Artistic Pursuits- Review

We reviewed Artistic Pursuits, Junior High Book 2: Color and Composition

I jumped right into this with my 8th grader, Michaela. She has had some *bad* art experiences in life. When I pulled this out, she moaned and groaned and begged not to. I agreed with her, that we would do just the first two units, and then if she didn't want to continue, we wouldn't. After I did unit one with her, she has continued on to do unit two and says she will keep doing them. She enjoys them, and doesn't feel the pressure to be perfect. Of course, she is finally making art that looks like "art", which has boosted her self-esteem and she is proud of what she has done. 

I would love to share with you her pastel picture she made of an elk, but I can't get my camera to upload to my computer. Just let me tell you, it's going to be framed and hung in our home. 

The program doesn't just teach art, it teaches art history, art appreciation, techniques, and how to apply all of those things. Also, it helps the student to build a visual vocabulary. 

The price for this book is $42.95. They also have books all the way from pre-school age to 12th grade. The books are non-consumable, which means that your family can use them over and over again. You can also buy the art supply packs to go along with the curriculum.

I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review as part of The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew. You can visit the blog by clicking the banner below, and read reviews of this product and others. 

"The Person I Marry", Bower Books- Review

I am going to start out this review by telling you that this book, "The Person I Marry", is a book I believe should be on every family's bookshelf. Society today has put a different definition on marriage, and has almost made a mockery of the sacred institution. That standard in today's society is not god enough for my family, and it is not good enough for God. Marriage is a beautiful gift given to us, and it is one that is to be taken seriously. This is the very accurate description they give of the book on their website:

Respect, kindness, honesty, faithfulness, thoughtfulness, patience - qualities like these make strong marriages.  Created by award-winning author & illustrator team
Gary & Jan Bower (married 32 years), this adorable book warms the hearts of all ages in its celebration of commitment,purity & true love!

My children have talked about "when I grow up and get married" since they were tiny tots. Of course I have told them the importance of character when the time to court or date comes along. But, how do I reinforce that? What exactly are those character traits that will help to make a marriage stronger and align more clearly with the plan God set forth for marriages? 

This book "The Person I Marry", by Gary (Author) and Jan (Illustrator) Bower answers that question beautifully.

The Person I Marry from Bower Books on Vimeo.

"The Person I Marry" can be purchased for $11.99. It is part of the "Bright Future Series" which includes:

• There's a Party in Heaven (for encouragement in times of loss)
• The Person I Marry (looking for character traits in a mate)
• There's a Jingle in my Pocket (dealing with money matters for children)
• What do Heroes Wear (about serving others)

From the Author & Illustrator:

"The Person I Marry" has received wonderful endorsements from Gary Smalley, Eric & Leslie Ludy, and the Duggar Family.  This book is part of our "Bright Future Series" which shares Biblical principles for families in beautiful and down-to-earth ways.  The Person I Marry was awarded "2010 Book of the Year" by the Christian Small Publisher Association.  We created this book the year of our 30th anniversary as a tool for tenderizing the hearts of our own 12 children, and sparking comfortable conversation about marriage amongst ourselves.  We hope you like it!

Bower Books has many other books available that I am sure are just as lovely. We have some on our shelves already, and after reading "The Person I Marry", we will be adding more.

Disclaimer: I received this product in exchange for an honest review. My favorable review was not a condition of this arrangement. For this review, and for other reviews of the same product and more, please visit the Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew Review Blog. 

Excellence in Literature-Introduction to Literature, English 1 (review)

Literature was always one of my favorite subjects in school and college. I wish my children were naturally the same. However, they are not. 

I have heard Janice Campbell, the author of Excellence in Literature, speak at a homeschool conference. I was impressed with her approach to learning and her unique way of presenting academics. I had planned on getting Excellence in Literature to try for my kids, but had not done it yet. Then the opportunity to review the program (Introduction to Literature, English 1) came up and I jumped at it. 

