I am certainly no expert in this field. I don’t know about you, but I have three teenagers and need all the help I can get. Whether your teenager identifies as “anxious” or not, chances are they will have times where they absolutely are anxious. I think it’s unavoidable.

Our mental health expert is here to provide us with tips on how we can help our teenagers.

The teenage years can be some of the best and the most testing times of your life.

This is the time of gaining independence and self-discovery. It is the time to explore platonic relationships and consider what you want to be, and who you want to be with. Teenagers are often looking for a place at school, in their homes, and the world as a whole.

This is also the most confusing time for a teen to learn more about their bodies, life, and the world. Parents often find it hard to communicate with teens about anything, and when teens start hiding their anxiety, it could become even more difficult to tackle the situation. 

It is not possible to force teens to tell us what is wrong even when we can see them struggle.

You might hear them complain about physical ailments, or some refuse to go to school and even have emotional meltdowns due to little stress. There could be many reasons behind them not admitting what they are going through inside.

Even your anxiety and fears could become a barrier to communication.

This is why you must ensure that you are not too angry or emotional as your teen will not talk to you and this could alienate them. 

It is also possible that you are at a loss for words after you discuss or demand them to tell you what is wrong. You must remember that your little one is growing up and they are no longer a child. There will be times when you won’t know what to say to them, but you need to have a balance of support, comfort, and even action that can help communicate with your teenager. 

Anxious teens are different from anxious kids

Parents need to remember that an anxious teen is very different from an anxious child. As kids, children tend to worry about monsters, or the dark or dinosaurs. But as they grow up, they start worrying about themselves. They might be worried that they do not look cool enough, or they are not doing well in school, or they could be worried about what people think of them.

As they grow, they also start to worry about their bodies, and many teens struggle for years. If their anxiety is not addressed on time, it could get worse. Panic attacks and social anxiety are two things that usually start in the teenage years, and you will see kids who were never anxious suddenly become very self-conscious and anxious as teens. 

There are no specific symptoms you can identify since they vary from one to another. It can also become hard to notice anxiety since teenagers are good at hiding their feelings, and many like to avoid things. But pushing it under the carpet will not help. Anxiety doesn’t go away like that, and some also start a habit of alcohol or marijuana to feel less anxious, but they become highly dependent on it.

If you avoid it for too long, it can lead to depression too. Treating teen mental health issues is possible and as a parent, if you are worried about your anxious teenager, here are three different ways you can try talking to them so that they listen.

Here’s how you can help.

Empathize

Your child is no longer five, and as a teen, they want to be independent, validated, and understood. They are navigating different aspects of life, and it isn’t easy for them. Whenever your teen tells you something illogical or seems strange, do not lash out at them.

Take a deep breath and try putting yourself in their shoes. Show them that you get it. Show them that you heard what they said, and you are there to discuss more. Do not give advice straightaway but use encouraging words and ask them why they are feeling a certain way. Talking with your teen on this topic will need patience. You must never judge them or make them feel that their emotions do not matter. 

Relate

The best way to connect with your teen is to relate your experiences. They will feel more understood if you can talk about the similar experiences you went through. Talk about your insecurity, your challenges, and what you went through in high school. Make them understand that their feelings are normal, and every teenager has some form of insecurity.

Teens often look at us as people who will never understand their situation, but you must prove them wrong. You need to humanize yourself and keep the doors of communication open. If you don’t, they will shut off completely and look for different ways to cope with the situation.

Ask

If you know your teenager is anxious, you must make it a point to check in on them regularly. Look out for symptoms and always keep the conversations open. Whenever you hear something alarming, be calm. If you react emotionally, it could scare your teen, and they might stop sharing things with you. Whenever they talk to you, have an open conversation, and comfort them. Reassure them that you will figure it out together, and if you feel that their anxiety is unmanageable, you might want to seek professional help. 

Seek help

Normalize taking help for anxiety and ensure that there is no shame attached to it. Look for a therapist who can handle anxiety in teenagers and talk to your teen about how therapy works. Ensure that they are comfortable with the step you are taking, and do not force them until they are ready.

Assure them that it will work for their good and visiting a therapist does not mean that they are crazy. The right therapist will help them get to the root of the cause and could also improve the communication gap. 

Tackling anxiety in teens is easier said than done, but as a parent, you must give them complete support and always allow open communication. 

The post Tips for Talking to an Anxious Teenager appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

It is so important to teach your son about home repairs. Yes, girls can definitely benefit from this too! At our house, we just happen to only have boys, so I tend to focus on raising boys.

This is a guest post that I think brings an awesome point: training up your sons on how to work with their hands. I want to make sure we use these tips at our house more too, and I hope you find this as helpful as I did.

Teaching your sons how to fix their broken stuff will help your finances and teach the boys valuable skills that will be useful later in life.

Who doesn’t respect a handy man (or woman) who is capable of doing his own home repairs?

One thing every parent would agree with is that raising kids can be challenging.  It can be tougher if your children are all boys.

