The regular “little of this, little of that” feature from Like Mother, Like Daughter!
Not stopping to chat — need to get out there and dig, weed, mow the back, get the laundry down that was up all night (and got a little rained on, no biggie), trim, plant the butternut squash…
So on to our links!
- When I hear homeschoolers say they will continue schoolwork through the summer, the kid in me dies a little. Do what you want. But if it's math facts you are worried about, may I recommend having them play games instead? And I don't mean on the tablet. Send them out to the porch after chores with this game. Don't forget Parcheesi for those who just need to do some addition already (a super boring game that takes forever and can be lost in an instant if someone jostles the board — what's not to love?). There's Yahtzee. Little girls love playing with jacks — and visualizing the groups that make up 10 is half the battle in subtraction. I bet you can think of ones from your childhood! All way better than worksheets, I promise you.
- Ever think of the technology that goes into modern textiles? Innovations in textile production have actually changed the world more than we might guess, argues Virginia Postrel in Losing the Thread.
- This story about the most trusted zipper company in the world and what makes them so fascinated me. I liked the management philosophy espoused by the founder: “The Cycle of Goodness.” It holds that “no one prospers unless he renders benefit to others.” Something to apply to home life as well!
- The 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. An encomium to “freedom under law” in the Wall Street Journal.
- The redoubtable Fr. Schall has a slightly different view in his essay in Catholic World Report about the history, contents, and significance of the Magna Carta. “At the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta we cannot but be concerned by how much its spirit of limiting rule and providing freedoms and immunities has been eroded.”
- And in other British history news, an old leather-bound volume tucked away in a library turns out to be of interest: “The book is important not only for its provenance but for the notes entered in it by Henry VIII’s advisers and no doubt intended for him to see. They draw attention to precisely the sort of issues that were so relevant to the king’s policies in the years leading up to the break with Rome.”
- If you ask me, “youth ministry” should consist in family life lived in the context of the liturgical year (as I describe, along with David Clayton, in The Little Oratory: A Beginner's Guide to Praying in the Home), Bible study, and studies in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Families who enjoy being together and parishes that encourage family life will also have all sorts of wonderful activities that are perfectly normal and uncontrived: bonfires, dances (contra dances, swing-dance competitions, formal waltzes, square dances — whatever they enjoy), feast-day barbecues, etc. Most of these activities will include all ages, although some will be mostly one age group — but not all. In this post, How to Identify a Healthy Culture, Anthony Esolen gives a glimpse of what might be. I hope that in the posts here at Like Mother, Like Daughter, you get a gentle encouragement to do some of this yourself. The St. Gregory Pockets will help you realize this vision down the road, so do familiarize yourself with this blueprint for getting started. It seems so simple that you might not realize how important it is. This post by Jason Craig, How Fathers and Families Can Save Youth Ministry from Itself, comes at this nearly lost way of doing things with a strong critique of the “youth ministry” model and a lot of energy. Love it.
- “What should you be creating that you aren't, and what is holding you back?” Habou, who crochets awesome blankets for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, found this story about a young black man who crochets on the subway in New York City (and elsewhere, I guess!). He's the best. Read the story, watch the short video.
- Looking for interesting follows on Instagram? How about calligraphers who post videos of their creations? This New Yorker article, The Calligraphy Stars of Instagram, certainly got me curious!
- From the archives: I talk about the library of my childhood and give you some great book lists. Your nine-year-old can be helping with the laundry! And an old one: Use what you have, buy what you can afford.
- Happy feast of St. Norbert, the man who was knocked off his horse, lay in a stupor, and then went off to serve God. Pray for us! And a wonderful Corpus Christi to you tomorrow!
Hafsa says
I love everything about this post. As a young mother just getting into the homeschooling basics, it’s nice to hear you say that summer breaks are necessary. And both my husband and I will agree with you on the dangers of youth ministries. Luckily we attend a small Byzantine rite parish so there’s no threat of youth masses of anything like that. I plan to read this post aloud to my husband and expect to see him nodding his head in agreement.
Joy says
This is the first year we are doing school work in the summer. My youngest fell behind in a couple of crucial subjects this year so we plan to work on those and he is taking a summer class in preparation for his AP physics class next year. Oh, and we plan to do practice tests for the “redefined” PSAT test. Normally I would agree about taking the summer off and we will certainly take a week or two off before fall, but this particular man/child (16yo) seems to have a time leak that he needs to plug this year so he gets next summer off.
Leila says
Joy, I think things are different for 16 yos — summers aren’t quite the same for them as for little kids. They are needing to be all in regarding their future plans!
Joy says
I agree. His summer job is only about 10 hours a week and, frankly, he needs more work than that each week. A few summer classes are just the thing.
Joy, aka President of the Mean Mom’s Club 😉
Tori says
I’ve thought a lot about the summer school issue, and I really think we need to do it this year. I had a baby last September so our year started late and we made such slow progress. I had hoped to catch up toward the end of the year but I am pregnant again so…that didn’t happen.