The study I reviewed came in ebook form. At first, that challenged me. I do not  do well at reading for long periods of time on the computer, and neither do my children. Thank goodness there are easy options! I did not want to use my ink to print all 131 pages of the book, so I sent it to Staples to be printed. I also had it bound with metal spiral and put a hard cover on it. It cost me $13 and some change. Pretty inexpensive, and now I have it in both forms! There are links in the book and I can use the ebook to easily pull those up. 

When I got it all printed up, I sat down and read through it. I enjoyed it and I learned things I, a self proclaimed literature junkie, did not know. I decided to start off by assigning my daughter (an 8th grader) a few pages a day to read, up until the first unit. Well, the first day she read beyond what I had assigned her and asked to start the first unit! I wondered if in fact this were my daughter, and not one the aliens had replaced when they stole mine. She has since worked through almost two units, and is even doing the extra work, the honors track (even though I did not assign it). I am amazed that this is my literature reluctant 8th grader doing work of high school honors! It has also created in her an excitement for literature and writing that was not there previously. She even chose a non-assigned 700+ page book to read for pleasure, and that has NEVER happened. She is starting discussions with us and others that are deep and thoughtful. I cannot express to you the change in her that just the last few weeks of doing EIL has created! In addition to those things, it is teaching her to evaluate everything more thoroughly, and how to learn in new ways. 

So, with that being said I tell you I am won over. This is a curriculum that will be in our schoolroom permanently. 

This is what Everyday Education says is so spectacular about Excellence in Literature, and I must tell you I agree:

• Carefully-chosen great books increase cultural literacy.
• Self-directed courses encourage independent learning.
• College-style syllabus helps to prepare students for university academic experiences.
• Week-by-week lesson plans make it easy to know what to do when.
• Honors Option provides motivated students the opportunity to earn advanced placement or college credit.
• Evaluation rubric makes grading simple.
• Carefully designed end-of-semester evaluation reports provide a detailed snapshot of progress.
• Context readings provide in-depth understanding of literature in its historical and artistic context.
• Students will be introduced to books they'll never forget.

The Excellence in Literature-Introduction to Literature, English 1 curriculum is for the age range of 8th-12th grade. You can get it in the print version ($29 + $4.95 S&H) or in the ebook format ($27). You can also try it out for free, with the sample unit.



I was given this curriculum free of charge to me in exchange for an honest review. My favorable review was not a condition of this exchange. You can read other reviews of this product and others over at the Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew Blog.

Say Anything (North Star Games) - Review

SayAnything Family is a fun family game that comes loaded with a lot of laughs. No no, they're not in the box, but, I promise you, they are there. It's also easy to play. No complicated rules and regulations and no exceptions. Just open, read the few rules, and play.

The game. another product from North Star Games, is listed for ages 8+ years, for 3-8 people. Well, we got this to review and it was just me, the 6 year old, and the 13 year old when I decided to pull it out. What to do, what to do? We decided since the 6 year old could certainly understand the concept, we'd just write his answer down for him. Stay tuned for how THAT turned out!

First, let me explain a little about the game, you basically have a judge who reads a question and the other players have to write down their answer to that question. The judge then secretly chooses the best answer and lays the "Selectomatic 6000" down, which has their judgement recorded. Then, the players place their tokens on which answer they think the judge will vote for. If they get it right, they get points for their wagers. The judge gets points for every wager that is placed on their answer. Now, everyone gets to be the judge. The turns rotate. 

Playing with a 6 year old boy can be quite entertaining. When asked, "What is the best rap song?" he responded "the one about saran wrap". When asked "Which celebrity's house has the best Halloween Candy?" he answered "Mickey Mouse". My favorite was when asked "Which celebrity would make the worst presidential candidate?" and he answered "OBAMA!". Anyhow, it was a hoot. When Daddy got home that same evening, we insisted he play with us too. Now when he comes home he requests our nightly game either be this or Wits & Wagers Family, from the same company.  We all laugh so hard playing these games. It's a great stress reliever!

