Author Archives: Richele McFarlin

About Richele McFarlin

Richele is a Christian homeschooling mom to four children, writer and business owner. Her collegiate background is in educational psychology. Although it never prepared her for playing Candyland, grading science, chasing a toddler, doing laundry and making dinner at the same time.

When Do You Start Piano Lessons?

What is the right age to being piano lessons? Is there a right age? My brother is a musician and owns his own music store. He is an experienced music teacher for adults and children. He said that by far a child was much easier to teach than an adult. Children are open and have little expectations whereas adults walk in with a set idea on what they want to accomplish. More often than not, my brother has stated, adults have an unrealistic set of accomplishments and get discouraged early on and quite. Children are open to learning and will … Continue reading →

I Cannot Teach Music

Experience tells me I am not the only one who has uttered these words.  When I embarked on homeschooling I considered many things.  I considered phonics, math, literature, history, and methodology.  I lived in the bright light of hope for my ability to homeschool joyfully and effectively.  My glasses were always rosy colored.  It’s easy to color your view rosy when you simply do not consider the road blocks.  I assumed I would figure it all out on the job.  Then one day, it happened.  My child developed a love for music and desired to sing and play an instrument.  … Continue reading →

Family Movie Night

Family movie night is a tradition in my house.  We love to watch movies anyway so naturally we would love watching them together.  It is a wonderful way to spend memorable times together.  On hot summer nights or rainy afternoons, a movie with the kids is a perfect way to spend it! Tips for Family Movie Night Make it a Regular Night.  You can have family movie night every week, every two weeks, or every month.  Whatever you chose, make sure that it is an official day.  As your kids grow, and get busy with life,  you will want to … Continue reading →

Should I get my preschooler a pet?

Pets and kids go together like peanut butter and jelly. Most children love animals and enjoy being around them. There comes a time in most children’s lives when they ask their parents for a pet. It could be a puppy, kitty, turtle or fish but at some point they will ask. The decision needs to be made wisely or you could head for disaster and teach your child the opposite of what you thought this beautiful experience would be like. You need to pick the right pet for your family and your lifestyle. You need to have a realistic view … Continue reading →

Converting an Oatmeal Box into Preschool Fun

Oatmeal boxes are a great size and shape for many purposes. Since you are buying oatmeal anyway you may as well put the box to good use. Here are some ideas. Letter Box: Place foam letters, magnetic letters and wooden letter beads in the oatmeal box. Have your child pull out letters for letter recognition. You can have your child write the letter or find an object which starts with that letter around the house. You can also fill the box with pictures of items and have your child match the image to the letter the word starts with. Number … Continue reading →

Visual Latin: Makes Latin Easy!

The thought of teaching Latin made me want to hide under a table. I did not think there would be any way for me to teach Latin. I never took Latin in school. I have no experience in this subject and quite frankly it is an intimidating subject if you are unfamiliar. Knowing that I decided to homeschool to provide a better education I knew I would have to find away to teach my children Latin. Latin will help build a strong foundation for English. A person who knows Latin will have a firmer grasp on vocabulary and spelling. I … Continue reading →

So Tired of Washing Glasses

I grew so weary of having four kids and 6 to 7 glasses on tables with no one to claim them.  The kids could never remember whose glass was whose.  The solution was to get another glass.  Now, I ask you, why would a family of 6 have 10 glasses to wash at the end of the night? I developed my own solution.  I purchased disposable cups.  In a moment of weakness, I thought that would solve all the cups around the house. It did cut down on glasses but now I had disposable cups all over the place.  Each … Continue reading →

Tutorial Apps

Currently Photoshop is keeping me humble.  In order to understand it, I had to ask a friend for help.  Recently, I downloaded a tutorial from the app store.  I love the ability to watch a video as I work on my computer at the same time.  I found learning this way to be highly effective.  Not only do I get to see someone doing it, I have the ability to mimic it on my own screen at the same time.  That is a combination I need when figuring out certain things like Photoshop.  The downside is that you cannot ask … Continue reading →

How to Make Ice Cream

A fun activity to share with your children is making ice cream.  You do not need to buy an ice cream maker to have fun with this activity.  I just purchased an ice cream maker and the family loves it.  Just be warned it does take time to make ice cream, unless you do it by hand as the recipe is for below. Ice Cream without an Ice Cream Maker Ingredients 2 cups cold heavy/whipping cream 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk Your choice of mix-ins (berries, chocolate, cookies, etc.)   Instructions   Whip cream with mixer or whisk until … Continue reading →

TakeLessons.com: When You Need the Extra Help

Help has Arrived with TakeLessons TakeLessons simplifies the process of finding a Music Instructor or Academic Tutor who is assuredly who qualified and safe. I like keeping it simple and not having to do my own background check.  I also like that TakeLessons has been in business since 2006 and worked with over 30,000 students nationwide.  They are experts at connecting students and families with the experts in music, art, and academics.      It is expected to get a case of the jitters when hiring someone you do not know to instruct your child.  However, it should be comforting … Continue reading →