have a chance to develop and flourish.  It will also add to the variety of play experiences, helping to prevent boredom.

Playing plays an important role in every child’s development.  Access to educational toys maximizes the learning opportunities that play has to offer.  Active participation from parents allows for both bonding and learning.