You can buy "Say Anything Family" at local retailers like Target, Barnes & Noble, and Toys R Us (as well as other stores, the website has a store finder app) as well as online at various retailers. The price varies from $13-$15 at most of the retailers I have found. 

I have received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. My favorable review was not a condition of this exchange, just honesty. You can see other reviews for this product, as well as many other if you click on the Old Schoolhouse Crew banner below. 

North Star Games- Wits & Wagers Family (Review)

Wits & Wagers Family is a product from North Star Games. It is a party style game, which can be played by individuals playing against one another, or up to 5 teams. It is a family friendly version of their game "Wits & Wagers".  This is what North Star has to say about this game:

Wits & Wagers Family simplifies the rules and scoring system of the popular Wits & Wagers. Now families and kids can get into the Wits & Wagers action! First, every player writes down a guess to a fun question. Then players try to score points by choosing which guess is closest to the right answer without going over. That is it!

The game features 300 new family-friendly questions. And even better than that, Wits & Wagers Family includes Meeples-- fun, cute, human shaped wooden pieces that the players use to select which answers they think are correct. Meeples have been a hallmark in European style strategy games for years, but this is the first time they have made an appearance in a party game.

So check out Wits & Wagers Family, the game that combines laughter and learning in a way that all ages can enjoy together!

Our family loves to play games. We love this one especially. Everyone in the house can play, even the 6 year old. I mean, he can guess at things with the best of us! We like to pull it out in the evening after supper and have some bonding time over it. We also plan to take it to the deer lease with us to play with the other hunters & their families...it's just that fun! 

This week we had our weekly homeschool group get together, and I took the game to see how the other kids & families felt about it. I also wanted to see how well it worked with teams vs. individuals. We got into 5 groups and competed against one another, and it was an absolute blast! Every family there said that they were going to buy the game. I think that speaks for itself. One member did have a suggestion though, they suggested that the company make a Jr. version, just for smaller children to play together. Regardless, they still loved this edition. 

Something I have discovered about North Star games is how they stand behind their products. If you lose a piece or something breaks, they will replace it FREE of charge (as long as it is within the first year of purchase). What other game companies do that? Not any that I know of!

The game can be found at various online retailers and also in your local stores, like Target, Barnes and Noble, or Toys R Us. The price range I have found varies from $20-$30, depending on the store and whether you pay shipping or not. It is suitable for all ages. 

I was provided with this product as part of the 2011-2012 Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. In exchange for the product, I agreed to do an honest review of the game. The review was not required to be favorable, just honest.

      

E-Mealz (review)

As a busy Mom, meal times have proven to be quite a challenge. We have had many days where we just ended up eating out (and I don't mean "fast food", as we don't really like it) or ordering pizza in. Sticking to a budget when you eat out too often is also a challenge. Continually this is an area where our family has struggled when it comes to staying within our means. It has been clear that it was time for a change, for some sort of way to make meal time easier, and also get our meal spending under control. Enter E-mealz...

E-meals is a company created by two Christian women, Jane DeLaney and Jenny Cochran. Jane and Jenny were busy mom's too, who saw a need to have a plan for meals and to also be frugal with that plan. With that goal in mind, they created the E-Mealz system.  This is what they say about their plan:

Manage your food budget and enjoy delicious dinner recipes at home.
Menu plans based on weekly grocery store sales, seasonal discounts
or diet preferences. Be meal-wise and money-wise with E-Mealz.

e-mealz meal plans...

• are written and created by REAL moms with REAL families

• are balanced and family friendly

• are as easy as possible, but delicious and kid tested!

• consist of favorite recipes collected from hundred of moms

• come with an organized, aisle by aisle grocery list

• are for 4 to 6 people

• are based on the current week sales at your grocery

• are priced at approximately $75 per week

• Two person plans average $35 total per week 

E-Mealz is not only great for this reason alone, but it gets better. They have many different plans to chose from. Are you hesitant to look because you do not have a family to feed? Well, they have meal plans for two! They also have plans for 4-6 (which you can easily adjust yourself if you need even more).  On addition to this, they have options that cater to special diets. What special diets do they have to choose from?

