Take heed of these important measures so that you can steer clear of Allergic reactions and Infections.
Act Quickly…
• The stinger is attached to a venom sac. If you try to pull it out, it will only release more venom. Instead, take a blunt-edged object (maybe a credit card or a dull knife) and gently scrape it out.
• Using soap and water, bathe the stung area thoroughly. Repeat this several times a day, until the skin gets healed.
• Apply an ice pack, wrapped in cloth for a few minutes over affected area.
• Make a paste of baking soda and water, apply on skin and leave for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Dab on a tiny amount of household ammonia or even products which contain ammonia that are specifically available for insect stings.
• Take an antihistamine, if approved by your physician. Be sure to follow dosage instructions, especially for children.
Summon the doctor when…
• If you are stung in the mouth or nose, as the swelling may block air supply.
• If you notice large areas of swelling, abnormal breathing, tightness in throat or chest, dizziness, hives, fainting, nausea or vomiting, persistent pain or swelling. These symptoms could indicate an allergic reaction.
CHILLING FOOD FOR A SUMMER PICNIC?
Chilling food for picnics is always a problem. The ice melts before you know it. Here’s what you could try when you set out this sunny summer morning. Add salt to water before freezing, the ice will stay frozen longer. This ice is great for chilling food and drinks on outdoor trips.
IF THERE IS A GAS LEAK!
GAS LEAK: WHEN IN DOUBT, GET OUT
Something’s burning? Leakkkkk? Gas smell?
Good Housekeeping is essentially about safe housekeeping. Your kitchen is your domain and you have the onus of keeping it safe and secure from gas leaks and electrical threats. So get these rules straight
• Look for the nationally recognised testing organisation’s label on gas appliances.
• Never use the kitchen range as a space heater. This can damage the range and
produce dangerous carbon monoxide gas.
• Rinse and dry burners before reinstalling. If your gas range burners don't light, see if the pilot lights are burning. If they're not, turn all burners to "off" and apply a match to each pilot light .
• Be careful not to damage or change settings on air shutters or sleeves.
• Never try to locate a leak yourself - it could be fatal.
NATURAL GAS SAFETY RULES
(A) To prevent accidents
• Follow manufacturer's instructions with all appliances.
• Have your appliances installed, serviced and repaired by professionals.
• Keep chimney flues and vents for appliances clean and in good condition.
• Keep areas around your gas water heater and furnace clean and free of flammables.
• Teach family members what to do if they smell gas. Everybody should know where the shut-off valve is at the meter. This valve should be closed only in the event of a gas emergency in your home.
• Teach small children to stay away from the gas range and all gas-burning appliances. Don't let children swing from or play with pipes leading to water heaters or ranges.
• Take your family on a guided tour of your home's gas-burning appliances.
(B) In case of emergency
• If you smell a faint odor of gas, look for a pilot light that 's out. If you see one, turn the appliance off and open the window-top and bottom- to let gas escape. if the odor is strong and persists, get everyone out of the house immediately.
• If you smell gas and can't find the source immediately, go to a neighbor's house and call the Gas Company.
• Don't touch any electrical appliances or use a flashlight or telephone, because an electric spark could ignite the gas and cause an explosion.
• If you find someone collapsed, take him/her out of the room and check whether he/she is breathing. If not, give artificial respiration such as mouth-to-mouth respiration, which will help to clear the patient's airway. If the patient is unconscious but still breathing then roll him on to his side and call an ambulance for help.
DO YOU KNOW: To burn gas mixes with the proper amount of air and is ignited by a flame or a spark. Burning natural gas without enough air produces carbon monoxide, a deadly poison. Natural gas is colourless, odourless and harmful to breathe because it contains no oxygen. A chemical is added to give the gas a distinctive, pungent odour sot that you can smell a leak immediately.
Something’s burning? Leakkkkk? Gas smell?
Good Housekeeping is essentially about safe housekeeping. Your kitchen is your domain and you have the onus of keeping it safe and secure from gas leaks and electrical threats. So get these rules straight
• Look for the nationally recognised testing organisation’s label on gas appliances.
• Never use the kitchen range as a space heater. This can damage the range and
produce dangerous carbon monoxide gas.
