How to Enjoy Being a Mom of a Just-Average Homeschool Teen- Special Replay

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May 9, 2023 by Leave a Comment

This week on How to Enjoy Being Mom of a Just-Average Homeschool Teen- Special Replay

How to Enjoy Being Mom of a Just-Average Homeschool Teen

How to Enjoy Being Mom of a Just-Average Homeschool Teen

Your teens do not have to go to Harvard to be exactly who God created them to be. Most teens are “just-average” in the ways that get big attention like:

  • academics,
  • sports or
  • arts

However, God has given each teen gifts, so even “just-average” teens have areas where they shine. Join Sabrina and Vicki for celebration of average homeschool teens with their giftedness from God!

It is easy to fall into the trap that our homeschool high schoolers must perform extraordinarily in some area that gets big attention…or full-ride scholarships to college. Sometimes moms find themselves almost embarrassed if their teens do not go to college or do not do anything news-worthy. It is an unfortunate thing in “American mom-ness” that we moms feel that we are failures if our teens are not famous.

So really, do ALL teens need to be famous in the world’s eyes? How about our teens fulfilling the callings that God gave each of them individually- no matter how large or small?

SO let’s debunk this myth of the idea that only those teens who are gifted in academics, sports or arts are gifted. NO, all teens are gifted in God’s eyes! God gives each person a gift of something in order to bless His kingdom. Therefore, since God gave our teens gifts of some sort to bless his Kingdom, we can rejoice that:

Just average teens are not “just average” in God’s eyes!

ALSO, let’s debunk the myth that average is bad. If average is bad, then God goofed up because statistically MOST teens are average. That’s what “average” means, after all.

How can you enjoy being a mom of a just-average teen?

So, if you have a just-average teen in your house, enjoy them! Thank God and hold an attitude of gratitude in your heart for them. (Okay, realistically, no one feels grateful in tough moments. However, OVERALL, remember to be grateful for the teens God gave you.)

Now for some practical tips to help you enjoy being the mom of just-average teens.

Join Vicki and Sabrina for a passionate discussion about enjoying being the mom of an average homeschool teen! We love our average teens. God loves them, too.

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How to Enjoy Being Mom of a Just-Average Homeschool Teen

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Homeschool Teens and Summer Vacation

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June 28, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Unless you homeschool year-round, your teens probably look forward to summer vacation! And so do we as homeschool parents. But teens who plan to attend college and win scholarships, need to keep in mind that they will often be asked on applications how they spent their summers during high school.

homeschool teens and summer vacation

What summer vacation should NOT become

Teens do NOT have to settle for a miserable summer. They need time off to have fun and relax. They do not need to cram their summer full of activities and classes they think will impression admissions counselors. Summer should not be a time to add to all the stress teens may already be feeling about getting into college.

How teens can use summer productively and still have fun

If teens spend time intentionally planning their summer, they can have an enjoyable 3 months and still have plenty to write about on college and scholarship applications. Students should consider what they enjoy doing and then come up with ideas on how to keep what they enjoy about the activity, but add another layer that will …

Some examples would be for someone who enjoys reading, to start a book club. Enjoy writing? Write a novel. A teen who loves playing computer games could learn how to create them. I know a number of teens who love a particular sport who are helping coach teams or acting as referees. This could be a paid or volunteer position.

Of course, getting a job shows that a student is prepared to work, and is capable of holding down a job. If they do it well, their boss could write them recommendation letters in the future. And jobs provide money plus teach so many skills so working during the summer is something to consider.

Another idea is for teens to take their passions and turn them into a business. This could be as simple as starting a blog, podcast, or Youtube channel about it and making money from affiliate sales and advertising, to creating a product or service around what they are interested in. One teen I know who loved ballet, decorated old ballet pointe shoes and sold them on Etsy. One of my sons built websites for other people. There are so many possibilities. Even if the business idea fails, the teen will have learned valuable lessons.

