need sugestions for cheap things to do over the next 2 weeks
Nicole Willoughby
JJ,
I want to thank you for those links. To be honest I saw the quote somewhere and took it as ..if we as a society are spending more time concerning ourselves with getting that new..fill in the blank..than we are paying attention to our children something is wrong. Ive decided to remove that signature while I read further and decide whether Mr.Phillips is someone I really want to quote or not.
On to my original post. I was trying to make my request quick and to the point but I think being succinct wasn't the best idea in this case :)
I need to give a bit of background and hopefully it will help explain the reason behind my request.
I have 3 kids. My oldest has been unschooling for a couple years now and is 10. My 6 year old wanted to go to school. She had a wonderful teacher in kindergarten and really enjoyed school. Then first grade started and she had a teacher who was keeping her in from recess almost daily when she wasnt finishing her work. Ill just skip forward here and say after 6 weeks of school my little girl decided home would be a much better place to be :)
My son is 8 years old but is severely autistic and nonverbal. He attends school . I simply cannot handle him all day every day.
In may of this year I suffered a cardiac arrest (from a genetic heart condition ) and was dead for several minutes.
I also had surgery last Thursday.
While my son is 8 in age he is about a year mentally. I can't take my eyes off him for a minute. He runs outside and has no fear or understanding of cars. Puts just about anything in his mouth, loves to spill out lotion, shampoo, tooth paste , you name it on the floor . He is a handsome little boy who brings a smile to my face daily . My strength isn't what it used to be and he also exhausts me .
The girls are used to me doing things with them all day and I love it! Its like revisiting my childhood in a much happier way this time around :)
During these next couple of weeks while my son is off of school it is just impossible for me to...for example sit and build kenex, or read to them or even sit and watch a show all the way through with them..kenex is a nightmare he grabs the pieces and throws them around . Reading is read a sentence , get up and grab him the whatever he has gotten a hold of and is dumping on the floor this time out of his hand.
Financially we aren't doing well and at the moment its worse than usual . We just got done moving when we really didnt have the money to move. At our old house we had a convicted sex offender move in next door. The ages of his victims were 11 and 6. He kept walking his dog in front of our house really slowly and just staring but since he lived right next door as long as he wasn't coming into our yard there wasn't much that could be done about it. Late one night we heard a noise and my dh went out the backdoor and someone went out of our yard over our fence. It was pitch black and we have no proof of who it was. Our family was becoming more and more uncomfortable and it felt like my kids were prisoners in their own home. For everyones well being we decided to move now and worry about wether or not we could afford it later. We are struggling because of it at the moment we barely have money for food and gas for dh to get to work. Seeing my kids much happier
and feeling more secure after the move is definetly worth it though.
So what I'm looking for is suggestions for things for them to do . Ways to mix things up a bit and help them have fun while I am giving their brother the attention he needs.
Nicole
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I want to thank you for those links. To be honest I saw the quote somewhere and took it as ..if we as a society are spending more time concerning ourselves with getting that new..fill in the blank..than we are paying attention to our children something is wrong. Ive decided to remove that signature while I read further and decide whether Mr.Phillips is someone I really want to quote or not.
On to my original post. I was trying to make my request quick and to the point but I think being succinct wasn't the best idea in this case :)
I need to give a bit of background and hopefully it will help explain the reason behind my request.
I have 3 kids. My oldest has been unschooling for a couple years now and is 10. My 6 year old wanted to go to school. She had a wonderful teacher in kindergarten and really enjoyed school. Then first grade started and she had a teacher who was keeping her in from recess almost daily when she wasnt finishing her work. Ill just skip forward here and say after 6 weeks of school my little girl decided home would be a much better place to be :)
My son is 8 years old but is severely autistic and nonverbal. He attends school . I simply cannot handle him all day every day.
In may of this year I suffered a cardiac arrest (from a genetic heart condition ) and was dead for several minutes.
I also had surgery last Thursday.
While my son is 8 in age he is about a year mentally. I can't take my eyes off him for a minute. He runs outside and has no fear or understanding of cars. Puts just about anything in his mouth, loves to spill out lotion, shampoo, tooth paste , you name it on the floor . He is a handsome little boy who brings a smile to my face daily . My strength isn't what it used to be and he also exhausts me .