• Rinse and dry burners before reinstalling. If your gas range burners don't light, see if the pilot lights are burning. If they're not, turn all burners to "off" and apply a match to each pilot light .
• Be careful not to damage or change settings on air shutters or sleeves.
• Never try to locate a leak yourself - it could be fatal.
NATURAL GAS SAFETY RULES
(A) To prevent accidents
• Follow manufacturer's instructions with all appliances.
• Have your appliances installed, serviced and repaired by professionals.
• Keep chimney flues and vents for appliances clean and in good condition.
• Keep areas around your gas water heater and furnace clean and free of flammables.
• Teach family members what to do if they smell gas. Everybody should know where the shut-off valve is at the meter. This valve should be closed only in the event of a gas emergency in your home.
• Teach small children to stay away from the gas range and all gas-burning appliances. Don't let children swing from or play with pipes leading to water heaters or ranges.
• Take your family on a guided tour of your home's gas-burning appliances.
(B) In case of emergency
• If you smell a faint odor of gas, look for a pilot light that 's out. If you see one, turn the appliance off and open the window-top and bottom- to let gas escape. if the odor is strong and persists, get everyone out of the house immediately.
• If you smell gas and can't find the source immediately, go to a neighbor's house and call the Gas Company.
• Don't touch any electrical appliances or use a flashlight or telephone, because an electric spark could ignite the gas and cause an explosion.
• If you find someone collapsed, take him/her out of the room and check whether he/she is breathing. If not, give artificial respiration such as mouth-to-mouth respiration, which will help to clear the patient's airway. If the patient is unconscious but still breathing then roll him on to his side and call an ambulance for help.
DO YOU KNOW: To burn gas mixes with the proper amount of air and is ignited by a flame or a spark. Burning natural gas without enough air produces carbon monoxide, a deadly poison. Natural gas is colourless, odourless and harmful to breathe because it contains no oxygen. A chemical is added to give the gas a distinctive, pungent odour sot that you can smell a leak immediately.
CARING FOR HOUSEPLANTS
Summer time is vacation time. Just make sure your holidaying doesn’t result in your plants drying up. Here’s what you can do to keep your houseplants healthy and green.
• A week or so before your trip, monitor room temperature with a thermometer placed on the floor. Check frequently to determine fluctuations of temperature. Ideally temperature should be between low-to-mid 40s during the day, falling into the upper 30s at night. At this range, your plants will survive without extra care for a few weeks.
• Water all plants the day before you leave, whether they need it or not. Let the pots drain fully.
• Cover the floor of the room with newspapers and plastic and place all your plants together in the room.
• Open curtains, drapes or blinds to allow optimum light to enter the room. Make sure plants aren't in drafts.
• You can also use self-watering wicks available in most plant stores for watering.
• If you don't have a room for the plants, try leaving them in the tub. After soaking them good, cover them with a sheet of plastic and they'll survive for 2 weeks or longer.
• Keep the vents open in the bathroom so the room will remain cool and the heat won't dry the plants out.
• A week or so before your trip, monitor room temperature with a thermometer placed on the floor. Check frequently to determine fluctuations of temperature. Ideally temperature should be between low-to-mid 40s during the day, falling into the upper 30s at night. At this range, your plants will survive without extra care for a few weeks.
• Water all plants the day before you leave, whether they need it or not. Let the pots drain fully.
• Cover the floor of the room with newspapers and plastic and place all your plants together in the room.
• Open curtains, drapes or blinds to allow optimum light to enter the room. Make sure plants aren't in drafts.
• You can also use self-watering wicks available in most plant stores for watering.
• If you don't have a room for the plants, try leaving them in the tub. After soaking them good, cover them with a sheet of plastic and they'll survive for 2 weeks or longer.
• Keep the vents open in the bathroom so the room will remain cool and the heat won't dry the plants out.
IS TIME MONEY FOR YOU?
‘Time is a fixed income and, as with any income, the real problem facing most of us is how to live successfully within our daily allotment.’ - Margaret B. Johnstone
As you proceed to read these very pearls of wisdom, the clock ticks, quietly and quickly. Precious moments of time which cannot be bought, sold, stored or leased but can only be used or wasted are passing you by. So are you using or wasting this time that you spend reading this piece? That depends on whether you choose to invest the knowledge you receive.
