Written by Jessica Fisher of Good Cheap Eats and Life as Mom

Several times during a school year, the thought hits me: I just can’t do it all.

I can keep a perfectly tidy home, or I can rock an awesome homeschool, or I can make healthy, three-course meals three times a day, or I can run a great home business.

Did you see the or’s?

I simply cannot do them all, all the time. When school lessons are going great, the house is often a mess. When I am writing great content and keeping up on all aspects of my writing business, I might end up skipping science for the week. When my house is spotless, it’s probably a sign that everything else has fallen by the wayside.

There are only so many hours in a day. None of us can do it all on her own. We all have areas where we need to simplify, pull out a few tricks, and delegate.

You gotta eat, right? Thankfully, my desire for good meals has helped me identify shortcuts to meal times that mean I can do at least two things well in a given season.

Is dinner prep one of those tricky spots for you? Consider these tips for making dinner quick and easy this school year:

1. Plan your meals.

Meal planning is not difficult or time-intensive, but it can really help you make dinner without a lot of fuss. If you spend ten minutes each week jotting down meals you can make, you’ll have a better idea of how to shop, when to thaw stuff from the freezer, and you’ll know exactly what to do when you wrap up school for the day.

A meal plan also lets you delegate dinner prep to someone else in the family. (This is key to doing more things that you can accomplish alone.)

2. Prep ahead.

Sunday afternoons spent chopping and dicing for the week’s meals can save your bacon when it’s time to make dinner, but you’re too tired to make it.

By planning and prepping in advance, you set yourself up for success. All you need to do is assemble – or make one of your minions do it.

3. Shop with time-savings in mind.

Don’t be afraid to buy that slightly-more-expensive-but- easier-to-serve item. While my kids can, indeed, go through a box of cereal every morning, that two bucks is well-spent. It buys me at least 30 minutes each day to spend on other things.

Pre–washed baby spinach, pre-cooked bacon, and shredded cheese are other real food convenience items that help me save a few more minutes.

4. Make it in 30 minutes.

Think about the quick meals and focus on those for school night dinners. Pizza, while delicious, often takes a couple hours when I make the dough from scratch. But, I can buy fresh loaves of French bread or a package of pita bread and have a delicious pizza night in a lot less time.

With a few tweaks, you can put your favorite recipes into hyper-drive.

A note from Jamie: If making meals more quickly, yet still on a budget, appeals to you (uh, yes please!), I urge you to check out Jessica’s newly released cookbook, Good Cheap Eats: Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less.

In it you’ll find 200 recipes that you can cook in 30 minutes or less.

These meals are kid-friendly and easy on the budget. They’ll help you take a shortcut to dinnertime over the course of the homeschool year without sacrificing good taste or time with your family.

Do you have tips for making dinner time easier during the school year?

Written by Jessica Fisher of Life as Mom and Good Cheap Eats

Yes, you read that title right. I have six children. My! How times have changed!

When I first started this homeschooling journey, my days went like clockwork. Certain days were devoted to library trips, play dates, and park days. Certain hours of the day were spoken for by math lessons, crafts, stories, lots of Match Game, and the blessed naptime.

That was nine years ago. My oldest was five. And I had a lot fewer wrinkles and gray hairs.

My days are currently not so regular. While I would love to be organized — and yes, even regimented — in how my days are spent, that’s really not my reality, nor quite frankly, my personality.

Life with six kids is richer than I could ever have imagined. Yet, it’s also more complex.

My typical day? It’s the perpetual “box of chocolates” — I never know what I’ll get.

• The dentist’s office calls and says they can see two kids that afternoon. Can we come? While that blows three hours of our afternoon as well as the toddler’s nap, I say, “Yes.” Our dentist is very popular and appointments are hard to come by.
• My husband gets unexpected leave and suggests we take the kids to the snow since it’s rather rare here in San Diego. It turns out to be a wonderful break from our routine and an educational vacation in the process.
• My ten-year-old asks about the World Trade Center. What could have been a five minute explanation becomes a 30 minute tale with a few tears, followed up by a trip to the library and a search for books about 9-11.
• Within an eight hour period the entire family — all eight of us — come down with raging head colds, putting us out of sorts and out of commission, but we can still read books and watch “educational” films.
• And yes, there are plenty of days filled with “I won’t,” “I can’t” and “Do I have to?”

