I just wanted to drop you a line and say I’m getting ready for a great weekend.  You see, tomorrow is my anniversary!  That’s right…27 years of bliss.

Well, I wouldn’t say every minute was bliss, but it has been a great ride with the love of my life.  And, I’m leaving for a few days alone with my honey!  After we drop off my middle daughter at the airport in the morning, we will have 2 days alone, including an evening at a really cool bed & breakfast in the resort town of Coeur D’Alene, Idaho.  The Roosevelt Inn used to be an old school that has been converted to an inn that serves a delicious, gourmet breakfast.

I’m off for some R & R!  I hope you get some R & R this weekend.  Oh yeah…one more thing.  Next week, I’ll be celebrating another event.  No, it’s not July 4th.  Watch your email because you will want to join in our celebration . . .

Kerry Beck

ps.  Tell your honey how much you love them and how much they mean to you TODAY!

pps.  I really want to know what you think about my creativity & boredom article, PLEASE, leave a comment on my blog.

If you haven’t read my original article, skip down to the next post and read it. Then, come back to this one.

After writing my article about boredom, I walked outside to see my 14yo son. I was quickly reminded that work is also important for our children. My son was pulling up a wire fence in our backyard.

Let me back up…When I returned from my walk this morning, I noticed the fence with tons of weeds inside. I decided my son could get rid of the fence today. I mentioned it to him as he ate breakfast and he didn’t look too excited about it. The next thing I heard was, “Mom, where are the gloves?” He didn’t have anything planned this morning (think: bored), so he pulled up the wire fence cheerfully. I told him how impressed I was with his work (think: encouragement) because I really was impressed!

Before I close, let me say that I am not suggesting constant chores when your children are bored. I believe a healthy balance between work and play (think: creativity) is necessary. Small, odd jobs, here & there are excellent, especially for young men. Let them have plenty of time to be creative and intersperse it with “real” work every once in awhile. Besides, work and ingenuity are necessary for future leaders!!

“I’m bored, there’s nothing to do!” I’m sure you’ve never heard that in your home!

Have you ever read the book by Peter Spier, Bored, Nothing To Do? It’s about two brothers who are bored so their mom sends them outside to do “something”. Out in the garage, they build an airplane and fly it…If you haven’t read the book, go to your library and grab a copy. Whether you’re 6, 16 or 36, you’ll enjoy it. I think I’ll go read it again!

The airplane “project” results from boredom. There are two solutions to your kids’ boredom I want to share with you. I think both have positive outcomes for your children this summer and hope you will share these with your friends & family.

Last fall I read an article by our local librarian. She made the point that boredom in children produces creativity. Think about it. When your children are bored, they often find something to do on their own. It takes creativity to imagine and invent your own “project”. Remember the 2 brothers in Spier’s book. They were bored and definitely used their creativity to build & fly an airplane.

With this in mind, you need to provide stimulating resources for your children. Resources can be as simple as the sticks in the backyard or more involved like craft baskets or lego boxes. When they are bored, they can use those resources as they spark their own imagination to overcome boredom. Usually, kids will find something to do because they don’t want to be bored.

Allowing your children to overcome boredom with their own creative projects allows you to see your children’s real passions and interests.

Another solution to boredom is pointing out places your children could go to cure their boredom. If your son simply sits on the couch staring at the ceiling, remind him of the boxes of legos in his closet or the race track pieces under his bed. When your daughter lies on her bed with nothing to do, mention the basket of art supplies in the family room. You get the idea.

I realize busy moms don’t always have time to remember suggestions for your kids to encourage creativity. Here’s a list I share every summer with my subscribers. Not only do I share it with my subscribers, I read it myself and choose a few I’d like to do with my own children.

You can print the list, cut them out and put each one in a jar. Let your kids choose one when they are “bored”. By the way, this list was sent to me years ago and I don’t know its origin.

