![\"\"](\"http:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4046\/4670183138_277c356340.jpg\" "\\"Barn\\"")
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Before I tell you about the title (I’m sure you are quite curious!) I wanted to share a wonderful child training tool–I think of it as “Shepherding a Child’s Heart” brought down to where the rubber meets the road!<\/p>\n
I think I have reviewed this resource before on my blog, but I thought it fitting, since starting the Fabulous Family Friday posts, to do it again!<\/p>\n
It is “Don’t Make Me Count to Three<\/a>” by Ginger Plowman.\u00a0\u00a0 The first section is entitled “Reaching the Heart of Your Child”.\u00a0 There are definitely some concrete ideas in here, but I love it that it starts with the heart.\u00a0 After all, that is where it ALL starts, even for us as God’s children!<\/p>\n There is an additional resource that is great for using as you train your children, using Scripture.\u00a0 Ginger also produces this, and it’s called “Wise Words for Moms<\/a>“.\u00a0\u00a0 It’s in a calendar format, so you can hang it on the wall, or just open it for use.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Ginger<\/a> also has a website with some other good materials,\u00a0although these are the only two I personally own.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 (Just click on her name for her website.)<\/p>\n I especially think you younger mamas would love this book, but you know, we older ones can keep it fresh by reviewing and remember what’s most important in life–<\/p>\n Relationships!!!<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n So what is<\/em> barn school, anyway?!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Several years ago, when we first started giving music lessons, most of our students were homeschooled.\u00a0 So while one member of a family was having a lesson, the siblings would play with my girls outside.\u00a0 The barn is always a fun place to play!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n My daughters decided to make a “town” in the barn, and named it “Butterfly” in honor of the wooden Monarchs that perch on the barn (made by a friend’s father).\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Each girl had a “house” area that was hers.\u00a0 They used whatever old boards (and some not-so-old!) to section off their areas.\u00a0 Then they added their “shops”.\u00a0\u00a0 Of course, all the students and their siblings wanted to participate!\u00a0\u00a0 So each one had their “shop”.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The currency was acorns!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Your first visit to Butterfly, you could gather a can full of acorns to spend.\u00a0 After that, you had to come up with your own business!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Two brothers of a student were very resourceful–they were the “water works”.\u00a0 They would deliver water to your residence or business, and even to the barn loft!\u00a0\u00a0 They had quite an ingenious method of pulleys to get it up to the loft so they didn’t have to run up and down the stairs all the time!\u00a0\u00a0 Of course, if you lived or worked on the loft, you paid a bit extra for this service!\u00a0\u00a0 For an extra fee, they would dump your yucky water! \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n They had all the amenities a small town could offer:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Bank<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Library<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Grocery Store<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Tea Room<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Museum<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Several restaurants<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Sign shop<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Post Office<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n UPS (that was one daughter swinging on the barn swing and throwing your “package” into your area!)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Trash Removal<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Town “Garage” (for all the bikes!)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Various interesting shops (one daughter made butterflies out of colored paper clips!)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Even a Visitors Center!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Lots of fun!\u00a0 But did they learn anything?<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n YES!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The library consisted of books bought by the bag at our library sale, as well as revolving racks and the vinyl cushions they used to use for story hour!\u00a0\u00a0 We also bought several drawers of the old card catalog system, and the “librarian” just turned the cards around and wrote down what we had!\u00a0 She also made cards so you could “check out” books.\u00a0 We even had old encyclopedias out there!\u00a0 (They’re actually still floating around on the property…..)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The museum keeper also catalogued all the interesting artifacts (one being a tooth that a goat lost!).\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n All the shopkeepers had to keep track of what they sold and their inventory, and of course the banker had to keep records!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n They decided that there would be no “school” in Butterfly–all students would be homeschooled there!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Once they had a bank robbery!!!\u00a0 One student’s brother grabbed the “vault” (an old suitcase) and took off!\u00a0\u00a0 He was apprehended and caught.\u00a0\u00a0 The “residents” first\u00a0were going to put him in the chicken house, but no one wanted to stand guard!\u00a0 So they\u00a0then brought him\u00a0to the judge (me) and put in jail (sitting in the living room with me while I taught his sister–not his idea of a great time!).\u00a0\u00a0 We never did have a jail–that was the one and only crime!\u00a0 \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0(Not<\/em> the bank robber!\u00a0 Just showing a picture of the swing!)<\/p>\n ALL of this took place with hardly ANY input from me!\u00a0\u00a0 I did not “make” them do anything.\u00a0 I suggested, that’s all.\u00a0\u00a0 My oldest daughter decided to do a little “newspaper”, handwritten!\u00a0\u00a0 I told her about the newsletter template on Microsoft Works, and she figured it out and started cranking out quite the production!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She had an ongoing story as well as cute quotes….just think what she could do now!\u00a0 Oh!\u00a0 She IS!\u00a0\u00a0 It’s called Seven Sisters blog!\u00a0 LOL!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n That year was not a good year “schoolwise”.\u00a0 I had had three miscarriages within 9 months, off my feet nearly a month each\u00a0for two of them.\u00a0 Not much planned school went on.\u00a0 At the end of the “schoolyear”, I was reading my daughter’s “newspaper” and her story, and said, “Lord, who taught her to write?!\u00a0 I didn’t!”\u00a0 And that is when He spoke to my heart Isaiah 54:13\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n “And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children.”<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n We had a family reunion later in the fall after this “Barn School Year”.\u00a0 As I was giving a tour of the girls’ “town”, some of my husband’s aunts were telling me what curriculum their daughters were using to homeschool, and one asked me what curriculum I used.\u00a0 I waved my hand around and said with a smile, “THIS is my curriculum!”\u00a0\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n At first they were a bit surprised, but as I explained all the learning that was going on there, they thought it was really neat!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I know sometimes we need to guide and have a plan, but I also know that sometimes….no, a LOT of the time–life happens and you can’t do your well-laid plans.\u00a0 Is the time a loss?\u00a0 Are you in danger of being “behind”?<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Well, no!\u00a0\u00a0 I don’t believe in being “behind” anymore.\u00a0 As long as you are:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Being faithful<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Not using it as an excuse to do nothing<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Putting first things first (“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God…”)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Focusing on relationships<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Providing an atmosphere of learning<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Then I believe you are where God wants you to be, and He will see to your children’s education.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I had found an interesting book through a school called “Sudbury Valley<\/a>” in Massachusetts.\u00a0\u00a0 Sudbury Valley is basically an “Unschooling School”!\u00a0\u00a0 Here is the Wikipedia description.<\/a>\u00a0 I am not saying that I agree 100% with all they do, and it is not a Christian based school, but I thought it interesting that this school has been in existence for over 40 years now, and has proven out over and over that having a curriculum and schedule does not equate success, and having freedom in learning does not equate chaos.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3352\/4609396737_7d0aeaa597_m.jpg\" "\\"Iris\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4026\/4670184216_4c294f824f_m.jpg\" "\\"Butterflies\\"")
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3333\/4633496357_4698724235_m.jpg\" "\\"Barn")
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4031\/4609399939_a403850b03_m.jpg\" "\\"Daisy")
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3147\/4610005500_a33e62ce57.jpg\" "\\"Iris")
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