Bright-Kids
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Vol. 5, No. 46 - November 17th, 2008
http://brightkids.wordpress.com/
mailto: debi@simplemom.com
Copyright 2008 Deborah Taylor-Hough
ISSN: 1536-0466 All Rights Reserved
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IN THIS ISSUE:
-- "Dear Readers"
-- Quote-able
-- Thanksgiving Traditions
-- Awakening the Soul of Our Children
-- Reader Tips
-- Assorted Information (resources, etc.)
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< <  O U R . S P O N S O R  > >

--"I Never Should Have Tolerated It!"--

Mary was angry. She was losing her husband to divorce.
Why? Lack of money -- the debt was out of control. Hurtful
things were said. Her relationship with her husband declined
and never recovered. It's sad, really. But not uncommon. Not
at all. Did you know over 70% of marriages that end in divorce
are due to financial difficulties. If your marriage is suffering
because of a high debt load, you need to do something about
it NOW. Not tomorrow. Not next week. If you wait any longer,
you may be bankrupt, divorced or both. My name is Clint
Holland. I've developed a system that anyone can use to pay
off all their debt, including the mortgage, in just 3-5 years --
without bankruptcy, debt consolidation, or any unethical tactics.
Will you let me help you? Member BBB.

http://www.debt-free-in-three.com/BrightKids.asp

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Dear Readers,

I wanted to thank everyone who sent in a donation to the
childcare center that's moving into our church's building this
week.  I was sitting with the Director of ACAP the moment
when she received the first donation from one of my ezine
readers, and she was touched beyond belief!  She gave me
a huge, tear-filled hug ... which I'd like to pass onto all of
you who so generously and thoughtfully shared support and
encouragement.

What a blessing you all are!  :-)

If you missed the earlier note about the childcare center, you
can find details on my blog at:

http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/2008/11/06/special-request/
 
Simply Yours,

--Debi
(Deborah Taylor-Hough)
Editor, Bright-Kids Email Newsletter
--Author of the popular Frozen Assets cookbook series, A Simple
Choice, and Frugal Living For Dummies®
--Editor, Simple Times and Bright-Kids email newsletters

http://brightkids.wordpress.com
http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com
http://snurl.com/DebiTupperware
http://dsimple.wordpress.com

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QUOTABLE
 
"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us
to count our blessings."

--Eric Hoffer
 
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THANKSGIVING TRADITIONS
Copyright Deborah Taylor-Hough
Used with permission.  All rights reserved.
http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com


Later this month, the United States celebrates Thanksgiving
Day. One of our family traditions for this particular holiday is
making a Thanksgiving Tree. We make a tree trunk with bare
branches out of black craft paper and tape the "tree" to the
dining room wall. Then we cut out individual autumn-colored
leaves (red, orange, yellow, brown) from more craft paper.

Whenever someone in the family thinks of something or
someone that they're thankful for, they write the item or
person's name onto one of the leaves and then tape the
leaf to the tree branches. We try to put the Thanksgiving
Tree in place by mid-November so our family has at least
a full week to add more leaves to the tree.

By Thanksgiving Day, the tree is FULL with the names of
people, events and things we're thankful for. This is great
fun for the kids and a meaningful addition to our family's
holiday traditions.

Another idea along these lines is to make a Thanksgiving
Jar. Throughout the year as things came up that your family
is thankful for (new baby, new job, answered prayers, etc.),
write the event onto a piece of paper and slip it into a specially
designated Thanksgiving container. A family at our church
empties their Thanksgiving Jar once a year and reads each
slip of paper on Thanksgiving morning during their family
breakfast.

Do you have any special activities or traditions your family
shares on Thanksgiving or any other upcoming holiday?