• Gluten Free
• Low Fat
• Low Carb
• Portion Control
• Vegetarian

They also have plans for ANY grocery store, or more specialized plans from the following stores:

• Wal-Mart
• Aldi
• Publix
• Kroger
• Ralphs (Ca)

Now, how does this all work?

You go to e-mealz and sign up for a subscription. The cost of subscription is $1.25 per week, and is billed in $15 increments every three months. You can also cancel your subscription at any time if it is not a good fit for your family.  When you sign up, you pick which plan you think you want to use (you can switch later if you find it isn't fitting your needs, if your needs change, or if you just want to try another), then you pull up that weeks menu/grocery list, print it out, do your shopping and you are all prepared to fix your meals. How simple is that? It takes the stress out of menu planning, and grocery shopping lists, helps you stick to a budget, and allows you to focus on other important things. 

This is a sample of a weekly meal pan/grocery list.  (Click on it to be taken to a sample menu)

We have enjoyed using e-mealz, and will continue to subscribe even when our provided subscription runs out. Even so, I have created an e-mealz notebook where I print the menu and grocery list, and file them in order. This makes it easy for me to make notes about how my family liked the meal (loved, liked, and would prefer not to have again) and any changes I made or would like to make. I also love how on the grocery list it has space where you can add on the other groceries your family is going to need. 

Our family does not eat much seafood, and sometimes the meal plans include meals with seafood ingredients. I have found it easy to substitute another protein in those instances (mostly chicken) and think it would be just as easy to substitute seafood for other ingredients if your family is one who does eat a lot of seafood.  Also, sometimes there are meals I know my family will not enjoy. This is when I just cross it out and substitute a meal from my repertoire in or a past e-mealz meal that the family enjoyed. 

Using e-mealz has exposed my family to boundless new recipes that we probably wouldn't have tried before. The ease of the meals is such that even my children can follow the directions and prepare dinner. That is an added bonus. 

Whether you are cooking for one (get the meals for two, eat one serving for dinner, one for lunch the next day) or you are cooking for a couple, or you are cooking for a family...E-mealz will work for you. If you know someone who may struggle in this area, you can also give them a gift subscription. 

I was provided a subscription to e-mealz free of charge in exchange for my honest review of the product. My favorable review was not a condition of this exchange, and all opinions are my own.

Always IceCream (review)

Let me start out by saying I had fears when we received this product to review, because my daughter is a very mature 13 year old.  My concerns were totally unfounded though, as she loves this website. I find myself recommending it to those I know who have girls, because it is educational AND fun. 

You can get a free trial, to see how you like it.  It is very economical for a full subscription, which is $4.99 a month ($0.99 your first month) or $29.99/year. There are also other subscriptions you can check out at their website.  It also makes a great gift for those girls in your life. 

Here is a little about Always Icecream from the creators:

With Always Icecream, we’re trying to combine three important aspects of child-appropriate online learning in a unique way:
- Motivation: Girls experience Always Icecream as a fun “play” site, with a friendly community (parents can turn off the social features).
- Learning: Girls practice a wide variety of academic and practical skills in a playful way.
- Rewards and Recognition: Girls earn “$coops,” our in-game currency for playing learning games. This currency can be used to take care of online pets in PetWorld and decorate homes in MiniWorld. Achievements are recognized through medals and special awards as well as progress reports to parents.

The recommended ages for this site are 7-12, but I believe a younger child would enjoy it just as much, though they may need some assistance. I know my older child is enjoying it, so I would also just judge each child by their own maturity and interests. I will admit, as an adult I have also had fun on there.

I love that as a parent I can go in and get a report of all my child's activities on the site.

I have received a free membership to this site in exchange for an honest review.