All high schoolers, homeschoolers too, are usually so busy during the school semester there isn’t time to try out new hobbies. Summer is the perfect time for that! Learn to play a musical instrument, take up pottery, macrame, calligraphy, whittling – it doesn’t matter what! Trying something new shows that you are open to learning and new experiences.

Even going away on vacation can be a valuable activity as well as enjoyable – get your teen to help plan the vacation. Perhaps they can research where to stay and the cheapest place to pick up gas on the way there. Give them a budget and let them plan activities at your destination. This has the added benefit of taking some of the preparation from the parents! My parents always involved us kids, and my husband and I have done the same with our children. It’s a great way to teach real-life skills

Documenting the vacation through a blog, photos, or video is another idea. Perhaps sign your child up for a Photography, Photoshop, or Video-editing class and let them practice their skills during and after your vacation.

A fun way for teens to start thinking about what college they might want to attend, how they will pay for it, and if they have the skills necessary to succeed at college, is to participate in FundFunda Academy’s annual summer High School Challenge for homeschoolers. Students have the whole of June and July to complete a number of challenges related to college prep that will earn them Target and Amazon gift cards – and the overall winner gets $150!

There are so many ways teens can have a fantastic summer AND have plenty of interesting activities to mention on applications. For more ideas take a look at my post on 101 Things for Teens to do in Summer.

Written by Meryl van der Merwe, host of the Homeschooling with Technology podcast.

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You Are the RIGHT Parent for Your Homeschooler, Interview with Anita Gibson

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June 20, 2022 by Leave a Comment

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: You Are the RIGHT Parent for Your Homeschooler, Interview with Anita Gibson.

You Are the Right Parent for Your Homeschooler, Interview with Anita Gibson

You Are the RIGHT Parent for Your Homeschooler, Interview with Anita Gibson

Ever have doubts about your ability to parent your homeschool high schoolers? The high school years can be a challenge. After all, we know that we are preparing our teens for life after graduation. We want them to be ready for all they will be facing. What if we do not do enough for them and with them? We can be full of doubt! That’s why we asked our good friend, Anita Gibson, to chat with us. She shares why you are the right parent for your teens.

Anita has homeschooled for over twenty years, and as she says:

It’s been the good, the bad and the ugly! Parenting is the real deal!

Coming out on the other end, Anita says that she is glad she had the homeschool years to get to know her kids well and help them find fulfilling lives.

Anita administrates Simply Homeschool Facebook group, is a director of several local homeschool programs, leads a team of seven high school educational consultants for HSLDA, and has started the website National Homeschool Advocacy.

One of Anita’s God-given gifts is the gift of encouragement. (If you have not yet read her book, StarFinder, you need to do it! You and your teens will be so encouraged!)

So in this episode we are talking about why you are the right parent for your homeschooler!

Why are you the right one to parent your particular teens? Here are some reasons:

God gave you that child

It was not an accident! You were specifically assigned that child by God. He also gave you what you need to do raise that child well. Even on a bad day, when we are doubting ourselves we can recalibrate with the thought:

We can depend on God and the fact He will continue to equip us with what we need to homeschool our teens well.

However, we need to remember that our parenting and homeschooling is not dependent on our strength, but on the strength and wisdom that God will give us (II Corinthians 12:10).

The homeschooling parent we are now is not the homeschooling parent we will be at the end of this process

God gave us teenagers to help us grow! We are in the middle of a growth process, just as our teens are growing!

Have you ever noticed that before we started parenting, we were “parenting experts”? At least, that is how Vicki saw herself. There is nothing like real parenting, though, to squash the feelings of expertise! She found out that she needed her homeschool mom-friends as well as God’s help in the parenting process. Therefore, she grew spiritually, emotionally and socially as much as her teens did throughout the homeschool process!

Perfection is not required

The longer you homeschool high schoolers, the more you will notice your imperfections! So, remember:

Perfection is NOT required!

Over time you will become something more but where you are is the perfect place to start. When you are called to parent or homeschool, hold onto the fact that once you start, success (not perfection) is in your future. God plans for you to have success (even though you will have ups and downs, hard days, dark days as well as lots of good days).

