LDS/Mormon Support Only Thread - Page 26

[Nemmer]

Hi Marly,

If you're just looking for a preschool type curriculum, www.letteroftheweek.com is one that I have liked. I'm sort of the same way -- I need a curriculum all laid out for me, since if I have to make it myself, it will just never get done. I have lots of great ideas, but just lack the oomph to make it happen. So we buy a curriculum each year, reasoning that it is cheaper than private school, and we can reuse it with each child.

For preschool, though, I'd probably just do Letter of the Week, and maybe books from the library. I'd make one or two days a week be your library day (maybe coordinate it with a library storytime). You can find lots of good book lists. I use Sonlight curriculum, and you can see their book lists on their website. So if you just wanted to take their suggestions (or any other list's suggestions) and read some of those each week for awhile, I'm sure that would be fun.

I'm not too great with arts/crafts type suggestions, since my son hates that kind of stuff, but I bet other people might have ideas. Oh, and we totally add scripture study to our school. This year we're doing the Articles of Faith. I got all the songs together on a cd, and we've spent about 2-3 weeks on each one so far (wer're on #2). Every day we recite, then listen to the song, then sing the song. He has 1 and 2 memorized now. We also read scripture stories from the Distribution Center's scripture storybooks. We've done the New Testament twice, the Book of Mormon, and are just starting on the D&C (we started this probably 1.5-2 years ago). I figure we'll rotate through them a few times, and then start reading from the scriptures themselves in a couple of years.

Good luck!

[NewCrunchyDaddy]

Originally Posted by marlygf

So I'm trying to not feel guilty but basically I can't get myself to be "happy" lately. I just basically want to sit at the computer and read. I was getting better, but I'm going back. I think its mostly because I still don't feel like I have any friends around me. ... I really can't figure out what to do.

No advice other than to send and say that Alisa and I go through the same thing, though the pills do help. :

[guestmama9911]

Marly, have you not been able to connect with the Natural LDS playgroup up in Salt Lake? I've heard it's pretty good. If you pm Brightonwoman, I think she has a link for them.

As for curriculum, I'm fond of Oakmeadow, which I'll be buying once I'm done with Montessori activities for Connor.

I'm sorry you aren't connecting with your ward. I haven't connected with mine, either.

[marlygf]

I'm on the naturalmotheringutah group but its not a salt lake playgroup. We had a few of us who live in salt lake get together but we haven't gotten together since before I got pregnant. There's actually someone new on there who thought it was a salt lake playgroup We try but with gas prices and the fact that we're just plain lazy and life happened, it just got pushed to the side There's also the babywearing group I'm on but I haven't gone to many of those either since Connor threw up. Yea, that was fun. Mostly for me its been the gas though.

I feel like I want to keep trying with my ward, but it gets hard because a lot of the people I have connected with are moving (since we live in apartments, and half the ward is an old neighborhood) They just don't seem to know how to deal with young moms. Next year though we will be moving to the west side, so that will hopefully help because there are more kids over there.

Thanks for the websites. I will start looking into them. I always have good intentions but don't get very far with them. Have any of you heard of the Core Knowledge series? The titles are What your (insert grade) needs to know. Its really kind of fun. I have sat down one day to do it though. I need to figure out how to make a schedule for myself. I went and bought a white board to do it and its sitting under the desk not being used.

[Nemmer]

My friend uses the Core Knowledge series to homeschool her 7 kids. She uses the library a lot, she says. She goes through the book and finds library books to go with each topic, then puts them on reserve so she'll have them when she needs them. I'm pretty sure she's way more organized than I am, though. I did get a couple of those books fo supplemental ideas, and have liked the outline that they provide.

[lizardmom]

Marlygf

Hi, I'm totally new here (just got my 50 posts) but I could have written your posts word for word. We live in very small rural town and it's a big effort for me to get out and do anything with other people. With ward activities I usually feel like a weirdo most of the time. But then I get lazy and depressed if I don't have things going on. And winter is a killer.

Anyway, I just recently made a schedule (a pretty loose one bc I am horribly unstructured) for activities that I want to do with my 3 1/2 yr old dd. It has made a really big difference for me and for her. And she is so excited to have my undivided attention for at least 2 hours during the day for "preschool". As I said I'm not good with structure so I just try to let the learning "happen". DD is constantly asking questions so it works for us. Today, we went outside and looked at spiderwebs, counted apples as we picked them up, talked about the pits in plums, looked at the roots of some plants in our garden, etc,etc,.

