About this time of year the timetable of many a homeschooling mother turns to custard, and her lovely plan to be ‘organised this year’ and have a peaceful, orderly December with a happy end-of-term event starts to become more and more unattainable.
If that’s you, this year, then don’t worry too much; it’s part of being human in modern Western society. It’s mid-December and many of us are readjusting our sights, replanning the next ten days, and crossing things off the “to do” list, rather than ticking things off.
This is wise if it keeps you sane and ‘nice’. Better to do less and be a ‘nice mummy’ then to tick heaps off the list and be … well, be a ‘grumpy mummy’. Remember that the children are tired too; they have been working hard for weeks, and they are getting excited about Christmas. They need to be cut some slack.
So if you have started to feel stressed, let me encourage you to be kind to yourself and your young ones; give everyone an afternoon off, and do something nice together. And I have some ideas to inspire you with your present shopping.
I have been making some Christmas gifts at home which is fun, and I’ve been doing Christmas shopping online which has saved me heaps of time and kept me feeling calm and comfortable, and I love getting the parcels.
I have found some bargains too, which is satisfying. And I thought I would share just a couple of my favourites with you.
Games
Games have so many advantages. They are great for spending family time together without some sort of technology or screen. The more you play the games the better value for money you get on your investment. Games are good for the brain, causing you to think, problem-solve compute, and cooperate.
My personal favourite game is Rush Hour. We bought this for our ten-year-old a few years ago and it’s the only game in our house which has remained in almost constant use since we got it, while others go in and out of fashion. I have to say that I am probably the main user of this game, although my husband loves it, our teenage son likes to think that he is best at it, and the owner of the game very generously allows us to use it freely but does remind us periodically that it is her game. This is a game which is very suitable for anyone in any family, so give it to the person who is usually hard to buy for.
You can also buy add-ons for Rush Hour and another add-on pack is on the wish list of three people in our family…
Science Toys
This year has been big on science for us. I have taken my daughter to two practical science courses, entered her in a the Homeschool Science Fair, read lots of science books, watched heaps of experiments at The Happy Scientist and done lots of experiments at home. I think that’s not bad for a non-science mum. So, just focusing on science tools on the Christmas list, here’s a couple of ideas.
If you are looking for a gift for a homeschooling family, you might like to consider a subscription to The Happy Scientist. And from now until December 31, you can get a 25% discount on a one year subscription to The Happy Scientist. To get the discount, use the following coupon code when you check out: HAPPYHOLIDAYS
Explore and discover an exciting world at the beach! Uncover the fascinating world that hides amongst the rock pools. Discover and learn more about the weird and wonderful creatures that live under the sand. Contents: Ventilated water tank with lid and magnifier, Water tray, Ventilates bug viewer with micro ruler, Sand driller, Sandpaper, Hand net with two-piece extended handle. Fully illustrated instruction manual. For children aged six and over.
This 30mm/30X telescope is compact, modern & very useful. The removable optical tube means the telescope can be easily used as a hand-held ‘spyglass.’ Focusing is easily accomplished with a smooth, rapid push-pull motion.
The telescope has a 30mm high tech coated lens with a removable optical tube, collapsible aluminium tabletop tripod and an in-built correctional mirror. Suitable for aged eight and over.
–
These are just a couple of things on my Christmas list. For more ideas and inspiration go to:
The Broad Room Christmas Toy Shop for New Zealanders
or
The Broad Room Christmas Toy Store for USA and International
Related articles:
Loading... 