God is not requiring perfection. When He gave you the homeschooling high school job, He didn’t expect you to do it perfectly- because none of us could anyway! 

Homeschooling: Perfection is NOT required!

Get used to waiting

It is wise to adopt the “spiritual posture” or mindset of waiting. While you are waiting on God’s direction, strength or wisdom, if you are wise you learn to have peace- even in those challenging moments. It is the kind of peace that does not deny there are stressors going on, but the kind of peace that knows the answers will come.

We Americans often feel we need to have all our skills and wisdom NOW. Instead, remember that God has planned for success. Success is in our future! His version of success might not look like our version of success, but it is a good success anyway!

Be humble in front of your teens

Model praying for your homeschool high schoolers and ask them for their prayers for your own growth and wisdom. That is the fruit of the Spirit: Humility.

Then listen to your teens’ input. For instance, when one of Vicki’s teens had enough of Mom’s attempts at helping him with high school math, they found a mom at our local homeschool umbrella school to teach him instead. This did not mean that Vicki was the wrong homeschool parent for her teen. Rather, it meant that Vicki was becoming a resource manager. After all, as Anita says:

Homeschooling is about teaching your children how to learn!

We parents are not supposed to be the best at everything! Rather, we want them to learn that as adults, they can look for resources to keep learning things they need to know.

No one can homeschool high school better for your teens. You are the right parent for your homeschoolers!

Remember, God will use your strengths, weaknesses and His grace to grow you and your teens. There will be challenges and growth, hard things and good times, teaching and farming out the teaching. It is all good in the long run.

Also, remember not to compare yourself with other homeschooling parents. You are supposed to be growing and intentional in your relationship with God and your family members. You are NOT supposed to be the same as other homeschooling parents!

An example of being the right parent for homeschoolers

Anita’s daughter was born talking. She taught herself to read at a very early age but she still talked all the time. Anita sometimes had to lock herself in the bathroom just for an escape from the chatter. She found it tempting to want to shut the chatter down. Eventually, God showed her these gifts:

  • Her daughter WANTED to share her thoughts with her. That is a privilege!
  • Anita needed to allow God to give her more capacity to attentively listen.
  • She also found ways for her daughter to use her voice in debate and drama. This led to college scholarships in international policy and now a career in the diplomatic corps. Now she gets paid well to do the very things that had once been irritating. In this way, God grew both Anita and her daughter!

Anita found that she was the RIGHT mom for her homeschoolers, by God’s grace.

One last thought from Anita:

Don’t try to change your kids or you from the outside…It’s an INSIDE job! The job that comes from the work of God in you and through you.

Remember God made us the right parent for our kids so we can KNOW, that we and our kids can rest in Him and grow.

Join Vicki and Anita for an encouraging discussion that reminds you that you  are the right parent for your homeschooler! Also check out these other marvelous chats with Anita:

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Handling Screen Time for Teens, Interview with Dr Melanie Wilson

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March 29, 2022 by Leave a Comment

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Handling Screen Time for Teens, Interview with Dr Melanie Wilson.

Teens and Screen Time, Interview with Dr Melanie Wilson

Handling Screen Time for Teens, Interview with Dr Melanie Wilson

We are back with our dear friend and podcasting colleague, Melanie Wilson of Homeschool Sanity podcast. Melanie is a voice of wisdom and encouragement for the homeschool community for many years.

Melanie is a PhD psychologist who has homeschooled her six kids for over twenty years. Four of them have graduated from homeschool high school and gone on to college. Two are still homeschooling their high school years.

Along the way, Melanie became an expert at organizing (check out her interview with HSHSP about getting organized). She shares her organizational skills and tools with her Organized Homeschool Life Planner,Year of Living Productively, online classes for moms and podcast episodes. She often leads an organizational challenge on her podcast.

To top it all off, Melanie has designed an absolutely delightful grammar curriculum (can you imagine using the word “delightful” about grammar?). Her Grammar Galaxy curriculum teaches grammar skills for elementary and middle schoolers in narrative adventure format!