In the corporate world where time is money and a manager is always short of time, it is more likely that he is mismanaging it. In other words every manager in the company needs to be conscious of the concept of time management, or else this scarce resource will be wasted. As a consequence, the company, which keeps time in managing sales, production, cash or development, will inevitably score over one which doesn’t. It should be proactive and not reactionary to the dynamics of the corporate world.
No—we are not telling you to spend every waking moment in the office. Instead, why not make every moment of your office life a fruitful one?
As you proceed to read these very pearls of wisdom, the clock ticks, quietly and quickly. Precious moments of time which cannot be bought, sold, stored or leased but can only be used or wasted are passing you by. So are you using or wasting this time that you spend reading this piece? That depends on whether you choose to invest the knowledge you receive.
In the corporate world where time is money and a manager is always short of time, it is more likely that he is mismanaging it. In other words every manager in the company needs to be conscious of the concept of time management, or else this scarce resource will be wasted. As a consequence, the company, which keeps time in managing sales, production, cash or development, will inevitably score over one which doesn’t. It should be proactive and not reactionary to the dynamics of the corporate world.
No—we are not telling you to spend every waking moment in the office. Instead, why not make every moment of your office life a fruitful one?
HOW TO MAKE INTELLIGENT (BIZ) SMALL TALK…
It’ 9:30 a.m., you have just arrived at work. There are tons to be completed and you are just about trying to decide which task to begin with. Before you can get to so much as hitting a key on the computer, in saunters the boss and casually tosses around a `so, what do you think of last evening’s share plunge?’
You are completely stupefied. This was the least of your worries or concerns, but now that boss has mentioned it, you cannot let it pass without adding in your own two pence worth (after all you have to be aware about current happenings). So, what do you do?
To begin with, do not get ruffled. All hell won’t break lose if you are not conversant with the nitty-gritty’s of the bullion trade.
- If boss has tossed the question at you, toss it back at him. `Yes sir, I think it was a debacle, what do you think is in store for the future?’ should suffice just fine. Shifting the focus is half the battle won.
- Be curious (not to the extent of getting yourself killed like the proverbial cat) and ask boss how did the situation affected him? Had he invested in shares? While there is an element of curiosity, it is strongly underlined with concern.
- However, if tact is not really your cuppa’, being honest and forthright too would serve just as fine. Admit that the bourses are NOT exactly your sphere of interest; however, you would appreciate a learned opinion on them.
- Have a pleasing tone while asking and a body language that tilts in favour of receiving knowledge. Unspoken words elicit stronger and better responses than their spoken counterparts.
- Listen carefully and pick up the gist of the activity. A few questions down the line, will prepare you enough to comment on the activity, so be attentive and listen carefully.
You are completely stupefied. This was the least of your worries or concerns, but now that boss has mentioned it, you cannot let it pass without adding in your own two pence worth (after all you have to be aware about current happenings). So, what do you do?
To begin with, do not get ruffled. All hell won’t break lose if you are not conversant with the nitty-gritty’s of the bullion trade.
- If boss has tossed the question at you, toss it back at him. `Yes sir, I think it was a debacle, what do you think is in store for the future?’ should suffice just fine. Shifting the focus is half the battle won.
- Be curious (not to the extent of getting yourself killed like the proverbial cat) and ask boss how did the situation affected him? Had he invested in shares? While there is an element of curiosity, it is strongly underlined with concern.
- However, if tact is not really your cuppa’, being honest and forthright too would serve just as fine. Admit that the bourses are NOT exactly your sphere of interest; however, you would appreciate a learned opinion on them.
- Have a pleasing tone while asking and a body language that tilts in favour of receiving knowledge. Unspoken words elicit stronger and better responses than their spoken counterparts.
- Listen carefully and pick up the gist of the activity. A few questions down the line, will prepare you enough to comment on the activity, so be attentive and listen carefully.
AVOIDING COMMON TIME-WASTERS AT WORK
There are many reasons why time gets wasted and used unproductively in the workplace. Some of the most common causes of these, and simple tips to combat them, are as follows:
1. Coming in late: People with modern lifestyles typically find themselves going to bed quite late at night and therefore being unable to wake in the mornings. Thus, coming in late to work is a common workplace problem. Many employees solve this by just staying at work late, but this doesn’t give them the head start to their day only coming in early can. Try to change your timings and sleeping cycles by sleeping early one day, perhaps over a weekend. You will automatically find yourself waking early the next day.