You can print the list, cut them out and put each one in a jar. Let your kids choose one when they are “bored”. By the way, this list was sent to me years ago and I don’t know its origin.In no particular order,
1. ride bikes
2. roller blade
3. basketball
4. play board games
5. make a tent out of blankets
6. squirt with hoses
7. run through the sprinkler
8. jump rope
9. read books
10. blow bubbles
11. make homemade play dough
12. play with play dough
13. press flowers
14. do crafts with pressed flowers
15. write a letter to a relative, friend or pen pal
16. clean bedroom
17. vacuum livingroom
18. clean bathroom
19. make a craft
20. draw
21. color
22. paint
23. pull weeds
24. watch a movie
25. write stories
26. use binoculars
27. use magnifying glass
28. use microscope
29. bird watching
30. write a play
31. act out a play
32. invent circus acts
33. perform a circus
34. play card games
35. make art on the front walkway with sidewalk chalk
36. play catch
37. play baseball
38. collect rocks
39. collect leaves
40. collect feathers
41. play Frisbee
42. make Frisbee’s out of old plastic lids, decorate with markers
43. dust the house
44. brush the pet
45. write letters
46. read a magazine
47. play dress-up
48. play Cowboys
49. pick vegetables
50. play outside with the pet
51. build a fort in your rooms
52. build a fort in the backyard
53. do a jigsaw puzzle
54. play on the Geosafari
55. play on the computer
56. listen to a story or book on tape
57. do extra schoolwork to get ahead
58. do brain teasers (ie:crosswords,word searches,etc.)
59. cook
60. prepare lunch
61. surprise a neighbor with a good deed
62. play store
63. prepare a “restaurant” lunch with menus
64. hold a tea party
65. have a Teddy bear picnic
66. play with toy cars
67. play dolls
68. play house
69. chase butterflies
70. collect caterpillars and bugs
71. plant a garden or a pot
72. collect seeds
73. hunt for four-leaf clovers
74. learn magic tricks
75. put on a magic show
76. plant a container garden
77. sprout seeds or beans
78. make sock puppets
79. put on a puppet show
80. make Christmas presents
81. make homemade wrapping paper
82. make homemade gift cards
83. make picture frames from twigs glued onto sturdy cardboard
84. crochet or knit
85. make doll clothes
86. sew buttons in designs on old shirts
87. run relay races
88. make bookmarks
89. take a quiet rest time
90. take a shower or bath
91. bathe a pet
92. feed the birds or squirrels
93. watch the clouds
94. organize a dresser drawer
95. clean under the bed
96. empty dishwasher
97. vacuum under the couch cushions and keep any change found
98. write these ideas on pieces of paper and pick out one or two to do
99. whittle
100. whittle bars of soap
101. practice musical instruments
102. perform a family concert
103. teach yourself to play musical instrument (recorder, harmonica, guitar)
104. fold laundry
105. sweep kitchen or bathroom floors
106. sweep front walkway
107. sweep or spray back patio
108. sweep or spray driveway
109. wash car
110. vacuum car
111. vacuum or dust window blinds
112. clean bathroom mirrors
113. clean sliding glass doors
114. clean inside of car windows
115. wash bicycles
116. clean garage
117. play in the sandbox
118. build a sandcastle
119. work with clay
120. copy your favorite book illustration
121. design your own game
122. build with blocks or Legos
123. create a design box (copper wire, string, odds-and- ends of things destined for the garbage, pom-poms, thread, yarn,etc.)
124. plan a neighborhood or family Olympics
125. have a marble tournament
126. paint a picture with lemon juice on white paper and hang it in a sunny window and see what happens in a few days
127. finger paint with pudding
128. make dessert
129. make dinner
130. give your pet a party
131. paint the sidewalk with water
132. start a journal of summer fun
133. start a nature diary
134. have a read-a-thon with a friend or sibling
135. have a neighborhood bike wash
136. play flashlight tag
137. play Kick the Can
138. check out a science book and try some experiments
139. make up a story
140. arrange photo albums
141. find bugs and start a collection
142. do some stargazing
143. decorate bikes or wagons and have a neighborhood parade
144. catch butterflies and then let them go
145. play hide-and-seek
146. create a symphony with bottles and pans and rubber bands
147. listen to the birds sing
148. try to imitate bird calls
149. read a story to a younger child
150. find shapes in the clouds
151. string dry noodles or O-shaped cereals into a necklace
152. glue noodles into a design on paper
153. play hopscotch
154. play jacks
155. make up a song
156. make a teepee out of blankets
157. write in your journal
158. find an ant colony and spill some food and watch what happens
159. play charades
160. make up a story by drawing pictures
161. draw a cartoon strip
162. make a map of your bedroom, house or neighborhood
163. call a friend
164. cut pictures from old magazines and write a story
165. make a collage using pictures cut from old magazines
166. do a secret service for a neighbor
167. plan a treasure hunt
168. make a treasure map
169. make up a “Bored List” of things to do
170. plan a special activity for your family
171. search your house for items made in other countries and then
learn about those countries from the encyclopedia or online
172. plan an imaginary trip to the moon
173. plan an imaginary trip around the world, where would you want to go
174. write a science-fiction story
175. find a new pen pal
176. make up a play using old clothes as costumes
177. make up a game for practicing math facts
178. have a Spelling Bee
179. make up a game for practicing spelling
180. surprise an elderly neighbor or relative by weeding his/her garden
181. fingerpaint with shaving cream
182. collect sticks and mud and build a bird’s nest
183. write newspaper articles for a pretend newspaper
184. put together a family newsletter
185. write reviews of movies or plays or tv shows or concerts you
see during the summer
186. bake a cake
187. bake a batch of cookies
188. decorate a shoe box to hold your summer treasures
189. make a hideout or clubhouse
190. make paper airplanes
191. have paper airplane races
192. learn origami
193. make an obstacle course in your backyard
194. make friendship bracelets for your friends
195. make a wind chime out of things headed for the garbage
196. paint your face
197. braid hair
198. play tag
199. make a sundial
200. make food sculptures (from pretzels, gumdrops, string licorice, raisins, cream cheese, peanuts, peanut butter, etc.) and then eat it
201. make a terrarium
202. start a club
203. take a nap outside on your lawn
204. produce a talent show
205. memorize a poem
206. recite a memorized poem for your familyHave a wonderful summer!Please share this list as part of the entire article with the bio below. It would mean a great deal to me for others to have it.———————–

