May 2017 Mentoring Moms Minutes To Publications / Articles - May 2017 Mentoring Moms Minutes

Posted 5/1/17

B (5 children, ages 1 to 11)

Involvement in ACE (Aquinas Catholic Educators - the local Catholic homeschool group with over 40 families) helps a lot. Note upcoming activities: field day (play date at park next week), dance in June, and Aug 20 annual meeting and family potluck 4 to 7. Visit website for more info: www.aquinascatholiceducators.com. Note: you must be a member to view the private calendar (follow registration instructions at site - no need to pay until Nov 1 each year).

REACH - the local Christian homeschool group with many, many families.

S (8 children ages 16 to 2)

Regarding younger children (age 12 and under)-- To foster relationships we seek out families with similar values (for example: friendships developed by meeting to go to adoration and swapping watching kids outside the chapel area if they get noisy, and then going to a playground afterward; getting together to celebrate feast days/birthdays and holy days; playground dates). We teach our children to be good hosts/hostesses with visitors and to treat other people and their homes with respect (offering to help clean up - sometimes my kids don't think to do this, but I always suggested it to them before we left -- "we will leave in 15 minutes, please help clean up" etc. so that they did). Putting foot down at bad behavior- if playmate was misbehaving (swearing/hitting, etc.) and mom did nothing or ignored child's behavior, we didn't continue the relationship. If mom stepped in to stop, that was fine. Sought out families with similar values to ours in terms of family prayer and priorities, and expectations for childrens' behavior.

A (6 children, ages 10 to 1)

Places to find other families: Homeschool gym classes at NDSU, Courts Plus homeschool art and gym classes, Facebook groups (ACE homeschool group, FM homeschool families, ND Catholic homeschooler, MN Catholic homeschoolers), Ave Maria Moms at Holy Spirit (handful of homeschooling families).

Fostering friendships: With friend got permission to use our church for doing a Nativity play and 100th school day party. Just with our children, but kids had a great time.

I like to make get-togethers productive/educational.

(A brought a list of books, websites, and podcasts that help her as a mom - will copy all into here soon, but for now here is a list of most of them)

Books= A Mother's Rule of Life, For the Children's Sake, Better than Before, Catholic Ed Homeward Bound, Small Steps for Catholic Moms, Help for the Harried Homeschooler
Blogs= Confessions of a Homeschool Mom (good resource section), Learning Well, Sarah Mackenzie Read Aloud Revival, Ron Paul emails, Fly Lady, Hannah Keely free resources 3 day boot camp 7 kids and gets things done,
Podcast= Coffee and Pearls,

Kids socialize with adults

Other groups in town where homeschool kids can socialize/meet friends (* = exclusively homeschoolers):

American Heritage Girls group (Holy Spirit)
Little Flowers, Mary Marthas and Handmaids (Cathedral of St. Mary)
Catholic Memory Group (ACE Group)*
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (Montessori-type preschool group for local Catholics)
Classical Conversations (Christian group)*
ACE 4H group
ND requires public schools to allow homeschoolers to take classes and join in sports
Lessons and other paid sports

Questions from Mentees:

How to homeschool? (Mentioned to look at previous meeting notes)

What to do with little ones? (Mentioned to look at previous meeting notes)

Sensory Tables stimulate brains

Unstructured play is good

Learning through play is good: One mom suggested the book: Play, Projects, and Preschool Standards- Nurturing Children's Sense of Wonder and Joy of Learning

Five in a Row