Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Oak Meadow. In their words:
"Oak Meadow's progressive homeschooling curriculum for kindergarten to grade 12 meets your child's individual needs at each stage of development and helps you set a natural rhythm of learning for your entire family. Child-centered and nature-based, our organic approach to learning is used by families around the world.
Meet Amanda, our teachers, and educational counselors in person at our annual fall Open House on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 11am to 1pm in Brattleboro, VT. It's a wonderful opportunity to network with other homeschoolers, and there will be lots of fun activities for kids of all ages and delicious Vermont snacks, too.
The World Is My Classroom! Oak Meadow is sponsoring a photo contest from September 15 to October 3. How do you use the world as your classroom? Show us in pictures! Top winners will receive great prizes. Visit oakmeadow.com for details.
Visit us on on Facebook and Pinterest!"
SouleMama: What can you suggest to families who have decided to homeschool for the first time and are adjusting to their new lifestyle?
Oak Meadow: Like everything in life, it's all about finding a balance, but making it work smoothly can seem daunting at first. Oak Meadow's blogger and homeschool mom of four, Amanda Witman, has great ideas for both new and seasoned homeschoolers. Amanda recently wrote about finding rhythms, routines, and rituals on our blog. Below is an exerpt from that post.
Rhythms, routines, and rituals help us stay centered and on track as homeschooling parents. They enable our children to relax and feel secure because they know what to expect each day. A thoughtful routine allows us to focus our energy in one area at a time, knowing that other essential areas will not be neglected. Establishing a rhythm removes some of the guesswork, giving us a ready answer to the question, “What comes next?”
Well-established rhythms help us manage the ebb and flow of homeschooling and free our remaining energy to deal with the unexpected. We can focus on schoolwork knowing that there is time set aside for outside play. We can make a last-minute visit to the park knowing what time frame will still allow us to get dinner on the table. We can go about our day confident that routine tasks will be remembered and taken care of.
It may take some time to uncover the rhythms, routines, and rituals that work best for your family. Keep trying until you find your way. Once you have some ideas, post them someplace visible in a form that everyone can understand (with simple words or pictures for younger children) so that the whole family knows what to expect.
Visit the blog for some ideas as you seek to find and refine the rhythm that works for you.
For today's giveaway, Oak Meadow is generously offering the following gift to ONE winner:
To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 9:00 am EST on Monday, and announce the winner, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...
Oh how I would love this! I have had my eye on oak meadow for some time. Thanks!!
Posted by: Molly
Thank you, Oak Meadow!