To get ready for the next school year, pick up Kerry Beck’s free audio workshop at Home School Material. This summer she also gives you a free report, “How to Get It All Done” at Homeschool Curriculum.
———————

I can’t believe I’m still taking my morning walk in sweats and a jacket. Yesterday I even thought about putting mittens on when I first left my home. It’s the end of June and still cold.

I’m not complaining because it is so pleasant during the afternoons that I sit on my front porch and read…without sweating like a Texan!

and Deuteronomy

My goal this summer is to read a book each week. So far, I’m staying up.

and Leviticus & Numbers

Seeking the Kingdom of God is to seek God’s glory, God’s gain and God’s goals - often contrary to what we feel like doing or the way the world does it. (Warfare Witness, Stanley Gale)

This quote may seem obvious. I know it intellectually. But, as I read it this morning, it pierced my heart. Of course I want to seek God’s kingdom, but do my thoughts, actions and words seek God’s glory, gain & goals? Or, are they just what I feel like doing, thinking or saying?

Do you consciously seek God’s kingdom by striving to achieve God’s glory, God’s goals and God’s gain?

Do you seek God’s kingdom as you plan your next homeschool year?

Do you seek God’s goals (or yours) as you choose this summer’s activities?

Do you seek God’s gain as you instill values in your children?

Do you seek God’s glory as you scrapbook, bake or garden?

God’s leaders will seek God’s kingdom as a priority in each & every area of their lives.

A few weeks ago, I began an article about teaching your children
practical skills. I continue that article today. I’ve been
thinking alot about this recently. Have you?

Does your child have practical skills?

If you spend most of your time “in the book”, you might re-
consider your approach to homeschooling. Although I highly praise
reading classics and teaching “how to think” with books, I
believe there is a balance. Don’t neglect teaching your child
practical skills for the future.

Before I get to my regular article, I want to mention a few ways we are encouraging you to teach practical skills.

One of the most important things you can do for your children is
give them practical skills so they can make a choice about
their career. Your kids should have the choice between working
for themselves or depending on someone else for a pay check.
How can you prepare them with the right skills? What skills
should you teach? Why should you give your children practical
skills?

We have been looking at the value of practical skills in this
highly specialized and technical age in which we live. Now, I am
not adverse to technology. In fact, I make my living on the
internet. But, as we have seen, practical skills are not just for
those who do not go to college. Below are four more reasons why
learning practical skills is a biblical concept.

(BTW, this article was written by my wonderful husband, Stephen)

4. Practical skills were modeled by Paul and Christ.

We have already seen Paul’s example, but why do you think God
chose to be a carpenter? Surely, studying to be a teacher or
rabbi would have been more conducive to His future ministry! Or
perhaps an attorney. After all, He would spend a lot of time
making arguments and counter-arguments with the Pharisees and
Sadducees. No, He chose a skill that would exemplify strength,
endurance, patience and worth. He was giving an example to
follow.

5. Practical skills produce godly character.

Again, I can not say this enough. I am not advocating that pursuing a trade or working with your hands is the only righteous calling or (more…)

Almost every week I receive an email asking me what we do after high school. Everyone’s children are growing up, even yours. And
there are so many questions about their future.

What is your child’s life purpose?
How can your child fulfill his or her life purpose?
Should your child go away for college?
Should your child attend college at all?
Should your child find an alternative to college?
Should your child skip college and get a job?
Should your child save some money and then enroll in college?
How much does college cost these days?
Are those college classes really beneficial?
What kind of worldview do most colleges offer in their
classes?

