Schooling in the Kitchen

This year I started using the "My Father's World" curriculum with my first grader. There are parts I love about it and parts that I don't care for. But overall I would say it has been a great fit for our family! I'm open to new ideas for second grade but I definitely want to use this with my younger ones when they are in the first grade! What I love about it, is the focus on biblical history. It's basic yet informative and has been engaging my first grader tremendously! The writing, history, phonics and crafts all tie together with a common biblical theme. Many hands-on activities are suggested including making "Lentil Stew" similar to what Esau sold his birthright for in the biblical account of Jacob and Esau. We've even had a traditional family Jewish meal which my kids truly enjoyed!

The Lentil stew was a bigger hit than I thought it would be! The kids helped make it and even wanted seconds at mealtime! What a way to make the Bible come to life in their little minds!

Not only to we use the kitchen for some of our Bible lessons but for science experiments as well! The chemical reaction that occurs when you mix baking soda with vinegar, making rock candy, and seeing what happens to food coloring when you drop it in soapy water. 

But of course "school" doesn't really ever end for us, or even "begin" for that matter. Our homeschool is all about creating an atmosphere for growth. For learning. For education. As soon as our feet hit the floor in the morning there is work to be done and things to learn. My boys love to not only help make breakfast but my oldest has now learned how to make his own scrambled eggs (with supervision of course)! And my younger son is with me in the kitchen three meals a day helping me put cheese on salads, stirring sauces or melting butter. My goal is to not only teach my kids to cook but to enjoy it! Not to make it a tedious task but an art form!

If we really think about it when are the three most difficult times in raising young children? Usually it's:

1- Mealtimes

2- Bedtime

3- Going Out in Public

If you've ever seen the show "Supernanny" you know exactly what I am talking about. These are usually three of the top areas that need to be dealt with in the area of unruly children! If we can teach, train and thrive in these three areas of child-rearing, I believe wholeheartedly that we will have raised solid, responsible, stable adults. Think about it, some of the issues that adults struggle with today are eating healthy, getting good rest, and social disorders! If we can raise healthy eaters, good sleepers who are socially well-rounded then I believe we've succeeded! 

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