There is a limitation to applying the parenting methods we learned from our parents years ago. Things have changed. 

The perception of manhood some years back includes working hard and respecting and protecting the family at any cost. Men who watch their fathers act this way grew up with the same characteristics.

Over time, as innovation presents new job opportunities, there is almost no need to showcase fitness. Companies now operate hybrid workplaces; hence no need to rush to work. With a smartphone, you can order virtually anything and have it delivered to your doorstep, including booking a repairman.

Nevertheless, your children need to understand certain Do It Yourself (DIY) repairs around the home.

Think they do not need it? Well, what happens if the technician fails to show up? Would you encourage them to call a technician to change a bulb that can be replaced within a few minutes?

Giving them an all-around education, both book knowledge and practical experiences, is essential.

For instance, take them along or involve them when purchasing Shower Door Hardware. Let them know how to choose the right hardware for a shower door.

How to inspire your boys to be kid-fixers

Repairs can be a boring task for someone with no interest; below are ways to make it fun:

Engage and educate

Kids are more intelligent and braver than you think. When supervised, they can safely handle most repair tools, including sharp ones.

Invite your son whenever you are fixing anything. Educate them on what you are fixing and why you perform certain actions.

Explain why you handle the fixing yourself instead of hiring a technician.

Explore

Take them along on your next car routine maintenance trip. You may also visit a repair shop or repair café in the neighborhood to show them the beauty of machines.

Let them see first-hand that the appliances they use at home are not powered by magic but made up of different parts designed to sync.

Supervise

Kids need supervision when working with tools. Teach them about safety features, correct their mistakes, and show them better ways to do it. Only allow them to repair plugged or powered appliances with supervision, except those that use batteries.

5 easy steps to teach your son about home repairs

You do not have to be handy yourself before teaching your kids how to do minor repairs around the house. There are lots of videos online to watch.

It would be fun to watch it along with your sons while you try out the recommended steps. However, here are five easy steps you can use to teach your kids about home repairs;

Introduce them to the tools

Familiarize them with the required tools for the repair you are willing to train them. If you are unfamiliar with the tools and their functions, watch videos to learn what they are used for, and then pass the knowledge on to your kids.

Teach them safety

Once they are familiar with the tools and their uses, the next thing to do is train them on safety. Do this irrespective of your boy’s age.

Also, teach with examples. For instance, narrate how you got injured while repairing something.

Make it fun instead of being similar to their typical school class.

Create a workshop

Purchase a child-size toolset and set up a workshop if you do not have one already in your garage.

Make them write out the names of the tools and have them added to the toolbox. This will help to memorize the names of the tools.

Buying them tools and creating a garage will give them a sense of ownership and could pique their interest in the lesson.

Allow them to practice with the tools

Assign them tasks that will require the use of one of the tools. Instead of loosening a screw yourself, ask them to do it.

Finding the right tool for the task will help them become more familiar with the tools.

Design a project

The project should be age-appropriate. You can start by loosening the screws of the drawer and instructing them to screw it back.

Painting is another project you can make them execute but ensure all necessary areas, such as floors and furniture, are well covered using drop cloths.

Home maintenance and repair skills to teach your children

Plumbing

You can teach kids how to fix a blocked toilet or sink. Direct them to fix a leaking tap and educate them on the importance of conserving water. Let them know about the water bill.

Electrical fittings

There could be a time you may not be around to change a faulty bulb or fix a socket that does not work. Teach them how to do this safely. Show them the circuit breaker box and how to operate it.

Let them know it is safer to switch off the power before performing any electrical repair.

Woodwork

Woodwork encourages creativity. Let them build anything of their choice or something they will find amusing. This may be a birdhouse or a doll house for their sister.

Likewise, you can show your kids how to fix home furniture with minor issues, like removing stains and discoloration.

Painting

Painting is a fun activity that your kids will surely like. Give them the brush and watch them unleash their creativity.

Auto mechanic

Train your son on basic car repairs, such as changing a flat tire and car oil.

Show them the normal car maintenance routine and how to interpret warning signs such as dashboard indicators.

Repairing fences and patching drywall

Your boys might not be strong enough at the moment to help you with repairing the fences. But watching you do it will undoubtedly help them later.

Cleaning

Reinforce in your kids the importance of cleaning. Establish a routine. You may mandate all used dishes are washed after dinner, before they go to bed. They should be able to vacuum and dust furniture.

At an appropriate age, make them take out the trash and wash the trash can when needed.

If you have a lawn, teach them how to operate the mower.

Other repair skills to teach your children include:

• Cleaning gutters
• Tightening or replacing a doorknob
• Vacuuming
• Changing air filter
• Hanging pictures
• Washing windows
• Watering plants
• Washing car
• Gardening

When you teach your sons home repairs, everyone benefits. Your kids become more confident in their own abilities, and your future daughter-in-law will thank you for sure.

The post 5 Important Things to Teach Your Son About Home Repairs appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

This is one of those questions I get asked the most from friends who are not local to the D.C. area. We have lived here off and on since 2009, and we have ALWAYS loved hosting our friends and family when they come visit the DC area.

