Maximizing Efforts BY Using Ntural Rhythm
Some people are morning people and others are night owls. That’s because we have natural rhythms or cycles. We can perform the more challenging tasks when we are at those energy peaks and take advantage of our own unique rhythm.
Keep a diary for a few weeks to note your high and low energy times. Then start scheduling tasks according to your energy level. Use the low energy times for easy routines, like making beds and putting ovr laundry. Use the high energy times for large projects or time consuming ones.
Also note your child’s best energy times after school to match energy level with doing homework and chores, and times to take a break and rest.
Life is easier when we work with ourselves rather than against our natural tendencies.
Increasing in Him,
Karen
Topics: Family, time | No Comments »
September and falloween is here
Some people have seen such a time crucnh that this season through Oct is now called falloween. Hectic days of school starting, sports picking up, harvest parties, and autumn activities go on and yet fly by wery fast.
Take time for some apple fun to celebrate the season.I have ideas at a recent article I wrote at http://kidsactivities.suite101.com/article.cfm/apple-fun
I grew up with apple trees in the backyard and saw the trees bloom and the apples grow. We picked apples and my grandpa took them to a local cider mill and brought home a few kegs of cider each fall. We siphoned the cider and it lasted a few months (kegs were simply kept outside).Looking back many people might wonder how we grew up healthy with people sharing the siphon house and the keg just sitting out.
I always like to see an Indian summer where it remains warmer longer into the fall than expected. Yet the news is tracking a hurricane that may threaten the east coast. Enjoy the warmth while it’s here, for winter will come soon enough.
Increasing in Him,
Karen
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Rhyme, Rhythm, and the three Rs
Children love repeating rhymes and little songs. like Ring a ring o Rosies. Commercial jingles are popular because they also use catchy rhymes. But many people forget that rhymes are also a great key to knowledge and learning, and basic building blocks for the three Rs. I wrote an article about the benefit of rhymes at http://schoolreadiness.suite101.com/article.cfm/how-rhymes-help-children-learn because they help boost a child’s memory, teach them similar sounds (families of words) and extend their vocabulary, and can help a child recall facts (like how many days in each month–30 days has September… or one, two, buckle my shoe). Hence the 3 R’s of reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic.
I also like to think about the content we teach with the words in a rhyme. Nursery rhymes are good, but many can only really be understood within the culture/time they originated. Ring-a-rosie is a ditty about a plague and people falling down dead and not what we really want to teach our children.
My newest book is 102 Wiggly Bible Rhymes and Rhythms. My co-author is 90 years old and a dear friend. We want people to use rhymes that teach faith and Bible truths. These rhymes also help a child’s coordination as so many have finger or hand motions, or are part of an interactive game that builds social skills.
Many rhymes stick in our heads forever and an opening line causes us to recall the whole rhyme. The same with commercials (my mind often plays, break me off a piece of that….).
My friends Cindy Kenney and Crystal Bowmen wrote a entire Bible storybook in rhyme. Those are rhymes I’d love to be playing in my mind more than ones about chocolate or liquor (Jack and Jill-originally Gill-is about taxes on drinks and watered down liquor-hence the pail of H2O).
We can also be creative and make our own parodies like my children did when they were little
Ring around the water
Pocket full of fish-es
splashes, splashes,
we all jump up!
Creativity is great and I’m all for that type of rhyming. Take a few minutes, consider the content and pick a rhyme or rhyming song that also includes content you hope will last in your child’s mind for years to come! Then enjoy it with a child and know you’re connecting to an important R of Relating to God.
Increasing in Him,
Karen
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New Choices and New Starts
At the beginning of this year I decided I would not blog until late August. I looked at my family load and my writing deadlines and knew something had to go. I made choices because I could not do everything. I wrote two new books this year. One is The 365 Most IMportant Bible Passages for Women, due out next year (look for it in Walmart) and the other is a Bible study on Grace (for First Place4Health).
I chose to be with my husband during chemo for breast cancer and to spend time with grandchildren and my daughter-in-law while my son was deployed in Iraq. All these things would pass, but needed my commitment for a season.
