Hello Everyone and Happy October!

Thanks to all of my subscribers for ‘tuning in’ each month and for those new subscribers that have just joined welcome to the HSSNTidBits monthly newsletter. I hope this fall/winter day finds you warm and safe wherever you are in the world. Today I am bringing what I hope to be a very seasonal newsletter about the upcoming holiday season and mental health. As caregivers to people/individuals with disabilities this can sometime take an enormous toll on our wellbeing and overall health. So, this issue is mainly about inspiration (as always) and ways to keep our minds clear.

~MomAdvocate

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Scheduling your Homeschool Day

When planning a homeschooling schedule, consider the subjects, student age, and family schedule. Integrate these factors to create a schedule that works for both children and adults. Use available tools to design a schedule that suits your needs without reinventing the wheel.

The first step in creating a homeschooling schedule is to develop a mission statement. Take a few hours…

The first step in creating a homeschooling schedule is to develop a mission statement. Take a few hours to sit down, write and rewrite a statement of purpose for your homeschool. Consider these questions: what do you want your children to learn? What can you provide through homeschooling that your child cannot get through a regular education setting? What traits do you want to promote in your child? Writing a mission statement will guide your instruction and scheduling choices.

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Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

To create a curriculum, start by researching the topics you want to teach and the appropriate level for your child. You can use the internet and your state’s teaching standards as resources. Compare your mission statement with the standards to decide which topics to include. You can also incorporate religious studies into relevant subjects like cultural studies or literature.

To schedule your instructional week, start by setting meal, snack, and nap times. Then, add in regular family activities like grocery shopping or sports practice. Decide how many hours a day you want to devote to instruction and what time to start each day. Dedicate about 2-2 ½ hours a day to language arts and an hour to math. Divide the rest of the time among other subjects. You can either cover every subject briefly every day or focus on one subject more in-depth each day of the week. For example, Monday is for science, Tuesday for social studies, and so on.

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The last key piece in your homeschool schedule is physical activity. While some choose to treat this as any other content area and designate an hour or two each week to play sports, we highly recommend that you take time each day to address it. Incorporating short spurts of physical activity into breaks throughout the day will reenergize students and allow them to focus more on their studies. Additionally, spending 30 minutes of focused physical activity with your child each day will model and promote healthy behavior that will last a lifetime.

Acts of Kindness Benefit Everyone

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Do you really want to be happy? Everyone says yes, but the gateway to happiness makes some of us frown. The gateway to happiness, is giving to others. Think about this: “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – The Dalai Lama

Some of us may feel that, if we give too much, our generosity, will be taken advantage of by others. This is true, and a few very selfish individuals can possibly perceive your good intentions as weakness.

However, people who seek to take advantage are in the minority. To quote Gandhi, “We must be the change, we wish to see in the world.” Think about it, change has to start somewhere, so why not start with you and me, right now?

You can donate anything randomly, without seeking reward, and anonymously, without telling anyone. This is good for you, the universe, and those who receive your acts of kindness. Every time you give, you will receive – even, if you are not looking for a reward.

Try it, and you will see, what some call, “karma,” the law of cause and effect. It works like this: For every action there is a reaction. Let’s make sure the reactions to our actions are good ones.

Danny Thomas said, “All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don’t discover why. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others.”

Share everything and you will achieve a legacy of kindness. Share nothing and people will, do their best, to forget you. When my life is over, I will only leave memories, in the minds of others, and I want them all to be good ones.

So, how much should you give? It can start with, “heart felt”, kind words, a note, a card, or a flower. You will find that your gifts or donations won’t make you poor. As a result of this, you will see most people, naturally, return kindness to you.

You should also take the time to be polite to all of the people who perform services for you, every day. Many people do not bother to say hello to the maid, janitor, parking attendant, or service clerk.

Once you do, you may even learn their name, and you would be surprised how many of them will go out of their way to give you good service, just by addressing them by their first name.

If you establish sincerity and trust wherever you go, you will be loved by your fellow man. It is really that simple. As Mohammed said, “A person’s true wealth is the good he or she does in the world.”

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October is Halloween and Fun Cooking Skills

Halloween is a great time for serving creative and “gross” foods. Kids’ parties and adult get-togethers can both benefit from some creepy food. From freaky finger foods to ghoulish drinks, you can serve up a memorable meal! Here are some spooky recipes for Halloween, from classy and fun to ghastly and delicious! (Read More)

Halloween Truffles (Life Skills Recipe)

Ingredients

Directions

  • STEP 1 Place parchment paper onto 2 baking sheets; set aside.
  • STEP 2 Place chocolate and butter into bowl; set aside.
  • STEP 3 Pour whipping cream into 1-quart saucepan; cook over medium-high heat 4-5 minutes or until cream comes to a boil. Pour hot whipping cream over chocolate mixture in bowl; let stand 2 minutes. Stir mixture with whisk until smooth. Pour into 8- or 9-inch square pan. Refrigerate at least 1 hour until firm enough to shape.
  • STEP 4 Sprinkle powdered sugar over clean hands; shape level tablespoons of chocolate mixture into balls. Place onto prepared baking sheets.
  • STEP 5 Place decorator sprinkles or sugars into bowls; set aside. Roll each truffle in desired coating. Place truffles in container with tight-fitting lid; refrigerate about 1 hour until firm.
  • Store refrigerated.
  • ENJOY!