4Moms, 35+ Kids Answer Your Questions

Q and A!!

Who are the Four Moms of 35+ kids?

We are:

Connie at Smockity Frocks:

Kim at Life in a Shoe:

Kimberly at Raising Olives:

Here are some questions (and even a few answers):

Q. Do you vaccinate?

A. No. =)

Q. Resources for studying the elections?

The President (Government of People)

The Story of Presidential Elections (Cornerstones of Freedom)

I haven’t used any of these, but sometimes you can get some nice items from Currclick for very little money- and you’re helping other homeschooling families, not some big name publisher.

God’s World News is sure to have something soon- and I love their student newspapers. Head and shoulders above scholastic, and not just because one is relgious and one isn’t.  One is twaddle and one isn’t.

Haven’t used this at all, somebody else recommended it. It’s an official government publication, so some things will be rather plain vanilla, but it is for children- Ben’s Guide to US Government.

Find the electoral college confusing? Let Phyllis explain it.

More here (these last two links are not for kids- I mean, they aren’t inappropriate, they are probably over the kids’ heads- but one of the best ways to learn something is to narrate it- so you read and listen and then repackage it so your kids can understand it- after all, nobody knows them better.  I’d love to know what anybody else has to suggest.

From the 4Moms Facebook page:

Q. How to deal with picky eaters!

This way. Because I believe that, in general, being a picky eater is a character issue.
‘

How to train a child (4.5yo girl) to stay dry at night.

For some kids this is simply a neurological maturity issue, and there’s nothing you can do but wait for them to outgrow it. Do not shame them. Just wrap your mattress, use mattress pads, or go for overnight disposable pants and stay cheerful.
Some kids are helped with dietary changes- usually going dairy free.
Some kids do well with an alarm system that wakes the child up
Some do well with homeopathy. But I think for most it is the first cause.

How to get your young children to stay in bed at night, to not bother each other or keep each other awake and what is the consequence if they do?

I do not know how young we are talking about. If they are old enough for the usual consequences for other acts of disobedience, then that would be the consequence here as well. Other helps: Wear them out in the day by giving them lots of fun and interesting things to do and plenty of fresh air, so they are too tired for shenanigans at night. Get them up early, too.

Do you have potty training tips?
Not my favorite part of parenting. But….
Stay home as much as possible during the potty training period.
Take them to the bathroom frequently. Use gummy bears or M&Ms for rewards, letting them choose the colors they like. This does not really help with the toilet training, but they will learn their colors.
Let them go naked as much as possible.

How do I wean a baby? This is number three, but he is VERY attached and it doesn’t matter how much solids he gets; he still nurses as much. Also, at what age do you wean?

Mine were all self-led weaning, except for the one I could not break of the habit of biting, hard. She was 15 months. The oldest was past two when he quit. I had decided I would not nurse past 4, but we never got there.

I just distracted the 15 month old a lot and had others help hold her. She did have to sleep with her arm down my shirt for a very long time after that.
I still feel badly about this, but I had been trying to break her of biting since she was 9 months old, and nothing worked, so I do figure I had given it more than a reasonable try; I also would not have her brother if we hadn’t weaned, because I never was able to get pregnant while nursing.
 

What verses are special to you when you need strength and encouragement?
Isaiah 40:11 (he gathers the little ones into his arms and gently leads the nursing mothers). All of that chapter, to be clear.
The homeschooling mama’s theme verse: Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we shall reap…
“For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” (1 John 3:20)
“All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16)
“To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.” (Job 12:13)
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” (Rom. 11:33)
He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.” (Ps. 18:30)
All of Psalm 139
Job 42: 1Then Job answered the LORD and said:
2 “I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
Colossians 2

Romans 8:18 “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

2 Corinthians 4:17 “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”

Also, do you have any favorite books on homeschooling, motherhood, marriage, or home management?

Yes.=) Here are some:
Homeschooling:
Charlotte Mason’s six volume set (see AmblesideOnline.org)
Motherhood: You could always buy our parenting ebook!
The Way Home: Beyond Feminism, Back to Reality really helped change my perspective on all these things and see my children and my home as God sees them rather than as my culture does.
Benedict’s Rule of Order
A Mother’s Rule of Order
and so much, much more. I will work more on this question over the next few weeks.

 

How do you deal with a clingy toddler and managing the rest of the house, and duties with other children?

Carry the clingy toddler. Love on her. Or him. Reassure the child. Fill that love bucket. The most important duty of all is relationship- without it, nothing else much matters. That child won’t be a clingy toddler forever. Learn to do things with one hand. Learn to delegate while you hold the little one.

 From my inbox:

Q. How do you get anywhere on time? 

That sound you hear is my mother’s outburst of scornful laughter, because mostly, I don’t.

We answered this in a previous Four Moms post, but we also answered it (even better) in our e-book.=)  Here’s part of what I said:

I cannot judge what is a good time to shoot for, my progress when getting ready, or how long things will take me. I always think I have more time than I do.

I’m working on it, but I’ve been working on it all my life. It’s like I have a great big void where other people have some sense of time. You can wake my husband in the middle of the night and his internal clock is so acutely calibrated he can tell you the time to a minute or two.

Me? I don’t even have an internal calendar.
And this is the Four Moms parenting book, which you can get as a Kindle or as an e-book document:

Here’s where to get more information on how to buy our parenting ebook! or become an affiliate.

You like this? You’ll like my Kindle books, too:

101 Answers to the Summertime, “Mom, I’m Bored” Blues; help your kids use their free time creatively and productively. Give them ideas that will help them use their time and energy to create, to learn, to grow- to contribute. This is not your average ‘keep the kids out of your hair’ book.

Required Poems for Reading and Memorizing (annotated); Charming collection of older poems that you and the kids just might love.

Ten Low-Carb Snacks and Quick Meals Okay, actually, there’s a little more than ten, and they aren’t merely low-carb, they are also sugar-free, gluten-free, grain-free! Totally NOT dairy-free, though.