The girls are used to me doing things with them all day and I love it! Its like revisiting my childhood in a much happier way this time around :)
During these next couple of weeks while my son is off of school it is just impossible for me to...for example sit and build kenex, or read to them or even sit and watch a show all the way through with them..kenex is a nightmare he grabs the pieces and throws them around . Reading is read a sentence , get up and grab him the whatever he has gotten a hold of and is dumping on the floor this time out of his hand.
Financially we aren't doing well and at the moment its worse than usual . We just got done moving when we really didnt have the money to move. At our old house we had a convicted sex offender move in next door. The ages of his victims were 11 and 6. He kept walking his dog in front of our house really slowly and just staring but since he lived right next door as long as he wasn't coming into our yard there wasn't much that could be done about it. Late one night we heard a noise and my dh went out the backdoor and someone went out of our yard over our fence. It was pitch black and we have no proof of who it was. Our family was becoming more and more uncomfortable and it felt like my kids were prisoners in their own home. For everyones well being we decided to move now and worry about wether or not we could afford it later. We are struggling because of it at the moment we barely have money for food and gas for dh to get to work. Seeing my kids much happier
and feeling more secure after the move is definetly worth it though.
So what I'm looking for is suggestions for things for them to do . Ways to mix things up a bit and help them have fun while I am giving their brother the attention he needs.
Nicole
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
plaidpanties666
Do you have any video games? I know money is tight, but I've had good luck finding inexpensive games online, and also at pawn shops. There are also free online games they might enjoy at the major cartoon sites:
http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/
http://www.nick.com/
Can you create a temporary space in your home for games and toys with small parts? It seems so hard to have to put up the knex for a couple weeks, but beyond that there are a lot of fun crafty things the girls could probably do without help if they had a "safe space" in which to do them.
---Meredith (Mo 8, Ray 16)
http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/
http://www.nick.com/
Can you create a temporary space in your home for games and toys with small parts? It seems so hard to have to put up the knex for a couple weeks, but beyond that there are a lot of fun crafty things the girls could probably do without help if they had a "safe space" in which to do them.
---Meredith (Mo 8, Ray 16)
Lyla Wolfenstein
wow nicole, to say you have your hands full is the undestatement of the year.
have your girls ever used a hotplate to make wax art? you can often get a very cheap one, if you don't have one, at good will, etc. you plug it in and put a peice of paper on it then draw with crayons - the crayons melt onto the paper - it's really cool. i bet if they used tracing paper it could make nice window/light catchers.
audio books are a big thing for my son (10) - and there are often many available at the library for free...they can listen out loud on a cd player, or quietly on headphones...
do your girls like beading? often one can find cheap beading supplies used as well - and that takes concentration and can fill some time.
what about cooking? there are a few kids cookbooks that have recipes that are pretty easy to follow without much adult interaction - my kids had two by molly katzen - the enchanted broccoli forest and something else - they are probably also at the library...and many use very basic ingredients you might have at home already.
also - if they have access to a computer - sites like www.stumbleupon.com, can provide a lot of meandering fun.
good luck to you!
lyla
have your girls ever used a hotplate to make wax art? you can often get a very cheap one, if you don't have one, at good will, etc. you plug it in and put a peice of paper on it then draw with crayons - the crayons melt onto the paper - it's really cool. i bet if they used tracing paper it could make nice window/light catchers.
audio books are a big thing for my son (10) - and there are often many available at the library for free...they can listen out loud on a cd player, or quietly on headphones...
do your girls like beading? often one can find cheap beading supplies used as well - and that takes concentration and can fill some time.
what about cooking? there are a few kids cookbooks that have recipes that are pretty easy to follow without much adult interaction - my kids had two by molly katzen - the enchanted broccoli forest and something else - they are probably also at the library...and many use very basic ingredients you might have at home already.
also - if they have access to a computer - sites like www.stumbleupon.com, can provide a lot of meandering fun.
good luck to you!
lyla
----- Original Message -----
From: Nicole Willoughby
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 8:31 PM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] need sugestions for cheap things to do over the next 2 weeks
JJ,
I want to thank you for those links. To be honest I saw the quote somewhere and took it as ..if we as a society are spending more time concerning ourselves with getting that new..fill in the blank..than we are paying attention to our children something is wrong. Ive decided to remove that signature while I read further and decide whether Mr.Phillips is someone I really want to quote or not.
