Break the Conventions, Keep the Commandments (Love2learn Moments #39)

I find that in balancing my obligations as a homeschool mother, I need to make distinctions between what I can be flexible and open about and what is non-negotiable.

Not only do such distinctions relieve stress when things don't go as planned (and in a family this is a common occurrence!), but they also free me to give my children the chance to make some choices in their day and in their education - which can be a good thing for both of us!

G. K. Chesterton offers a helpful and humorous perspective:

A man's minor actions and arrangements ought to be free, flexible, creative; the things that should be unchangeable are his principles, his ideals. But with us, the reverse is true; our views change constantly, but our lunch does not change. Now, I should like men to have strong and rooted conceptions, but as for their lunch, let them have it sometimes in the garden, sometimes in bed, sometimes on the roof, sometimes in the top of a tree. Let them argue from the same first principles, but let them do it in a bed, or a boat or a balloon.

Cross-posted from Love2learn Moments

Helping Your Children Love Learning (Love2learn Moments #38)

There's nothing quite like the interest and involvement of parents to help motivate children to WANT to learn. Here are a few ideas to try out with your own families.

Go outside and look at the stars together. Learn the names of a few of the constellations.

Children love "real" things. Let them help you with real jobs and house projects.

Take them to the beach, forest, pond or desert and have everyone draw pictures of what they find.

Spend time with other families who love learning.

Pop a batch of popcorn and sit down to a family read-aloud.

Plan ahead for an art museum trip by introducing each child to a beautiful painting they can search for once you arrive.

Go on an adventure walk in your own neighborhood. Bring water bottles and magnifying glasses!

Choose a country and find recipes native to that place. Invite several friends to do the same, and get together for a day of ethnic cooking.

Most importantly, let your children see that you love learning too.

cross-posted from Love2learn Moments

Well...

I got six Love2learn Moments done today and put a new photo up to more accurately express the weather we're in the midst of here (major ice storm expected tonight).

I'm so delighted to get SIX of them done - I usually only manage 2 or 3 at a sitting. They're quite tricky to do as they need to be of just a certain length (48.5-50 seconds seems to be the acceptable range) and of course I'm trying for some solid and encouraging content. (The latest six can be seen at the link above). Getting an appropriate amount of oomph in the reading usually takes a couple of tries too.

No energy left to blog about the fun and crazy things that happened over the weekend. For now I'll just say that they involved a six foot obelisk, a Roman feast and a broken water pipe.

Oops - I take that back - it was more like a five foot obelisk. :)

And Speaking of Easy Ways to be Nice...

Suzanne at Blessed Among Men is hosting a "Christmas Cheer Challenge" to support a special family in need this Christmas. Check it out here.

Lots and lots to blog about from this weekend - but I can't do that until I get some more love2learn moments recorded today. Please say a quick prayer for me for guidance and inspiration in this important task.

Love2learn Moments #29 - Attitudes and Actions

We live in a society that tends to value people according to how much money they earn. Society tends to devalue people and vocations that fall outside their narrow formula. This can include... the disabled, stay-at-home moms, the poor, priests and religious, the sick, the elderly, and even ... children.

Because our attitudes tend to be shaped by society and our own attitudes in turn play a major role in the formation of our children, it's important to examine and consider how our words and actions reflect what we value most.

For example, being pro-Life includes not only opposing abortion, but also supporting the disabled and seeing Christ in them. Being pro-child and pro-family includes exercising patience with little ones we come across in church or in a restaurant.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says:"Parents must regard their children as children of God and respect them as human persons."

See all of my radio moments on the Love2learn Moments Blog.

Love2learn Moments #27 - Gratitude

Fr. Ronald Knox said: "If ever you have felt, in the contemplation of a sunset or any perfect work of nature or art ... in the thrill of good news or in the passion of first love, that it was really worthwhile being alive - then that moment was a revelation to you, if you had the heart to understand, of what you owe to the Almighty for having created you."

Gratitude is an important part of what we want to cultivate in our families and pass on to our children. We do this by remembering to thank each other, by sharing with those in need, by valuing people over things, by counting our blessings and by worshipping and being thankful to God - particularly at Holy Mass and in saying grace before we eat.

Fostering an environment of gratitude and appreciation within the family also tends to lead to peacefulness and contentment.

Love2learn Moments #26 - Old Books

C.S. Lewis said: "Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books."

What does this mean for the education of our own children? Instead of just textbooks - written by modern writers, make room for some of the old greats - and these are great for parents too!

So make room for Shakespeare, for G.K. Chesterton and for Charles Dickens. Make it a priority to read C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien with your children. Hilda Van Stockum and J. Henri Fabre are terrific, and don't neglect the old fairy tales and the old myths.

C.S. Lewis also said: "Two heads are better than one, not because either is infallible, but because they are unlikely to go wrong in the same direction."

New School Year... Friendship with the Saints

I've realized that my work on the Love2learn Moments for Relevant Radio (currently playing only in the Milwaukee market, I believe) has forced a cut-back in some of the "substantial" content on Studeo just a bit. And so, I've decided to start cross-posting those pieces here as well. Here's #25 (if you're interested in reading the earlier ones, please click here - you can even hear a couple of the audio files on the Relevant Radio site)...

Among the saints children will find friends of every personality, description and race - warriors, princesses, scholars, entertainers and much more. Some had amazing adventures and earned renown through the whole world, others lived quiet lives but handed down great works to future generations. And perhaps the greatest thing is that their help is available just for the asking.

Bishop Robert Finn said: "Ask God to give you the fervor of St. Albert the Great for science, the joy of St. Cecilia in your music, the diligence of Jerome for translating, and the clarity of St. John in writing. Run and play with St. Don Bosco, debate and persuade with St. Catherine, and fish with Peter himself.

Holy Mary, who taught our Lord...in the school of Nazareth, accompany us on our new school year. St. Joseph, headmaster and guide for the boy Jesus, lead us on a sure and safe path to Him."

By the way, I found this lovely quote awhile back on my friend Ana's blog.

Fr. Dubay

I started reading Fr. Dubay's Authenticity: A Biblical Theology of Discernment about two years ago and did quite a bit of blogging on it, but got distracted about halfway through the book and finally picked it up again just a few days ago. It really is a wonderful book - I don't know why I ever set it down. The funny thing is, I had a bunch of cleaning I had to get done tonight in preparation for co-op at our house tomorrow. So I turned on Relevant Radio to listen to and caught a show with Fr. Dubay as the guest. The show was just starting and it was specifically about his book Authenticity! That made the cleaning go faster. :)

Love2learn Moments

Relevant Radio now has a streaming audio page for the Love2learn Moments.

Announcing: Love2learn Moments on Catholic Radio

After many months of uncertainty, I've been told by people-who-should know that my "Love2learn Moments" - one minute spots on Relevant Radio on topics relating to family life and education (especially for homeschoolers, though many topics would apply more broadly) - will begin airing tomorrow. I don't know a lot about how these things work, but I believe this is starting out just in the Milwaukee area market. Each "moment" will air four times a day for a week before switching to a new one. I think that if you have Relevant Radio in your area, you can contact them to request this piece. Prayers are appreciated as we fully embrace this new endeavour. You can visit the Love2learn Moments blog here.