We also have time later in the day specifically set aside for music and reading. It helps to have something to look forward to for both of us.

[guestmama9911]

They use Core Knowledge at the charter school where NCD teaches. I know it's really great for the middle schoolers he works with. He'll probably chime in and tell you more.

[guestmama9911]

OT - I love this sentiment. I've been thinking about this very topic lately.

Sharing Our Food Supply
April 1976, Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone also talked
about sharing our food supply with our neighbors.

I should like to address a few remarks to those who ask,
"Do I share with my neighbors who have not followed the
counsel? And what about the nonmembers who do not have
a year's supply? Do we have to share with them?" No, we
don't have to share-we get to share! Let us not be concerned
about silly thoughts of whether we would share or not. Of
course we would share! What would Jesus do? I could not
possibly eat food and see my neighbors starving. And if you
starve to death after sharing, "greater love hath no man than
this ." (John 15:13.)

Now what about those who would plunder and break in and
take that which we have stored for our families' needs? Don't
give this one more idle thought. There is a God in heaven whom
we have obeyed. Do you suppose he would abandon those
who have kept his commandments? He said, "If ye are prepared,
ye need not fear." (D&C 38:30.) Prepare, O men of Zion , and
fear not. Let Zion put on her beautiful garments. Let us put on
the full armor of God. Let us be pure in heart, love mercy, be
just, and stand in holy places. Commit to have a year's supply
of food by April 1977.

[Brisen]

marly. I have times when I feel that way, too. I know this is the cheesy, overused answer, but prayer and scripture study help me.

As for curriculum, I like using the primary manuals. When I has one little one I was working with, I used the nursery manual and followed along with the lesson they were doing that week. There are pictures and cutouts that come along with the manual if you buy it, or you can look up the lessons online. You can add in something like a letter of the week if you like fairly easily.

www.amblesideonline.com has a free curriculum, with a book list for preschool. The majority of their recommended books are available free to print online. They also have, IIRC, weekly artists and composers.

[KariM]

Originally Posted by marlygf

Somehow my subscription was lost. I thought "geez, these people are quiet"

So I'm trying to not feel guilty but basically I can't get myself to be "happy" lately. I just basically want to sit at the computer and read. I was getting better, but I'm going back. I think its mostly because I still don't feel like I have any friends around me. I make the effort to plan playdates in my ward and those who I plan around don't show up. I keep sending out e-mails asking what people want to do and no one responds. I am getting exercise finally but winter is closing in on my and I always stop at that point. I have great intentions of reading my scriptures, actually doing things with my 4 year old who is home without his older brother. I really can't figure out what to do.

With my 4 year old, should I just buy a curriculum and do that? I am not a creative person and have a hard time coming up with my own thing. I've been thinking if I can come up with a preschool sort of thing for him I can add scripture study to it. It doesn't help that a married someone who also isn't very good at those basic things. We are slackers together.

Anyway, any help or support would be great. Even if you know of inexpesive (cheap) curriculums or how to just make myself do it (my mom wasn't good at spending time with us, so I was never really taught this kind of stuff).

What I did with my DD1 was just pick up a bunch of educational games (we have number games, basic addition, letter games, etc) and we also read and do art projects together. It's a lot of play and reading stories. : I took a look at what the educational outcomes are of our public school kindergarten programs and decided to try and "teach" to those outcomes. I have to say, though, that we're unschoolers so our days will probably not look very educational.

It *is* working, though. By 2 she knew all the letters of the alphabet, could identify them by name and tell me a word that started with the letter's sound. By three she was counting up to 20. She's now doing basic addition and we're working on phonics. All of this was just through play.

[marlygf]

See I knew there was a reason I came here. It's nice to know I'm not alone. I think my biggest problem is the play. I'm not very good at just sitting down and playing with my kids. I need to figure out how to do that. I've been given some great advice though and I'm grateful to those you contributed that. Last night I actually read a column while I was nursing the baby. See, I guess I just need to have my scriptures with me and I can do things like that.
I will have to get some books and what not and do some stuff with my 4 year old. He doesn't catch on to things the same way as my oldest, so I'm having to do more 'work' than I did with my first. This will be interesting.

[brightonwoman]

Originally Posted by Nemmer

I'm not too great with arts/crafts type suggestions, since my son hates that kind of stuff, but I bet other people might have ideas.