One time we had so many guests that the older boys’ room looked like a summer camp type situation, with 5 young kids on air mattresses in one bed room. That was so much fun! I wish we had a bigger house so we could host more people more often!

Everyone always wants to know where are the best places to go, what are the best things to do, especially when it is their first visit to our nation’s capitol. You want to pack only the best places into your vacation, and usually you are limited on time.

There are always so many places to go in DC, and most of them are FREE.

This city is so special. You will love your vacation here. I think the fact that it will not leave you completely broke really seals the deal. The main expenses are lodging and food, no need to buy pricy admission tickets.

#1. DIY Moonlight Monument Tour

This is by far our favorite DC activity. And when I say “our”, I mean my husband and me. We wait for rush hour to end, pile whoever is visiting into ye old minivan, and go see visit our favorite monuments without having any trouble finding parking spaces.

If you are wondering what to do in DC in only a weekend or a night, do the moonlight monument tour. It is such an easy trip add-on because it costs nothing, and it is after business hours.

Most of the museums close around 5:30, but the monuments are open and well lit at night too.

There are also tour buses downtown that will take you around. I would only do that if someone is your group has a hard time with walking because those are around $59 a person, and this stuff is fairly accessible on foot. However, some times of the year you can get these tickets more cheaply.

It is super easy to park around the National Mall once the Smithsonian museums close at 5:30. You will find plenty of parallel spaces open.

We tend to park close to the Lincoln Monument. Then we go hike around that area. You can see the Lincoln, the famous long reflection pool overlooking the Washington Monument, the Vietnam Wall, the Korean War Memorial all right there, fairly close together, without having to move your car.

If you are spry, you can hike a bit and also see the World War II Memorial, but honestly we rarely make it that far.

If we are suffering from sore feet or backs, we sometimes skip the Korean War or the World War II at that stop because, well, people can only do so much, and those are a little further from where we tend to park.

However, the cool thing about where we park is that it is also fairly close to the White House. So before or after we go see the Vietnam Wall/ Lincoln Memorial area, we walk in the opposite direction to where you can get a glorious view of the White House.

So that is several major landmarks, with only having to park once and no train riding required.

Actually, I could go on and on about this, so I should make the Moonlight Monument Tour its own post in the near future with even more details.

#2. Tour the Capitol Building

You can go online and sign up for a time about a week out or more from when you want to go. I went online to check how far out it is currently booking in January. Currently Capitol tours are booked out 4 solid days in advance, and then a few times are left for each day after that.

So make sure you book your Capitol tour at least a week in advance, especially if it is over a weekend. Saturdays book a month and a half in advance, currently, and that is in January.

The Capitol building is beautiful and has so much history on display. You can even eat lunch in their food court.

#3. Tour the White House

This one takes a little more planning. You have to do this at least a month out, through a request to your state’s Congressional office. Go here to read how to do that.

Of all the places I have visited in DC, this one felt the most exciting and surreal to me. My mother-in-law arranged a visit for us many years ago. Back then, in 2010, we were not allowed to take photos, so I have no photographic evidence, but it was AWESOME. I loved getting to see all those famous rooms!

#4. Library of Congress

(closed Sundays and Mondays)

You will love the inside of the Library of Congress! This is the most underrated place to visit in D.C. Well, this and the art museums. The actual art museums are incredible too.

Of all the buildings you can tour, this one is the most ornate. The ceiling is a marvel. The decor! The books! And anyone can go in!! Go online here to schedule your timed ticket. This one is much easier to get than the Capitol. You can log in any time in the day and probably find a good time available at any time of the day that the library is open.

It is breathtaking in there. I hope you get to go inside!

#5. Smithsonian’s National Zoo

They have pandas!! And orangutans!

Just be warned that if you go on a hot day, this will be a physically exhausting day. Plan to buy yourself an ice cream or an ice cold beverage, which the zoo does sell.

It is an excellent zoo. It is a one-way giant hill though. Just know you are going to get good exercise. If you have small children or babies, bring or rent a stroller for sure.

Do check their website for parking and pass information. Admission is free, but parking is not. It is north of DC, not near downtown, so you will need transportation of some kind.

#6. Go see a Nationals Game!

This is another huge favorite of our family. We love the Nats and watching them play. Did you know you can make any kid like just about any sport if you buy them enough concession stand food? Ha! But at this stadium, especially in the summer, my other advice is to look for seats in the shade.

The mascots are four former presidents, and they race, and it is hilarious. Sometimes they fall too, with their giant heads, and it is just adorable.

Also, this activity is not as expensive as some of the other professional sports, which makes it my favorite. Ha!

#7. Smithsonian Air and Space Museum

Did you know that out of all the Smithsonians this one gets the most people going through it each day? I guess it is just insanely popular with kids and flying enthusiasts. Also, it has a McDonald’s in there. I remember that being a selling point when our boys were little. Those other museum cafeterias were so much more expensive.

