5 Days of Popular Homeschool Teaching Methods ~ Day 2: What is the Charlotte Mason teaching Method? {5 Days of Homeschool Blog Hop}

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Throughout this week I am continuing to share with you some of the Popular Homeschool Teaching Methods that you will find discussed among the homeschooling community. Many of you already know your method--some might be just finding out what they lean to. I woulnd't be surprised is many of you have discovered that your style leans towards the Charlotte Mason method. Because that name is bantered around all the time, I thought I would take a moment today to share WHAT Charlotte Mason method is.

What Is the Charlotte Mason Teaching Method?

Before we get into what the method is, let's quickly touch basis on WHO Charlotte Mason was.

(all of this information can be found by simply typing in her name online--sources are vast, but I like Simply Charlotte Mason the best)

Charlotte Mason was a British educator who lived 1842-1923, who invested her life in improving childhood education. Living during a time when education was determined by social status (poor taught a trade, rich were allowed to study fine arts and literature), she envisioned a more broad curriculum that included

When Rotten Attitudes Enter the Classroom {Homeschooling: Keeping It Real}

In our classroom, we always have a great day! We never have to worry about bad attitudes because the boys always love school and are always helpful and eager to do whatever is asked of them. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful and easy job as their teacher.....um. Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahah. Okay. You really didn't believe me did you? Because if you did, well...you shouldn't. We are just like any other classroom. We have our good days and our bad days. Sometimes more bad days than I really want. It usually boils down to bad attitudes. In this second post of the Homeschooling: Keeping It Real Series, I am going to talk about what we do when someone has a rotten attitude during school!

The Problem

It is no surprise that as a homeschool parent, one of the hardest aspects of homeschooling our children is...well, homeschooling our children! They are our children, so we are well aware of their faults. We know their triggers. We know when they are about to lose it. And we don't exactly have the option of sending them...well to the principal or suspension to get them out of the classroom when they do lose it. A single child with a bad attitude can spell disaster for a homeschool day--just like it can in a public school classroom.
I have been there. Frequently. Like probably once a week.
I mostly see it in my oldest child. He's a perfectionist. He wants everything to come easy, and when it doesn't...well. It can be very ugly some times. It is interesting to me that for someone who talks all the time, he has a very very hard time expressing himself in situations like this and will just react instead. This ends up looking like a red face, angry tear filled eyes, and crossed arms--just ready to explode. Once we go there, it's very hard to get back on track. And if I handle it wrong, it will escalate and jeopardize our entire day.
Guess what? I handle it wrong. A lot.
I can't even begin to tell you the number of times things have gotten very ugly in the classroom because I reacted to his frustration in frustration myself. Oh man. It spins out of control very quickly.
Did I mention that he has a personality like me?  So he knows how to push my buttons very easily?
I'm sure you can think of one (or more) of your children/students who push your buttons more than most. I see my own imperfections reflected back at me and it frustrates me. LOL.
So how CAN I handle it when he's on the brink?
Most children who react with a rotten attitude are usually doing so because there is something that they are frustrated with. Adults are the same way. So why would we think children are any different?
And speaking of adults...
Let's not forget that the TEACHER might be the one with the rotten attitude!
Been there. Done that. And when it's a homeschool teacher with PMS...oh that's a whole other level of ugly.
So what do we do??? What can we do for our children with bad attitudes? What can we do for ourselves? What can we do when their bad attitude destroys our own?