Scruble Cube

What is a "Scruble Cube", one might ask. Well, that is what I am here to talk about.  It looks similar to the "Rubiks Cube" of yesteryear. Well, maybe that thing is still around. That is a moot point. Why would anyone want that old thing when there is something as awesome as the Scruble Cube to play with?  Oh yeah, you are probably still wondering what I am talking about.

Well, I am glad you asked. The "Scruble Cube" (Scruble, pronounced as a combination of "Scrabble" and "cube") is an educational game. "If you can spell, you can play", is what the folks over at  Scrubble say. Here is a little excerpt from their site:

What if you took some of the known playing patterns of some of the most popular word games and puzzles in history and combined them in a brand new, unique format to create the World’s Greatest 3-D Word Game?Well, you’d have the “SCRUBLE Cube™ a patent pending game with over 7.4 x 10⁴⁵(that’s 7,401 septillion)possible configurations that anyone who can spell can play. And all in a portable format that can be played anywhere- anytimeThe SCRUBLE Cube™ is a word game and a puzzle- on steroids!

The SCRUBLE Cube is a word game and a puzzle on steroids! The game engages students and opens their minds to learn, create and discover while having fun. Whether you are looking to meet a Common Core Standard or purely to entertain, Scruble Cube offers a rich and engaging experience. 

The "Scruble Cube" is a game for 1-4 people, and guess what? Age is not really a factor. If a person can spell, they can play. The game comes with detailed instructions and a score card (as well as the Scruble cube, of course). There are link on their website to more educational ideas and lesson plans. I honestly think the folks over there at Scruble Cube have come up with an amazing product that is fun to use and truly educational. After all, the best educational tools are the ones you use without realizing you're learning. At least it's that way with my children.

Now, to my review. When this game arrived in the mail, it was a "fight" between the kids of who got to touch it first. Seriously. It was crazy. Once they got it out, they jumped right in "spelling" things on it, no reading instructions. I then sat down with them, and read the instructions for gameplay. They were super excited that they could "compete" with it. Sometimes I think that is all the kids care about, competing. Anyhow, they played for hours. Do you want to know the thing I loved best about Scruble Cube though?  No one can keep their hands off it. If it is laying around, someone is going to pick it up and play with it. This goes for my new reader who can only spell a few small words all the way up to older adults who want to tinker with something. Everyone picks it up and tries to make words. What more is there to say about an education product that begs to be played with by everyone? I am giving Scruble Cube 5 stars...my highest rating. I have no wonders why it has won awards! It is great. Get one. Today.

They cost $24.95, and you can buy them at their website, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers as listed on the Scruble Cube site. & their Facebook Page.



            

 I reviewed this product as part of the Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received the product at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

Aletheia Writing Magazine

Aletheia Magazine is a writing magazine, featuring the literary and other artistic works of Christian teens, ages 13-19. Aletheia is the greek word for "truth" or "unveiling".  

This is what they have to say in their "about us" page of their website:

We are excited to offer Christian teens a healthy platform in which to express themselves, especially in a culture that so definitively shapes and saturates their worldview with unhealthy imagery and values. 

Moreover, we're interested in publishing teen work in a quality manner while preserving its honesty and integrity- we're not interested in dumbing down or overly sanitizing the writing we receive. 

But whether teens use their writing to explore the darker realities of life or celebrate the brighter ones, their writing, in the end, must contain hope. 

In addition to the literary and artistic expressions of Christian teens, each issue offers a variety of unique features: a Writer's Challenge, the Featured Contributor, a book review, Glory to God for the Beauty of Nature, Ancient Ink, and an interview or other feature for edification and enjoyment.

*Aletheia Writing Magazine is geared toward youth ages 13 to 19. Because contributors’ ages vary, the maturity level of situational content may likewise vary.