2. Long lunches: Spending an hour on lunch is quite common but even a break of that length is enough to hamper your work flow. No, you needn’t be antisocial and eat at your desk everyday. If you must take a long lunch, try to order in instead of leaving office and going out as this will let you get back to work much quicker. Also, make it a point to take long breaks only on a few days a week, keeping in mind your work load.
3. Meetings: Meetings are some of the biggest time wasters at work. The more the people, the more the time generally wasted. Try to set a fixed time for a meeting and ensure everyone is on time – much time is wasted just herding everyone into the conference room. Try having stand-up meetings (offer no chairs to the participants). This way, people will want to wrap it up quickly and return to the comfort of their seats!
1. Coming in late: People with modern lifestyles typically find themselves going to bed quite late at night and therefore being unable to wake in the mornings. Thus, coming in late to work is a common workplace problem. Many employees solve this by just staying at work late, but this doesn’t give them the head start to their day only coming in early can. Try to change your timings and sleeping cycles by sleeping early one day, perhaps over a weekend. You will automatically find yourself waking early the next day.
2. Long lunches: Spending an hour on lunch is quite common but even a break of that length is enough to hamper your work flow. No, you needn’t be antisocial and eat at your desk everyday. If you must take a long lunch, try to order in instead of leaving office and going out as this will let you get back to work much quicker. Also, make it a point to take long breaks only on a few days a week, keeping in mind your work load.
3. Meetings: Meetings are some of the biggest time wasters at work. The more the people, the more the time generally wasted. Try to set a fixed time for a meeting and ensure everyone is on time – much time is wasted just herding everyone into the conference room. Try having stand-up meetings (offer no chairs to the participants). This way, people will want to wrap it up quickly and return to the comfort of their seats!
Home is Cool: Get Organized
In my years as worker, mother and home manager, I have experienced a full range of life’s little organizational challenges. I have run a business from a home shared with two tiny children and moved cross-country (and back). I've merged two cluttered households into one small city apartment, and lived for fifteen happy years with a card-carrying packrat husband.
Home schooling a child beat them all hands-down, organizationally speaking. How do I count the clutter? The books. The papers. The biology experiments on the kitchen window. The six-foot-tall child sprawled on the floor, reading. The record-keeping. College admissions and testing and letters from the correspondence school.
Homeschool families, like Tolstoy's happy ones, are all alike: drowning in a sea of clutter! Whatever the organization arena--time, space, money, computer access—-homeschool families have it worse. They have more stuff, less time, more distractions, less money, more chores and less space than just about anybody else. How do you get organized for homeschool?
Don't despair, homeschoolers! Here at OrganizedHome.Com, we've assembled the best tips, ideas, resources and links to get your new school year off to an organized start.
You don't homeschool? Hang around anyway! The principles used to organize full-time home schooling families also work for every other family where you find children and learning and love.
Ready? Get organized for homeschool, because home's cool!
Home schooling a child beat them all hands-down, organizationally speaking. How do I count the clutter? The books. The papers. The biology experiments on the kitchen window. The six-foot-tall child sprawled on the floor, reading. The record-keeping. College admissions and testing and letters from the correspondence school.
Homeschool families, like Tolstoy's happy ones, are all alike: drowning in a sea of clutter! Whatever the organization arena--time, space, money, computer access—-homeschool families have it worse. They have more stuff, less time, more distractions, less money, more chores and less space than just about anybody else. How do you get organized for homeschool?
Don't despair, homeschoolers! Here at OrganizedHome.Com, we've assembled the best tips, ideas, resources and links to get your new school year off to an organized start.
You don't homeschool? Hang around anyway! The principles used to organize full-time home schooling families also work for every other family where you find children and learning and love.
Ready? Get organized for homeschool, because home's cool!
Home is Cool: Get Organized
In my years as worker, mother and home manager, I have experienced a full range of life’s little organizational challenges. I have run a business from a home shared with two tiny children and moved cross-country (and back). I've merged two cluttered households into one small city apartment, and lived for fifteen happy years with a card-carrying packrat husband.