The Solution

Here are some tips and tricks I've put together for diffusing the situation...because let's face it. School isn't going to be happening when attitudes are in play...and we can't just simply call off school every time because of them either!
*Get God involved.  Okay, so this seems weird right? How can you get God involved? Well for me, it's simply making sure that God has been a part of our homeschool day. Did I start my own day with prayer and mediation to get my priorities lined up right? If not, I quickly discover a bad attitude waiting to happen. What about your children? Did you pray with them before starting school? I find that when we fail to pray before school, we tend to deal with FAR more bad attitudes. 
And when tempers flare and the attitudes are interfering--well, I take it to God again. I will have us stop what we are doing and take a time out for prayer to God to help us get re-focused and under control. It helps. Always. 
My friend Heidi has a similar method "When that would happen to us, we would all stop and each say a prayer together and write Proverbs for 15 minutes. It is like a reboot."
*Make sure your child's basic needs are being met. Feed them. What? Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard of being "hangry"? LOL! My boys experience the most attitude disruptions in the period just before lunchtime. I make sure they get snacks about an hour before lunch because they need it to help keep them focused. We do nuts, pretzels, fruit, granola bars...things that can be eaten while they are working. Trust me. It makes a difference.
My friend Diana (of Busy Homeschool Days) agrees: "Food! I'm learning to feed the monster! {I feel like I'm in one of those snickers commercials!} It brings the blood sugar up and gives us a break."
Another friend Tiffany shares: "Sometimes we break for a snack or just don't begin until after lunch."
It's amazing the power of our stomachs and blood sugar when it comes to affecting our brains! Make sure your kids have enough to munch through their day! 
Make sure YOU have enough to eat. Drink that coffee if you need it. Brew your tea. Make sure you give yourself a chocolate stash to raid mid morning. Make a smoothie full of brain food! You need it just as much--maybe even MORE than they do.
Exercise them. Oh boy. When my boys don't get to run and jump and play...well all that bottled up energy leads to serious attitude explosions! There is a REASON recess is so important! When I see them on the brink of explosion, I simply say "Finish up what you are working on right now, and then you can have recess." That usually diffuses the situation quickly. But if it doesn't, I have sometimes had them stand up and start doing silly things. At first they glare at me. But then they smirk. And then they smile. And then they laugh. And then they are ready to get back to work. 
I have a series of fun exercise cards where each card is a letter of the ABC's and has an exercise or movement that starts with that letter. In moments when we need a quick refocus, I will have them "exercise" their name. It works. 
What about PE? Have you incorporated physical education in your classroom? That can be considered tough for homeschoolers...but it is actually pretty simple. Create a circuit workout for your kids that includes jumping jacks, jump roping, hopping, pushups, leg lifts, squats, balancing...and then schedule 15-20 minutes to do it every single day. 
We started doing this and it has made a HUGE difference in our day. They look forward to it and remind me when it's time. Remember when we enjoyed PE back when it was actually still fun and mandatory? With the big parachute, relay races, scooters, and kickball? Our kids aren't any different. And when the weather is nice, take it outside! Get some soccer cones and set up simple games!
And get involved! YOU need the break and movements too!!
Jessica says "I have birthing balls instead of chairs for homework time!"

Millie shares "For me it depends on the child...For my oldest it's physical activity."
Alicia says "We break and I send him outside to take the dog for a walk. It always works between the exercise and the time with his dog...it changes him. And it gives me time to breathe and pray."

Sleep. This is a no brainer. When my boys don't have enough sleep, they get cranky. Make sure your kids are getting enough good sleep every night. Maybe they need a time of rest? Or even a nap? Make sure YOU are getting enough sleep! It's so tempting to work while they are in bed for the night. Or to finish that one more thing...but then it's after midnight and you realize the alarm is going to go off in just a few short hours. Trust me. I am a night owl, who actually needs a lot of sleep. So FORCING myself to go to bed is crucial for my success as a teacher.
Millie agrees "My youngest has anxiety which usually means a nap is in order to reset her."

Charlotte shares "If we are tired. I put a halt on school and we have a two hour rest period where no one is required to go to sleep but lights are out and calming music or a calming Netflix show is put on while we lay there and talk, or don't talk, or sleep or don't sleep, but it is definitely a time to just "Let it go!" 
Angela simply says "I often send the kid to take a nap and have him try again later."
*Change Gears Sometimes, the problem is simply accepting that your child is struggling with something related to school and they need to change gears to something else. Having issues in math? Don't let it escalate to tears! You are in control of the schedule, so change it! Let them shift to a subject they enjoy so they can get re-focused. You can attempt that math again later with a fresh outlook.  I have saved us a lot of bad attitudes by changing up our school day so that we do blocks of two subjects with a recess after. He can choose what he does, but whatever he picks has to be done before he can go to recess. This gives him a sense of being in control and puts him in a much better frame of mind. Charlotte shares "If we are having issues, then before we start back up a lesson, we focus with a small activity like a quick Lego build. I might say "build me a boat!" and she, and her little brother, build a boat. They giggle and laugh and then we can start again." Lindsey says "My daughter is finishing up her reading lessons book, and does first grade math work sheets. But if she is easily frustrated by challenges. On days that she is really struggling I go back and do an easier lesson. That way she is still doing school, but being able to accomplish it with ease makes it more fun." *Teach them how to communicate What do I mean? Well as I said earlier. Most bad attitudes in children are related to a frustration about something they are experiencing. I have learned that my oldest needs to be reminded sometimes about how to communicate in these times of frustration. If he feels himself losing control, I remind him to communicate his feelings so that I can best help him. Give them the freedom to ask questions without being made to feel dumb or stupid. We want to encourage them to express themselves properly, so that we can avoid the blowups. 
9 out of 10 times, my oldest's problems relate to him not remembering how to do something I taught him. And he just forgets that he can simply ask me for help. Instead, he buries his head in his arms and sheds many angry tears at his own inability to grasp or accomplish something. We regularly have to walk through the following:

1. Will your tears fix the problem? (no)
2. Is the frustration you are experiencing related to something you don't understand? (yes)
3. If yes, have you asked mommy to help you with it? (no)
4. Is mommy willing to help you? (yes)
Once we work through these questions, I then advise him to take a deep breath, wipe his eyes, and think about what he needs. Then and ONLY then can he ask. This allows him to get control over himself so that he can communicate freely.
Sometimes, the bad attitude is not related to the current assignment, but rather school as a whole. If you are a homeschooler, I'm SURE you have heard at least one of them say "I wish I didn't have to do school." 
It's in times like this, that it might be good to just sit and TALK. What do they wish they could do instead? If it's just to play, have a good chat with them about the importance of education and the reasons why we go to "school". What kind of job do they want later? Obviously adjust this for your child's age. Sometimes just telling them that you understand but that there is a time for work and a time for play can suffice.
More than anything, during this time of frustration, I work on teaching him to communicate his feelings and needs properly to me or whomever is involved.
Don't forget the power of a "soft answer" When it comes to dealing with frustrations, it's back to the basics...back to the source of all wisdom for our family...

"A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare." Proverbs 15:1 (NIV)

It's so simple. Yet I need this PLASTERED all over my desk in the classroom. When I respond to his frustration with a soft answer. A gentle touch. A hug. A pat. LOVE. I can diffuse the situation fairly quickly. When I demonstrate to him proper communication, it gives him the proper outlet for his own communication.
Do I remember to do this? Not always.
I am working so hard on answering his frustrations with kindness and gentleness instead of frustration of my own. But I have a long way to go.
*Sometimes you have to deal with the heart There are times when the issues are boiled down to a character level. It becomes a heart matter. It's not about you not helping them with something that causes them to lose it. It's about them losing control of their emotions just because they choose to. 
There are legitimate cases where children have issues of some kind that get their emotions out of whack. That's a whole other situation and issue. 
I am talking about cases when it's just downright a complete loss of control. When the countenance falls. The tongue becomes sharp. When it becomes a situation of disrespect.
We deal with that here.  Frequently, I'm afraid.
Every family has their own methods for dealing with this, but it HAS to be done. Maintaining control of one's self is so important, and yet all too many children today do not know how to do it. And then they grow up into adults who have no control of themselves and become loose cannons. We as parents--the ultimate teachers--must always address this issue with fervent action! 
And sometimes that means stopping everything you are doing in the middle of school to take care of it!
One of my friend's Lindsey has this reminder "To all homeschooling moms I would say "Remember that we chose homeschooling so that we could prioritize character building over simple academia. If the focus of a day shifts from book work to character lessons and relationship building, it isn't a failed school day, it's a day devoted to only the MOST important learning."
Cheryl shares "We work on having our children recognize the first signs of a bad attitude & usually work at those first signs where it can be done with verbal admonition. We take the offending child aside for a one-on-one talk (usually on a knee) and talk about the attitude problem. We usually point that the root of the bad attitude is selfishness-- thinking about yourself and wallowing in it. We take them back to the stories of the bible and of some of their favorite heroes to where the character of selflessness is highlighted. Usually that does the trick and if their attitude is better afterward, we go do something that they enjoy.. Be it a walk, doing a hairstyle, building blocks, making some popcorn, reading a book, it simply take a nap etc...If the bad attitude was not caught ahead of time & it leads to the physical hurt of another, then that receives an escalated admonition with a stronger consequence."
Diana says "If the attitude is bigger than a simple need not being met, there are a few things I may try. I have given a chore list in place of school. Usually, the attitude shapes up and he gets back to work on the schoolwork."
We do something similar to all of these. We stop immediately and address the issue. A verbal warning is given and we continue on. If the attitude doesn't change, then we shift to a consequence--extra chores in the house, or outside the house, or a loss of a priviledge. We also do the traditional old school "Name on the Board". If the name is on the board, they have to explain to Love-Of-My-Life (the principal) why it was put there. If there are check marks...well, then they have escalated all their consequences. I have RARELY had to put more than 1 check by anyone's name in any given day. I have found that just having to talk to Daddy about why their name is on the board is a deterrent itself. For now anyways.
Extra chores is another plus. I always have things that they can do for me. It's amazing how quickly they decide a good attitude and schoolwork is better idea than scrubbing toilets and windows.