This year, probably my most challenging yet, has had me teaching 8th, 5th, 3rd, and 1st grades, as well as, a friend says, “keeping my preschoolers from burning down the house.” I’ve had to come to terms with many things, one being that the natural rhythm of our days is not as clockwork as I sometimes think it should be.

Our Day

5 am – My husband wakes and prepares for work. Often, I get up with him, drink coffee, chat, and see him out the door.

6:30 am – My husband leaves for work.

4:00 pm – Papa comes home.

In between 6:30 and 4?

Well, that’s a moving target. I have a schedule and a plan most days. But, often the day doesn’t go according to my plan (see above).

No two days are the same. I can’t predict when someone will get sick, need a diaper change, or just plain old have a bad day. I kick myself that things aren’t more orderly. But in the same moment I realize this season is also fleeting.

My kids won’t always be these ages. And beauty can be found in each of our crazy, unexpected adventures.

(In between times, Jena’s posts have always brought me comfort that we’re doing okay.)

Between those elusive 7 am to 4 pm hours, I try to fit in some of the following. Some are daily; some are a few times per week.

• serve two meals and a snack; do kitchen clean up
• Bible reading together (we’re currently tackling a chronological Bible schedule)
• do the Morning High Five
• a meeting between each boy and mom when we go over grade specific lessons, connect, and talk
• independent reading
• history and literature read alouds
• computer math via Teaching Textbooks (for the three oldest)
• Saxon Math with my 1st grader
• science (Exploring Creation through Astronomy) with my 5th and 3rd graders
• 8th grader does science on CD Rom (Exploring Creation with Physical Science)
• read stories to my littlest ones: my 2-, 4-, and 6-year-olds
• littles play independently or with a big brother

Naps for the girls, ages two and four, start around 2 pm. At that time, I usually finish up math and science with the boys who need my help, while the others finish their independent work. If possible, I squeeze in some writing time. At about 4 we reconvene for a snack, what we’ve dubbed Happy Hour. Our day transitions once my husband comes home and we put away our books.

While few days fit the ideal picture in my head, I recognize that this is a season. And seasons change. I don’t want to wish away the seasons.

For now I’m going to enjoy this time of predictable unpredictability and make the most of every minute of my crazy homeschool days.

Who out there can identify with my unpredictable days? How do you make the most of yours?

Originally published on January 19, 2011.

This week our family completed our eleventh year of homeschooling. Really? How did that happen?! The time has passed so quickly. It seems like just yesterday my son was doing beginning reading and now this week he turns sixteen and reads his Latin book for fun!

Going into our twelfth year, I will have all six of my children in formal schooling as my baby enters kindergarten and her eldest brother eleventh grade. It’s pretty stunning to reflect over that time. Through the years I’ve encountered different learning styles, different temperaments, and different school schedules.

For many years we did school year-round because that worked best for us. My students were all young, and most of their friends did the same thing.

In this current season of life, it’s worked out that we prefer a true summer break. My kids love the more relaxed schedule and the opportunity to play with the neighbor kids. I love having fewer items on my to do list and the chance to focus on projects.

While we don’t have “formal school” during much of June, July, and August, we are still learning. In fact, we have what I would call, the homeschool equivalent to summer school.

When I was in junior high and high school, I took classes during the summer, classes that were interesting, that I would have to take eventually, and which were much more fun during summer vacation since the teachers were more relaxed. This summer, I’ve created a summer school line up for my kids.

I know my kids pretty well. I know that they could spend all summer playing video games — if I let them. But, I won’t. So, that means they’ll get uneasy. They have this innate sense that they could be learning or reading or doing something productive. That’s one thing that my older boys (ten and up) are very cognizant of. They might not admit it, but they love to learn.

So, here’s how we set up our “summer school”:

1. A round of math for everyone.

After much trial and error, I’ve settled on Teaching Textbooks as our math curriculum for third grade and above. This makes math doable all year round. This past year some kids finished early, some are still working on the last grade’s book. My solution is that everyone will do math every week day. I’ve talked about this for months; the kids know it’s coming.

I’ve also purchased some math games, so that there are different ways to think about mathematics and make it a little more relaxed. The computer math is an on-your-own kind of activity and doesn’t take up more than an hour of anyone’s day.

Doing math in the summer is a great way to keep skills sharp or work on some remedial topics.