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
--Deborah Taylor-Hough (mother of three) is the author of
a number of popular books including the Frozen Assets
cookbook series, Frugal Living For Dummies®, and A Simple
Choice: A Practical Guide for Saving Your Time, Money and
Sanity.  Stop by and visit Debi online for more tips and ideas
at:  http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com

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< <  O U R   S P O N S O R > >
 
Robot Reader -- Printable Reading Games

Full Color Print and Play Reading Games
Ideal for 5-10 year olds
Teacher Created and Child Tested
As A Parent Or A Teacher You Want To Give Children
The Core Skills Needed To Develop A Solid Foundation
In Literacy That Will Last A Lifetime -- And Now You
Can Simply By Playing Reading Games and Phonics Games.

http://bkids.robot27.hop.clickbank.net/

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AWAKENING THE SOUL OF OUR CHILDREN
Copyright Penny Gardner
Used with permission. All rights reserved.
http://www.pennygardner.com/


A liberal education awakens the soul of a child. Liberal
means a full and generous curriculum. After a thirty-year
experiment, educationalist Charlotte Mason (1842-1923)
said, "I believe the ardour for knowledge in the children of
this mining village is a phenomenon that indicates new
possibilities. To find that the children of a mining population
were equally responsive -- as were children of educated
parents -- seemed to open a new hope for the world. It may
be that the souls of all children are waiting for the call of
knowledge to awaken them to delightful living." (A Philosophy
of Education)

In England during Mason's lifetime, coal miner's children
were considered unworthy of true education. They were
typically given the minimum education to make them good
future coal miners. But this was not the case in schools
following Miss Mason's program. There the motto was "a
liberal education for all." This reminds us of modern-day Dr.
DeMille, President of George Wythe College, who speaks
of three levels of education.

Charlotte Mason's liberal education is equivalent to leadership
education. Both of these philosophies depend on children
developing their own relationship with greatness.

Great literature, poetry, art, and music, as well as foreign
languages, science, history, math, meaningful handicrafts,
and firsthand experience in nature are some components
of a generous curriculum.

Charlotte wanted children to read what she called "living"
books. A living book is one that passes original ideas from
the author, who is passionate about his subject, to the
reader. It provides material for intellectual growth and moral
development. It contains rich vocabulary and subtle meaning
that the reader has to dig for. A living book is one that makes
you a better person for having read it.

Awakening the soul also requires the gift of time. The child
should not be rushed into academics until he is ready. Then
he needs time to ponder the things he is exposed to through
his liberal education.

Short lessons keep the child's attention, thereby avoiding
bad habits of inattention and dawdling. Short lessons leave
the child time to develop relations with many people and
things. The child has time to play, use his imagination,
develop a hobby or craft, and enjoy nature.

Music and art masterpieces awaken the child's soul. Charlotte
Mason and her associates were the ones who started music
appreciation in schools. They believed any child is capable
of forming a lifelong love of music even in if he can't play an
instrument or carry a tune. Art appreciation exposes the
child to masterpieces thereby enriching his life. The parent
or teacher should not get between fine art or literature and
the child; the child needs to be allowed to develop his own
relationship with the work. The arts, including great literature
and poetry, touch the child's soul.

Here is an anecdote about the lasting influence of a liberal
education as reported to Charlotte Mason by a school
mistress: "Seven or eight boys of ten to twelve years of age,
not having the money for the tram fare (their all had been
spent upon the tickets of admission), tramped stoutly eight
miles out and eight miles home again that they might see
acted on the stage Twelfth Night; which they themselves
had read and acted the term before. That is the effect of
one great book, an effect that will be lifelong, manifesting
itself in many ways." (Story of Charlotte Mason)

Our children may not have to walk 16 miles to attend a play
but we hope to see their souls touched as deeply by a liberal
education, as were the boys in this story. Through the years,
Miss Mason's ideas have influenced individuals and education
in general. Today the movement is stronger than ever with
home educators and private schools following, in varying
degrees, this philosophy of a liberal education.
 
Try some of her timeless ideas to awaken the souls of your
children.