During these moments of correction, I also pull out scriptures which show the responsibility God has put on me as a parent. That I am responsible for TEACHING them to act appropriately. And that I am not doing MY job if I don't help them curb these attitudes and behaviors. That does seem to help shift the focus back to God. We have pulled out the 10 Commandments and discussed how disrespectful attitudes, break the 5th commandment about honoring a mother and father. 
*Sometimes YOU need the break What? But THEY have the bad attitude, not me. Sure. Maybe they do. But all too often we get sucked into responding without stopping to think about what we are doing or saying. Then next thing you know you are maybe raising your voice. Or you just find yourself going head to head with them. Even when they have the attitude, sometimes it is best to remove yourself from the situation in order to count to 10 or take a moment to breathe before responding.
But sometimes...you are the one with the bad attitude. 
What do we do when it becomes apparent that WE are the ones with the problem?
Millie "For my bad attitude it's simply some time alone. I send them to recess or to take a break."
Jessica "Make sure you are de-stressed before going into teaching. If that means a cup of tea and doing the dishes first and maybe lying down for 5 minutes and visualizing, then do it!"

Tiffany "If it's me- Afternoon school instead of morning or we just may not do school that day. I do a 4 day school week...so there's an extra day to lean on if need be."
Charlotte "Since I work full-time as a night shift nurse I battle bad attitudes of my own often. Let's face it. Doing Math or listening to my first grader struggle with words when I'm exhausted is beyond challenging and not fair to either of us. Now, there are certainly days where nothing seems to work. Those days get a hot bubble bath and I lighten the load to do it in the afternoon." 
Diana "When *I* am in a bad mood, I'll go do a chore or take a nap. He's instructed to do what he can by himself and then he's free to go play. I may or may not bring him back to finish things later. We seem to feed off each other when there are bad attitudes happening. So it's usually best that we separate ourselves for a time."
Lindsey "For MY bad attitudes I have to meditate on why I'm doing this, as it is usually caused by impatience or a desire to be done and doing something else."
Cheryl "If it is me that has the attitude problem, I retreat by myself (usually the bathroom) and say a prayer, have them listen to their favorite audio book to get my time alone doing whatever or we all go out for a walk/run and simply enjoy the day."
If I catch myself starting to get uptight, I remove myself from the situation. As Diana said, bad attitudes feed on each other and my attitude will spill over onto the boys and it will be come a big mess. So I usually go and grab my rollerbottle of a relaxing blend of essential oils and oil up. That helps so much. Sometimes I simply announce that it's lunch time...and we take an extended lunch--during which time I sit and read or listen to music. Something to get myself relaxed again. And every now and then I admit defeat and simply cancel school for the day. And pray. I do a LOT of praying. Calling up scripture to mind. There are days I do an impromptu bible study just to get refocused.
*** Whether dealing with a bad attitude from one of your children, or dealing with a whopper of a bad mood in your own self, there are always steps that you can take to diffuse the situation and salvage your school day. Thankfully as homeschool teachers, we CAN send everyone out to recess that last for an hour. We CAN drop math and go straight to art or PE. We CAN stop what we are doing and go on a walk outside. We can stop and deal with the attitudes in the middle of class without worrying about the time lost. We can even throw in the towel for the day if we need to. 
The next time the rotten attitudes come knocking on your homeschool door, try sending them packing with a few of these tips and tricks I have shared today. We all have those kind of days....but they are able to dealt with, without losing your cool and making a bad day worse!
*** Thank you for joining me for my second post in the Homeschooling: Keeping It Real series! Today we talked about how we deal with the bad attitudes that enter the classroom sometimes. The first post in our series was about having to make curriculum changes mid-school year. The next post is going to be a guest post from a friend about things she's learned as she started her brand new homeschool journey. I hope you will join me as I continue this biweekly series, giving you a glimpse into some of the nitty gritty aspects of being a homeschooling mom!
What are some things YOU do to diffuse a bad attitude?