2. Books, books, and books.

Part of our weekly schedule will include a trip to the library. Our local library offers a summer reading program. We’ve been hit and miss for the past few years, but no matter. My kids don’t need incentive to read. (If yours struggle a bit, try keeping a reading log and offering prizes for a certain number of minutes or books read.) Our problem is that we run out of books quickly. I have to keep them supplied in abundance.

Reading a book aloud together is a great way for us to spend time together each morning. Over breakfast lately, I’ve been reading The Railway Children. Before that we read all the Mysterious Benedict Society books. Next, we’ll probably tackle one of these series.

Whether they are reading on their own or with me, we’ll have our noses in books.

3. Catch-up.

Inevitably, each child has something that we could play catch-up with. One really needs to polish his math facts. Another could use a little more practice in grammar. A couple need to hone their writing skills.

We’re going to spend a few minutes each day working on that thing that was challenging this past summer, hopefully in a more relaxed way. One will do math drills on the ipad. Another will spend 15 minutes with me a few days a week to complete the grammar book. The others will write in journals.

4. Field trips.

San Diego offers residents free museum admission on Tuesdays. We’ve never taken advantage of this, nor have we explored the vast arrays of museums and gardens that are available to us.

I’ve cleared my calendar for Tuesdays so we can do just that, plotting with neighborhood friends to go also so that the kids don’t think they’re missing out on playing together.

5. Something new!

Each of my bigger boys has chosen something fun to learn this summer. My incoming 8th grader is going to study filmmaking through the Compass Classroom.

My soon-to-be sixth grader has decided on an at-home cooking school. He really wants to make ravioli by hand and how to make a naturally-colored red velvet cake, so we’ll be exploring those recipes together, one per week. (He’s got a list of eight things!)

These are self-driven topics for them that we might not have time for during the regular school year. Instead these will be their summer projects that they really want to do.

This all sounds more intense than it will really be. Most of these things will be self-directed by the kids, with a little help from me. There will be plenty of days when we sit around and “do nothing”. But there will be lots of options for learning and exploring so that no one gets bored.

Do you do any summer learning activities planned?

PS. In light of the fact that I’ll have SIX students next year: in kindergarten, second, fourth, sixth, eighth, and eleventh grades, this will be my last post at Simple Homeschool. At least for awhile. You can keep up with our homeschooling antics over at Life as MOM. I hope to pop my head in over here from time to time, too!

Ours is a busy household. As you can imagine, with eight people, the sheer volume of dishes, laundry, and stuff to manage is fairly high, at least twice that of the “average” home. Coupled with homeschooling and being home-based in the truest sense of the word, our home boasts a very “lived in” look.

The walls bare fingerprints. The washing machine has a shelf life of about five years. The kitchen boasts a revolving door. Or so it seems.

Here are five tricks that I use to help me manage home and school:

1. Delegate, delegate, delegate.

Once upon a time, the bulk of household responsibilities fell on me. My husband worked long hours. My kids were little, the six of them being born in an 11 year span of time. At the beginning, we had four kids under seven.

Nowadays, things are a little easier. The kids have chores. Everyone is responsible for tidying the living areas in our home, doing a kitchen job, and keeping his room tidy. Those who are eight and older have the added task of cleaning a bathroom once a week.

I could not do it all. And since I’m not making all the messes, I shouldn’t have to. Neither should you.

2. Don’t pile it all on the big kids.

That said, it’s all too easy to lump the jobs on the oldest children. I know this first hand. I was the oldest of five. That’s a lot of mental and physical responsibility.

I heard it at a homeschool conference years ago: give the task to the youngest child capable of doing it. This has served me well.

I try to share the wealth and make sure everyone has a responsibility that suits his age and capabilities. I try to make sure the older kids don’t have to do the lion’s share. The younger ones also get to help.

3. Practice bulk cooking.

One of the ways that we eat well and stay under budget is by keeping a supply of homemade convenience foods in the freezer. By cooking many meals in advance, I save time and frustration on the day of serving. This also makes it easier for the kids to help out in meal prep.

(Note from Jamie: Make sure you check out Jessica’s awesome book on bulk cooking: Not Your Mother’s Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook.)

4. Set a laundry schedule.

After years of doing laundry in community, requiring the kids to help sort and fold, I finally switched to a laundry schedule. Each pair of children (roommates) has a set day for doing laundry. This not only teaches them life skills, but it takes a lot of the nagging, moans, and groans out of my life.