So yes, this one is wildly popular, and it is thoroughly interesting and fun. Can you tell it isn’t my personal favorite? I like it though. It just isn’t my number one pick.

#8. Smithsonian Carousel

We tried to fight it at first, but the fact is the carousel is kind of a lifesaver for kids. Sometimes they are selling ice cream cones near there too. They know where the kids are.

But after a day, or even an hour, of walking around in the hot sun or cold wind and hiking through all these museums and trying to figure out Metro train schedules, the carousel is a necessary treat for the whole family.

My best advice is if you want a happy day out in DC with children, do not skip the carousel and a good ice cream stand if it is hot outside. It will keep the family from staging a mutiny. That way you can stay out enjoying your time in D.C. longer.

You can find the Carousel on the side of the mall kind of close to the Air and Space Museum.

#9. National Gallery of Art

This one is free admission to everyone! In fact, all Smithsonian museums are free to all.

I wrote all about taking our kids to this museum here. It made for a pretty hilarious day. They aren’t supposed to touch things, and jumping up and down on the benches will get them reprimanded by the gallery security guards. There are security guards everywhere, and I think kids make them nervous.

So if you go with little ones, or even energetic big kids, do your best to just keep the group moving so they do not get bored and rowdy. Have low expectations for how long you will get to stay in the art museums.

But these museums are incredible, and I think you will be glad you went. One day I went in there alone and had the BEST day, calmly perusing the galleries. D.C.’s art galleries are actually my favorite museums in the city.

If you go alone or with other adults, you could have the BEST time.

#10. Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (the dinosaur museum) is right next to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History— so you can knock these out back to back.

I want to reiterate that all Smithsonian museums are free.

These are both fascinating museums. You can fill up a whole day between the two of these. You could do one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They are right next door to each other.

No advanced tickets are needed for the Museum of Natural History or the Museum of American History, and all Smithsonians are free.

If you are quick, you could also squeeze in the new Museum of African American History & Culture, which is also next door to these.

The African American Museum is very new, so you still have to get a timed ticket for entry to that one. The good news is you can get one for the same day you request it, fairly easy, so long as it isn’t a Saturday. That is why I have not been yet, but one of my teenagers went. He said it was very good.

If your kids love dinosaur bones or animals, the Museum of Natural History is a must-see.

I think I have seen every inch of this museum a dozen times, but it is exciting to see so many dinosaur bones. If that is not your thing, they also have the giant Hope Diamond there in another section of the museum.

The American History museum has a wide variety of exhibits, from the history of transportation to First Ladies gowns.

They used to have a huge presidential section that seems smaller to me now, but it is still there, and it does include President Abe Lincoln’s hat. For more information, this is another of my favorites, so I have written about this museum twice, both here and here.

#11. National Portrait Gallery-Smithsonian

This one is my favorite for how well it tells the story of America. Also, I love the complete collection of Presidential portraits upstairs.

It is not on the National Mall with many of the Smithsonians, but it is only a couple of metro stops away, and it is AWESOME. I actually like it better than the Smithsonian American History Museum. I feel like it tells the story of real America better.

There are halls of portraits and art from famous Americans, going all the way back to our country’s colonial period. Then on the opposite side of the building there is the most enjoyable collection of American folk art I have ever seen. No stuffy art here. This is entertaining, and you will really connect with it.

Then upstairs, they have every single Presidential portrait. I absolutely love it.

#12. US Holocaust Memorial Museum

I have been a couple of times, and it is such a moving and impactful place. My favorite part is the videos of survivor interviews at the end. You get to see all these elderly people tell their story of how they survived. They tell about their fears, their triumphs, running from Nazi soldiers, life in a concentration camp, and fleeing to other countries.

These stories at the end enrich the experience so much because they are stories of hope after a whole museum of horror and sadness.

You will need to get your timed ticket for this museum here. Some times you can get them same day, sometimes you need to book it prior, depending on when you visit and how busy they are.

#13. Arlington National Cemetery

This can be exhausting if you try to do it all on foot. If you are spending a lot of time at the cemetery, and you want to see it all, you will want to buy an Arlington National Cemetery bus tour ticket, which they sell at the visitor center where you first arrive. You can buy those same day.

If you opt to go the free-on-foot route, just chart a course to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. That is the main attraction.

It sounds funny to say, because this is a cemetery, but it is a beautiful place. If you travel up the hill to the Robert E. Lee house, which is called The Arlington House and museum, there is a perfect view of Washington, D.C. You can tour the house too.

The Northern generals felt like they had the perfect revenge on Lee when they took his estate and turned it into a giant graveyard.

The whole park does have a quiet, solemn vibe. You might want to warn your children to think of it as a quiet place.

#14. Museum of the Bible

We actually just went there for the second time the other day. This is good for the whole family too. I mean babies and toddlers will get tired of any place, but this museum is surprisingly interactive.

Some exhibits are more traditional, but even those have lots of good videos and statues to look at. For more about the Bible Museum, you can read the full article I wrote here.