Today, Melanie is sharing with us about screen time for teens

Besides having teens of her own, Melanie has found that moms have been asking her how to handle screen time for their teens. Therefore, she has been working on getting some thoughts together as helpful guidelines for moms.

When Melanie was a young mom, she (like Vicki and many of us) was determined to protect her kids from every negative influence in the whole world. That way their lives would be safe and anxiety free. (Melanie and Vicki had some hearty laughs over those memories.)

In the early days of parenting, she did not allow her kids to have screen time. However, she and her husband caved to the pressure to allow their children to play video games. She found that there were positives and stressors about this first venture into screens.

Melanie noticed that technology is always changing and thus, there were always new things for her kids to want or need. She was constantly needing to weigh the costs and benefits of various screen times for her kids.

Here are some things about handling screen time that Melanie has learned:

When you have six teens, you have lots of opportunities to find out what works!

Enforcing a lot of rules about technology is energy draining.

Melanie has always said, “Relationship before rules.” Thus, too many rules can interfere with good relationships.

Try not to work harder than your teens to manage their time.

In other words, teach teens good time management skills. This does not mean we are totally hands off when monitoring time and screens. However, a teen who has shown some maturity can monitor their screen and time usage well.

  • The closer teens come to graduating from high school, the more you need to transfer the management of their time and habits to them.
  • This way they can learn by doing, and be better prepared for adulting.

The closer teens come to graduating from high school, the more you need to transfer the management of their time and habits to them.- Melanie Wilson

Let go of the idea that you can protect your teens from every evil influence.

  • In the complexities of the digital world, complete protection of your teens is not possible.
    • Instead, turn to God and trust Him with their safety.
    • Then discuss with your teens that it is their own responsibility to keep themselves safe. Also, discuss internet safety skills and safety skills, in general.
  • One of Melanie’s sons told her that the likelihood of your teens at some point accidentally seeing some pornography on their screens is one-hundred percent. It just happens.
    • You want your kids to be able to talk to you about it when it happens.
    • Therefore, you cannot protect them one-hundred percent, so you must educate them instead.

Melanie spoke about sexuality with each of her children when they were ready.

  • She told them that sex is a beautiful thing when it is within the context of marriage and is private.
  • Making sex public destroys its beauty. She explains that there are some people who want to take sex out of the context of marriage and privacy and make it public.
  • She explains to her kids that when they run into those images during screen time, the do not keep looking at those images.

She also explains to her kids that these pornographic images are as addictive as drugs.

Pornography addicts have more trouble with sexual relationships with their real-life marriage partner.

  • For that reason, Melanie coaches her teens to discontinue looking at any pornographic images when they inadvertently run across them.

Handling screen time for teens and the evil in this world

Melanie also has real discussions with her teens about the evil in this world. She explains that most people do not want to lure them away from safety and abduct them. However, there a few very dangerous people who spend time on line with the purpose of luring young people away from home for evil purposes.

While we homeschoolers have mostly had safe and secure lives, the downside can be a naivety about the fact that there are evildoers in the world. Therefore, our teens need to know that they should not give personal information to people they meet online- gender, age, location, etc. Melanie does have rules about giving personal information to anyone in the digital sphere. However, she knows the most important thing is not the rule but her teens’ buy-in.

Handling screen time for teens and health

Melanie has discussions with her teens about the simple addictiveness of being on screens. (Even we parents have to watch out about how addictive screens are to us.) They need to know that the media and games to which they are exposed is designed to keep them on their screens.

  • In other words, the game designers and media producers take advantage of their understanding our human psychology to keep people gaming or watching. Therefore, feeling stuck on their screens does not show bad character on your teens’ part. Teens need to know that- that this is just a modern-day challenge for all Americans.

Also important to their health is screen time at night time. Teens sometimes need to be reminded of the importance of sleep for health and learning. Help them with their time management and goal setting. (Their health curriculum will address this also.)

Remember to keep discussions relational and non-judgmental!

Check out Melanie’s blogpost about teens and screen time for discussion and resources.