Home schooling a child beat them all hands-down, organizationally speaking. How do I count the clutter? The books. The papers. The biology experiments on the kitchen window. The six-foot-tall child sprawled on the floor, reading. The record-keeping. College admissions and testing and letters from the correspondence school.
Homeschool families, like Tolstoy's happy ones, are all alike: drowning in a sea of clutter! Whatever the organization arena--time, space, money, computer access—-homeschool families have it worse. They have more stuff, less time, more distractions, less money, more chores and less space than just about anybody else. How do you get organized for homeschool?
Don't despair, homeschoolers! Here at OrganizedHome.Com, we've assembled the best tips, ideas, resources and links to get your new school year off to an organized start.
You don't homeschool? Hang around anyway! The principles used to organize full-time home schooling families also work for every other family where you find children and learning and love.
Ready? Get organized for homeschool, because home's cool!
Home schooling a child beat them all hands-down, organizationally speaking. How do I count the clutter? The books. The papers. The biology experiments on the kitchen window. The six-foot-tall child sprawled on the floor, reading. The record-keeping. College admissions and testing and letters from the correspondence school.
Homeschool families, like Tolstoy's happy ones, are all alike: drowning in a sea of clutter! Whatever the organization arena--time, space, money, computer access—-homeschool families have it worse. They have more stuff, less time, more distractions, less money, more chores and less space than just about anybody else. How do you get organized for homeschool?
Don't despair, homeschoolers! Here at OrganizedHome.Com, we've assembled the best tips, ideas, resources and links to get your new school year off to an organized start.
You don't homeschool? Hang around anyway! The principles used to organize full-time home schooling families also work for every other family where you find children and learning and love.
Ready? Get organized for homeschool, because home's cool!
Storage Strategies for Homeschool Families
Stuff! For homeschool families, it's everywhere. Books and papers. Art supplies. Math manipulatives. Science projects.
Fast-forward to mom's desk. Record-keeping demands its own set of materials. Attendance forms. Correspondence. Testing. Student portfolios. Piles and piles of paper, all for you.
Get your stuff together! Here are best storage strategies for homeschool families:
Stowing Kid Stuff:
A place for everything . . . but not what you think! Use "school" as a model for homeschool storage, and you're apt to think "bookcase" and "file cabinets." For homeschool, storage outside the box may be more efficient:
Plastic dishpans are a homeschooler's best friend. Stand picture books on end in a dishpan for a flip-through library.
A set of dishpans holds a younger child's school materials subject-by-subject: math manipulatives and workbook, language arts flashcards and materials, art supplies store neatly in their own dishpan. Put-away is a breeze!
Plastic storage cubes and hanging file folders solve paperwork storage for an older child. Color-code hanging file folders by subject. Inside each folder, individual files hold work-in-progress, worksheets to be corrected, daily lessons.
Bookcases can be frustrating storage tools for smaller children. Use magazine storage boxes, clear shoebox-sized organizers, dishpans or shallow cardboard boxes to store homeschool materials on bookcase shelves.
Replace flimsy cardboard boxes with see-through plastic storage ontainers for easy-to-find storage of games, puzzles and toys.
Game pieces, manipulatives and puzzle pieces live happily in large zipper food storage bags. Heavy freezer bags can be hole-punched and inserted into notebooks to hold art supplies, cut-outs, and desk materials.
Color-code it! Creative use of color simplifies homeschool storage.
Color-coding simplifies life in multi-child families. Assign each child a color. Colored organizers, file folders, storage cubes and report colors sort Kid A from Kid B in bedroom, schoolroom and on the desk.
Color-code subjects and activities. Use colored pens to add entries to a parent's planner or child's study organizer: red for math, green for English, blue for science. Colored file folders hold papers and worksheets subject by subject. Use assigned colors to highlight daily assignment sheets or schedules.
Color-code labels. Using a computer, it's easy to add color-coding to computer-generated labels. Slap them on everything, from storage boxes to file folders to maps to art supplies.
