Play Date
If you’re a homeschool mom you probably know how important it is for your child to have time with friends. Setting up a play date or two every week is a great way to encourage your child’s social development. But what if the play date goes bad? What if you have to keep separating them and putting them into time out? What if they’re just not getting along time after time? If you’re reading this to find the answer I’m afraid I haven’t quite figured this out. My son has recently gone from parallel play (playing beside his friend but in his own world) to socializing and interacting with his friend. This is great because he is making friends, working on communication skills, and learning how to share, but he also has been starting to take things and fight. My son has both been bullied and been the bully. When my son and his friend are in my care and are not getting along I put one or both, depending on the situation, into a time out or separate them with the baby gate. They are usually sad that they’re not able to play with each other and usually change their attitudes pretty quick. However, that doesn’t always work. If it gets out of hand it’s best to call the parent of the friend, if she is not present, and talk with her about the situation. Good communication with the friend’s parent is essential. I think it’s best to work with the other parent and see what helps the children get along unless you feel that there is some major bullying going on that puts a child in danger or if the child is an extremely horrible influence on your child. Keep in mind that it is impossible to find two children that are at the same maturity level. Homeschool moms have gotten a bad rep that they’re too controlling and not letting their child have interaction with other kids, so remember as your child matures to slowly let him choose what to play with his friends, and don’t be overbearing. Make play dates fun by going on an outing to the park or somewhere out of the norm every now and then. Play dates can be a great way for moms to get a break. You can swap every other time whose house the children play in and one mom can watch the kids as the other mom can do some shopping, run errands, have some alone time with her husband, or whatever. Play dates are usually lots of fun and a huge blessing. If you have any play date advice, feel free to comment below. Thanks!
infant sling
There has been a million recalls to baby slings due to infant deaths. Slings can keep the infant in a curled position with the chin to the chest restricting airflow. When this happens the infant is usually unable to breath and will slowly suffocate. According the CPSC there have been 14 reported deaths due to baby slings, 12 of which are under 4 months of age. This is a picture of the most recalled baby swing. It has “Wendy Bellissimo Media, Inc.” on a sewn in label on the inside of the sling strap and has the numbers: 3937500H7 and 3937501H7. If you have this item you can call Infantino at 866-860-1361 and they should offer you an item in exchange.
I personally never had a sling but I thought they seemed pretty cool. I knew some moms that could nurse while the infant was in a sling and their arms would be free to do the dishes, tend to other children, etc. I was always very impressed with this. I could never do anything else while nursing. Also when a baby is in a sling I would think there would be that closeness feeling like when holding the baby. My husband said that he put our son in a sling one time just to see and he said he didn’t like it at all and felt it was very unsafe. So we never got one. We only have one child. I think probably families with several young children would need something like this in order to keep everyone together while going to the store. After finding out about all the infant deaths, however, if I have a bunch more children, I will think of something else and stay away from using a sling.
When your child reaches the toddler and preschool years, bath letters can be a great learning tool. By now your child may be able to speak hundreds of words and put together full sentences. Your child’s mind will develop while you sound out the letters of a word. Have him put the letters on the bath wall as you hand them to him. Have him repeat the sounds, and as he gets older you can ask him to think of words on his own and sound them out. It is critical to familiarize your child with letters to prepare him for reading whether you use phonics or not.
You can purchase these bath letters on my site or at Babies R Us. If your child likes to play in the bath, bath letters are lots of fun. Another fun way to learn letters is to print out two copies of the alphabet, cut out the front and back of a cereal box, paste the pages on the cereal box sides, cut up one into individual letters and have your child match the letters. You can color coordinate the letters too. 
Why Spank Your Child? Parents should spank their children because God commands us to. Proverbs 13:24 says “He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” I am also preaching to myself when I say that spanking is the most loving discipline. I struggle with the temptation of not spanking my son. He is so cute, I’ll give him a warning, he didn’t mean to disobey are some things I might tell myself. My mind has been tricked into thinking that love feels good. It doesn’t feel good to spank my son at all. It doesn’t feel like love but it is. The Bible says to spank not to sit the child in time out. At the same time be sure not to spank while there is anger in your heart. If this ever happens be sure to ask for forgiveness from your child. Even though spanking doesn’t bring immediate joy know that it is first for the child’s character and second it is for the child’s safety; and eventually your consistent disciplining will bring more comfort. Proverbs 29:17 says “Correct your son and he will give you comfort; He will also delight your soul.” I have a tendency to give too many warnings which according to the Bible is not what I should be doing. Proverbs 23:13 says “Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with a rod, he will not die.” I need to remember when my child disobeys he needs to be disciplined and I should not hold back because of thinking of the little sting he will have on his butt.
Proverbs 22:15 says “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will remove it far from him.” For some reason many parents think that their child is just naturally good but really they have a foolish sin nature as with everyone. A child needs to be instructed to obey and if a child disobeys and there is no consequence then are we really teaching him to obey? No, on the contrary that is teaching him to disobey. Proverbs 10:13 tells us that a rod is for the backside of those who lack understanding. So when I tell my son not to do something and he does it, even if he doesn’t understand why, I should spank him. How else will my son understand right from wrong? Proverbs 29:15 says “The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.”
How and why do you discipline your child? Do you spank your child when he disobeys?
When I say “pet lover” I do not mean someone who simply has a pet, takes care of it, and plays with it. I’m talking about those that love their pet so much that it seems like they are talking about a family member when they talk about it, like they birthed it and nursed it at their breasts. Sometimes I talk to friends like this and I just can’t relate. I don’t mind that I can’t relate to them. I listen and try to understand. But sometimes I can’t help but think that maybe it’s demonic. I know that sounds extreme but does God really want us to exalt our pets and love them more than people? Instead of turning to God for comfort people are turning to animals. Women especially have this problem. If there is a loss of a child or if there’s a broken relationship women often turn to their dog for moral support instead of family and friends. This is much the case for women that have aborted babies. They have a great loss and a big guilt. They can’t go to the pro-choosers because the group doesn’t want to talk about emotional and psychological pain behind abortions. They don’t want to go to pro-lifers because that group will be judgmental of the abortion. They sometimes get a dog and take care of it to try and rid the guilt or be a substitute for the baby they killed. A pet is not the answer.
I have seen older people get dogs after their spouse has passed away. A dog can be “company” in a way and I don’t blame someone for wanting to fill that loneliness. I can see myself doing the same thing. But what I don’t understand is when someone actually values their dog as a person, or more than a person. When they kiss the dog open mouthed (I know it’s cleaner than a human’s), spoon with it on the couch, compare it to children, and spend more time talking to it than people. I wonder if some women secretly breastfeed their dog or try other things.
When I talk to pet lover friends they talk about their dog ALL THE TIME. When I bring up something my son did they say that’s just like “daisy” (or whatever the pets name is). They talk about their dog’s friends at their daycare. They talk about their dogs feelings. They talk about how their dog needs to eat more organic foods. People it’s a pet!
Please feel free to discuss your opinions on the matter in the comment section. If you have a pet to fill a void in your life I’m not saying that’s wrong, just be sure you talk to people about your feelings of loss or loneliness and pray to God for His comfort. If you have a friend that is an over the top pet lover, try to be a good listener but don’t be convinced that their dog is a child. Help encourage them to have time around people and less time around the pet. Invite the friend over and exclude the pet from the invitation. Counsel your friend and be a shoulder to lean on. Other than that I guess try not to be annoyed by the sick puppy love.