The list goes on & on & on…

I’ve written a lot of emails in response to these questions, but
now I have a special treat for you. I will be interviewing Woody
Robertson about life purpose and the possibilities with college
this Thursday, January 25th. No matter how old your children are,
you need to listen to Woody so your children are prepared when
they finish homeschool.

Who is Woody?
No, he’s not the guy in Toy Story! Woody Robertson, a first
generation home-school graduate, earned his accredited BSBA in
General Management in fifteeen months of study for a total cost
of under $5,500 through Distance Learning.
.
No! That is not a typo..15months, $5500 and a college degree

Two months ago I met Woody at a one-day seminar about distance learning. It just happened that Woody was flying from Texas to Idaho two weeks after my 18yo registered for College Plus. He invited us to his one-day seminar in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and we
jumped at the invitation.

At the seminar, I asked Woody if I could interview him and have him share some of his tips about life’s purpose, life planning, college, distance learning and beyond. He quickly agreed to a telephone interview for you.

The best part of this interview is you can listen to Woody in the comfort of your own home. You can even get your own questions answered…just leave them on my blog and I ask them on Thursday.

Let me get back to Woody . . .

Woody currently serves as the Director of CollegePlus! where he still mentors students as they discover their life purpose and follow God’s calling.

Woody’s personal vision is to communicate a message of vision, purpose, and direction to families which he shares at seminars and home-school conferences nationwide. But, you don’t have to go anywhere to hear him…except to your phone.

Woody’s Purpose Statement reads:

“My heart’s desire is to love the Lord Jesus Christ with all
of my heart, soul, mind and strength in order that I might
fellowship with Him daily, follow His perfect will, and be
the testimony that would bring Him the most glory. By witness
of the Lord’s clear hand of direction and past leading, I
feel the strong burden and passion to guide parents and their
children by inspiring vision to find purpose and fulfillment
through seeking God’s plan for their lives. My heart cry is
for the Christian families and young people of America. By
passionately communicating Biblical truth and vision, my
deepest desire is to lead a whole generation of fathers,
mothers, sons and daughters to stem the tide and stand in the
gap for the glory of God.”

Woody is 27 years old and currently resides in the San Antonio,
TX area as he looks forward to his upcoming wedding

Join me this Thursday, January 25th for Woody Robertson’s
interview. (I will record the call in case you can’t make it
live.)

11am PST
12noon MST
1pm CST
2pm EST

How can you join me?

If you are a Raising Leaders Gold Team member, you will receive all the call details shortly.

If you bought Accelerated Distance Learning in the past 2 months, you will receive access to the call.

If you are not one of my Gold Members, you can still join me in several ways.

1. Buy Accelerated Distance Learning (on sale for $19.97 with FREE shipping & handling) and come for free by clicking here: Accelerated Distance Learning

2. Join Raising Leaders Gold Team and get articles, past audio workshops, past call transcript, recipes, unit studies, product review for $15. All Gold Team members receive our monthly training call for FREE.

Join the Gold Team by clicking here: Raising Leaders Gold Team Click the Sign Up button at the TOP of the page.

3. Register for our monthly training call at the regular price.($10)

Click here: How to Homeschool for College Scroll down the page to RED Teleseminar and click to reserve your seat.

4. If you buy Accelerated Distance Learning after the interview and before January 31, 2007, you can deduct your $10 registration fee from your purchase. That means your $10 registration fee applies to your Accelerated Distance Learning book purchase.

Don’t forget to leave your questions for Woody on this blog!!

Kerry

(c)Kerry Beck, 2007

Want to share this article? Feel free to forward it as long as you do not alter the article in any way. You may reprint single articles only if you include the bio below:

Kerry Beck, who wrote Raising Leaders, Not Followers, divides her time between wife, mom, teacher and business woman. You can pick up her free report, “How to Get It All Done” at Organizing for Home School.

I am back from a whirlwind trip of speaking and sightseeing on the east coast. I had the pleasure of speaking to families about making money on eBay. It was a blast to see teenagers nodding and light bulbs going off in parents’ heads as families saw the power of eBay.

I am in the midst of posting some pics from our trip, as well as a new article. In the meantime, I want to invite you to the Hot Seminar Series this summer. It’s every Wednesday night this summer and you don’t have to leave your home to find out secrets of online businesses. My friend, Kelly McCausey, has pulled together a vast array of women to teach every Wednesday night. I was honored to be a part of this group.

Why am I telling homeschool moms about the Hot Seminar Series for women?

