Tag: simplicity parenting
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The Formative Power of Gratitude
On Thanksgiving each year, many of us practice giving gratitude. Is this just a nice family tradition, or is there a truly formative power of gratitude? Let’s start with words of wisdom from wise people. Eckhart Tolle once said (paraphrased), “If you practice gratitude, life will give you more things to be grateful for.” In…
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Civic Education in Homeschool
In the wake of this 2024 U.S. presidential election, I feel called to write a post about civic education. We have a deeply polarized nation, and that’s not good. For the record I must say that as a teacher, it’s not my place to take sides. Rather, it’s my job to preserve the sacred balance…
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Emotional Intelligence
In this third post of our series on the 6 Basic Exercises, we will discuss “Control of Feeling.” A better title for this exercise would be “cultivating emotional intelligence through mastering the feeling life.” However, the Austrian simplicity of Rudolf Steiner preferred the shorter title, so we’ll go with that. This is probably the hardest…
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Freewill (Control of Will)
In this blog post, we will discuss freewill. However, this will not be a philosophical treatise on whether or not freewill exists. Rather, it will be a practical guide on how to become free of will. This is the followup to a post we wrote a few months ago entitled Control of Thought. The Six…
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Education in a Time of Uncertainty
Our world is becoming increasingly uncertain. Wars progress and threaten to escalate. Markets are volatile. The upcoming U.S. presidential election looks messy. Even Asheville, N.C., long considered to be one of the very safest places in the country, was just devastated by a hurricane. (So safe was Asheville considered that NOAA put their server building…
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The Power of Story
Where do you get your news from? I get mine from The Lord of the Rings. I know that sounds silly, but it’s true, and that is because of the power of story to convey truth. Allow me to explain. Every reasonable adult I know agrees that the media is a fray, literally like the…
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Homeschool Music Curriculum
This post is about your homeschool music curriculum. In other words, we will discuss the value of making music everyday in your homeschool life and provide some samples we use in our lessons below to inspire your work at home. What is it about music? This evening after dinner, my family gathered around our toddler.…
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Why Homeschooling is Better
Homeschooling is better than not homeschooling. That’s a bold statement, and it’s not true for everyone. However, I’m going to explain why I think it’s true for many students based on my experience as a teacher. You’ll have to read to the end, though. My intention is to bring hope to parents who continually question…
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Which Homeschool Curriculum Do I Choose?
Which homeschool curriculum do I choose? I see this question come up constantly in social media groups. Most homeschooling parents aren’t trained teachers, and they are looking expert guidance. In my experience, parents fall into one of three categories with education: no experience, some experience, and lots of experience. To each group I will make…
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Homeschooling Supplies to Get Your Started
People often ask me about how to setup their homeschooling environment, particularly what homeschooling supplies to have on hand. In this post, we’re going to shed light on that to help people new to this wonderful craft. Drawing and Writing Supplies For the grades, I would recommend the following supplies for writing and drawing: Grades…