We all have choices and sometimes we need to let go of some activities to dedicate our time to what is more urgent. Evaluate your choices regularly and look ahead to see how long a season might last
Now it’s time for a new start on my blog and new starts may happen soon in my writing. My son and his family have a new start with his return and their move to Florida. Their son just started kindergarten. This is the time of year children go back to school and make new choices in after school activities. Take time to pray and consider where to invest time and what new adventures to begin.
Increasing in Him,
Karen
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Veteran’s Day and Our Soldiers
November is Veteran’s Day, a time to pray for our men and women in harm’s way and to remember those who have sacrificed for our freedom.
My husband is retired Coast Guard and my oldest son is active duty Air Force. My son will deploy to Iraq in January. His wife and two young children will move in with us while he is away. Pray for him, his family, and families who are separated by military orders.
It’s a good day to read about Joshua and David as a warriors, especially the fall of Jericho in Joshua 6.
If you want to help a soldier go to http://www.helpasoldier.org/ or contact a local chapter of BlueStarMothers.org to see what they might need for care packages they sent to service men and women. Blue Star mothers began during World War Two.
Blessings,
Karen
Increasing in Him,
Karen
Topics: Family, activities | 1 Comment »
Keeping Christ in Christmas-Start Preparing Now
It’s already November and the holidays are coming soon. Each year we want to keep the focus on Jeus but that can be hard with shopping, parties, and decorating.
The best way to keep Jesus at the center is to be mindful of the gift of His birth. Each morning praise God the Father for sending HIs only Son and be thankful for Jesus.
Choose a few activities to help the family focus on Christ. These can be singing carols every time you go places, giving toys to the needy, or choosing a neighbor to help during the season.
For more ideas, go to my article at:
http://christian-parenting.suite101.com/article.cfm/ways_to_focus_on_christ_at_christmastime
Increasing in Him,
Karen
Topics: Christmas, Family, activities | No Comments »
Enjoy the Fall Colors
It’s autumn and colors and that time when leaves change colors. Enjoy a walk or a drive to areas with lots of different colored leaves. Try a few fun activities:
- Rake a pile of leaves and jump in the mound.
- Press a few for a scrapbook page.
- Take photos of playing in leaves.
- Try to identify a tree with the leaf shape and color.
- Dress in fall colors and see if you can ply a camouflage tag game.
- Capture the memories with photos and crayon melt artwork.
http://www.suite101.com/functions/article/edit.cfm/151776 has ideas and directions for creating crayon melts. Once done, hang them in a window to let the light shine through.
Increasing in Him,
Karen
Topics: Family, art | No Comments »
Organizing School Papers and Info
This week friends of mine complained that school has only started and they are already drowning in paperwork. The forms and information to fie for each child, plus children’s homework and deadlines seem overwhelming, especially for large families.
It takes a system to stay afloat. I wrote an article about this topic that helps parents set up colored files (one for each child) for easy access. Read it at http://www.suite101.com/functions/article/edit.cfm/151766
The main idea is to have a safe place to keep the incoming papers. Then, at calmer moments go through those papers and process them (sign, file, toss as needed). Outgoing papers to teachers should be placed in a child’s backpack as soon as done.
Increasing in Him,
Karen
Topics: Family, school | No Comments »
Preparing for Back to School Success
It’s August and time to prepare for school. Besides clothes and school supplies, it’s good to prepare minds and study areas. Review the end of the year material, specially the math, to get minds focused on learning and refresh your child’s memory. pend extra time reading. Check out subjects your son or daughter will study this year and think about hat might help with those subjects. Are there math manipulatives, maps, or other visual aids you can buy?
Set up an area that your child will love to go to for homework. Let it be in favorite colors, fit to the child’s learning style (check out my article about matching homework areas with learning styles at primaryschool.suite101.com)
Make sure there’s a book shelf and place to store supplies near the study area. Also figure out where the backpack should be stored each day.
Pray for the teachers, classmates, and for your child to do well.
Then be ready for a good start.
Increasing in Him,
Karen
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Summer Fun
I hope you’re having fun this summer. I travelled to Florida and played in the pool with my grandchildren. We also played indoor toss games. Almost anything can become a game. Using soft toys and a container, yu can create your own games of toss.
On hot days it’s fun to cool off with water games or ice games. Check out an article I wrote on Icy Fun at kidsactivities.suite101.com for no-cost activities.
Increasing in Him,
Karen
Topics: Family, activities | No Comments »