The kids are responsible for getting their laundry done. I help the littles, of course, but those 8 and older are able to do it on their own. Oh happy day!

photo source: California Rustic

5. Know your limits.

There are only so many hours in the day. Some seasons you might be firing on all cylinders with home and school perfectly aligned and your hair perfectly quaffed. Other days are just survival.

Be okay with the vagaries of parenting and homeschool life. Know what are “must-do’s” and put a plan in action. Be okay with letting some things slide.

Homeschooling is about a shared experience, not a picture-perfect home. It’s about making memories and enjoying life together. If it doesn’t all come together perfectly, that’s okay. It shouldn’t.

Got a trick for managing home and homeschool?

Over the last two weeks, my kids and I have been engrossed in a family read aloud. I checked out the digital edition of The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. Since it was only a two-week check-out, it was a race to complete the book before it magically disappeared from my iPad.

Books, and specifically family read-alouds, have been a unifying thread in the fabric of our family since my eldest was about three years old. He’s always been a good listener and back then while I nursed his baby brother we read through The Little House books and Narnia. Ever since then I have always felt more “at one” with my children when we have a chapter book going.

My youngest child, a four-year old child of the technology age is not quite “into” our read alouds yet. But the others, ages 6, 8, 10, and 12, all enjoy them. Even today at fifteen, my eldest son lurks in the shadows or mutes the hockey game so that he can hear me read to his siblings.

And then he sneaks the book when I’m not looking so he can read the parts he missed or read ahead in case he’s not around to eavesdrop later.

This shows me the value of a good family read-aloud. Reading stories, particularly lengthy children’s literature, is a great way to share an experience with your children without going anywhere. We share theories about how the plot will progress, make guesses as to how it will end, reminisce over the surprises and favorite parts, and anticipate the next installment of series books.

Reading aloud to my kids does a number of things for me and for them.

• We make a designated time each day to sit and spend together.
• We talk more.
• We share what we’re thinking and feeling.
• We unplug. Except for the ipad or Kindle screen, we’re looking at real faces.
• We interact in a human way, discussing characters’ situations or how they make us feel.
• We learn new vocabulary and punctuation. Four of my kids can read on their own, but time and again, someone will look over my shoulder and comment, “Oh! Is that how you say that word?”

Family read-alouds are one important tool that helps me feel connected to my kids. I love the time we spend together and that we’re learning together while we do it.

Further reading:

* Top 25 read-alouds (ages 5-12)

Have you got a favorite read aloud book?

Written by Jessica Fisher of Life as Mom and Good Cheap Eats

Somedays, I feel like the old lady in the grocery store. You know the one. The one who tells you to enjoy these days because they will soon be gone.

I know, I know. When you’re in the thick of child-rearing, baby-wearing, diaper-changing, nose-wiping, it’s hard to imagine looking back on these moments or days fondly.

I thought that after my first child was born. As I limped around with a healing episiotomy and two milk-filled boulders on my chest, I couldn’t imagine ever wanting to do that again.

An older mom friend said,

“It’s okay. God gives you amnesia. You won’t remember the feelings of all the hard things. You might remember them intellectually. But you’ll look back on this time with different emotions.”

She was right.

I did get amnesia. Apparently so, because I went on to have five more children. And those early postpartum days are a fog of lala-land. I know intellectually that they were difficult and sleep-deprived moments, but what I feel today is the joy of falling in love all over again with another beautiful soul.

And so, I say, yes, these days will soon be gone.

Lord willing, amnesia will set in and you’ll only remember the good parts.

Already, I feel this in regards to my earlier days of homeschooling. Once upon a time, I had routine. I had naptimes to look forward to. I had willing little ears ready to hear as many stories as I was willing to read. A coloring page could take an hour before someone complained of boredom. That’s us, circa 2003.

Life then seems so, so simple.

My children were all little and one day looked very similar to the one before. Honestly, I miss those days.

I’m probably not old enough to say that, but I do.

Today looks quite different from that day ten years ago when I only had a kindergartner to teach and two little ones along for the ride.

We’ve got Latin this afternoon for the tenth grader, yesterday General Science and Marine Biology for my boys 12 and older. Piano lessons in the afternoon for the fifth grader. Not to mention math, grammar, history, literature, and spelling for the masses. There’s activity here and there.