Another good resource is Leah Nieman. Check out these Homeschool Highschool Podcast interviews with Leah about technology, apps and digital audits. Not only that but check out the Homeschooling with Technology podcast with our friend, Meryl van der Merwe, for a gazillion technology ideas.

Join Vicki and Melanie for a helpful discussion on handling teens and screen time.

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Techie Teen Brandon: Drone videography

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July 21, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Techie Teen Brandon: Drone Videography

141: Techie Teen Brandon: Drone Videography

In this episode, Brandon Duty explains how he got into drone videography, and what he hopes to do with this skill.

These are the questions Brandon answers – listen to the episode to hear his full response, but the links and specific tools he mentions are included below.

1. What are your interests outside of tech?

2. What got you interested in video creation and editing? And drones?

3. What drone do you have? And what editing software do you use? DGI Mapic air?
Drone: DJI Mavic drone Software: Final Cut Pro

4. What classes have you done to improve your skills?
Through Udemy.com:

  • UAS/Drone Remote Pilot Test Prep for Part 107 (learning aerospace, regulation, the science of flight, airport operations, radio communications, charts, and weather theory)
  • Drone Video for Real Estate Masterclass (learning cinematic maneuvers and how to engage with clients)
  • The Complete Drone Business Course – 5 courses in 1 (learning how to create and market a business)
  • Davinci Resolve 2021 – The Complete Video Editing Course (learning to edit with a certain application, I recommend this application only to those who don’t want to spend money on editing software)

5. What are you planning to do with all this knowledge?

6. Where can we find you online?
Brandon Duty Personal account (for travel videos and drum videos)
Clarity Videography account (for future business videos)

7. What advice do you have for a teen who wants to learn to use a drone?

————————————————————————————————–
Take a look at show sponsor, FundaFunda Aademy to see what they offer for online classes and web-based unit studies.

Join our Facebook Group especially for the listeners of this podcast! You can ask questions and get advice as you try integrating technology in your homeschool.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and give a rating and maybe even a review! Subscribing will help you make sure you never miss an episode.

Techie Teen Brandon: Drone Videography

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Teens, Preteens, and Social Anxiety – MBFLP 263

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May 21, 2021 by Leave a Comment

One of the hallmarks of adolescent behavior is social awkwardness, often to the point of anxiety. That’s true in the best of times! Yet here we are after a year of pandemic alarms, mandates, and “abundance of caution,” and you may be finding your young people are not eager to begin seeing people outside the family again. What can we do to help our teens and preteens resume normal, healthy interactions?

Resources We Reference

Our episode reviewing Dr. Jean Twenge’s book iGen about characteristics of our children’s generation

“How the Pandemic has Impacted Teen Mental Health,” Mott Poll Report, 3/15/21

Craftsman Crate by subscription, individual boxes, or party packs

Upcoming Events (May-June 2021)

We’ll be speaking at the Thrive! Conference (North Carolinians for Home Education) in Winston-Salem, N.C., on May 27-29, 2021. We’re speaking four times on Thursday and Friday, on parenting pre-teens, helping your struggling learners in high school and college, the challenges of boys and media, and what you can achieve academically with a more relaxed homeschooling approach. And our booth is in the usual spot on the upper level of the book fair!

We’ll also be part of the Homeschooling With Confidence: Unstoppable online event hosted by Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV.org). This is going to be a different sort of online event with more interaction with the speakers and with other attendees – we’re looking forward something special with this one!

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Effective Discipline for Teens – MBFLP 261

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March 5, 2021 by Leave a Comment

 

A reader writes, “I need suggestions how to discipline my 14-year-old son.” She’s finding out what we all discover – if you try to discipline your 14-year-old like he was still six, you’re likely to have a fight on your hands! So what do you do with this young person who’s growing so tall, but still needs a lot of guidance and discipleship?

It’s more than behavior management

With younger kids, a great deal of our training is behavior – “Don’t tease the cat,” “Don’t touch the stove,” “Stop hitting your brother!” Tedd Tripp points out that Ephesians 6:1 is fundamental for the younger set: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”

And external behavior is important – that’s what hurts others and damages things! But as they move into the early teen years, our children need more coaching and discipleship to reach their deepest need – the condition of their heart. They need to be confronted with Right and Wrong in a larger sense than, “Honor your father and your mother.” When they realize their failing and sin, they are more likely to grasp their need for a Savior!

