When you home school your kids, you can save a lot. The money that you usually pay for the school’s tuition fee can be used to pay for the other expenses of the family. Your kids won’t be subject to bullying too and they don’t have to wake up early to catch the school bus. They’ll surely be comfortable at home and given the right atmosphere, they’ll learn more. In schools, your learning pace is based on the curriculum. At home, you can adjust the pace of the lessons according to the learning capacity of your kids.

However, home schooling has also its disadvantages. The first is your kids won’t be able to interact with other kids. Interaction is important because this is one way to develop with interpersonal skills. Parents can also have a hard time looking for a curriculum that will be comprehensive and easy to understand. Parents might also need to buy materials and books so that their kids can understand their lessons well.
These are pros and cons of home schooling. The choice would have to be from the parents.

As we get our kids back into the mode before school starts, all moms and dads are thinking about how we can get their brains engaged again in learning.

Toy industry expert Elizabeth Werner gives some incredible ideas in the video below. She has written many articles about toys for MSNBC, ivillage and todaymoms.com. She’s also appeared on The View, Today and FOX & Friends to discuss her great ideas and trends in the industry.

For more information, please find her on www.wernerinfo.com

My 5^th grade son and I recently had a conversation about why Tim Tebow is such a good guy to idolize: he cares for others above himself, he understands his strength and abilities come from God, and he epitomizes the values Christ taught us.  That’s a good guy to look up to.

So, how did he get there and how can you help your own children find a path similar to that?

Take a few moments to read about Tim and share these works and his guiding principles with your children. It certainly will help guide their thoughts as they dream about what to be when they grow up.

Tim is the youngest of 5 children. He was born in the Philippines while his parents were missionaries there.  He was homeschooled by his mother when “homeschooling” was a new word for most people.

The Tebows were actually pioneers in the field of homeschooling.  According to the Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association’s website, “the Tebows planned each child’s schooling around their family values, character training, and the individual’s learning style, interests, and goals.”

They were also highly involved in getting their children to be able to play high school sports at their local schools. This was a new concept for homeschooled children and of course, was an important part of Tim’s athletic development.

Because of his parents’ heavy involvement in mission work, Tim grew up with a Christ-centered life and it shows today. When he was at The University of Florida, he wanted to start a foundation but was not allowed to due to NCAA regulations, according to the Tim Tebow Foundation website. He found a way around this rule by getting First and 15 approved through student government.

Post-college in 2010, he started his organization that helps four different outreach organizations – W15H in the Jacksonville, Florida, area, a partnership with CURE International, Timmy’s Playrooms at children’s hospitals around the country and Uncle Dick’s Home, an orphanage in the Philippines.

As I read about this, I wonder, how does he have time for football?

Another wonderful way he shows his never-wavering faith in Jesus was his eye black during Florida Gator games. A sample of these verses included:

Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”

Isaiah 40:31 – “Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Ephesians 4:32 – “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

And of course, one of our family’s favorites, John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

When you read these core things Tim does for people, it makes you believe in what a deeply strong individual he is. Who wouldn’t want that for their children? Please share this with your kids.

Please read more about Tim on his family’s website, his own foundation’s website and this wonderful article from Rick Reilly of ESPN about Tim’s behind the scenes activities.  Please comment if you have any feedback about this.

Photos: Tim Tebow Foundation (www.timtebowfoundation.org)

Marijo Tinlin is the Editor in Chief of Family First, one of the oldest family-oriented websites on the internet. She is also the author of the new book about patriotism and teaching our children to love this country called “How to Raise an American Patriot, Making it Okay for Our Kids to Be Proud to Be American.”  It features 13 interviews with patriotic Americans including Ed Meese, Erick Erickson and Jackie Gingrich Cushman. It’s available at www.raisinganamericanpatriot.com.

A trip to the library or listening to what our Secretary of Education wants our kids to learn can be very discouraging if you are a parent who leans to the right on the political scale.

Certain political agendas and socialist/communist ideas just don’t fly with many American families. These families disparage revisionist history and desire patriotic American values. That’s why a new group fits the bill.

Conservative Children’s Books (www.conservativechildrensbooks.com) is a new author alliance that offers some fantastic books for conservative families.

Organized by Laurie Cockerell, author of “Founder’s Fables,” this new group has as its mission statement the following:

*spark curiosity and develop awareness of relevant issues that affect America’s future.

* enrich your family time together through thoughtful discussion and creative problem-solving.

* offer age-appropriate lessons and stories to facilitate the education of founding principles and values.

* inspire citizens to proclaim America’s heritage and be the example of her defender to future generations.

The site currently features 10 titles (full disclosure: my new book “How to Raise an American Patriot Making it Okay for Our Kids to Be Proud to Be American” is one of these) with profiles of the books and their respective authors. These titles include:

• Founders Fables by Cockerell – written in rhyming verse, this book tells the stories of the founding principles of this country with excellent follow up questions. Appropriate for ages 5+.
• Why Am I Conservative? by Melanie Angell Elliott – written for ages 9 and up and helps explain conservative values and encourage discussion.
• Fisherman’s Catch: Conservative Bedtime Stories by Thomas Wright. Written for kids ages 2-13, this parable helps explain such concepts as free market principles, self-reliance (remember that?) and diligence.
• We Love Our Country by Mary L. Amlaw – For kids ages 9 and up, this book teaches about freedom, our Constitution and what a Republic is.
• The 4^th of July – A Celebration of Independence by Nickie Summers – This book introduces the birth of this great nation, the founders and our Constitution to kids ages 2-8.
• Patriotic Pups by Nancy K. Arnold – written for the elementary reader, this book is a fictional account of the adventures of some puppies George Washington gives to special patriots such as Ben Franklin and Betsy Ross. Includes historical facts for subtle learning too.
• With My Rifle by My Side by Kimberly Jo Simac – Written in verse about gun safety and the historical significance of firearms in America, this book is written for ages 4-8 and was recently featured on Glenn Beck’s program.
• American Soldier – Proud and Free also by Simac – A book that portrays the military as it should be – by stressing its importance to our country and our freedom. For kids ages 4-8. Simac is the mother of 9 children and has also written a couple books about hockey!
• Striker Jones: Elementary Economics for Elementary Detectives by Maggie M. Larche. Teaches kids ages 7-11 basic economic concepts through mystery adventures so they don’t even know they’re learning. Also available is a teacher’s companion of lesson plans to help supplement the stories.

The site also includes up-coming events featuring the authors and their books as well as family resource link page to all kinds of great websites. New authors, information and resources are added all the time so please check out www.conservativechildrensbooks.com often for all the great information.

But today, parents that are dissatisfied with public education, and are returning to home education. Homeschooling is becoming very popular, and is now an accepted alternative to public education. Today’s site, Homeschooling, is a site that is dedicated to helping spread the word about that topic. There are articles and discussions with titles such as “Learning: Not Just For School Anymore”, “Reading At Risk” (where reading is the object, not the subject)’, and “Be There, Do That” ( comparing education in a classroom to life in a test tube: it may get started, but grows better on the outside). There are other areas as well, such as a feedback area where you can exchange ideas with other parents, and a most complete resource list.

It takes a lot of commitment to educate your children at home. There are a lot of advantages to doing it, as well as disadvantages. This site explores all areas, and is a valuable resource to those that are currently homeschooling, and those that are thinking about it.

http://homeschooling.miningco.com/mbody.htm