On any given day I do one or more of the following:

• prepare three meals and a snack
• nag someone to do his kitchen job or put away his clothes
• find out where someone is and why isn’t he doing his math
• listen to someone complain about the (grammar, math, history, French) task at hand
• referee arguments
• read stories
• troubleshoot a faulty Internet connection for an online Latin class
• drive someone to piano lessons, science class, hockey practice, swim school
• find an older child reading to the younger ones
• find big kids playing Little People with the 4-year old to keep her entertained
• listen to a child flawlessly recite a poem that she’s been memorizing for grammar
• overhear an older student help a younger one with a math problem
• be surprised by a child telling me how truffles are hunted by specially-trained pigs in the woods

and honestly….

• stand amazed that I get to teach this wonderful group of beautiful souls

Variety is the spice of life, yes. And yes, sometimes it wears me out emotionally and physically.

However, while God has given me amnesia for some of the hard things of the past, He’s also given me foresight to see the future.

These days will pass quickly just like the old days did.

I will miss these crazy, chaotic moments when I hope against hope that the experiment is working. I will miss having someone to nag. I will miss that there won’t be little people to play Little People with. I will miss the random factoids and the fun.

I will (hopefully) laugh at myself that I ever wondered that the experiment wouldn’t work!

And so these are days to enjoy, with their good and their bad. These are days to be mindful of. Someday I will miss my kids at ages 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 15. I’m taking these days for granted. These days, as hard and as chaotic as they seem today, will someday seem simple. 2003 seems simple to me now. But, I know intellectually that it very much was not!

Remember these days, whichever days you’re walking in, are days to remember.

There are fabulous days and some we’d rather forget. But, what a privilege it is to walk them alongside our kids.

A look back at Jessica’s homeschool days:

• 2011 – with a 2-, 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, & 13-year-old
• 2012 – with a 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, & 14-year old

What is something that you’ll miss from these days?

Written by contributor Jessica Fisher of Life as Mom and Good Cheap Eats

I intended to finish the calendar year with a strong academic month. Of course, illness and a number of unforeseeable circumstances got in my way. In some ways, we limped to the finish line.

But, in other ways, we ran a good race. We spent more down time as a family, endeavored to be more patient with one another, had a chance just to rest, and focused on priorities rather than a completed lesson plan.

It got me thinking of how lovely it is to get a second fresh start when January 1 rolls around. And how I want to prioritize in the new year.

Here are five ways I hope to “put off the old man” and put on the new one in 2013:

1. Compare our school to our school. Not to someone else’s.

It’s so easy to compare our family school to someone else’s or even to the Perfect School in My Mind. Of course, there will always be something lacking in that scenario.

But, if I compare our school to our school last year or even last month, I see progress. I am encouraged. I know our trajectory and can adjust in a realistic way.

I don’t have to keep up with the Joneses. I just need to keep up with our family’s vision of growth and learning.

2. Enjoy experiences, not checked boxes.

As my kids get bigger — I have children in 10th, 7th, 5th, 3rd, and 1st grades — it’s all too easy for me to get caught up in reaching academic milestones, making sure the chapters got read, and otherwise, checking off the boxes on my to do list.

When they were younger, it was easier to say, “Let’s go to the museum.” Or “let’s go to the Science Center.” I’ve lost my love of adventures, so I’m going to reclaim that in the new year.

San Diego offers free museum entrance every week on a rotating basis. We’ve never made the most of this. But, I am going to try. My guess is that your community offers free or discounted educational experiences as well. Let’s take advantage of those hands-on learning experiences.

3. Remember it’s gonna take the time it’s gonna take.

I often get impatient that a task takes longer than I think it will. This leads to anxiety and more than a little grumpiness. In 2013 I want to embrace the chaos and not sweat it if it takes all day to finish that science project or complete that math assignment.

This is learning. And learning takes time. We’ll all enjoy the ride more if I’m patient.

4. Embrace the days (and the daze).

At the end of every calendar year I put together a slide show of our family’s experiences from the previous year. I’m always stunned at how much my kids have changed over the months. When I watch the DVD’s of past years, I’m stunned that they were once so little.

Where did the time go?

I can be tempted to recall all the ways I messed up in those moments. A picture triggers a memory of my failures.

Instead, I’m going to embrace each day as an opportunity to love my kids, to enjoy the time we have together, and to hide the good, positive experiences in my heart.

