The Wolfe Pack {Reviews+Resources+Suggestions=Support for the Discerning Homeschool Mom}

providing the discerning homeschool mama with support on her journey

HOMESCHOOL MOMS Are Not the Same as CLASSROOM TEACHERS

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I recently saw a poll in a big Face Book group for HOMESCHOOL MOMS that asked the question,  “If your church asked all TEACHERS to stand up and be recognized, would you stand up?” 

The answers varied, of course, {but the discussion stayed civil, thankfully} and it got me thinking, “would I?”

If my pastor asked the TEACHERS in the congregation to stand up and be recognized, would I stand up?

The answer is NOPE. I would not. I would stay seated and respectfully acknowledge all of the TEACHERS who stood. Why?

Because I don’t consider myself a TEACHER. 

I am a HOMESCHOOL MOM. 

And HOMESCHOOL MOMS are not the same as CLASSROOM TEACHERS.

I’m a mom who has decided to educate her child at home. Yes, I teach my child. But I am not a TEACHER in the way most people use the term. 

I’m not a TEACHER of other people’s kids. 

I’m not a TEACHER who is responsible for 30 kids at one time. 

I’m not a TEACHER who is mandated to teach specific subjects and utilize certain books. 

I’m not a TEACHER who answers to 30 sets of parents, one principal, a team of grade level peers, a full school board and the state.  

I’m not a TEACHER who is underpaid but still expected to provide a beautiful but calm, comfortable but exciting, gender-neutral, multi-cultural environment for my students. 

I’m not a TEACHER who is regulated in what she can say and how she can say it. 

I’m not a TEACHER anymore than a mom who uses homeopathic remedies at home is a doctor. 

I’m not a TEACHER anymore than a dad who arms himself at home is a police officer. 

I’m not a TEACHER anymore than a neighbor who rescues his family from a fire is a firefighter.

I’m just a mom who decided that it would be best to educate her son at home.

And I get to make that education look however my husband and I decide.

It’s an absolute privilege to do so and I feel blessed every day. 

Is it always easy? Of course not. 

Is it always fun? Ha. I wish. 

Is it worth it? Totally!

But, I am not a TEACHER. 

Let those men and women have their discounts.

Let them have their special appreciation weeks.

Let them flood their FB pages with requests for classroom donations. 

Let the community call them special.

Let the churches recognize them on certain days.

Let the public donate backpacks and pencil pouches. 

   HOMESCHOOL MOMS are not the same as CLASSROOM TEACHERS.

CLASSROOM TEACHERS are poorly paid, underappreciated, hard working individuals who deserve special recognition. 

And, yes,  so are HOMESCHOOL MOMS. We are special. We work hard. We are often underappreciated. And we’re certainly underpaid, ha ha. But we CHOOSE to do those things and be that person for our own families. That is an entirely different concept than a CLASSROOM TEACHER who is assigned 30 new kids each year from community families and is expected to provide a decent education with a small budget and a huge bureaucracy.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying CLASSROOM TEACHERS are worth more than HOMESCHOOL MOMS. And I am not saying the opposite. 

All, I am saying is that

 HOMESCHOOL MOMS are not the same as CLASSROOM TEACHERS.

GAME REVIEW: After Words {Spelling and Vocabulary}

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{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.} 

After Words is available on Amazon HERE. 

{I purchased this game myself. All opinions are my own!}

I’m always looking for fun games that are quick and easy to play but actually serve an educational purpose.  So when I saw this new spelling game, After Words, advertised I decided to give it a try! And naturally, I needed to write a review about this new educational game!

In addition to reviewing the

FUN FACTOR and the

EDUCATIONAL VALUE, I will also include info on the

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT {because who likes mess!?!?!},

TIME COMMITMENT {because we’ve gotta teach too, right?!?!?!}, 

CLARITY LEVEL {because confusion is no fun}

and an OVERALL SCORE. 

 

NAME: After Words

PUBLISHER: Educational Insights

CATEGORY: Spelling and Vocabulary

SUB CATEGORY: Beginning and Ending Letters of Words

TIME COMMITMENT: Minimal+ {20-30 minutes}

HOW TO WIN: Be the first player to get rid of all your cards by thinking of words that begin with specific letters AND fit certain categories. 

CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ When you first read the instructions, the game may seem confusing but it is not. The instructions are clear, concise and very simple. They explain how to start, what to do and how to win in very concrete terms. However, we modified the game to better fit our needs. {See below for details.} But, sticking with the included instructions would be just as fun and educational as our version. CLARITY LEVEL SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥ 

FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥_ Speed, vocabulary and spelling are all factors in this game so unless all players are somewhat matched in their spelling skills and vocabulary knowledge, modifying the game will be necessary if fun is to occur.  And the silly timer is super fun to play with….until it gets annoying! FUN FACTOR SCORE: 4/5 ♥♥♥♥_

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: ♥♥♥♥_ Promoted as a spelling game, I would say that it only fits that description to a degree. Players only need to identify the first and last letter of words and never need to spell entire words. It would be easy to modify, I suppose, by making the player spell the entire word {either verbally or in writing} before he can discard his card. It would add very little time but a lot of educational value. The vocabulary component is, in my opinion, a bonus but one that cannot be avoided if you play this game. Thinking of words that fit specific categories makes players dig deeper into their mental dictionaries than most games so that’s definitely a bonus to me! And, having a dictionary and/or a thesaurus on hand would certainly up the educational value as well. EDUCATIONAL VALUE SCORE: 4/5 ♥♥♥♥_

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥♥ The storage box, cards, silly timer and fold-out board are all very sturdy and have held up well so far. Everything fits in the box, though not snugly so things can rattle around and become a jumbled mess. But because the box is strong and secure, nothing is going to escape and go missing. Just make sure you turn the silly timer off before you put everything away! The instructions are in a separate little booklet but if they get lost, there is a very simplified {but helpful} version on the back of the box. ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥♥ Spelling is NOT a strong subject for my son, which is why we are always on the hunt for fun games to improve his spelling skills. This game does offer a fun way to work on his spelling skills, with some vocabulary thrown in for good measure. But, without some modifications, players only get to practice the beginning and ending sounds of words. Plus, it’s not a game that can be played very easily with mismatched players, unless at least one of them is a mature adult to help the other{s} along. OVERALL SCORE: 90% ♥♥♥♥♥ 

If you are ready to offer your kids a fast and fun way to work on spelling skills, you can buy  After Words on Amazon by clicking here!

If you would like to read detailed instructions of our modified version {with pics,} continue on….

 

1. Unfold the game board and position it so all players can see. 

2. Make sure the timer has batteries and is functioning. Decide how much time you want for the countdown and select that on the timer. This can be easily modified during the game. {NOTE: The timer is a funny little thing. Every time you place it down on the board, it starts the countdown. It took us way longer than I care to admit for us to figure this out!}

3. Deal seven cards to each player. 

4. Cards can either be hidden in a hand or flipped face-up. We played with the cards face-up so I could help my son with the categories {and his horrible spelling!}

5. Have each player read through their categories to make sure they understand them. If they don’t, you can either explain or allow those categories to be traded in. {The rules also allow for a swap during play.}

6. Place the remaining cards in a pile where all can access it. This is the Draw Pile. 

7. Flip over the top card of the Draw Pile. 

8. The first player to think of a word that fits that category gets to go first. This category is Something That Makes You Happy. Somebody said “family” and becomes Player One. 

9. Player One needs to move the timer to the LAST LETTER of the word he said {family.} So, he moves the timer to the letter “Y”. 

10. As soon as Player One places the timer on the board, the countdown will begin {and make the most annoying sound!} During this time, all players need  to be thinking of a word that STARTS with the letter “Y” that fits one of their categories. 

11. Player One wins this round by using the category for Fictional Character and says, “Yoda”. He gets rid of that card. 

12. Player One now needs to move the timer to the LAST LETTER of “Yoda” so moves the timer to the letter  “A”. 

13. As soon as he places the timer on the letter “A”, the countdown will begin. During the countdown, all players need to be thinking of a word that STARTS with the letter “A” and fits one of their categories. 

14. Player Two shouts out “anchovies” to fit his Pizza Topping category. 

15. Player Two discards his card and moves the timer to the LAST LETTER in the word “anchovies” {S}. 

16. All players need to think of a word that STARTS WITH “S” and fits one of their categories.

17. Player One says “sink” to fit his Something in a Bathroom category. 

18. He discards his card and moves the timer to the LAST LETTER in “sink” which is…

19. Play continues in this fashion until a player is able to discard all seven of his cards. 

20. We play this modified way so that we can get through those cards faster and then deal seven new categories to each player and play again. 

