Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Parenting Magazine Tips

Mighty Mop: Wet the reusable pad on the ProMist mop with a homemade, eco-friendly cleaner or solution of your choice. $20; ocedar.com

Steam Cleaner: Safely sanitize practically everything in your home with a Personal Steam Cleaner. $60; haanusa.com

Screen Divider: page 192. Paint trim and shelf brackets in the same color. Hot-glue cork squares to both sides of first panel, trim excess with utility knife. Apply chalkboard paint to both sides of second panel; let dry. Prime both sides of third panel with magnetic primer; let dry, then paint color of your choice. Use wire brads to attach trim to edges of each side of all panels. Attach hinges to inside edges between each section, about 12" from top to bottom, with screws (included). Hot glue each set of brackets back to back and nail into both ends of screen divider with 2" nails. You'll need:
  • (12) 4' pieces of 1" trim
  • (12) 22" pieces of 1" trim
  • (4) wooden shelf brackets
  • 2 quarts of indoor latex paint (1 quart each of 2 colors)
  • paintbrushes or rollers
  • (3) 48" x 22" = 1/2" thick plywood panels
  • (16) 12" x 12" cork squares
  • utility knife
  • hot-glue gun
  • chalkboard paint
  • Rust-Oleum magnetic primer ($22; amazon.com)
  • about (50) 1 1/2" wire brads
  • (4) hinges
  • screwdriver
  • (6) 2" nails

Mac's Daily Preschool Schedule

Habits Training

  • Accuracy
  • Attention
  • Candor
  • Cleanliness
  • Courtesy
  • Even Temper
  • Gentleness
  • Kindness
  • Modesty
  • Neatness
  • Obedience
  • Order
  • Perfect Execution
  • Punctuality
  • Regularity
  • Remembering
  • Respect
  • Thoroughness
  • Truthfulness
Outdoors
  • Free Play
  • Exploration
  • Garden
Read-Alouds
Beginning Reading
  • Practice identifying the beginning sound of words; learn vowels are a, e, i, o, u
Copywork
  • Write upper- and lower-case letters with felt-tip marker on wall chart or poster board on wal
Math
  • One-to-one correlation in counting
  • Puzzle
Handicrafts (Keep this in mind when selecting handicrafts and life skills)
  • Beading
  • Calligraphy
  • Carving
  • Ceramics
  • Chalk drawing
  • Charcoal sketching
  • Clay sculpturing
  • Crocheting
  • Cross-stitching
  • Embroidery
  • Finger painting
  • Flower arranging
  • Gardening
  • Iron sculpturing
  • Kiting
  • Knitting
  • Latch-hooking
  • Leather tooling
  • Loom weaving
  • Macrame
  • Oil painting
  • Pencil sketching
  • Photography
  • Picture framing
  • Pottery
  • Quilting
  • Robotics
  • Rubber stamping
  • Scrapbooking
  • Scroll sawing
  • Sewing
  • Spinning fibers
  • Spool-knitting
  • Videography
  • Watercolor painting
  • Weaving
  • Weaving pot holders
  • Whittling
  • Woodworking

Life Skills

  • Auto mechanics
  • Baking
  • Canning
  • Changing a car tire
  • Changing a lightbulb
  • Checking the car’s oil
  • Cleaning: mirrors, sinks, toilets, tubs and showers, baseboards
  • Clearing the table
  • Cooking
  • CPR
  • Driving a car
  • Drying: clothes, dishes
  • Dusting
  • Electrical wiring
  • Emptying trash
  • First Aid
  • Folding: clothes, towels, sheets
  • Mopping
  • Mowing the lawn
  • Organizing: closets, cupboards, sheds, attics
  • Painting a room
  • Plumbing
  • Raking leaves
  • Setting the table
  • Sweeping the floor
  • Vacuuming
  • Vegetable gardening
  • Wallpapering
  • Washing: clothes, dishes, windows, car
  • Welding

Life Skills but also Business Skills

  • Computer skills
  • Keyboarding/Typing
  • Tracking personal finances
Art
  • Display large prints of great artists, one at a time. Tell artist’s name if child is interested. (Or can join with older siblings/students for picture study.)
Music
  • Play the works of great composers, one at a time, in the background during meals or driving. Tell composer’s name if child is interested. (Or can join with older siblings/students for music study.)
Poetry
  • Read poetry aloud together at least once a week. Some poetry books are listed in the Read-Alouds. (Or can listen while you read poetry to older siblings/students.)
Bible