With each letter of the alphabet, make it out of something that starts with that letter (use beans to make a B, dominoes to make a D, rocks to make R, etc) or draw it out of something that starts with that letter (worms to make a W, a tower shaped like T, etc) We had a lot of fun doing that.
I think one of W's favorite games ever was "does it float" we did it in the tub, and collected stuff from all over the house, then made predictions about whether it would float or sink...and then of course we tested them all!

Originally Posted by marlygf

I'm on the naturalmotheringutah group but its not a salt lake playgroup.

I don't know exactly, although I think they had one in northSLC/Bountiful... I know someone who was pretty involved with it I think, and I can get you her cntact info if you want it.

Originally Posted by lizardmom

I could have written your posts word for word. We live in very small rural town and it's a big effort for me to get out and do anything with other people. With ward activities I usually feel like a weirdo most of the time. But then I get lazy and depressed if I don't have things going on. And winter is a killer.

:
eat your cod liver oil. Seriously. Take a LOT of it.

Originally Posted by marlygf

I'm not very good at just sitting down and playing with my kids. I need to figure out how to do that.

I have a hard time with that sometimes too...the best things for us have been duplos/legos--we just start building things together. And also having actual games--board games, card games, etc...they're really nice when my brain is on overload and I can't think of anything inventive.
and singing together is good for the soul.

[NewCrunchyDaddy]

Originally Posted by lizardmom

But then I get lazy and depressed if I don't have things going on. And winter is a killer.

For me its actually the opposite. Spring and summer are the killers. I hate the sun. I hate the heat. I hate it all. I must have reverse S.A.D. because the minute it starts to feel like Fall, I start feeling better, sleeping better, I start baking more and am a much cheerier person to be around. Just ask Alisa. But each spring and summer, I just fall into depths of illness (thanks to hayfever) and seasonal depression, but then Fall comes and I snap right out of it.

I love the long nights, the chill in the air, the gray, cloudy days, the change of the leaves ... for me, it could be Fall 12 months of the year (like, say, October and Novemeber year round) and I would be a happy camper.

[Aurora]

Originally Posted by NewCrunchyDaddy

For me its actually the opposite. Spring and summer are the killers. I hate the sun. I hate the heat. I hate it all. I must have reverse S.A.D. because the minute it starts to feel like Fall, I start feeling better, sleeping better, I start baking more and am a much cheerier person to be around. Just ask Alisa. But each spring and summer, I just fall into depths of illness (thanks to hayfever) and seasonal depression, but then Fall comes and I snap right out of it.

I love the long nights, the chill in the air, the gray, cloudy days, the change of the leaves ... for me, it could be Fall 12 months of the year (like, say, October and Novemeber year round) and I would be a happy camper.

This is me exactly! I feel like I am just starting to come alive again. I am cooking and baking again (soup and homemade bread! : ) and I am a very happy mama. I always joke that I have reverse S.A.D. too. I grew up in Oregon (we live in Utah now) and I LOVE the rain and gray, misty air. I like that it gets colder here though. I want to move to Alaska.

[lizardmom]

Originally Posted by NewCrunchyDaddy

For me its actually the opposite. Spring and summer are the killers. I hate the sun. I hate the heat. I hate it all. I must have reverse S.A.D. because the minute it starts to feel like Fall, I start feeling better, .

Is there anywhere where it's Spring and Fall year-round? I LOVE Fall

[Aurora]

Oh, I got all excited talking about Fall and forgot I was going to respond to the home schooling question.

We are very relaxed homeschoolers and I really like Five in Row. They are unit studies using spectacular children's literature. Before Five in a Row is for the younger crowd and Five in a Row for children 4-8. Then there are units for older children too. All of my children have LOVED this gentle way of learning.

[guestmama9911]

I always know when things are going to get more relaxed around the house when NCD brings home lots of canned pumpkin. Huzzah!

[brightonwoman]

Originally Posted by lizardmom

Is there anywhere where it's Spring and Fall year-round? I LOVE Fall

Seattle is pretty close.

Here in SE Alaska we have spring, fall, and winter. :
As my DH says though (and it's so accurate) "summer in Alaska is just a weekend in July" (meaning that that's the full length of it).

[linguistmama]

I can't find my patriarchal blessing :
I think I've heard that I can get another copy, but does anyone know how? Do I ask the Bishop or something? I don't live in the same stake where I got it.

[quarteralien]

I don't know exactly how to do it, but asking your bishop sounds like a good first step. He would certainly know how. Good luck. Maybe it will show up soon.