21. If there is ever a round where nobody can think of a word to fit the category before the timer goes off, we simply draw a new word from the Draw Pile. At that time, you would basically start again at Step 8. 

 


GAME REVIEW: Math Dash {Math}

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{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.}

Math Dash is available on Amazon HERE. 

{I purchased this game myself. All opinions are my own!}

My family has always loved board games so using them in our homeschool was a natural fit but finding good educational games  isn’t nearly as easy as one might think.

The Christmas toy catalogs and my FaceBook feed are always filled with fun, trendy board games for the family including new versions of classics  {Star Wars Monopoly} and weird, silly things {Pie Face Showdown} but it’s very rare to find  educational  games  being promoted outside of homeschool catalogs.  And, if you’re like me, when I am pouring over a big stack of homeschool catalogs, it’s agonizing enough to find the right curricula choices. I have no extra brain energy to find fun educational games too. 

So, let me make it easy for you and share some of our favorite educational games!

In addition to reviewing the

FUN FACTOR and the

EDUCATIONAL VALUE, I will also include info on the

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT {because I cannot stand messy, broken down game boxes or games that include 8,000 pieces which then escape those boxes},

TIME COMMITMENT {because who has two hours to play a game on a Tuesday morning}, 

CLARITY LEVEL {because tears from the kids or Mom equals no fun}

and an OVERALL SCORE. 

 

NAME: Math Dash

PUBLISHER: EduPress {Learning Well Games}

CATEGORY: Math

SUB CATEGORY: Multiplication/Division {Addition/Subtraction also available}

TIME COMMITMENT: Minimal {10-15 minutes} but can increase with more players

PLAYERS: 2-8

HOW TO WIN: Be the first player to place four cards in a row on the board while solving multiplication and division problems. 

CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ The instructions are clear, concise and very simple. They explain how to start, what to do and how to win in very concrete terms. The instructions also provide a couple of ways to modify the game to make it easier or more difficult. CLARITY LEVEL SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥ 

FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥♥ Speed is NOT a factor in this game AT ALL which makes it ideal for kids who don’t love math or who shy away from ultra competitive situations. But for kids who love simple strategy games like Tic-Tac-Toe or similar, this game should speak to their preferences. And the math facts can be found directly on the back of the box so even the newest beginner can be successful. So, it is truly fun for EVERYONE! FUN FACTOR SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: ♥♥♥♥♥ As the game promises, the entire focus is to practice multiplication and/or division facts. And the best part is some players can practice multiplication and others can challenge themselves with division while still playing together!  That option makes this game perfect for a variety of situations including older/younger siblings, adults/kids, multi-grade co-ops and more. Adding to the educational value is the fact that players are not simply looking for the answer to a math problem {6 x 4 =__}. They are solving each math problem by calculating the missing number {6 x __ = 24}. So, while keeping the game simple and fun, the publishers have bumped it up a level in educational value. EDUCATIONAL VALUE SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥_ The storage box, color-coded cards and fold-out board are very sturdy and have held up well to frequent use. Though the components are very well made, I had to use snack baggies to keep the individual cards separate, otherwise, it would’ve taken several minutes to divide the colors up before beginning to play each time. The baggies work fine but I wish there had been some sort of built-in system to keep the cards organized. Oh! And the instructions are printed directly on the back of the box so, unless your kids are box thieves, you won’t be misplacing the instructions! ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT SCORE: 4/5 ♥♥♥♥_

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥♥ As I have shared before, math does NOT come naturally to my son AT ALL so we play a lot of games to make math fun while also trying to cement the imperative concepts along the way. We’ve tried out several different games and this is definitely one of our favorites. We especially like the fact that with only two players, we can modify the game and continue playing even after somebody has played four cards in a row. We simply switch out our old cards for a new set and add to the board. My son thinks it’s fun and I love the fact that we keep working on math facts.  I would recommend it for kids of all ages and skill levels. I would suggest it to families with multiple kids and families with only one at home. I believe it would make a great summer review game for public school kids but I also know it works perfectly for homeschool kids. Math Dash is a great game for anyone and everyone! OVERALL SCORE: 95%  ♥♥♥♥♥ 

If you are ready to offer your kids a really fast and fun way to work on math facts, you can buy Math Dash here on Amazon! 

{There is also an addition/subtraction version of Math Dash that you can snag here.}

If you would like to read detailed instructions {with pics,} continue on….