On the desk:
Homeschooling parents know paperwork is a big part of the job. From record-keeping to selecting curricula and materials, homeschool parents must sift and shuffle papers, catalogs, and documents. Try these ideas for efficient paper-handling:
Use lightweight, sturdy records boxes to hold homeschool materials. Hanging file folders fit these boxes nicely. The boxes stack neatly and are easy to handle. Sort by child, curricula, subject or year. Labeling is easy with permanent markers.
Stackable letter trays serve many functions on the desk. Use them to sort papers to correct, correspondence, or lesson plans.
Color-code, color-code, color-code. Use color in hanging file folders, file folders, pens and labels. Whether it's child by child, subject by subject or unit by unit, color does the job!
Tab position is another tool to organize homeschool records. Bought a box of third-cut file folders? Don't just use them 1-2-3, 1-2-3. Instead, use all "first cut" folders for Child 1, "second cut" for Child 2, "third cut" for Child 3. Tab position can help you sort by child, by subject, by topic.
Fast-forward to mom's desk. Record-keeping demands its own set of materials. Attendance forms. Correspondence. Testing. Student portfolios. Piles and piles of paper, all for you.
Get your stuff together! Here are best storage strategies for homeschool families:
Stowing Kid Stuff:
A place for everything . . . but not what you think! Use "school" as a model for homeschool storage, and you're apt to think "bookcase" and "file cabinets." For homeschool, storage outside the box may be more efficient:
Plastic dishpans are a homeschooler's best friend. Stand picture books on end in a dishpan for a flip-through library.
A set of dishpans holds a younger child's school materials subject-by-subject: math manipulatives and workbook, language arts flashcards and materials, art supplies store neatly in their own dishpan. Put-away is a breeze!
Plastic storage cubes and hanging file folders solve paperwork storage for an older child. Color-code hanging file folders by subject. Inside each folder, individual files hold work-in-progress, worksheets to be corrected, daily lessons.
Bookcases can be frustrating storage tools for smaller children. Use magazine storage boxes, clear shoebox-sized organizers, dishpans or shallow cardboard boxes to store homeschool materials on bookcase shelves.
Replace flimsy cardboard boxes with see-through plastic storage ontainers for easy-to-find storage of games, puzzles and toys.
Game pieces, manipulatives and puzzle pieces live happily in large zipper food storage bags. Heavy freezer bags can be hole-punched and inserted into notebooks to hold art supplies, cut-outs, and desk materials.
Color-code it! Creative use of color simplifies homeschool storage.
Color-coding simplifies life in multi-child families. Assign each child a color. Colored organizers, file folders, storage cubes and report colors sort Kid A from Kid B in bedroom, schoolroom and on the desk.
Color-code subjects and activities. Use colored pens to add entries to a parent's planner or child's study organizer: red for math, green for English, blue for science. Colored file folders hold papers and worksheets subject by subject. Use assigned colors to highlight daily assignment sheets or schedules.
Color-code labels. Using a computer, it's easy to add color-coding to computer-generated labels. Slap them on everything, from storage boxes to file folders to maps to art supplies.
On the desk:
Homeschooling parents know paperwork is a big part of the job. From record-keeping to selecting curricula and materials, homeschool parents must sift and shuffle papers, catalogs, and documents. Try these ideas for efficient paper-handling:
Use lightweight, sturdy records boxes to hold homeschool materials. Hanging file folders fit these boxes nicely. The boxes stack neatly and are easy to handle. Sort by child, curricula, subject or year. Labeling is easy with permanent markers.
Stackable letter trays serve many functions on the desk. Use them to sort papers to correct, correspondence, or lesson plans.
Color-code, color-code, color-code. Use color in hanging file folders, file folders, pens and labels. Whether it's child by child, subject by subject or unit by unit, color does the job!
Tab position is another tool to organize homeschool records. Bought a box of third-cut file folders? Don't just use them 1-2-3, 1-2-3. Instead, use all "first cut" folders for Child 1, "second cut" for Child 2, "third cut" for Child 3. Tab position can help you sort by child, by subject, by topic.
Time Management Tips for Homeschool Families
Time. It's a homeschool family's most precious resource--and the claims on a homeschooler's time are many and vociferous.
Time management is a homeschool parent's most pressing challenge. How do you get it all done each day?