***

Serving Pancakes

You never know where you will learn a life lesson. Sometimes it comes through the simple act of making pancakes for breakfast.

Love-Of-My-Life and Little Britches were hard at work in the classroom this morning. We purchased a new desk and they were working together (kind of) to take apart the old one. Baby Britches kept getting in the way. So he left the room.

I was in the kitchen making pancakes (everyone's favorite breakfast), and noticed that Baby Britches was missing. We found him up behind the new TV, currently on the coffee table since it doesn't fit in our current entertainment center (we have a new one on order). So we had him get down and then he wandered away again.

Recognizing the lack of his voice in the house, I searched for him and discovered him just sitting all alone on my jacuzzi tub steps in my bathroom. He was rather morose and not his usual perky self. So I knelt down and picked him up. As I carried him into the other room I asked him what was wrong several times. "Nuffin!" he kept insisting. But my mommy heart was pretty sure I knew what he wouldn't say or couldn't describe...he was feeling left out.

So I brought him in the kitchen with me. I usually don't like help while I am cooking because...well, I can get it done faster without it. LOL. But I knew that this little one of mine has an inner NEED to be helpful. So I asked him if he'd like to help me cook the pancakes.

And with that one question, I lit a spark. He instantly perked up and was eager to do anything I asked. Yes I was working with things that were messy. Yes he was going to be working by a hot skillet. But this little boy of mine NEEDED to feel useful.

And so the two of us finished the pancakes and I imparted mommy wisdom about using utensils, stove safety, and how to tell when pancakes are ready to turn.

He did touch the handle of the cast iron skillet with his hand, but he was so into helping me, he insisted it didn't hurt. (later he decided it did a little bit and I put some Lavender Essential Oil on it) Perhaps he was worried he'd have to stop helping me.

Never was a little boy so eager to announce that breakfast was ready than when he placed the big pile of pancakes on the table. How excited he was to announce that he had helped mommy and that we even were going to have strawberries and "whooped cream".

We had a delightful breakfast and Baby Britches left the table full physically and emotionally. I had fed his belly AND his inner need to be wanted and helpful.

This taught me a valuable lesson. Even as little children, we crave the need to be useful. Can you think of times when you really wanted to help but were brushed off with a "we got this, no thanks"? What about you? Have you ever quenched someone's need to help--perhaps not even recognizing it was there?

I am absolutely guilty in this.

Perhaps I am the most guilty when it comes to the boys. I am working on making sure that I include them in things that allows them to spend time with me, even when I know it might get done slower, or done in a way that isn't "quite right". They need to feel useful, and they need the mommy time.

So many people have serving hearts--my littlest has a serving heart the size of Texas. Today taught me how badly I need to recognize it and help it to grow. And how much I need to check the status of my own, for to serve is what I as a Christian am called to do.

"For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." 
Galatians 5:13 (NKJV)

The next time I am busy doing something--whether decorating at a gathering, putting food out for a potluck, folding clean clothes, or even making pancakes, I will try to remember to look for and feed the serving heart of someone in need.

We Choose Virtues (A Curriculum Review)

I have always been interested in the We Choose Virtues curriculum. I love the concept behind it and have admired it from afar as my friends raved about it. Character training is very important when teaching children and I imagined that the program would be a great fit for our family, if I was ever able to use it. As you can imagine I was DELIGHTED to be able to review the Parenting Cards by We Choose Virtues with my family.

What is We Choose Virtues?

We Choose Virtues was created by Heather McMillan in an effort to provide parents and educators character training for children. She designed the program to be fun, catchy and life changing for any child participating. The We Choose Virtues curriculum is available in many different types of kits. There are kits for a classroom, homeschool, and family as well as smaller kits for kids, teachers and parents...and much more! 

