All of us tell our kids that “actions have consequences.” What we don’t tell them, maybe because we haven’t thought this through ourselves, is that there are initial or first order consequences and there are second order consequences. There may even be third order consequences. First order consequences are often very different, surprisingly different, from…
A lot of us got into home schooling so that we could customize the instructional menu to match our child’s learning style. So… • Your child doesn’t like to read and is an auditory learner? No problem. Use audio books, or a website like Audible. • Your child needs to see everything, and is a…
In a previous post I encouraged you to “prepare for tomorrow, today.” In other words, I suggested that planning as opposed to “winging it” yields better results. The question I often get asked is, how far into the future and how specific should lessons be planned? A week, two weeks, a month? Years ago, one of…
In my last post I suggested that content presented first is more easily grasped and retained than equally difficult content presented later in the same sequence. But, there is an exception. When content is more meaningful, or interesting to the learner, it will be more easily learned and remembered regardless of when it is presented…
Did you stay up late last night to see the new year in? I used to when my kids were younger. And while it was fun to play games, eat junk food, and watch movies until after midnight, I’m kind of glad that phase of my life is over. After tranquilizing the dogs, I turned…
If you hosted a Christmas dinner earlier this week, maybe you felt like collapsing afterward. I know I did, and my wife was the one who did most of the work. I took the day off before our get together and dedicated my time to whatever tasks she needed me to do. Doing so helped…
The phrase, “sharpen the saw” appeared in a best-selling book written over twenty years ago by Stephen Covey. His book was titled, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. It summarized seven practices or principles that if implemented, would generally yield healthier relationships. My library is filled with these kinds of books but to be…
I’ve been listening to a podcaster I really like. His name is Jocko Willink. He’s a decorated retired Navy Seal officer. He’s intense. (His podcast does contain some occasional “R rated” moments.) Seeing the picture of him and his co-host on his homepage makes it clear: you want him on your side. His most recent book,…
I’m not sure what to make of the slogan, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” I haven’t heard it in a long time- maybe its popularity has waned or I’m just not listening. I get that this Friday marks the beginning of Advent, the coming of Jesus in the church year. Still, I have…
I remember hearing a parent say something like, “You’re 18, and now you’re on your own. You’re an adult.” What the parent didn’t say, but implied, was “Now, I’m finally done; I’m free.” And yes, this was spoken by a one-time home school parent. Maybe spoken in frustration or during a time of stress, I…