Here are best time management ideas for homeschool families:
Build a plan...with a planner. Homeschoolers, parent or child, need a beacon through the busy days. Whether you call them planners, activity calendars, schedules or daily assignment sheets, all homeschoolers need a guide for daily, weekly, monthly and yearly activities.
Brush up your planner power with these tips:
Teach time management first. Nursery schools know that small children thrive on a routine. Homeschool runs more smoothly when everyone knows what's on the plan for the day. From a simple picture-based schedule for little ones, to a sophisticated student planner for high schoolers, bring your student up in the planner habit.
Learn what you teach! Parents must set the course where time management is concerned. Do you use a planner properly? Brush up on basic planner skills here: Tap the Power of Planners, then visit our household notebook forms library for a wealth of free printable planner pages.
Get a realistic grip on time. The biggest single time management mistake most people make is misjudging the time necessary to complete a task or finish an activity. Take a week to note the time your children need to complete spelling worksheets or finish a Saxon math assignment. Build success into your scheduling by being realistic with time estimates for homeschool activities.
Skill with scheduling. Homeschool demands scheduling, and the devil is in the details. An organized parent of one or two children may succeed with a very flexible, very sketchy schedule, but the older the child or more numerous the students, the more important scheduling becomes. Here are some ideas to help with homeschool scheduling:
Start big--and work backward. To schedule a homeschool student, start with the year. List all courses, coursework, books and service activities necessary to complete the year. For each task, develop list of monthly goals: so many Saxon lessons, so many books, so many hours of service, so many worksheet pages. Break down each category by week, and review each week's goals with your student. From the weekly goal comes the daily school schedule. Working backward prevents both make-work and over-scheduling, because it focuses on the big goals, not separate time increments.
Get feedback from the student. Time management bottlenecks can often be solved by the students themselves, if parents are willing to be flexible. So what if you feel math should be done first thing in the morning? Your sleepy-headed teen may do better when permitted to tackle math last thing in the day. Give your child a chance to solve scheduling problems. He or she may surprise you!
Time management is a homeschool parent's most pressing challenge. How do you get it all done each day?
Here are best time management ideas for homeschool families:
Build a plan...with a planner. Homeschoolers, parent or child, need a beacon through the busy days. Whether you call them planners, activity calendars, schedules or daily assignment sheets, all homeschoolers need a guide for daily, weekly, monthly and yearly activities.
Brush up your planner power with these tips:
Teach time management first. Nursery schools know that small children thrive on a routine. Homeschool runs more smoothly when everyone knows what's on the plan for the day. From a simple picture-based schedule for little ones, to a sophisticated student planner for high schoolers, bring your student up in the planner habit.
Learn what you teach! Parents must set the course where time management is concerned. Do you use a planner properly? Brush up on basic planner skills here: Tap the Power of Planners, then visit our household notebook forms library for a wealth of free printable planner pages.
Get a realistic grip on time. The biggest single time management mistake most people make is misjudging the time necessary to complete a task or finish an activity. Take a week to note the time your children need to complete spelling worksheets or finish a Saxon math assignment. Build success into your scheduling by being realistic with time estimates for homeschool activities.
Skill with scheduling. Homeschool demands scheduling, and the devil is in the details. An organized parent of one or two children may succeed with a very flexible, very sketchy schedule, but the older the child or more numerous the students, the more important scheduling becomes. Here are some ideas to help with homeschool scheduling:
Start big--and work backward. To schedule a homeschool student, start with the year. List all courses, coursework, books and service activities necessary to complete the year. For each task, develop list of monthly goals: so many Saxon lessons, so many books, so many hours of service, so many worksheet pages. Break down each category by week, and review each week's goals with your student. From the weekly goal comes the daily school schedule. Working backward prevents both make-work and over-scheduling, because it focuses on the big goals, not separate time increments.
Get feedback from the student. Time management bottlenecks can often be solved by the students themselves, if parents are willing to be flexible. So what if you feel math should be done first thing in the morning? Your sleepy-headed teen may do better when permitted to tackle math last thing in the day. Give your child a chance to solve scheduling problems. He or she may surprise you!
Home Management Tips for Homeschool Families
Homeschool is school, but it's home, too--and housework will be with us always. How do you manage to keep up with household chores while homeschooling your children?
