The last few days have seen a number of reports about increases in the costs of everyday living. Apparently there is a grain shortage that is driving up the costs of baked goods. This morning we heard that the cost of gasoline has gone up, pretty much everywhere in Canada. A news article I ran across this morning predicts that insurance premiums are about to go up, too.

And then there’s the problem created by the strength of our Canadian dollar. Part of me wants to beam with pride because our dollar has regained its former strength, but I know that it also means we are losing out on foreign trade. So there are folks getting laid off because companies can’t sell enough of their product outside the country. And it all means families are dancing that tight rope, when it comes to paying the monthly bills and putting food on the table.

We’ve been hearing that families are relying more and more on credit - even when it comes to their everyday expenses. This can result in things getting out of hand when the cost of living goes up unexpectedly, and often it is the kids that will be the losers when credit gets out of hand. This story demonstrates exactly how parents are often forced to cut spending on clothing, toys or even contributions to education funds.

Homeschooling families, especially, can suffer when the cost of living rises. Most of us are single-income families, and many struggle regularly with the costs of our kids’ learning materials. Sometimes we feel as though we have been backed up against a wall, no matter how good our spending habits are. Secured Loans may be the answer to some families’ financial woes, especially when there’s a much needed renovation or the family car absolutely needs replacing. For other families the solution is debt consolidation, which allows for a single monthly payment and lower interest.

The steady sales of lottery tickets attest to the fact that most of us would love to be rich enough that we’d never have to worry about how to pay for anything we want or need. But the gap between the haves and the have nots is widening in Canada today. It’s a good thing to learn how to budget, and to spend within our means. It’s also good to know that there are resources we can rely on when that isn’t possible.

This work was created by Ruby of Freehold 2, and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License.

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We have a little one who will soon be joining us daily for homeschooling. This will, of course, change the dynamic of our homeschool. I thought I would share some of the ways that we hope to adapt our homeschool to her needs while still allowing our older girls to do the work they need in order to be challenged.

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Group Lessons
We use group lessons for things like literature (because we all enjoy each other’s readings!) as well as grammar, social studies, science, art, music and foreign language. I expect that our youngest will be able to participate in some of our lessons without adaptation. She can enjoy listening to books and music, and can draw or paint or do crafts with the big girls, with little extra assistance. I expect that some of our lessons, for example grammar or social science, might be a little boring for her. During these times we’ll allow her to have drawing materials, blocks or other quiet activities. Or we’ll schedule time for her to watch an educational show on TV, or to play something interactive on the computer.

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Literacy and numeracy skills are probably what most of us think of as foundational to the rest of our children’s education. If your philosophy is one that embraces the idea that it’s better to wait, then these activities will be informal at the preschool level. Encourage your little ones to colour and draw, to learn their shapes, colours, numbers, etc. through fun activities and games or by helping out with chores such as matching up socks after the laundry is washed.

If you prefer a more formal approach, consider beginning a preschool program around the age of four. Many curricula offer a level that will answer to your little one’s needs at this time. In particular you can expect to find activities for phonics, penmanship and mathematics. You can also introduce a few sight words (e.g. Dolch words) at this time. Look for programs that offer a level referred to as primer or pre-primer, preschool, kindergarten, or reception. Many popular curricula actually begin at this level, so take advantage of what you can find.

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Homeschool Kits

When you need time to help your older kids with a lesson you’ll want activities to keep your younger one happy and busy. Try making up a homeschool bag or kit, or perhaps a number of smaller kits stored in boxes or large jars.

Some good activities for this sort of kit include:

• colouring books and crayons - or make your own books up from your own drawings or printed colouring pages;
• sewing cards, or beading with pasta or O-shaped cereal on a shoelace or piece of yarn;
• gluing pasta or dried beans onto paper;
• modelling clay or homemade play dough (many sites offer recipes for edible doughs that are safe if your little one is still putting everything in his mouth);
• painting or finger-painting (again, if your little one is still putting everything in his mouth you can use edibles such as ketchup & mustard, or pudding & yogourt);
• a dishpan and some small toys for water- or sand-play;
• bubbles;
• stamping supplies - either self-inking stamps, stamping markers, or stamps and paint in shallow trays;
• play versions of tools - or a play store, kitchen, post office, garage, etc.;
• puzzles or story sequencing games;
• Mr. Potato Head or an activity that teaches dressing skills like doing up buttons;
• a felt-board, white-board, or chalk-board - even a small hand-held size;
• pre-writing activities printed from a free web site, or from your penmanship program;
• a clothesline and some clothespins, plus a few small items to hang up (paper, small toys, little blankets or doll’s clothing, etc.);
• blocks for building towers, or pattern blocks;
• math counters - bingo markers or poker chips will do just as well as the fancy math manipulatives;
• picture books to look at, or maybe a few favourite CDs to listen to.

Obviously these are just a few ideas. What you do for your kids will depend on the kinds of activities your little one is ready for, as well as what kinds of things you have room for and can tolerate mess-wise.

Remember that your little one will have a shorter attention span than your older kids. Keep “learning sessions” to 5 or 10 minutes each, and alternate between activities that are more quiet and those that involve more participation or a higher energy level. Let your child take time out to move around (”Can you walk like a crab between here and the kitchen?”) and make time for drinks, snacks & naps too. Even if your little one isn’t napping anymore you can have a rest period when they can lie down with a book or some soft music. Introduce it as time for prayer, reflection or meditation if your child is resistant. My experience has been that even with my big kids, if we declare a nap time and we make sure everybody goes to lie down, they usually will fall asleep!

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This work was created by Ruby of Freehold 2, and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License.

Excerpts copyright quoted authors. Please visit their sites to read more, and respect the terms of their copyrights. Thanks!