The other thing is, it is HOT here during the summer, so the kids aren’t missing any outdoor play time. I think it makes more sense to take breaks when the weather is nice in spring and fall, and for Christmas and family visits, etc. And to keep Mom sane during this baby season!
I think if circumstances (and our local climate) were different I would love a summer break, though.
Leila says
Tori, do what you think is best. Summers are very different in various places. I only suggest that sometimes it’s easier to catch flies with honey… and sometimes math skills are best learned with fun games! Maybe in the fall 🙂
Katie says
Never thought of playing “battle” cards with all those mathematical variations– that sounds fun to ME! Might have to find some younger friends to pilot it until our little one(s) are considerably more advanced. =) Another great card game that’s not-about-math-but-is-math is 6 nimmt!”. (Our version is literally in German, instructions and all; it might be sold in the US as Take 5.) I first learned about it from a friend, among other friends in our mid-20s at a grown-up party; but an upper-elementary kiddo can manage just fine, too, which makes it genuinely fun for all ages. No advanced math, just greater-than/less-than strategies in how you play your numbers, and ongoing addition/comparison as you keep tabs on your points. Plus some really wacky cattle heads as graphics. It’s a simple concept: just the whole numbers 1-104, with points assigned according to a pattern. One could recreate it from memory if stranded on a desert island.
Amy says
Leila, what are your views on chores? I have two boys, 12 and 7, and a one year old daughter. My 12 year old has begun putting up such a fuss if he is asked to do anything that seems to him like more work than his little brother has to do. I struggle with knowing what chores are appropriate for each of them, and how often they should do chores.
We are only one week into our summer break, and even with a four day basketball camp last week, they complained quite often of being bored and they fought a lot. I plan to work a bit on math and reading through the summer b/c my oldest is just a little behind in math and my youngest needs to continue to work on reading. Thanks you for the math game idea, I think they would enjoy it.
Leila says
Dear Amy, here is the category on the blog about kids doing their part (“we’re in it together”) http://www.likemotherlikedaughter.org/category/were-in-it-together/
See especially this one: http://www.likemotherlikedaughter.org/2011/08/what-can-children-do-guide/
And also this one: http://www.likemotherlikedaughter.org/2011/09/little-housekeeping/ In which I give you a pep-talk for advancing family spirit!
Amy says
Thank you so much!
Andrea says
Thank you for your great links! I especially loved the man who crochets on the subway. As a teacher myself who grew up in a poor area, I was so excited to see his idea of putting books for boys into barber shops. Boys are definitely as risk for reading problems especially those in the inner city. I will be sharing this with my children. Maybe they will be moved to pray and donate to this “mission”- a little Lenten practice in the summer 🙂
Diana says
Thank you so much for your blog, and for these “little of this” posts! I love them.
We take our break in March-April, as it’s just too hot to do anything during the true summer months in Phoenix. During that “summer” break we do absolutely NO academics. I need a break, and so do the children! However, our summer is short (6-8 weeks), so they don’t have a lot of time to forget things. (We take another big break at Christmas.) I can’t imagine doing school over the summer with no break.
Thank you again and again for your writing!!
Diana
Katie says
Also wanted to say that I really enjoyed the calligraphy links. It’s been on my mind lately to brush up (ha) on what I learned long ago about basic calligraphy, because we’ve had the loveliest toy/device in our house. Anyone else heard of a Buddha Board? This year my husband asked to be in charge of the main gift for our toddler’s birthday, and he surprised us all with this fascinating item. It’s perfectly fine for a small child capable of being careful, but has also appealed to every.single.visitor of any age who has since seen it and tried it out. Think Etch-a-Sketch or Magna-Doodle in terms of transience and quick erasing, but on a more natural surface (no plastic or color), on which a brush dipped in water paints with “ink” that slowly evaporates.
Kimberlee says
Oh, Parcheesi! (I’m sure you folks get that reference)
Love that crochet dude. My guys learned to crochet when they were young. One of my sons crocheted himself a coif to go along with the tin can armor he made (until he got a little older and taught himself how to make real maille). Such a handy skill! I like what he said about his creative handiwork helping to keep him out of trouble. So true!
And loved the article on ‘youth ministry’. Such common sense, yet so few folks get it.
Great links, as always -thanks!
Emily says
I was one of those let’s-do-a-little-school-over-the-summer homeschool moms until I read Anthony Esolen’s Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child. My school age kids are only 6 and 8, so I didn’t really ever get serious about it to begin with, but after his passionate defense of unscheduled summers, I feel zero guilt just letting my kids PLAY for three months! And of course, it’s never “just” playing–my son is rereading the Lord of the Rings and Treasure Island this summer, my girls are helping me cook every day (and not even realizing the math they’re doing there), and we’re reading hundreds of books, writing letters to friends, building with legos, etc, etc.