Archive for August 2009
Great Items With Low Prices at Garage Sales
I used to love to go yard sailing ( saleing if you’ll allow the pun). It’s really true that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and at a yard sale you can prove the cliché. When people put out items they no longer care about you can find true treasures at very low prices.
One problem I see for shopping at garage sales is that you’re likely to find many items that you didn’t know you wanted, and really never needed, but are available at a price to which you just can’t say no.
When you see an item offered at a garage sale that you want but the price is too high for your liking, simply ask the owner to lower the price. Nine out of ten times he will. If the owner is unwilling, asked him to take down your phone number and call you should be unable to sell the item at his asking price. Most people will negotiate rather than having to bring the item back inside and live with it forever.
In Florida, where I live, yard sales take place occasionally on Friday afternoon, usually on Saturday mornings and ending by one o’clock. It’s rare to find a yard or garage sale on the Sunday. When I lived in rural New York state, most yard sales took place throughout the weekend.
No matter what day the sale begins you’ll have your best chance of finding bargains if you begin early in the morning. Scour the newspapers days before to see where the Yard sales will be, then map out the smartest route to cover the most territory in the shortest length of time.
Yard sales can yield all sorts of treasures, from household items and furniture to clothing and baby items, from kitchenware, to tools, toys, bikes and even cars. Many times the newspaper ads for the yard sales list specific items for sale. Take advantage of the knowledge you can gain by being aware.
Baby items are probably the most common yard sale item, since babies aren’t babies are very long and soon outgrow their use for baby items such as car seats and cribs and baby clothes. Clothing is also very popular item since people seem to outgrow their clothing more rapidly these days. It is not always possible to try on the clothes at a yard sale, but the price is usually so low that if it doesn’t fit not much is lost and you can always resell it in your own yard sale sometime down the road.
If you’re in the market for furniture look into moving sales and estate sales. People in that position are often willing to negotiate rather than have to pack and ship items.
Kitchen items, house hold items and jewelry can be readily found at yard sales, but these shiny objects can lure you into making a purchase that you really don’t need. The nice thing is you can pick it up cheaply, and if you change your mind sometime later on, you can resell it again at your own yard sale.
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Tags: Homeschool Grading
One of the worst aspects of a public school education is the constant testing, and judging of your children through the grading system. In a homeschool environment, grading is up to you. As abhorrent is grading, and judging is, it is an occasional necessity when it comes to understanding the progress, deficiencies and needs of your child’s home school education.
Lack of objectivity and an absence of any point of reference make grading your child difficult. Therefore, traditional methods of grading are not advised.
In a traditional classroom, when your child has completed his exam, and a grade has been determined, that’s the end of it.
When grading a child undergoing homeschooling, it is more important to determine if your child has actually learn the subject than to assign a number or letter to his achievements. If your child has not understood the lesson, grading should merely be used as a tool to determine that you need to go over the lesson again.
This is particularly effective because your child knows that should he not have understood the subject, it will be repeated until he actually does understands it and second that once he has understood the lesson he will be given full credit for that understanding, the equivalent of a high grade. Ensuring that your child comprehends the skill means that your child will always excel, always fully learn the subject and remain perpetually confident. Success is a great motivator for a kid.
But here’s the rub, you love your child. His or her tears of frustration pull in your gut. Resist. Do not give into your emotions. If it is necessary for your child to learn a subject, persist over the tears and whimpers. When your child becomes belligerent, be strong. When your child exhibits frustration to the point where you want to cry yourself, be strong. Find creative ways to get through to your child, because you are responsible to make certain that your child gains the knowledge and skills that will enable him or her to have a happy life later on.
Having a gauge through which to judge your child’s progress can be helpful. Some states require yearly tests of homeschooled children. These tests can serve as a guideline to help you judge how your child is doing compared to traditional public school children. They may even show variations in your child’s learning preferences and patterns. Use these exams as merely a barometer or as a map to enable you to proceed with your teaching, with emphasis on the areas in which your child is weak and to build upon those areas in which your child shows strength.
Whether or not your state provides these annual exams, it’s still important to be able to evaluate your child’s progress. The web has a tremendous amount of resources available to home school families. There are many websites that allow for free downloading of informal exams for children of all ages. These provide an excellent assessment tool and when done properly will even serve as a confidence booster, since you will ensure that he will inevitably master all subjects and therefore excel in the exams.
Additional Home Schooling Resources
Home Schooling Guidebook: “Thinking About Homeschooling? Read This Book First!”
Homeschool.com: Everything you’ll ever want to know about home schooling.
KnowledgeQ: “Are you brand new to homeschooling? Or perhaps just frustrated and need direction and encouragement? Don’t let self-doubt, or lack of experience, rob you of the best first year possible!”
Everyday Education: “Everyday Education- Literature, Home School Teens, Etc. Homeschool Through High School & Beyond With Easy To Use Resources!”
Guide To Successful Home Schooling: “What Every Parent Should Know About Home Schooling Their Child.”
3Moms: Home School the Easy Way. Homeschool Curriculum Ideas For Parents
Home School Burnout
I love my kid and I walk naked and barefoot through the fires of Hades just to see her smile, but there are times…
Parenting isn’t easy and homeschooling is parenting on steroids. When you take on the responsibility of being a homeschool parent, of being the sole guardian of their education, burnout is an inevitability. It is a lot easier to consign your child to the public system then it is to wear hats of both parent and teacher.
Life doesn’t stop just because you decided to homeschool your Child. Financial issues, illness, the birth of a new child, personal issues, added responsibilities and uncontrollable changes in lifestyles and plans are a fact of life.
Burnout symptoms can manifest in emotional outbursts, an obvious absence of patients, overeating and nervousness. Use these signals as an indicator that changes to your routine are necessary. Noticing the symptoms early can help you avoid total burnout.
Reorder your life. Adjust your schedule. Lower your expectations and accept that some days will be good and some days will be very bad. If something is not working, adjust it. If you feel tension mounting take a break. There are many ways to teach; if one path is met with resistance, find another. For example, instead of teaching your child, have your child teach you the lesson. It’ll be fun for your child and teaching is well-known to be the best way to learn.
You can be flexible; you are in charge.
If you are naturally reclusive and yet feel the pressure to engage in activities for the sake of your child’s socialization, chill for a while. Your kid will be okay, but not if you’re worn out and grumpy.
Don’t try to do it all alone. Talk to your spouse, your older children, your family and friends. Get help from your homeschool support group and remember that homeschooling should be happy schooling. Relax, this stage too shall pass.
Additional Home Schooling Resources
Home Schooling Guidebook: “Thinking About Homeschooling? Read This Book First!”
Homeschool.com: Everything you’ll ever want to know about home schooling.
KnowledgeQ: “Are you brand new to homeschooling? Or perhaps just frustrated and need direction and encouragement? Don’t let self-doubt, or lack of experience, rob you of the best first year possible!”
Everyday Education: “Everyday Education- Literature, Home School Teens, Etc. Homeschool Through High School & Beyond With Easy To Use Resources!”
Guide To Successful Home Schooling: “What Every Parent Should Know About Home Schooling Their Child.”
3Moms: Home School the Easy Way. Homeschool Curriculum Ideas For Parents