5. Laugh more.

They say that laughter is the best medicine. I’m gonna guess it’s probably the best educational tool, as well. If we don’t take things quite so seriously, if we’re able to bring levity to our days and our challenges, we will be more cheerful people, our children will relax more, and we will all learn and grow more.

Will my new year go according to plan?

Oh, probably not. But, I’m going to try my best to enter the new year with a positive spin on our home and our school. That’s all I can ask of my kids. So that’s all I can ask of me, too.

What are your goals for the new year?

I well remember my public school days near the holidays. They were chock full of rehearsals for the Christmas play, extended art sessions as we finished up crafts that would be gifts for our parents, and a plethora of holiday parties. Our elementary school also threw in a fundraiser and canned food drive as well.

Those seasons were anything but simple.

I think my poor mother must have been run ragged with all the things that were required of us — and her — back in those days.

Times have changed. Given that my husband and I have chosen a different educational path than we ourselves were raised in, we don’t have that same holiday busy-ness thrown at us — at least not from the outside.

Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to get swept up in the hubbub that we call the holiday season. From Thanksgiving to New Year’s the days and nights can be filled with choir and play practice, family events, work parties, and a host of other joyful frivolities. If we’re not careful we can overdo things and still be run ragged like my mother so many years ago.

For many years I put a lot of pressure on myself and my family to make the most of the holidays. Often this meant full school days and full craft nights as I burnt the candle at both ends, trying to make it “all” happen.

I’m not sure what exactly “all” was, but I don’t think it happened.

There are a host of things that we can do as the holidays approach to make them more meaningful and special for ourselves and our families. Simplifying school and life at the holidays should definitely go on our Christmas lists!

Here are some ways that we can scale back and enjoy more in the coming weeks and months:

1. Take breaks from lessons.

I have many friends who take Thanksgiving Week off from school. Others take a vacation through all of December. My husband’s work closes between Christmas and New Year’s, so we are on vacation along with him.

There are lots of ways you can work it, but allowing yourself and your kids some breathing room is a good course of action.

2. Make use of teachable moments.

This is the season rife with giving opportunities. Serving in a soup kitchen or packing love in a shoebox have just as much value as a math lesson, if not more. Take these unique holiday moments to engage your children in acts of goodwill toward men.

Bake cookies, build gingerbread houses, make presents for friends and family, learn a Christmas carol together. Use this time of fun, food, and creativity to meld school and life. If you don’t already blend that line, the holidays are a great time to do that.

3. Plan for a simpler season.

Identify the things that stress you out over the holidays and troubleshoot those practices. You don’t have to do it all. Now’s the time to give yourself permission NOT to.

I’ve put together a book called A Simpler Season that walks you through this process of paring down your Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s into a season of joy and peace. It offers you the motivation to think through your family’s priorities for the holidays, space to jot down your ideas, and printables to help you stay organized for the season.

If you use the coupon code SIMPLER3, you’ll get $3 off the e-book.

Now’s the time, not only to deck the halls, but to deck the holidays before they take a swipe at you. Make plans this next week or two for how you’ll walk through the season, enjoy time with your family, and make the important things in your life top on the list.

How do you simplify at the holidays?

One of the unique, albeit obvious, characteristics of homeschooling is that it takes place at home. Oh sure, there are co-ops and field trips and class days and carschooling, but often our educational style is home-based. Homebody that I am, I love that!

As such, there are distractions present that might not occur in a traditional classroom setting: barking dogs, poopy diapers, and ringing doorbells, to name a few. How often have my children rushed to the front door from all corners of the house to greet the delivery man?! You would think it was Santa Claus, but no, it’s just a guy bringing a replacement refrigerator part.

I, like my children, am prone to distraction, making teaching at home challenging amid the laundry and the cleaning that could be done.

And the cooking? Don’t even get me started. I begin to make lunch but remember that I have all these apples to deal with. Before I know it, I’m knee deep in pies and applesauce and apple butter. It’s like giving a mouse a cookie.

Make-Ahead Meals Make Meals Easier

In order to stay on track with our school day, I turn to make-ahead meals. I spend a few hours each month cooking and freezing meals to enjoy later. Not only does it help me get homecooked meals on the table, but it also helps me focus on other tasks, like our plants project or how to teach adjectives to a third grader.

These “freezer meals” help me out for every meal of the day. Here’s how they can work for you, too.