And when we recognize that their behavior is more than “You’re on my nerves!” but something rooted on their human fallenness … maybe we can be a little more compassionate and not as quick to react.

As they change, we should too

A lot of parent-teen relationships are strained or broken because parents don’t adapt to their young person’s changes. When they reach adolescence, they’re not kids any more! We need to understand they aren’t the little ones we’ve raised so far, but young adults-in-training. We can’t just continue the old discipline models and expect the same response. Appropriate correction for a four-year-old is humiliating, at best, to a 14-year-old.

More and more, we need to move our discipline to adult responses. What does that look like?

Well, consider what happens when we make a mistake or cause an offense as an adult. Are we sent to stand with our nose in the corner until we say we’re sorry? Does our boss or pastor or neighbor give us a sharp swat on the hand? Of course not. Instead, we are likely to experience “natural consequences.”

Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic operetta The Mikado includes the chorus, “Let the punishment fit the crime!” Humor aside, that’s actually quite Biblical. Over and over again in Scripture, you see principles of repentance followed by restitution. We use this as a guide with our teens – if you break it, you fix it – whether it’s a broken toy or a damaged relationship. It’s a hard lesson, but we impress on them that being an adult sometimes means we accept responsibility for things that aren’t strictly our fault. Maybe something happened by accident, or someone took offense by misunderstanding – we still need to step up and try to make things right.

Occasionally the problem isn’t actual sin but rather just high spirits or too much energy. Maybe they really are on your nerves, and that’s most of the problem!

How did Coach handle it?

Sometimes the best correction is just to work it off. How did your high school coach handle it if you were goofing off during practice? What did your drill instructor do at boot camp if you weren’t putting your back into the job?

A bit of strenuous exertion can be a lifesaver here! “Drop and give me ten!” – a call for some push-ups is a good manly punishment for a minor but irritating infraction. You can have them run up and down the stairs, or laps around the back yard. Ask Dad for advice, since he’s probably received similar correction in his time! It’s not offensive or demeaning, but it can use up some energy and help your son focus again.

It’s not supposed to be easy or fun. Hebrews 12:11 says,

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

 

(continue …)

The most important part

But the most critical thing to remember is the foundation you’re laying for the long term. What sort of relationship are you building with your teenager?

Our relationship with God is more than just crime-and-punishment – that’s part of it and unavoidable, but it’s not the full relationship. If that’s all we know of our heavenly Father, there’s a lot that’s missing!

Likewise with our kids. Of course we’ll have times of conflict or confrontation, but the question will remain – what sort of relationship do we have now, and what sort are we building for tomorrow? … Tune in for practical applications! 

 

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How your teens can build their own computer

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July 15, 2020 by 2 Comments

How your teens can build their own computer

91: How your teens can build their own computer

August Smith, who is now studying to be a Mechanical Engineer is our guest and explains how your teens can build their own computer – because it is something he did as a high school student.

August has been a student at, and then a teaching assistant for show sponsor FundaFunda Academy. The classes he has assisted with are the Scratch and Python coding classes.

Resources August used

August explains why teens should build their own PC, the different parts they will need, how to select the right brand, model and size, how to put the parts together and how to decide on and install an operating system. Listen to the episode for all the info. He also talks about the cost.

And if you are listening to this episode before the end of July 2020, you will get a coupon for a BIG discount on August’s Stop Motion Animation class.

Join our Facebook Group especially for the listeners of this podcast! You can ask questions and get advice as you try integrating technology in your homeschool.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and give a rating and maybe even a review! Subscribing will help you make sure you never miss an episode.

How your teens can build their own computer

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How teens can start a podcast

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
June 26, 2019 by 2 Comments

How Teens can Start a Podcast

Episode 40: How teens can start a podcast with Abby Banks

 

Be sure to join our Facebook group where we carry on the discussion about Homeschooling with Technology.