I was given the Parenting Cards (NIrV) to review with the WCV Download bundle to assist me with using the cards. 

The Parenting Cards are teacher cards for the home. They are full color and have cute illustrations of the Virtue Kids on each one. There are 12 cards in the set which sells for $38.49. You have the choice of purchasing the cards with either scriptures from the New International Readers Version (Old Testament and New Testament) or the King James Version (OT only). They are also available in Spanish. They are ready to use as is: everything the child needs to know is on the front and everything the teacher needs is on the back! This product is geared for ages 3-11, but it's a great resource for your whole family. 

Here are the 12 virtues that are taught in the curriculum (regardless of which one you purchase):

diligence 

helpfulness

perseverance 

gentleness 

contentment 

attentiveness 

honesty 

kindness 

self-control 

patience 

obedience

forgiveness

The WCV Download Bundle sells for $7.99 and contains:

*Kids of VirtueVille Coloring Book (PDF Download)

*Family Character Assessment (PDF Download)
*Teacher's Handbook (PDF Download)
*Butterfly Awards for Kids (PDF Download)

I was additionally given the fun resource Sing-Along Virtue Songs ($3.00)--12 Sing-along Virtue Song sheets, putting the words for each virtue to popular tunes like "She's be Coming 'Round the Mountain" to help the children learn and remember.

How Did We Use The Product?

The first thing I did upon receiving the product was go through the Teacher's Handbook (in the download bundle) to get a feel for how to use the Parenting Cards. This was helpful to get an idea on what was expected. I printed off two copies of the Family Character Assessment (download bundle). I filled out one for Little Britches, but I also went ahead and filled out one for me. The assessment lists each of the 12 virtues and has you rank your child as to how well they demonstrate that virtue. There were some my son is very strong in...but some he definitely needs work.  I could say that same about my OWN assessment. It was definitely interesting to note when I was done that several of the Virtues I felt HE needed to work on, were ones that I too needed to work on. Coincidence? LOL!

Using the assessment as my guide, I pulled the cards matching the lowest ranked virtues as the cards we addressed first. I read each of the cards to get an idea of what was going to be expected and to think of ways to implement them.

It is suggested that the We Chooser Virtues program is just 10 minutes of your day, spending time discussing the cards, the virtues, their applications and then choosing to do some of the things from the back of the cards.

The back of the cards are sectioned out into things for YOU the teacher to use. The story introducing the Kids of VirtueVille that are on the front of each card is a great introduction to the card. It ends with an open ended question where your child can discuss their thoughts on the virtue being taught based on the story. I always started our new lessons with this. We had some great discussions as I guided him with each story.

Here is how our study on the virtues went:

Day 1:
Little Britches read the front of the card to "meet" the virtue and the scripture passage that goes with it. When he was done I would read the story of the Kids of VirtueVille that is on the back of the card and we discussed the open ended story. When this was done, I had him re-read the front of the card and tell me the name of the Kids of VirtueVille that went with the card.

Day 2:
Little Britches reads the front of the card aloud and then gives me a summary of how the Kids of VirtueVille on the card helps to remind him of the Virtue. I re-read the scripture and if I knew of a story from the Bible that went well with the virtue, we read that--for instance, I read the story of Jonah (again!) when we were working on the virtue Obedience. Likewise, with the virtue Attentive, we read the story of when Moses didn't listen and heed God's words and struck the rock to bring water for the Israelites rather than SPEAK to the rock as God had commanded. Once we finished this, he re-reads the front of the card again.

Day 3: 
Little Britches reads the front of the card aloud and then colors the matching virtue coloring page from the Kids of VirtueVille Coloring Book (download bundle).

Day 4:
Little Britches recites (for he knows it by heart now) the front of the card. We go over some of the items from the "Teachable Moments..." section on the back of the card. Sometimes it's just things to discuss, other times it is something that can be done--like with Attentive, we played a game from our collection that required attentiveness--BUG BINGO!

Baby Britches loved it when we played this because he can play it too. This game really helped them see why even in fun things being attentive is important--especially when Little Britches lost to Baby Britches because he wasn't being attentive to the game. LOL!