On to my original post. I was trying to make my request quick and to the point but I think being succinct wasn't the best idea in this case :)
I need to give a bit of background and hopefully it will help explain the reason behind my request.
I have 3 kids. My oldest has been unschooling for a couple years now and is 10. My 6 year old wanted to go to school. She had a wonderful teacher in kindergarten and really enjoyed school. Then first grade started and she had a teacher who was keeping her in from recess almost daily when she wasnt finishing her work. Ill just skip forward here and say after 6 weeks of school my little girl decided home would be a much better place to be :)
My son is 8 years old but is severely autistic and nonverbal. He attends school . I simply cannot handle him all day every day.
In may of this year I suffered a cardiac arrest (from a genetic heart condition ) and was dead for several minutes.
I also had surgery last Thursday.
While my son is 8 in age he is about a year mentally. I can't take my eyes off him for a minute. He runs outside and has no fear or understanding of cars. Puts just about anything in his mouth, loves to spill out lotion, shampoo, tooth paste , you name it on the floor . He is a handsome little boy who brings a smile to my face daily . My strength isn't what it used to be and he also exhausts me .
The girls are used to me doing things with them all day and I love it! Its like revisiting my childhood in a much happier way this time around :)
During these next couple of weeks while my son is off of school it is just impossible for me to...for example sit and build kenex, or read to them or even sit and watch a show all the way through with them..kenex is a nightmare he grabs the pieces and throws them around . Reading is read a sentence , get up and grab him the whatever he has gotten a hold of and is dumping on the floor this time out of his hand.
Financially we aren't doing well and at the moment its worse than usual . We just got done moving when we really didnt have the money to move. At our old house we had a convicted sex offender move in next door. The ages of his victims were 11 and 6. He kept walking his dog in front of our house really slowly and just staring but since he lived right next door as long as he wasn't coming into our yard there wasn't much that could be done about it. Late one night we heard a noise and my dh went out the backdoor and someone went out of our yard over our fence. It was pitch black and we have no proof of who it was. Our family was becoming more and more uncomfortable and it felt like my kids were prisoners in their own home. For everyones well being we decided to move now and worry about wether or not we could afford it later. We are struggling because of it at the moment we barely have money for food and gas for dh to get to work. Seeing my kids much happier
and feeling more secure after the move is definetly worth it though.
So what I'm looking for is suggestions for things for them to do . Ways to mix things up a bit and help them have fun while I am giving their brother the attention he needs.
Nicole
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Nicole Willoughby
Do you have any video games? yes but they havent wanted to play them in the past few days. Its an option available to them :)
Can you create a temporary space in your home for games and toys with small parts>>>>
actually dh came home with a baby gate to put in our youngest's doorway that he got from someone at work :) My oldest dosent locking her door and being alone for a while but my 6 year has more of a social need so I think it will be helpful .
Nicole
Can you create a temporary space in your home for games and toys with small parts>>>>
actually dh came home with a baby gate to put in our youngest's doorway that he got from someone at work :) My oldest dosent locking her door and being alone for a while but my 6 year has more of a social need so I think it will be helpful .
Nicole
--- On Wed, 12/23/09, plaidpanties666 <meredith@...> wrote:
From: plaidpanties666 <meredith@...>
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Re: need sugestions for cheap things to do over the next 2 weeks
To: [email protected]
Date: Wednesday, December 23, 2009, 11:18 AM
Do you have any video games? I know money is tight, but I've had good luck finding inexpensive games online, and also at pawn shops. There are also free online games they might enjoy at the major cartoon sites:
http://www.cartoonn etwork.com/
http://www.nick com/
Can you create a temporary space in your home for games and toys with small parts? It seems so hard to have to put up the knex for a couple weeks, but beyond that there are a lot of fun crafty things the girls could probably do without help if they had a "safe space" in which to do them.