SUBMITTED BY: Penny Gardner
--Penny led a long running Charlotte Mason support group in
Utah and conducts Charlotte Mason  seminars throughout the
United States. She's also the author of the popular books: The
Charlotte Mason Study Guide, The Nine Note Recorder Method,
and Easy Duets for Christians. Visit Penny online for further
information about Charlotte Mason at: http://pennygardner.com
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Visit our Nature Study Bookstore online!
http://astore.amazon.com/naturestudy-20/
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READER TIPS
Submitted by Bright-Kids' readers.  Share your favorite family
educational tips by emailing Debi at:  DSimple@aol.com

== Christmas is Coming! ==
With Christmas fast approaching, I thought that I would pass
this gift idea along to other Bright-Kids readers. Quite often I
get phone calls from the grandparents this time of year asking
for gift ideas for our family. For the past three years, I have
responded to their inquiries with a request for a full family
membership to one of our area attractions. This allows us
to visit a particular museum often, without worrying about
paying for admission fees. Also, with one of my children
being pre-school age, I can make our trips shorter in length,
knowing that we can return anytime to see something that
we missed. We live in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area and
have many educational opportunities available to us. Last
year we received a one year membership to the Art Institute
of Chicago and received four free tickets to the VanGogh/
Gauguin exhibit. Some other ideas other than art museums
are your local zoo, children's museum, botanical gardens.
The ideas are only limited by what is available in your area.
We have enjoyed our past membership to an outdoor living
history museum called 'Old World Wisconsin' which has
moved actual homes and cabins from Wisconsin's pioneer
past and reconstructed them on their grounds. Just think
about where you like to take your children for field trips,
and find out if they offer yearly memberships.
--Laura B., Milwaukee WI


== Weekly Prayer Based on Christmas Cards ==
I heard this idea at a workshop at my church. Starting after
Christmas, place one of the Christmas cards that you
received on the dinner table. Include that family in your
mealtime prayer for one week. Do this every week until
ou run out of cards. This sounds so cool. I can't wait to
start!
--Sheryl S., Henderson, NV

(Note from Editor: You could also send a note to the
person or family that you prayed for to let them know
they were in your prayers during the week. People like
to know they're being thought about. ~Debi)


== Christmas Books ==
We have books that have collected for many years that
are taken out every year at Christmas. They are the older
stories and the kids love them. Heloise is one they love,
in spite of having some archaic references. I wonder if the
success of the Harry Potter books is a reflection of the
fact that so much of the material written for children, in
recent years, was boringly simplistic with little or no plots
or real heroes. The copies of things like the Mary Poppins
books, Oz books, Lassie, Hitty, etc. are still being read
here.
--Sylvia


* * Your Tips? * *
Do you have some great family fun, educational, or parenting
tips/ideas you'd love to share with other parents and caregivers?
Just send your tips and ideas to Debi at Bright-Kids:
DSimple@aol.com

______________________________

READ-ALOUD BOOKS FOR FAMILIES:

http://snurl.com/reading4kids

Recommended books for children and families
(This is a great list to print out and hand to your kids'
grandparents for suggestions at gift-giving times!)
_______________________________

A special thanks to Gary Foreman and the friendly folks at
The Dollar Stretcher for making this mailing list possible! :-)
http://www.stretcher.com/
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DEBI'S RESOURCES:

Personal Blog: http://dsimple.wordpress.com
Nature Study Books: http://astore.amazon.com/naturestudy-20/
Frugality/Simplicity: http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com
Cooking Ahead: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/frozen-assets
Bright-Kids: http://brightkids.wordpress.com
Tupperware(r): http://my.tupperware.com/debihough
Personal Webpage: http://simplemom.com
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Copyright 2008 Deborah Taylor-Hough. All Rights Reserved.
3930 A Street SE, Ste 305-119, Auburn WA 98002
Contact us at:  DSimple@aol.com
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