 

1. Unfold the game board and lay it out so all players can see it.

2. Have each player choose a color of card to use. Each player can choose either multiplication or division. Not everybody needs to play the same type of card. 

3. Players can either leave their cards in a baggie {as long as they won’t “shop” for the card they want by looking before they draw} or they can keep them in a pile in front of them {face down}.

4. Before you begin playing, all Players need to decide whether a winning four-in-a-row needs to be horizontal, diagonal, vertical or any of the three. 

5. Player One selects a card, solves for the missing number and places his/her card on that number.

6. It is now Player Two’s turn. He/she does the same thing with one of his cards. 

7. Turns are taken one-by-one in this same fashion. Players can choose to “block” an opponent’s move or to keep trying to build four in a row with his own cards. 

 

8. First Player who gets four in a row wins!

9. You can also modify the game to be five/six/seven in a row. Or the winner needs to make a “box” of four cards. Or really anything y’all can come up with!

10. If you played with only two or three players, you could also modify the game by continuing the game with two new colors of cards {but leave the old cards still on the board for an extra challenge}.


GAME REVIEW: Flip It {Math}

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{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.}

Flip It is available on Amazon HERE. 

 

My family has always loved board games so using them in our homeschool was a natural fit but finding good educational games  isn’t nearly as easy as one might think.

The Christmas toy catalogs and my FaceBook feed are always filled with fun, trendy board games for the family including new versions of classics  {Star Wars Monopoly} and weird, silly things {Pie Face Showdown} but it’s very rare to find  educational  games  being promoted outside of homeschool catalogs.  And, if you’re like me, when I am pouring over a big stack of homeschool catalogs, it’s agonizing enough to find the right curricula choices. I have no extra brain energy to find fun educational games too. 

So, let me make it easy for you and share some of our favorite educational games!

In addition to reviewing the

FUN FACTOR and the

EDUCATIONAL VALUE, I will also include info on the

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT {because I cannot stand messy, broken down game boxes or games that include 8,000 pieces which then escape those boxes},

TIME COMMITMENT {because who has two hours to play a game on a Tuesday morning}, 

CLARITY LEVEL {because tears from the kids or Mom equals no fun}

and an OVERALL SCORE. 

 

NAME: Flip It

PUBLISHER: Card Board Learning 

CATEGORY: Math

SUB CATEGORY: Multiplication

TIME COMMITMENT: Minimal {10-15 minutes}

PLAYERS: 2 {no variations}

HOW TO WIN: Be the first to flip all 12 of your cards over by finding the matching multiplication factors. 

CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥ _  The instructions are concise but only somewhat clear.  I did some research and discovered the company is based in India so I am assuming the lack of clarity is due to the fact that English is not the primary language. But the concept of the game is very simple and once you start playing, there is very little room for confusion which means kids can play without supervision. And once you learn how to play, the directions become a moot point and you won’t need to reference them again. It really is a simple concept with little to no allowance for misunderstanding, though it would be nice if the grammar was correct, of course. At the end of this post, I do provide detailed instructions on how to play, complete with pictures. CLARITY LEVEL SCORE: 4/5  ♥♥♥♥ _ 

FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥♥ It’s a fast-paced game, which is always fun unless one person is a pro at the necessary skill and the other is an amateur. The beauty of FLIP IT is that your  skill set is put to use for yourself but is NOT in competition with the other person. So, if you have a great turn, it’s because you had good luck while practicing your multiplication facts. If you had a bad turn, it was simply bad luck {and you still practiced your facts} but it had nothing to do with the other person having better skills. And the multiplication facts can be found directly on the card so even the newest beginner can be successful. So, it is truly fun for EVERYONE! FUN FACTOR SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: ♥♥♥♥♥ As the game promises, the entire focus is to practice multiplication facts. And it does just that! There is no fluff of earning points or twaddle of silly characters. It’s simply numbered on cards and multiplication facts. And it covers ALL of the multiplication facts {1-12}, which most games don’t. So, not only can you tailor it to different skill levels for different kids, but you also focus on ONLY one set of facts at a time. EDUCATIONAL VALUE SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥♥ The box is very sturdy with handy tabs to secure the lid. The individual boxes inside are color-coded, clearly labeled and fit snugly inside the main box. We’ve played this game dozens of times and none of the cards are bent, nothing has required duct tape repairs and everything still fits perfectly inside the pretty purple square box. There is no wasted space for things to roll around and get lost. It’s as close to perfect as you can get with a game! ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥♥ Math does NOT come naturally to my son AT ALL. As a result, we’ve struggled to find the right math curriculum for years and we’ve had to play a lot of catch-up. In an attempt to help him not HATE math, we play a lot of games to make math fun while also trying to cement the imperative concepts along the way. We’ve tried out several different games and this one is, by far, the favorite of both of ours. I would recommend it for kids of all ages and skill levels. I would suggest it to families with multiple kids and families with only one at home. I believe it would make a great summer review game for public school kids but I also know it works perfectly for homeschool kids. Flip It is a great game for anyone and everyone! OVERALL SCORE: 95% ♥♥♥♥♥ 