This one is not free, but children, military, and seniors do get a discount. Anyone under 18 qualifies as “children.” The child ticket is way cheaper than the adult price. You do not need these in advance. Tickets can be purchased same day on site.

#15. Mount Vernon, Home of President George Washington

This is the number one choice field trip destination for kids in the D.C. area. It is so kid friendly because it is not just an antique house to explore, with a museum feel. Mount Vernon is also home to many farm animals and outdoor displays. Some times of the year there are also hay rides. We have always had a great time taking our children to Mount Vernon.

At Christmas you can sign up for a candlelight tour, and you get to meet Martha Washington on your tour. They also do colonial style dancing, hot cocoa and fires, and live camels at the candle light tour.

But be warned. Mount Vernon is not free. For more info, go here.

#16. Old Town Alexandria

You may be able to find a hotel more affordably in Alexandria, and if you do, take a little time to check out Old Town Alexandria. Most of Old Town predates Washington, D.C. There is so much history here. Stroll the streets. Go shopping. Have a lovely lunch. There is rarely ever a wait for lunch at most places.

#17. Thomas Jefferson Memorial and surrounding monuments

Park your car close to the Thomas Jefferson monument. They have a ton of parking over there, divided into several different lots, near the Tidal Basin. There you walk along the path beside the water, and you can see the Martin Luther King Jr. Monument and a huge display dedicated to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Great Depression. Plus, it has a beautiful view of the Thomas Jefferson Monument and the tidal basin. There are even rocks that kids love to climb on in some areas near the FDR Memorial.

If you come in spring, be warned the Thomas Jefferson area becomes the most popular spot in town as the gorgeous cherry blossom trees that surround the tidal basin bloom. It is a breathtaking sight to behold.

#18. National Botanical Gardens, right in front of the Capitol

When our kids were little, we used to LOVE to go through the US Botanical Gardens. It is just a quick, easy thing to do that our kids always enjoyed. At Christmas they often have electric trains running through there too, an added bonus for our little boys.

#19. The Pentagon 9/11 Memorial

This is a powerful tribute to those who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001. The Memorial is located outside in front of the Pentagon, easily accessible through the Pentagon parking lot.

If you get to go inside the Pentagon, there are even more tributes inside.

#20. Chinatown– At least drive or ride by it.

DC’s Chinatown is not very big, but they do have a beautiful archway that is worth seeing, and there are good restaurants near there too.

#21. Go to a Wizards Game

Disclaimer: This list is not in preference order because I can assure you my oldest son would put this as number one on the list. Alan took two of our boys this year, and they had the best time. If your group likes to eat popcorn, yell, and carry on at a basketball game this is for you.

#22. Visit the National Archives building where they have the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence on display.

One time I even happened up on a genealogy conference going on down there, and I got to attend for free. You can check the Archives’ website to see if they will be hosting anything special during your visit.

#23. And so much more. Take your pick from the MANY MANY other museums and attractions in town.

This was just a quick list of our favorite 23.

The US Navy Museum on Washington Navy Yard is also so good, as well as the US Army Museum on Fort Belvoir. Come to think of it, there is also a humongous US Marine Corp Museum on I95, South of the D.C. When the kids were little, they actually deemed the US Marine Museum playground, which is practically in the woods by the parking lot, the BEST playground in all of DC.

We actually went to the US Army Museum recently because it is new. I will have to write about that one soon.

Oh! And if you come in winter, the crowds are so small, and there are ice skating rinks!!

Plus, you can go to Ford’s Theatre to see where Lincoln was assassinated. That is on my list of places I still have not made it to but want to. You can go see a show there, or you can take a tour. Tickets are free and available same-day from what I can tell, so long as there is no show going on at that time. Here is the website for tours.

And! You can even go see a top notch, but probably pricey, show at The Kennedy Center.

We have done a lot of traveling as a military family, and Washington, D.C. still holds a special place in my heart as my favorite city.

It is just so clean!! The Metro train throughout DC and its suburbs feels so much safer to me than New York City’s subway system.

The National Mall has a feel of crisp, green optimism with all the grass and the white marble-looking architecture. I hope you get to come and enjoy it as much as I do. Feel free to ask any questions you have about touring DC in the comments.

The post 23 of the Best Things to Do in Washington, D.C. appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

When this whole crisis home school fiasco started, John David, our resident first grader, sat down beside me and laid out exactly how his school day usually goes. He fully expected our distance learning day to mirror the way things run at regular school. Oh, boy, was he set up for disappointment or what? However, this did give me good ideas. This year John David has a teacher who makes school very fun, so she is someone I should be copying.

J.D. explained that every single day they start school with a fun game and going around and sharing about their lives in general. This teacher created such a friendly environment. No wonder he loved school so much. We all live together, so the sharing thing did not work out as well. They get all silly and giggly and really manage to say nothing at all, but the game thing has stuck– like glue. You won’t catch our younger two boys picking up a pencil until they have had their mandatory morning game session.

Game time in the morning is a great idea, and this is why:

1. It promotes a fun, happy atmosphere right off the bat.
2. Kids are actively learning when they play games. They learn skills as well as sportsmanship.
3. What else do they have to look forward to with everything closed? This gives them something.
4. Love grows when you are having fun together.