Actually, there are two reasons…

1. The topics being covered in the Hot Seminar Series are great for moms and their children. The entire family can learn from these women. You & your children can learn how to write a book (think: writing in the summer that your kids will enjoy), how to blog (more writing for your kids and they don’t even realize it) and how to make your own products to sell (even more writing and your kids make money with it)!!

What I’m trying to say is this seminar teaches you how to make money at home, but has all sorts of homeschool implications. Writing (as mentioned above), research, math, organization, developing independent learners/workers and much more.

2. While we were in North Carolina and Virginia, I met many, many homeschool moms who asked me how to earn a little extra cash at home AND they wanted to teach their children how to have a home business this summer. I know it’s hard to make ends meet with one income. That’s why I believe this summer’s Hot Seminar Series is perfect for stay-at-home moms.

What will you learn at the Hot Seminar Series?
To discover secret ways to entice your children to “learn” by:

–Writing a Book is Simple from Lynette Klippel
–Creating Information Products from Alice Seba
–Blogging For Pay from Lynn Terry
–Affiliate Marketing Made Easy from Nicole Dean
–Getting Free Publicity & Writing Press Releases from Shannon Cherry
–Research How to Mak Cash on Ebay from yours truly, Kerry
–Writing To Sell from Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero
–Learning About Your Market to Make Fistfuls of Money from Lynette Cherry

Not only will you learn these experts techniques for success, you will have an opportunity to ask questions at the end of each call. What more could you ask for?

You can listen by phone or by computer, whichever you prefer. As always, attendance is free, but you can buy recordings & transcripts if you like.

If you can’t log in every Wednesday or like the convenience of being able to go over the transcripts, make notes and re-listen to the information as you make changes to your business, I recommend you grab the season pass. Not only is it great value, but Kelly has also decided to throw in her personal notes and To-Do list for season pass holders. So you’ll actually get a list of key points you should be focusing on and accomplishing for each seminar.
http://hotseminarseries.familye-biz.com

Who’s up this Wednesday?
This week, I will get to share my favorite ways to get products to sell on eBay. You & your children learn research skills (remember I integrate homeschool with all areas of life) you can use on the internet.
Join me at 9pm Eastern time. All you need to do is surf over to Kelly’s Hot Seminar Series site and sign up. Kelly will send you all the info.  Here’s the link:
http://hotseminarseries.familye-biz.com

I look forward to being with you on Wednesday, June 20th. Don’t miss it!

Blessings,
Kerry

ps. I’ll be giving away an extra bonus to those on the live call.
http://hotseminarseries.familye-biz.com

We are bombarded from all sides of a technical society, that
history is no longer important. As long as we can solve the
technological problems of today, we will be all right. I firmly
disagree with this worldview since the lessons of history hugely
impact the way we live today and in the future.

In studying ancient history, you may wonder why study history
if we do not know exact dates. Records are so sketchy it is difficult to firmly state when events took place. For instance, five historians are presented with a time period to investigate. All are striving for accuracy in their investigation. In the end, they will still disagree on five details about their investigation.

Does this mean we should abandon our study of history? No!

It’s not just about dates & dead people. We need to take a broad sweep of any time period and learn the lessons of the past. Identify specific stories with a moral and philosophical impact to begin your investigation. A detective game can be played and this is what makes history so fun! Begin by hunting clues from these stories. Those clues may lead to a dead, cold trail or a hopping, hot path. Snoop around the documents. to the legends and myths. Sort out what you find.

History is not about dates and dead people, but about the good
providence of God. As you work through your investigation, you will begin to see how God worked through that time period. He is using people throughout history for His own good and for His own glory.

Look to see how the pieces fit together and you will discover God’s workings.

God teaches us from the past, giving us the context to see the future and the understanding for the present.

(Above taken from George Grant’s talk - Gileskirk tape on Antiquities)

Sounds great! BUT I DON’T HAVE THE TIME TO DO THIS! This is hard work and many homeschool parents do not have the time to investigate history that thoroughly. Fortunately, there are several tools that have done much of the legwork for you.

George Grant’s Gileskirk Humanities
Audio or Video lectures from a distinctively Christian worldview.
Includes CD-rom with all lessons, tests, projects, reading assignments, recitiations, etc. To read a short review of this program, click here Receive DISCOUNTED SHIPPING on this product by using the code BECK at this link.
http://www.curriculumconnection.net/gileskirkreview.htm

Blessings,
Kerry

(c)Kerry Beck, 2007

Want to share this article? Feel free to forward it
as long as you do not alter the article in any way. You may
reprint single articles only if you include the bio below:

Kerry Beck, who wrote Raising Leaders, Not Followers, divides her time between wife, mom, teacher and business woman. You can pick up her free report, “How to Get It All Done” at Organizing for Home School.