Breakfast

Two days a week the kids and I have places to go for outside classes. The other days allow for slightly more relaxed mornings. Either way I like having breakfast ready to go and easy to serve.

Homemade baking mixes and make-ahead breakfast sliders help me get a hot meal ready in minutes. Granola, instant oatmeal, and scones are all homemade treats that make a fun serve-yourself breakfast bar.

Lunch

One of the blessings of having older kids is that they can help me with meal prep. Calzones, burritos, and cheesewiches from the freezer are easy items for my big guys to heat up. They add fresh fruit and veggies for a side dish, and lunch is served.

Dinner

By the time I’m done with our school day, I’m ready for a nap! It’s so nice to bake a homemade lasagna and garlic bread without any prep work or reheat pork tamales for a filling supper.

Where do I sign up?

“Freezer cooking” is seeing renewed popularity as folks realize what a boon it can be to any home, science projects and adjectives not withstanding. It allows us to customize our meals to fit our tastes and diet perfectly, resulting in homemade “convenience foods.”

There are a number of sources to help you learn about freezer cooking:

• Go to another kitchen – Meal prep kitchens, like Dream Dinners, offer you a chance to cook in someone else’s kitchen. They do all the prep and all the clean up. You just assemble the meals. (You also pay more for the convenience. You can do it much more cheaply at home.)
• Check the blogs – Some blogs, like Once a Month Mom, are dedicated to freezer cooking and helping folks get meals made and frozen. Over on Good Cheap Eats this month, I’m sharing 31 Days of Freezer Cooking, offering short but sweet ideas to make bulk cooking work for you.
• Read a good book – Believe it or not, I wrote the book on freezer cooking. OK, not the book, but a good one. Not Your Mother’s Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook released this month. It’s chock full of the ins and outs of freezer cooking plus over 200 freezer-friendly recipes. It offers tips and tricks for the freezer cooking novice as well as the old pro. It contains easy cooking plans that range from 2 hours to all day so that you can find a method that works best for you.

Mealtimes during the busy school year can be just as healthy and tasty as you would like them to be. And big batch cooking can help you pull it off so you really do have time for a nap at the end of the day.

What do you think about freezer cooking?

Ever have a day when it feels like you can do nothing right? That your efforts to do well land you flat on your face? That you’re being criticized left and right?

These kind of days are a wonderful wake-up call to me. As much as I hate those feelings of discouragement, they remind me that my kids have days like this, too.

In that moment, I realize that I’m guilty of treating them the way I have just been treated. It gives me pause and makes me mindful of being more encouraging, less critical, and motivated to change.

Here are some of the things that I’ve learned about all that.

1. True encouragement motivates.

There’s a fine line between false praise and true encouragement. Kids (and adults) see through the first, but they thrive on the second. Consider these words of encouragement:

• I like how neatly  you did your copy work. It’s so easy to read.
• You had a really good attitude when you tackled your math assignment. I know that’s not your favorite thing.
• Thanks for taking the time to write such a thorough summary of the story. That shows me you really understood what you read.

By offering specific encouragements, you’re giving your child a picture of the positive behaviors they’re displaying as well as cluing them into what they should strive to repeat.

Photo by ClicPhoto

2. Empty criticisms deflate.

We’ve all been on the giving and receiving end of empty criticisms. And they are no fun.

• Stop that.
• Why are you always doing that?
• How come it’s taking you so long?

Empty criticisms communicate displeasure, but they don’t help our students know how to improve or even want to. Empty criticisms just let them know they’re in trouble.

Life in the doghouse rarely promotes true change.

3. Constructive criticism guides.

On the other hand, when we offer concrete examples of what we want our children to accomplish and provide specific steps for improvement, we are setting them up for success. It gives them an emotional boost when we identify what they did right, too.

• You wrote such an interesting story about the Celts. I really enjoyed reading it. Can I show you where you might want to add some capitals and punctuation next time?
• I really appreciate your wanting to help your brother do the right thing. Let’s remember to use a soft voice. I think it will be easier for him to listen to you that way.

We all know that kids thrive when we highlight the positives. Unfortunately, in the day-to-day push to get stuff done, we forget to take the long view. Be sure to acknowledge the positives so that they have ears to hear how they can improve.

We can always change.

Truth is, I did my best parenting before I had kids. My own skills in encouragement and constructive criticism need to be honed some more.

But a bad day can be a good teacher.

How do you dole out criticism and encouragement at your house?