The boys have several official rules about game time too that I, sometimes begrudgingly, have to stick to:

1. No board games
2. No video games
3. No Go Noodle– That’s supposed to be popular with kids, but my boys hate it.
4. Absolutely NO educational games. No adding sight words, study questions, or math problems to the game. (You know I’ve had to be reminded of that one several times.)

So without further ado, here are a few games we have enjoyed. These are good for all ages, I think, but the ages at play in this house usually range from first through sixth grade.

#1. The floor is lava!

I set up old papers and chairs across the floor. Each player rolls the dice to see how far they get to advance forward to get from start to finish. This was such a big hit that we played about five rounds.

#2. Human board game

We have a ceramic tile kitchen, so we use the tiles as you would the tiles on a traditional game board, like Sorry or Candy Land, only we are the game pieces. I cut out squares of paper and wrote game play instructions on each one like, “Move forward 2, Move backward 2, Move forward 5, Switch places with another player,” etc. Then I shuffled the cards, and on each turn the boys would take the top card and follow the directions. I shuffled the deck each time we finished all 10 so each person didn’t always end up with the same cards.

#3. Hangman

This is one we do most often because it is easy to do. I think of a name of a book, character, or movie, and just play the regular old version of Hangman with a wipe-off board.

#4. Hide and go Seek

….when my feet aren’t hurting too badly

#5. Making Cards

They don’t love it, but sometimes we make birthday/graduation/thank you cards instead of a game. I haven’t paid money for a card in ages. I feel like this should be a natural benefit of having young children.

#6. Hot/Cold

They love this one, and I do not because, well I don’t know why because, but it isn’t my fave. We hide an item. Then they have to come in and find it, using our hot/cold instructions. They will play it over and over again, and I have no idea why they like it so much.

#7. Mad Libs

I love mad libs, but only one of my boys loves them. We’ve only done this one once.

#8. Charades

Well, you all know how charades works. The boys like this one, but I have to be careful to come up with very easy ones for our six-year-old, or he gets upset and gives up. This one can be super fun if you include people that everyone in the game knows and you have to try to act like them. Hilarious!

#9. Pictionary

I haven’t actually done this one yet, but we are planning to try it.

#10. Simon Says — or “Mom says”

Everyone knows how to play this one.

#11. Bingo

We only do this every once in a while because they have this firm belief that the winner should get a prize, and I find that annoying, but I do enjoy Bingo. Maybe just say up front that the prize is a bag of cereal. Haaa!

Free Printable Bingo Cards Here

#12. Twenty Objects

The boys like this much more than I thought they would, probably because it was new and challenging. You put twenty random items on a tray or large plate. Cover it with a dish towel. Start a timer for one minute, and take off the towel. Tell everyone to memorize what is on the tray. When the timer goes off, put the towel back over the tray, and put the tray away. They have to list as quickly as they can everything they can remember that was on the tray. It’s surprisingly challenging!

#13. Four Corners

Another popular one. They love this. One person, “it”, closes their eyes and counts to 10 while everyone scrambles for a corner of the room. Then “it” calls out a corner number. Whoever is in that corner becomes “it.”

This is an easy game to turn into an educational game because whoever is in the corner you call out can answer a question, but in the mornings I am forbidden to do this…

#14. Balloon toss

This is literally just bouncing a balloon around the room.

#15. Monkey in the Middle

You play catch with a third person in the middle who tries to snatch the ball as you toss it. This can get messy in our house, so we really need to do it outside.

or Bonus #16…Trampoline WITH Mom.

If I jump on the trampoline with them, they will count that as a game, but of course, not everyone has the benefit of a trampoline in their backyard, so I didn’t include this one in the fifteen list.

I hope at least one of these ideas will help you bring more joy to your children and your day as a whole. We all need all the joy we can get, right? I am always on the hunt for new game ideas, so please share your own favorites in the comment section below!

The post 15 Fun and Simple Games to Start Your School Day appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

I am up to my neck in home school work at the moment. Two are reading contentedly. One just finished Dog Man and is choosing to whine rather than pick his next book to read. The other one is begrudgingly beginning Hunger Games. His teacher has outlawed many of the books that he would rather read. Since school here is only cancelled through April, we still have to follow the guidelines they gave us. Fun, fun, fun.

But I wanted to take a second and let you all know the exciting news!

For today and tomorrow only, my new book, Tour Israel in Pictures and Stories, is FREE for your Kindle app on Amazon!

Since you guys are my readers who have stuck with me through seven years of blogging, I know some of you want to help me and not get it for free. However, it actually DOES help me when you buy the book for free. It raises my number of books sold, which pulls me up in the search order and places me back on the best seller lists for my category.

So yes! You are helping me big time when you download my book for free.

Here’s a snippet from the book. The book has around 280 full color photos of Israel:

THIS is the Mount of Olives, also referred to as Mount Olivet.