If you are ready to offer your kids a really fun way to cement those pesky multiplication facts, you can buy the game here on Amazon.

If you would like to read detailed instructions {with pics,} continue on….

 

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Pick which facts to work on {1-12}. We’ll “play” with the 2 facts right now.

 2. Shuffle well.

3. Deal twelve cards to each player. 

4. Set the remaining cards aside. This will be the draw pile. 

5. Without looking at their cards, each player needs to make two rows of cards {six in each row} in front of them. Cards need to remain facing down. 

6. It helps to think about the cards as positions  1-12.   I labeled each position to help with these instructions. Now you are ready to play.

7. The first player flips over the top card from the draw pile. 

8. It’s a 10, which is the product of 2x5. So, the player now gets to flip over the card in the 5th position. 

9. It’s a 4, which is the product of 2x2. Now the player gets to flip over the card in the 2nd position. 

10. It’s a 14, which is the product of 2x7. Now the player gets to flip over the card in the 7th position. 

11. It’s a 12, which is the product of 2x6. Now the player gets to flip over the card in the 6th position. 

12. It’s a 2, which is the product of 2x1. Now the player gets to flip over the card in the 1st position. 

13. Uh oh! It’s a 2 which is the product of 2×1 and that position has already been flipped over. Player One’s turn is over for now. 

14. So, now Player Two gets a turn. He flips over the top card from the draw pile. 

15. It’s a 24, which is the product of 2x12. Now the player gets to flip over the card in the 12th position. 

16. It’s a 22, which is the product of 2x11. Now the player gets to flip over the card in the 11th position. 

17. In the 11th position, the player flips a 14 over. So, he now gets to flip over the card in the 7th position. 

18. In the 7th position, the player flips over a 2. So, now he gets to flip over the card in the 1st position. 

19. There he finds an 8 so he gets to flip over the card in the 4th position. 

20. There he finds a WILD card which means he can choose a card in ANY position to flip over. 

21. He chooses the 8th position where he finds an 18.

22. So, now he gets to flip over the card in the 9th position, where he finds a 16….and so forth and so on. 

23. The players take turns flipping cards over until somebody flips all of their cards over. That person wins! 

 


The Many UNEXPECTED BENEFITS of a Homeschool Co-op {One: BRATS and BULLIES}

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Participating in a co-op is a hotly debated topic within the homeschool community and for good reason. It would seem that there are as many different styles of co-ops as there are curricula choices. Some are ultra-selective with strict rules and guidelines. Some are uber loose with barely a plan in place. Some are taught by nothing other than moms while others use paid professionals to teach classes. Some are taught in homes and others rent out classrooms. As the details vary, the pros and cons will too. 

But, this series, The Many Unexpected Benefits of a Homeschool Co-Op, goes beyond those differences and finds some of the unifying and unexpected benefits of homeschool co-ops. 

If  you are trying to decide whether to participate in a homeschool co-op this year and have been diligently making a list of pros/cons, don’t forget my favorite, yet rarely discussed, unexpected benefit of participating in a co-op:

EXPOSING YOUR KIDS to BRATS and BULLIES!

I know this sounds extreme but think about it.

As homeschool parents, we get to pick and choose nearly every aspect of our kids’ lives.

Where they go.

When they play.

What they learn.  

With whom they hang.

And, as the loving, supportive parents that we are, we try to always make the best choices for them.

We feed them healthy snacks.

We cater to their learning styles.

We keep them in safe environments.

We arrange playdates with kind, respectful kids.