Try these home management tips to keep the home fires burning while you homeschool:
Lower your standards. Two-career families with household help may achieve that pristine designer look, but a homeschooling home is rumpled and comfortable. Accept the fact that a homeschooler's decorating scheme can be best described as "Early Science Experiment." Forget the decorator frills and concentrate on the most important home management tasks: meals, clothes, keeping the health department at bay. You've got better things to do, like teach your children!
Plan, plan, plan! Homeschool families can get by with seat-of-the-pants home management. only so long. Savvy homeschoolers set up simple home management routines for shopping, cooking, laundry, and cleaning. Write them in your Household. Notebook, or set up a simple tickler file for household tasks. Get it in writing, and you've taken the first step to getting it done.
Bring your children onboard. Housework is a part of life, and should be part of your curriculum. Integrate math lessons with shopping and cooking. Examine the chemistry of surfactants as you do the laundry. Older children learn about child development as they entertain little ones while you school the kids in the middle. Sending teens to do the shopping or setting them to pay the family bills teaches consumer education in a real-life setting. Harness those little hands to help out at home, and your future sons- and daughters-in-law will rise up and call you blessed.
Schedule the housework first. Add rock-bottom necessary chores to the daily schedule or planner before planning each homeschool day. Meal preparation, child care and essential laundry chores can be delegated to children or planned for breaks between scheduled school activities. Schedule the chores first, and they'll get done without impeding the school day.
Look for new methods to save time. Learn to do home management chores the modern way. Many homeschoolers find bulk freezer cooking saves time each day. Read more about bulk freezer cooking with our OrganizedHome.Com Guide to Freezer Cooking. Modern speed cleaning methods involve team concepts ideal for home schooling families. Find out more about efficient cleaning with our Clean Sweep Guide.
Stoke your own fires with a support group. Being a home schooling parent is a hard, if rewarding, job. With all the demands of children and school and spouse and house, it's easy to burn out. Build time for rejuvenation and renewal into your own home management routines. It sounds paradoxical, but it's true: the more you feed yourself, the more you have to give to others. Find a supportive friend or support group, and feed your soul!
Try these home management tips to keep the home fires burning while you homeschool:
Lower your standards. Two-career families with household help may achieve that pristine designer look, but a homeschooling home is rumpled and comfortable. Accept the fact that a homeschooler's decorating scheme can be best described as "Early Science Experiment." Forget the decorator frills and concentrate on the most important home management tasks: meals, clothes, keeping the health department at bay. You've got better things to do, like teach your children!
Plan, plan, plan! Homeschool families can get by with seat-of-the-pants home management. only so long. Savvy homeschoolers set up simple home management routines for shopping, cooking, laundry, and cleaning. Write them in your Household. Notebook, or set up a simple tickler file for household tasks. Get it in writing, and you've taken the first step to getting it done.
Bring your children onboard. Housework is a part of life, and should be part of your curriculum. Integrate math lessons with shopping and cooking. Examine the chemistry of surfactants as you do the laundry. Older children learn about child development as they entertain little ones while you school the kids in the middle. Sending teens to do the shopping or setting them to pay the family bills teaches consumer education in a real-life setting. Harness those little hands to help out at home, and your future sons- and daughters-in-law will rise up and call you blessed.
Schedule the housework first. Add rock-bottom necessary chores to the daily schedule or planner before planning each homeschool day. Meal preparation, child care and essential laundry chores can be delegated to children or planned for breaks between scheduled school activities. Schedule the chores first, and they'll get done without impeding the school day.
Look for new methods to save time. Learn to do home management chores the modern way. Many homeschoolers find bulk freezer cooking saves time each day. Read more about bulk freezer cooking with our OrganizedHome.Com Guide to Freezer Cooking. Modern speed cleaning methods involve team concepts ideal for home schooling families. Find out more about efficient cleaning with our Clean Sweep Guide.
Stoke your own fires with a support group. Being a home schooling parent is a hard, if rewarding, job. With all the demands of children and school and spouse and house, it's easy to burn out. Build time for rejuvenation and renewal into your own home management routines. It sounds paradoxical, but it's true: the more you feed yourself, the more you have to give to others. Find a supportive friend or support group, and feed your soul!
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