There was so much I did not get to see, because Jerusalem is huge, and you cannot see it all in one day.

Thankfully, our tour’s very first stop was on the Mount of Olives.

I stepped out of our little bus and breathed in the holy air. Wow! The Mount of Olives! Wow! This is where Jesus hung out! This is where he came to pray. I think this was his quiet, sanity place.

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.⁴⁰ On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” ⁴¹ He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ⁴² “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” ⁴³ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.⁴⁴ And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.^[a]                                                       

Luke 22:39-44

Would you like to see the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed that blood-sweating prayer?

They built this Church of all Nations in the midst of it, which makes it much easier to locate.

If you look in the very front of this picture, and also to the right of the church, you can see the olive trees and stones. This is the Garden of Gethsemane, located on the Mount of Olives. When I took this photo, I was just snapping. I had no idea what I was photographing, except I knew I wanted these beautiful churches. I went online and did my research to find the garden.

The oldest trees in the garden are much larger than the ones in the photo above. That’s only a sliver of it.

By the way, they built the church on THE ROCK they believe Jesus knelt on to pray.

According to this article, among many others, this site is proven to be the actual Garden of Gethsemane. These olive trees planted here are the oldest in the world. While most of them are not quite old enough to have been there when Jesus was, they were all carefully grown from the same tree, according to DNA research, to preserve a lineage of trees that was there when Jesus was.

Some sources report that there are 3,000 year-old trees in that grove that are not much more than stumps now, but still, pretty amazing.

I would have loved to have walked through that garden, but alas, it was not on the standard tour.

4In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east;and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.

Zechariah 14:4

The Bible tells us that in the end times the Messiah, Jesus, will return on the Mount of Olives.

Jesus wept and lamented the future, “set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side . . . crush you to the ground . . . and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognise the time of your visitation from God.” (Luke 19:37-44)

Not 40 years later, the prophecy was fulfilled when the Romans burned the temple and destroyed Jerusalem.

Jesus wasn’t the only one to weep on the Mount of Olives.

David also went up the mountain weeping with his followers in 2 Samuel 15:30.

I went into this whole thing expecting a moving, spiritual experience.

The thing was that there was an excellent tour guide to listen to, pictures to be taken, you are pouring sweat in June, and you have to stay with the group. Therefore, pausing for reflection or prayer? That did not happen much, I am sorry to tell you. We all piled back into our bus, made a stop by a souvenir shop, and then headed on over to Old Jerusalem.

Our group was a hodgepodge of folks from Sweden, Holland, Switzerland, and the States. Who knows where all we were from? Thankfully, everyone seemed to understand English.

We have been to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., which I am told is similar to this one, but I bet in Israel it is even more powerful.

It was actually awesome to be in the Holy Land on the Sabbath day.

In Hebrew, it is not “sabbath”, it is “shabbat.” Shabbat is not just a nod to the law of Moses, either. They take this thing seriously. Everywhere you went, everyone would joyfully greet each other with, “Shabbat shalom!”

Shabbat is their day of rest, which is important, because they work hard the other 6 days of the week. On Shabbat, they are supposed to do no work at all, according to their tradition, not even to push a button. Therefore, there was always one elevator in “shabbat mode”, which means that it automatically stops at all the floors.

We entered Jerusalem through the Zion gate. Our first stop was King David’s Tomb and the Upper Room, where Jesus and his disciples had the last supper.

And here is the part that surprised us: the upper room is above David’s tomb.

My jaw dropped open when she told us that.

David’s tomb has rules. Men visit it on one side, women on the other, not together.

Remember, Jerusalem has been sacked many times over the years, so these are not the same buildings as the ones standing during Bible times. You see these beautiful buildings? They were built by the Crusaders around 1099.

People were leaning everywhere, praying, in groups and out loud. It was so noisy, I could not carry a thought in my head. Our tour guide couldn’t either, and she chased them all out.  Yep. It reminded me of Jesus chasing the money changers out of the temple, only she didn’t turn over any tables, and these people were only praying, though they were terribly noisy.

Our tour guide had a name that sounded like Molly. She was a former officer in the Israeli Army, and she was quite likable. Molly was sharp and quick, with an answer for any question about the Holy Land, past or present. She knew her stuff.

Notice my wardrobe.

If you are touring holy sites, be sure you have your knees and shoulders covered. It’s a matter of respect, but also rules. They will give you a shaw if your shoulders are uncovered, or a long skirt thing if you are showing too much leg.

In Jerusalem, the only place we went that was strict about it was the Wailing Wall. In Capernaum, only the monastery said anything to women with bare shoulders.

Also, this white tile is so prevalent because it is found in Israel. Therefore, they are able to build large cities with all matching buildings. It has a lovely effect.

So exciting! We don’t have buildings in America that are that old! You can even arrange a tour to go through these tunnels that run under Jerusalem to see way more of the ancient ruins.

I hope you all have a good week with what I have been calling “living underground”. Thankfully, we have a beautiful day here in Maryland. Don’t put too much pressure on yourselves with the home-schooling. Reading and writing with outdoor play make for perfectly successful days in times like these. No one expects you to become a one-room schoolhouse expert overnight.