But, as much as we may want to create a perfect world for our babes, we can’t.  But, more importantly, we shouldn’t.  Why? Because real life isn’t perfect. Without robbing them of a happy childhood or scarring them for life, I think it’s imperative that our kids understand that life is not perfect. 

It’s not perfect when they are nine years old and it won’t be perfect when they are twenty-nine. Not only are they are imperfect themselves, their lives will forever be filled with various imperfections. 

And one of life’s most prominent and persistent imperfections is people.

Untrustworthy people.

Annoying people.

Ignorant people.

Hurtful people.

Selfish people.

Rude people.

Do we want  our kids to experience anything other than wonderful, loving, supportive people? No, of course not.

But, are they going to experience bad people, despite our best wishes and fiercest intentions? Yes, for sure. 

So, they  might as well be introduced first to these types of people under our direct supervision and loving control. 

Blessedly, our babes don’t need to experience BRATS and BULLIES in the public school classroom or, worse yet, on the playground with overworked teachers and underpaid playground supervisors. 

Our kids can experience the BRATS and BULLIES of the world with their fiercest defenders at their sides…us!

What better way to first expose our kids to the BRATS and BULLIES of the world than with  us observing the interactions, guiding their responses and protecting the results? 

I’ll admit that the first time our son experienced his first BRAT at co-op, I was sad. We were new to town and excited to make friends at co-op. Unfortunately, it turned out that there was a real BRAT in his co-op class. Ya know, the kid who is rude to both adults and kids, makes everything a competition and then pouts when he doesn’t get his way.

As disheartening as that was, I was glad I was there to watch the BRAT emerge and observe my child’s reaction. We were then able to discuss the situation after and formulate a plan for future encounters. We remained in that co-op but we did not seek any sort of friendship outside with that particular child. My child learned that not every kid in his class models good behavior and is friend material. As simple as this lesson sounds, my sweet, loving kid had never met a peer that he did not consider an instant friend until this situation arose.

And a few years later when he encountered his first BULLY at co-op, I was simultaneously very angry about this kid’s behavior and strangely peaceful about it too. This kid was an emotional bully who belittled my child by creating an “inner circle” of cool kids and purposely excluding my son from interactions. This kid was definitely the Alpha of the entire group and all of the boys wanted to be his friends, including my son. Sadly.

My son tried for weeks. And was rejected each time. He wasn’t the only one on the outside of the BULLY’S inner circle. There were others on the receiving end of the “just kidding” jokes and shunned looks. There were others not invited to the birthday parties and left out of the secret handshakes. But because this BULLY was also smart, he behaved when most adults were watching, which meant my son was sometimes accepted into the group but then figuratively kicked out again when the BULLY thought no adult eyes were on him. 

But I was watching. After all, that’s my job and since I was at Co-Op with my son, I was able to watch! I watched it all take place and then I gently discussed it with my son after co-op each week. It took loads of rejections, lots of prayer, too many tears and countless discussions for my son to decide on his own that he didn’t want to be friends with the BULLY anyhow. He decided that the BULLY was not somebody worth the angst and agony he had caused week in and week out. He came to this conclusion on his own. And once he did, he was happy. He was free to pursue other friendships at co-op. He broke down the social order that the BULLY tried so hard to force on everybody by simple saying, “Nope! Not gonna play that dumb game.” 

And I could not have been more proud of my son, and grateful to that BULLY.

Why? Because he taught my kid a very valuable lesson at a young age

A lesson that many public school kids struggle to realize is being forced on them every day in the classroom and on the playground.  But one of which the teachers simply don’t have the time to be aware.  And, by the time these kids get home from school, they’re too exhausted and numb from trying to handle life on their own. It’s not even that they choose not to discuss their feelings with their parents; they don’t have the maturity to understand that something needs to be discussed. 

Thanks to that BULLY, my son learned a lesson at nine that some adults still have not learned. 

Because, let’s face it,  life is filled with BRATS and BULLIES. At work, In college. Next door. Even at church. Sadly, even in our own extended families. 

No matter the path your child will take as he meanders into adulthood, he is going to encounter both BRATS and BULLIES. Participating in a homeschool co-op could very well equip him to be ready to handle those issues with confidence and grace.

Click here for the next installment in this series, The Many Unexpected Benefits of a Homeschool Co-op: FAILURES and FRUSTRATIONS

Want some help teaching your kids how to identify and be a good friend? Check out my Friendship and Virtues Lesson Plan Pack! It’s PERFECT for a Co-Op class!

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