Things to Think About When Considering Homeschooling

Things to Think About When Considering Homeschooling

By Kerrie McLoughlin

705 words

Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

We just started our tenth year of homeschooling at my house, and these days I’m teaching five kids in five different grades. Sure, there are nutty days, but 99% of the time it just works for us. If the thought of homeschooling makes you cringe, definitely don’t undertake it; it’s not for everyone and some kids thrive in a regular school setting. If you’ve been toying with the idea and are wondering if it’s for you, read on for some things to consider while you explore this thing called homeschooling that’s gaining popularity every year.

Socialization. It’s not all about the education, parents. Get ready to be Activities Director for your child because making friends and knowing how to deal with issues that may arise with those friends and other people are a big part of life and something kids need to learn. Co-ops are a great place to start since there is learning and socializing, just like in a brick and mortar school setting, only the parents are the teachers and are more hands-on. 

Gardening With Kids: Growing Memories

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay 

Gardening With Kids: Growing Memories

By Kerrie McLoughlin

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Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

I’ll never forget the first time I picked a beautiful, ripe, red tomato that I helped grow. I had watered and weeded the plant with love, and I was so proud of that tomato. And, because I wasn’t interested in gardening when I was a kid, this memorable gardening experience happened the summer I turned 40!

This made me determined to share the joy of gardening with my own kids. I’m already learning that gardening alongside your kids provides valuable opportunities for them to learn, to get some exercise and fresh air and to spend some time connecting with you. Check out these tips and ideas for gardening success, as well as a few reasons why gardening is one cool hobby.

Green is in right now, and there’s nothing greener than growing your own food. Composting is another fun, green aspect of gardening because kids get to toss “trash” into the garden (eggshells, coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable shavings and rinds, etc.). Toss the “trash” from Halloween (leftover pumpkins and gourds) and see what happens next year. You can make the entire garden a compost pile in the off-season, and if you like you can leave a section for composting year-round.

This piece goes on to spell out the word GARDENING, with fun tips and helpful information planted into each letter.

Go for the Green: 5 St. Patrick’s Day Traditions to Start With Your Kids

Go for the Green: 5 St. Patrick’s Day Traditions to Start With Your Kids

By Kerrie McLoughlin

507 words

Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

Kids love any excuse to make a day extra special, so why not March 17 of every year? You certainly don’t need to be Irish to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day with your kids and to honor St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. On this day, everyone has a little Irish in them! Here are some ideas for traditions to start this year!

1.      Wear green so you don’t get pinched! If your kids don’t have much green clothing in their closet, head to a consignment or thrift store so you can go green for the planet while also wearing green. I have to admit sometimes I cheat and hit the local department store because they carry green T-shirts with cute St. Patrick’s Day sayings like, “Everybody loves an Irish girl.”

Go to a parade. Many cities, large and small, have a St. Patrick’s Day parade every year, and many have the parade the weekend before St Patrick’s Day so more people can attend (it happens to fall on a Saturday this year). Check out www.St-Patricks-Day.com for all kinds of cool stuff like Irish music, Irish dancing and even parades and fun runs/walks. The parade list is by no means complete, so Google “St. Patrick’s Day parade [your city]” to find one near you.

Straight Talk About Child Abuse

Straight Talk About Child Abuse

By Kerrie McLoughlin

583 words

Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, so let’s get some straight talk going about this important topic that is often avoided. Nobody wants to be seen as a bad parent, which means that often if we are having trouble in our family we don’t reach out for help because we are afraid of being judged harshly. Even the best of parents have a bad day now and then. It’s how they handle that bad day that sets them apart.

Why does it happen?

Families are busier than ever lately, and that causes incredible amounts of stress. It becomes easy to take that stress out on children, who need so much from us and require large amounts of our energy and patience. Other stress factors include situations such as a death in the family, divorce, and job loss/financial factors, as well as “positive” stress accompanied by change such as moving, a promotion at work, a new baby, etc.

This piece goes on to discuss how you can prevent it and how you can get help ...

5 Earth Day Lessons for Your Kids

5 Earth Day Lessons for Your Kids

By Kerrie McLoughlin

563 words

Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

My mother has been a recycler ever since I can remember. I have a vivid memory of her haranguing my dad’s family about recycling on a group vacation. She actually picked aluminum cans out of the trash while griping about landfills and started a special recycle spot in the condo. I’m sure everyone thought she was insane, but now I am pretty much the same way with recycling whatever I can.

When April 22^nd rolls around, I enjoy teaching my own kids why we have Earth Day and how we can better care for our planet. Maya Angelou said, “When we know better, we do better,” so a big step in doing better for the Earth is being aware of choices and appreciating where we live while making it a better place. Earth Day is a great opportunity to teach some great lessons to your kids!

Earth Day Lesson #1: Stand up for what you believe in. We laugh about the story of my mom on vacation, but we are proud of her for standing up for the Earth even when she was seen as strange and picky.

Earth Day Lesson #2: You can have an idea and put it into action with a lot of hard work. Earth Day was born from the mind of a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin who was outraged about a 1969 oil spill in California. He saw all the anti-Vietnam War demonstrations and hoped he could channel that kind of energy instead into caring about the environment. With a lot of help, he made it happen.

Green Your Valentine's Day (10 Ways)

How to Green Your Valentine’s Day

By Kerrie McLoughlin

596 words

Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

Growing up, I loved making valentines for my pals at school and decorating a box to collect my own cards, candy and trinkets in. I could also always count on something chocolate and some other small gift from my parents, as well as cards from extended family, waiting for me at home. Sounds like a lot of February holiday waste, doesn’t it? Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. I recently started feeling some environmental guilt when I realized how much Valentine’s Day stuff my own five kids would go through over the years and came up with some green ways to celebrate. Give them a try!

1.      Whether your child is too little to attend school, is currently going to school or is homeschooled, making a fancy holder for Valentine’s Day goodies is important for keeping fun stuff in from the day. A cardboard shoebox or a large plastic ice cream bucket work great … and they are recyclable when all is said and done! All your little sweetie has to do is cut a hole in the lid large enough to handle treats and notes, then she can decorate it with stickers, crepe paper, glitter glue, construction paper and more.

2.      You can easily make your child feel special by making a heart-shaped breakfast to start the day on a fun note. Grab a heart-shaped metal cookie cutter to shape things like eggs, toast (don’t forget the strawberry jam!) and pancakes.

Teen Dating: How Young is Too Young?

Teen Dating: How Young is Too Young?

By Kerrie McLoughlin

699 words

Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

I think many of us can relate to Deanna, mom of three girls (one a teen), when she said, “Dating? Not my babies!!!” My own first date happened when I was 16 ½, and my parents were hard-core: if I missed curfew by 1 minute I was grounded for two weeks (I was grounded quite often). For me, 13 or 14 would have been too young for dating because boys still freaked me out then, and I had no siblings to learn from.

Many parents take the issue of teen dating on a case-by-case basis because every kid is different. Some are more mature at age 15, while some may not be ready for a first date until age 19. “We don’t have a set age yet for dating, and our oldest is 14. I think a numerical age is way too hard to pinpoint because of different maturity levels. I do see being a responsible driver as somewhat related to being able to handle dating,” said Wendy Budetti, mom of five.

Kerrie McLoughlin (TheKerrieShow.com) is a seasoned mom of five, and her oldest is heading into Dating World very soon!