---Meredith (Mo 8, Ray 16)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Nicole Willoughby
wow nicole, to say you have your hands full is the understatement of the year>>>>>>>
lol you should see the condition of my house. Mess of the year is an understatement :)
Thaks for the suggestions :) I remember doing the hot plate thing with crayons and aluminum foil when I was a kid.
Nicole
lol you should see the condition of my house. Mess of the year is an understatement :)
Thaks for the suggestions :) I remember doing the hot plate thing with crayons and aluminum foil when I was a kid.
Nicole
--- On Wed, 12/23/09, Lyla Wolfenstein <lylaw@...> wrote:
From: Lyla Wolfenstein <lylaw@...>
Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] need sugestions for cheap things to do over the next 2 weeks
To: [email protected]
Date: Wednesday, December 23, 2009, 11:19 AM
wow nicole, to say you have your hands full is the undestatement of the year.
have your girls ever used a hotplate to make wax art? you can often get a very cheap one, if you don't have one, at good will, etc. you plug it in and put a peice of paper on it then draw with crayons - the crayons melt onto the paper - it's really cool. i bet if they used tracing paper it could make nice window/light catchers.
audio books are a big thing for my son (10) - and there are often many available at the library for free...they can listen out loud on a cd player, or quietly on headphones.. .
do your girls like beading? often one can find cheap beading supplies used as well - and that takes concentration and can fill some time.
what about cooking? there are a few kids cookbooks that have recipes that are pretty easy to follow without much adult interaction - my kids had two by molly katzen - the enchanted broccoli forest and something else - they are probably also at the library...and many use very basic ingredients you might have at home already.
also - if they have access to a computer - sites like www.stumbleupon. com, can provide a lot of meandering fun.
good luck to you!
lyla
----- Original Message -----
From: Nicole Willoughby
To: unschoolingbasics@ yahoogroups. com
Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 8:31 PM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] need sugestions for cheap things to do over the next 2 weeks
JJ,
I want to thank you for those links. To be honest I saw the quote somewhere and took it as ..if we as a society are spending more time concerning ourselves with getting that new..fill in the blank..than we are paying attention to our children something is wrong. Ive decided to remove that signature while I read further and decide whether Mr.Phillips is someone I really want to quote or not.
On to my original post. I was trying to make my request quick and to the point but I think being succinct wasn't the best idea in this case :)
I need to give a bit of background and hopefully it will help explain the reason behind my request.
I have 3 kids. My oldest has been unschooling for a couple years now and is 10. My 6 year old wanted to go to school. She had a wonderful teacher in kindergarten and really enjoyed school. Then first grade started and she had a teacher who was keeping her in from recess almost daily when she wasnt finishing her work. Ill just skip forward here and say after 6 weeks of school my little girl decided home would be a much better place to be :)
My son is 8 years old but is severely autistic and nonverbal. He attends school . I simply cannot handle him all day every day.
In may of this year I suffered a cardiac arrest (from a genetic heart condition ) and was dead for several minutes.
I also had surgery last Thursday.
While my son is 8 in age he is about a year mentally. I can't take my eyes off him for a minute. He runs outside and has no fear or understanding of cars. Puts just about anything in his mouth, loves to spill out lotion, shampoo, tooth paste , you name it on the floor . He is a handsome little boy who brings a smile to my face daily . My strength isn't what it used to be and he also exhausts me .
The girls are used to me doing things with them all day and I love it! Its like revisiting my childhood in a much happier way this time around :)
During these next couple of weeks while my son is off of school it is just impossible for me to...for example sit and build kenex, or read to them or even sit and watch a show all the way through with them..kenex is a nightmare he grabs the pieces and throws them around . Reading is read a sentence , get up and grab him the whatever he has gotten a hold of and is dumping on the floor this time out of his hand.