We received this magazine as part of the Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew, meaning we were provided with a copy of the magazine (and access to a digital issue also) in exchange for an honest review. I gave the magazine to the kids to read through and enjoy. Then I got feedback from them on their opinions. All three teens of mine had basically the same thing to say. They enjoyed the stories, pictures (artwork), and poems. They have even been brainstorming things to do so they can submit their own work for publication. They also request that we purchase a subscription. My daughter has a friend who comes from an agnostic family, and one day when she came to visit, she picked up Aletheia Writing Magazine, & this child really loved the magazine. I love that a child who has been raised to be un-accepting of anything with a Christian basis, jumped in and received a planting of a seed through the writings and artistic pursuits in the magazine, without the barriers she has been trained to construct. This was a direct reflection of the name of the magazine, bringing "truth" to a teen who has been taught to reject it before even receiving it. 

A subscription to Aletheia Magazine is $26 for United States subscribers, and $29 for Canadian subscriptions. The price includes shipping & handling, and there are four issues a year, each 40 pages.

They even have a page on their website with writing tips and another page with a writer's challenge! Your teens can even submit their own work. Check it out!

Tri-Cross Board Game

We are a family who LOVES to play boardgames. We have our favorites, and were excited to be able to review Tri-Cross Eco Board Game by Games for Competitors.  On the product's webpage, you can find out all kinds of information about this game of strategy. Here is what the company has to say about the game:

"Being hailed as the “new chess,” Tri-Cross challenges competitors in the areas of strategy, critical thinking and problem solving in a fun and entertaining way. The board game, created by an Atlanta father-son duo, is designed to accommodate 2-4 players and can be played with varying degrees of difficulty, making it a perfect game for children as young as 8, families and seasoned strategists.

With accolades ranging from being named Dr. Toy’s 2009 100 Best Children’s Products to Creative Child Magazine’s Creative Toy Awards 2008 Game of the Year and earning the National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval, Tri-Cross has sky rocketed to fame for its ease of play and fun, competitive nature."

Our family had a spur of the moment trip come up, where we joined my husband on a business trip. I knew we'd be spending a lot of time in the hotel room, while my husband worked, so I grabbed this new game to take along with us. I knew we'd have time to devote to playing it then. :)

I started out by reading the instructions, which are thorough, but a little challenging to understand. It became clear that the best way to decipher the way to play, was to just jump in an begin, instructions right by to guide us. I first only played with my 13 year old, so we played the 2 player game. After a couple of rounds, she was into it! Now, this is my chess player and my kiddo who loves strategy. We laughed and had a great time, and we spent hours playing Tri-cross. It's my daughter's new favorite game.

Since we began to play more, I decided to view the DVD that came with the game, and gained a deeper understanding as well as learned a different approach to the game (face up vs. face down).

This game has now been played with my three teens as well as by my teens with their friends, and it has earned a hearty "two thumbs-up" from all who have played.

My daughter has yet to be beat though, man is she good at it! We also have the eco travel version of the game, which has been put into our RV for more Tri-Cross fun when we travel (which is often, especially in hunting season).

If you would like to learn more about Tri-Cross, you can do so by going to the following links:

How to Play

FAQ's

News Segment

The cost of Tri-Cross is: $24.95 for the "Standard Edition", $35.95 for the "Wood Edition", and $19.95 for the "Eco-Edition". The game is for ages 10+. You can buy it from the Games For Competitors Store, or at one of the retailers listed here.

I have received this product as a member of the Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew, in exchange for a honest review.

How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids

You might look at the title to this cute little hardcover book, and say "I have a heart for my kids, I love them more than anyone could know". Yes, of course you do. But, something in you will say "Wait, is there something I am missing? Is there a part of me that could do better?". Let's face it, even if we are the most amazing, attentive, doting parent on the earth...we have room for growth. Enter author Rachel Carman and her book on "How to Have a HEART For Your Kids".

When I first saw this review come up, I was honestly surprised to see it come from Apologia. I mean, isn't Apologia that science curriculum company. WHY YES, it is! BUT, it is so much more than that! Apologia not only has their wonderful creation based science curriculum, they also have other divisions such as Apologia Academy (Online Courses Based on Truth), Apologia Live (Celebrating the Homeschool Journey), Apologia World (Reaching the Homeschool Community), Apologia Mission (Giving, Going, Sharing, Sowing) and then there is the division this book came from, Apologia Press (Resources for the Heart and Mind).