Today’s guest is Abby Banks from Making Room for One More. She is also the host of the Homeschool with Moxie podcast.

Abby explains how teens can start a podcast – and why they should consider doing it.

Why should teens think about starting a podcast?

  • gives teens an opportunity to apply skills to a real project
  • improves communication skills
  • they become problem solvers
  • they can share their stories / other stories

What skills will they learn?

  • speech and communication
  • technical skills which are marketable
  • making money with sponsorship
  • organizational skills

What can they do a podcast about?

  • local interest
  • whatever they are passionate about – they don’t need to be an expert

What equipment do they need to get started?

  • microphone – the ATR2100 Audio Technica USB microphone is a good one that is affordable

What all is involved in getting a podcast launched?

  • hosting
  • submitting to the different podcast websites

Check out Abby’s new Podcast Launch for Teens online course. That link takes you to a post is that will allow teens to download the suggested schedule/topics as well as a brainstorming exercise to come up with a podcast theme.

Our sponsor, FundaFunda Academy is running a High School Challenge just for homeschoolers throughout July. Teens complete as many challenges that will help them prepare for college as they want to. For each challenge completed they receive points and the students with the most points will be able to win prizes. AND – one of those prizes is one of Abby’s Selling on Etsy Masterclass for Teens! So sign up your homeschooled high schoolers now!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and give a rating and maybe even a review!

Contact Meryl via email on meryl@mediaangels.com or connect with her on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook

How Teens can Start a Podcast #podcastinfforteens #homeschoolteens #homeschoolpodcast

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Peaceful Family Vacations

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
June 17, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Finish Well Radio Show, Podcast #088, Help! My Daughter’s Getting Married, with Meredith Curtis on the Ultimate Homeschool Radio NetworkPeaceful Family Vacations

In “Peaceful Family Vacations,” episode #091, Meredith Curtis reminds you that peaceful family vacations don’t just happen. Would you like to know how they happen? Well, Meredith is happy to give you practical tips and biblical wisdom to help you and your family enjoy rest, refreshment, and family unity on your next family vacation.

 

 

 

Proverbs 1:5 by Laura Nolette and Powerline Productions, Inc.

 

Powerline Productions, Inc.

Being World Changers, Raising World Changers!

Check out our great literature classes!

 

 

 

Show Notes

Different vacations and rating them on the peaceful quotient.

Cover with Prayer

Pray, pray, and pray. Together and alone.

Plan with Spouse

Discuss Vacation until there is Joyful unity with your spouse.

Give Everyone Ownership

Family meeting where everyone shares goals, expectations, and dreams.

Family group text

Have schedule before you take off

Set A Trip Budget

Everyone needs to know what the budget is and be willing to stay within it.

Weight Comfort vs. Savings option

Comfortable place to sleep

No bugs for Julianna

Hotel vs. Resort vs. Condo vs. House

Settle In After Arrival

Unpack & Have something fun to do when you finish

Explore

Balance Relaxing with Go, go, go

Time by the pool

Museums

Art Galleries

Amusement Parkts

Plan for the Afternoon Grumpies

Late afternoon is the time when everyone is tired and grumpy, not just toddlers.

Plan a light snack, early dinner, or rest time.

Learn the Fun Way

There are so many opportunities to learn on vacation.

But keep it fun!

Healthy Vacationing

Exercise the fun way

Eat Healthy MOST of the time

Be Positive, Grateful

Share praise reports each evening

Share photos

Laugh and love on each other

 

Resources

"Travel to Europe for the Fun of It" by Meredith Curtis - PowerlineProd.com blog "12 Travel Tips Before You Visit Europe" by Meredith Curtis - PowerlineProd.com Blog "Summer Family Fun" by Meredith Curtis - PowerlineProd.com Blog
Travel God's World Geography by Meredith Curtis Travel God's World Cookbook by Meredith Curtis Travel to London Unit Study by Meredith Curtis Travel the World Country Report Lapbook by Meredith Curtis

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