Financially we aren't doing well and at the moment its worse than usual . We just got done moving when we really didnt have the money to move. At our old house we had a convicted sex offender move in next door. The ages of his victims were 11 and 6. He kept walking his dog in front of our house really slowly and just staring but since he lived right next door as long as he wasn't coming into our yard there wasn't much that could be done about it. Late one night we heard a noise and my dh went out the backdoor and someone went out of our yard over our fence. It was pitch black and we have no proof of who it was. Our family was becoming more and more uncomfortable and it felt like my kids were prisoners in their own home. For everyones well being we decided to move now and worry about wether or not we could afford it later. We are struggling because of it at the moment we barely have money for food and gas for dh to get to work. Seeing my kids much
happier
and feeling more secure after the move is definetly worth it though.
So what I'm looking for is suggestions for things for them to do . Ways to mix things up a bit and help them have fun while I am giving their brother the attention he needs.
Nicole
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Ulrike Haupt
Nicole
Since you have internet access how about providing the girls with access to game site they could enjoy togther, up-to-ten, disney play house and nickelodeon, cartoon network and others, basically free of charge. It keeps our little one happy for a long time.
Blissings
Ulrike
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Since you have internet access how about providing the girls with access to game site they could enjoy togther, up-to-ten, disney play house and nickelodeon, cartoon network and others, basically free of charge. It keeps our little one happy for a long time.
Blissings
Ulrike
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Jenna Robertson
My girls love poptropica. www.poptropica.com If your girls haven't been there, it could be a good option. There are quite a few worlds (my eldest just told me they are actually "islands,") now and each one is a game to complete w/ your character. I really know very little about how it actually works (if your girls want to play and get stuck feel free to contact me off list and I'll ask the experts at my house for tips. My girls have also learned to do searches for "cheats" and "walkthroughs.") It's all free and my girls have been playing for years as they keep adding worlds. Yesterday I actually paid $5X2 so both my younger girls could get in on the advanced play for the new island even though finances are very tight. They were thrilled, as was I to have the chance to finish up some holiday gifts :).
My youngest has been cutting out snowflakes. Printer paper and scissors are all you need (or tissue paper or any paper!) It doesn't snow here often so snowflakes taped to windows or hanging from the ceiling add some winter magic to our home.
Could you do some playdough type play and include your son? It costs a little to make, but usually you have the items on hand....
You might try oatmeal playdough if your son puts things in his mouth (the girls could even make the playdough and then you could all play w/ it.)
Oatmeal Playdough
1 cup flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup water
Gradually add water to flour and oatmeal in bowl. Knead until mixed. Use extra flour as needed when playing.
My girls were eager to off ideas (I mentioned your question) and the youngest suggested going outside to play tag (of course we have no idea what the weather is where you live, but then again, you can play tag in all kinds of weather :)
my middle suggested your girls find items around the house to wrap up and give to each other. She saw it as a game in Family Fun magazine. The family wraps random items and exchanges them and then the person unwrapping the gift has to come up with something positive to say about the gift. That can be quite a challenge and funny depending on the gift.
:)
Jenna
"If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I would ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life."
- Rachel Carson
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
My youngest has been cutting out snowflakes. Printer paper and scissors are all you need (or tissue paper or any paper!) It doesn't snow here often so snowflakes taped to windows or hanging from the ceiling add some winter magic to our home.
Could you do some playdough type play and include your son? It costs a little to make, but usually you have the items on hand....
You might try oatmeal playdough if your son puts things in his mouth (the girls could even make the playdough and then you could all play w/ it.)
Oatmeal Playdough
1 cup flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup water
Gradually add water to flour and oatmeal in bowl. Knead until mixed. Use extra flour as needed when playing.
My girls were eager to off ideas (I mentioned your question) and the youngest suggested going outside to play tag (of course we have no idea what the weather is where you live, but then again, you can play tag in all kinds of weather :)
my middle suggested your girls find items around the house to wrap up and give to each other. She saw it as a game in Family Fun magazine. The family wraps random items and exchanges them and then the person unwrapping the gift has to come up with something positive to say about the gift. That can be quite a challenge and funny depending on the gift.
:)
Jenna
"If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I would ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life."
- Rachel Carson
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]