²⁸ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Matthew 11:28-29

The post Exciting Announcement– My Israel Book is Free for Two Days! appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

And just like that, the whole country became home school families!

Does anyone else feel like a month has passed since last Wednesday? Our “cancelling school” announcement came on a Thursday night, and that was the day the world felt like it began to unravel. Then we all sort of went underground.

Now you know this all feels extremely ironic to me. I said I would never home school again. It was not for me. Honestly, I was a bit scared of this task. I tried it before. for two years, gave myself v-tach repeatedly, and then they boys returned to school. V-tach is a dangerous heart arrhythmia that is rare, and most of you do not need to worry about it. I have much to learn in the way I handle stress, so I take heart pills now. Really I should probably return to full on anxiety pills too, but that is a topic for another day.

I have good news.

So far the second act of home-schooling our four boys has gone drastically more smoothly than our first try. Still, I won’t count our chickens before they hatch. I am sure this could all still go horribly wrong. In the meantime, when I start to feel like the room is too chaotic for me, I make them all chant that mom is in charge several times, threaten to take away all video games, and then things calm down.

In fact, I did take away video games from two unfortunate ruffians today who forgot Mom was in charge, and that is THE KEY to maintaining order: making good on any threats/promises. Consequences are obnoxiously important.

The hardest thing about home school for me has always been the chaos. I like things to be quiet and somewhat peaceful, which is hilarious because I have four children. In an attempt to control my environment, I make schedules and lists like this, and it helps a great deal:

My motto is that the times themselves are not important. They are a loose guide to remind me to give recess and lunch and not forget anything I had planned to do. As they say in the Army, “The plan is nothing, but planning is everything.” Well, I think they say that in the Army. Someone says it. If they don’t say it, then they should.

So many questions

This week brought up so many questions for us. Did it for you too? I texted my sister-in-law and my mother-in-law because they both taught middle school for years. I do not know the first thing about teaching middle school. Elementary school is where my experience lies, but my eighth grader has informed me that my activities are “for five-year-olds.” This is an exaggeration, of course. I am not teaching anyone how to read or count. But at the same time, he’s right. My stuff is elementary, so I have been frantically digging for how to level things up.

People have sent me questions too.

Ah, feeling useful felt good. Thank you for asking me questions. The questions I was asked were about home schooling school-aged children when you have a toddler underfoot. This is what I told her, just off the top of my head. It isn’t much, since this was all via text message. We are being good citizens and staying socially distant.

Ideas/advice for someone trying to homeschool older siblings when there’s a toddler at home:

-Pray on your face and cry. (hahaha I really wish I were kidding.)

-First, the older siblings have to know that mom is in charge, and they cannot say “no” to any of her directions. They do not say “no” to their teachers, so they must treat you with that same respect.

-Mom can provide choices, but the stress of dealing with disobedience is mind-blowing. (I was having to deal with it at the moment I texted about this, so the feelings of frustration were still raw.)

-My best tip is to start the day with a toddler activity.

-If you need to work with one sibling, put the other sibling in charge of the toddler.

-Do some group reading where Mom reads out loud to all the kids. You can also watch educational YouTube or National Geographic videos together while the toddler plays with a game or toy they don’t always have access to.

-Older siblings can also read to the toddler.

-Find work the older siblings can do online alone, like Brain Pop or whatever sites your school system recommended. One of my kids is learning a language using Duolingo. He likes it, and I am not even involved. We actually use the app version. I think he has learned more from the app than he was learning in his French classroom at school, but the traditional classroom is not his favorite way to learn.

I could talk about home-schooling all day because I am currently overseeing the education of four boys, and it consumes much of my day. Ah yes! Another excuse to spend less time cleaning!

Click here for more of my articles on home-schooling, written back when I spent two years fully engaged in teaching our boys.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for my new book, Tour Israel in Pictures and Stories. It ends at midnight Thursday night/Friday morning. I was so excited tonight to discover that it is currently the #2 best seller in Israel travel guides on Amazon. Wahoo! Thanks for your support, everyone!

Send me any great activities you know for middle schoolers who hate school work, and send any questions you have too. Best of luck you all! No stressing. It isn’t worth giving yourself heart problems. Keep calm and home school on.

The post Life in the Underground Day 2: The Great Return to Home School appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

Now that sentence alone should clue you in to the great difficulties I was up against: 4 BOYS, home-schooled! Add that to the fact that I don’t enjoy teaching, and it was a sort of a pressure-cooker for my heart.

The stress was too much for me personally. I gave it up, and enrolled my children in a Christian school this year. It was a change I had to make to save my own sanity.

Let me stress here that I am not anti-homeschool or anti-any kind of school! I’ve tried just about everything over the years. Each family must choose what works best for them and their children.

Want to know how life has changed for us? Click here to read the rest of this article, over at Monterey Premier.

The post 7 Unexpected Ways Life Changed When We Quit Homeschooling appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.