Now, back the the book at hand. When the book arrived, I was pleasantly surprised that it has a nice hardcover, and is a good size to carry along with me, even in my purse. The book is about the size of a 5x7 picture and is about 3/4 inch thick. The first thing I did was flip the book over onto the back to read a little snippit about the book. It says:

"How well do you really know your kids? What has God shown you about who they are and who they will become? He has sent these children into your home at this specific time for His glorious purposes. Indeed, you have been invited on the adventure of a lifetime, a journey on which you will see walls fall, seas parted, and giants slain. You don;t need special skills or training for this journey----you need only to seek God and hold tight to His mighty hand!"

The author, Rachael Carman, is a homeschooling mother of seven. In this book, she walks us through her own journey of parenting and educating her children. She presents the book with the word "heart" as an acronym:

H- Have a heart for the things of God

E- Enrich your marriage

A- Accept your kids

R- Release them to God

T- Teach them the truth

The book draws you in from page one. (You can actually read the introduction chapter for free, here.) The author tells us how she did not start out with a plan to homeschool. When speaking of homeschooling mothers she met, she actually tells us "...I feared their poor kids would become socially inept outcasts, unable to work with others or solve conflicts." She goes on to tell us how those opinions were to change and change her whole family. I laughed as I read along, because I *too* used to be one of "those" people who claimed I would never homeschool, and was all too quick to feel sorry for those "poor homeschool kids".

Reading through this book was not painless. Now, don't get me wrong...the pain I speak of was the kind of pain you get when you get your toes stepped on. When you feel that conviction that you have an area that needs some serious attention. This is the good pain, the pain that causes real change in our lives and those of our children. The pruning that causes good fruit to be produced. Immediately it is apparent that if we are going to really have a "heart" for our children, we have to have our own hearts right. As Rachael says in the book, and has been said many times before, when it comes kids, "monkey see, monkey do".  Scripture is used throughout the book to support the ideas. At the end of each chapter is a little "Heart Check Up" that presents questions to you, the reader, in order to allow you to dig deeper into yourself and make the changes that need to take place to have a better heart for your child.

As I was reading this book, I came across many situations where other mothers were "venting" about challenges they had with their children. To them I would say "I am reading this book right now and you NEED to read it", knowing it would help them in their journey.  After I finished the book, I was tempted to loan it out many a time. One incident I clearly remember is a young lady at church saying that she was "interested in homeschooling, but not sure yet that she wanted to". This is a young woman with a toddler and a baby. I thought "Boy, I wish I had this book when my children were that age, what a difference it could have made in my life and theirs". So, I told her she should get this book. Then another friend was talking over her challenges with her special needs child, and it touched me because while reading "How to have a Heart", I had my eyes opened to things pertaining my own special needs child and all of the times I cried out to God "WHY OR WHY can't he just do what I need him to do?". Well, it was because I was not fully accepting of him and who he is meant to be. That is not up to me. It is up to God, and it is my job to raise him up to be what God wants him to be. I knew my friend could benefit from this book too. Actually, I think all parents could benefit from this book. Those with young children, those with older children, those who plan to have children. I also think there is purpose in this book for those with grown children and those who are around parents and children.

My husband, who is not a reader and generally not interested in listening to someone read, enjoyed listening to me read this aloud. It helped him through some of the things he wondered about, and challenged him also to grow in his relationship with God and with his children.

All in all this book was an excellent read, and one I will review often. I keep in on my nightstand so I can flip through it again and again. I wish I could memorize it all. It's just THAT good.

The book is only $13 and can be purchased through Apologia here.

Disclosure: I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I asked to recommend the product.  I am part of the 2011-2012 Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew, which is a group of homeschooling parents who review products that may be of interest for other parents.