Day 5:
We really just went over the card one last time--if I had remembered that I had been given the Sing-Along Virtue Songs, I totally would have used them on this last day. (Something I plan on doing from here on out) But instead, we discussed how the week went and if we had seen examples of butterflies (using the virtues).

This routine is what I used for the cards each week. As we learned more cards, we continued to review the ones we had already covered and it was easy for me to keep them visible by just clipping them to my magnetic white board.

As we went along with them, we learned how they are all inter-connected. How sometimes you have to be self-controlled in order to be attentive and then you have to be attentive so you can be obedient. This really drove these virtues home on why they are so important.

Which one resonated more than any of the others for my Little Britches? Self-Controlled. This one is VERY hard for him and frankly, it's the one I need to work on the most myself. But I am seeing improvement (in BOTH of us!).

I have been really watching and waiting for a time to impart one of the beautiful Butterfly Awards (download bundle) and I was able to do that this week.

He demonstrated amazing gentleness in how he treated me after I learned of the death of my grandpa. He didn't think his actions were that big of a deal, so I spent time explaining WHY it WAS a big deal. I could tell he was pleased after it was over. I am going to continue to keep my eyes open for more opportunities to award him for the virtues we've been going over.

What Are Our Thoughts On the Product?

Little Britches: "It's okay. I don't really like that these are things I have issues with. Sometimes they aren't fun because you (as in me, mommy) point out that it's something I have to work on. But I like it when we color or play games."

Bwahahahaah. At least he's honest. As you can see, character training isn't always loved by the child...but then when do we love it when God works on these same things with us? 

I really like this product. The Parenting Cards are very simple to implement and are very colorful. The Kids of VirtueVille stories are short and easy to remember--and incorporate things that would be probable things children might experience. I like that there are scriptures for each card, that every card gives goals for the family, that every card has a section offering up ways to teach the virtue, and I love that each card also teaches how to apologize for times when a virtue is not demonstrated.

I like that the virtues to be learned are compared to butterflies and caterpillars...to remind the child (and parent) that anyone can change into something better. I reference this to Little Britches all the time. He will hear me say "Uh oh...is that a caterpillar I see?" if a virtue is not being used. He knows IMMEDIATELY what I'm talking about and it makes him stop and think. I also praise him for demonstration of butterflies...I am considering purchasing the 100 Days of Virtue Achievement Chart where he can visually see when he's changing behavior from caterpillars to butterflies.

I wish that each card incorporated stories from the Bible--or at least referenced some--instead of just a scripture. I added it on my own because I felt it was a perfect tie-in. I think the WCV Download Bundle helps teach the program and if we hadn't of been given it as an extra I would have had a harder time with figuring out what to do with the Parenting Cards. There is an "explanation" card for the teacher included with the cards, but I didn't find it that useful.

Would I Recommend We Choose Virtues?

Yes! I am very thankful that we were chosen for this review. Character education is such an important part of schooling and one that I've really wanted to implement beyond what we've already been doing. I think that these cards definitely helped me take a step in the right direction. They don't take up very much of my time, but the lessons can and are referenced by our family throughout the day. I think that if you wanted to start off with just a basic beginning into character education, these Parenting Cards ($38.49) would be just right!

We Choose Virtues is also running a big promo right now that my readers can take advantage of!

MAY-JUNE 2014: *Promo Code BIG50 for 50% off our amazing set of 12 11x17 Kids of VirtueVille Posters! This is the first time we have ever offered these posters at this price. They are great for school classrooms, Kids Church, or your homeschool room. Kids love them for their bedrooms, bathrooms and kids’ hallways.

JUNE-AUGUST 2014: *Promo Code BTS20 for 20% off anything in our WCV Store. This includes any kit. Let’s start School with Virtues this year!

These are both great deals and I hope you will visit We Choose Virtues to see their full line of products!

Want To See More About We Choose Virtues?

If you are interested in learning more about the We Choose Virtues programs, please check them out at these social media outlets:
*Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wechoosevirtues
*Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/WeChooseVirtues/
*Blog: http://www.wechoosevirtuesblog.com/

Want to check out the KJV cards? Or how about the Youth Journal for the older kids? Check out what some of my fellow crew members thought of these items!

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Thank you for joining me in another review! Don't forget you can see a list of all the curriculum and products I have reviewed on my Curriculum and Product Review page!