[Podcast #261] How to Care for a Caregiving Friend

Brave Writer Podcast

Chances are someone you know will have a sick child hospitalized at some point. In this Brave Writer podcast episode, Melissa explains how you can best support that parent and caregiver. Melissa herself has had two of her kiddos hospitalized so her suggestions come from lived experiences.

First, Melissa discusses the practical physical items you can bring to a caregiver in the hospital. She also describes some digital gifts that you can send. Then she shares what little acts of service you can do: doing the laundry, lending an ear, and taking care of the siblings of the hospitalized child.

Sometimes caregivers are so overwhelmed or shy that they don’t know what to ask for. If your friend is having trouble expressing what they need, start with the items in this episode and then go from there.

Show Notes

Physical Items

  • Toiletries: hair ties, scrunchies, contact case with saline, Advil, chapstick, and socks
  • Medical journal: notebook, pens, binder, and even a medical summary template
  • Quality food and drinks: protein snacks, fresh fruits and veggies, and a kettle or wand for making warm drinks
  • To keep busy: puzzle books, phone and Kindle chargers and batteries, Apple Arcade gift card, embroidery kit, and coloring pencils

Kind Acts  

  • Do their laundry.
  • Be a good listener.
  • Take them for a walk outside.
  • Babysit the child in the hospital.
  • Babysit the child’s siblings.

Often, caregivers won’t know how long their child may have to stay in the hospital. It could be a day or it could be weeks. Sometimes the child is discharged, but then has to make an emergency return soon after. There are so many unknowns, surprises, and obstacles that your friend will have trouble meeting their own basic needs. Start with the basics on this list and then follow-up frequently. Your support is so important. 

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

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Brave Writer Podcast

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The Dreaded Holiday “Pop Quiz”

Brave Writer

It’s that time of year when some family and friends decide to quiz your children to prove that you’re doing a good job home educating.

Here are three tips if that happens to you and your kids.

Tip Number 1

“Please don’t quiz my children. We’re on holiday break.”

When the relatives ask your child what 2×3 is or hand them a book and ask them to read it aloud or test them on whether they know their own address or the capital of their state, you step in and remind them that your kids are on break.

Tip Number 2

Alternatively, some homeschool parents coach their kids to give outrageously wrong answers to startle the questioner into a laugh. Others have their kids flip the Q&A around by asking the adult a question drawn from the child’s unique area of expertise (seems like every homeschooled kid has a store of obscure facts ready to share!).

These ideas are a little more antagonistic, but in playful families, they can break the ice and create some humor.

Tip Number 3

Feed them pie!

Need more help?

When They Don’t Get It: Surviving the Holidays

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Friday Freewrite: Letter “H” Words

Friday Freewrite

Today’s freewriting prompt:

Write a story using as many of these “H” words as you can.

  • Haunted
  • Hippo
  • Hinge
  • Happy
  • Hallway
  • Hasty
  • Hush
  • Hiccup

New to freewriting?

Freewriting is that wonderful key that unlocks the writer within. It’s the vehicle by which we trick our inner selves into divesting the words and ideas that we want to share but are afraid won’t come out right on paper if we do. So, read the freewriting prompt, set the timer for 5-10 minutes then write whatever comes to mind. Just keep the pencil moving!

Need more help? Check out our free online guide.

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Homeschoolers on the Go

Brave Writer

Here’s something your non-homeschooling friends probably don’t know. The term “homeschooling” is sometimes a misnomer.

My kid has chess on Tuesdays, co-op on Thursdays, and on Wednesdays my daughter meets up with her friends to do art after science class. This week there’s a fantastic exhibit at the gallery so…

That’s right! Many HOMEschoolers are often NOT at home! 

We know that, because we’re a company of homeschool parents. We know the value of flexibility. Who wants to skip an awesome workshop on animal physiology at the zoo because you have to watch a live video for a scheduled online class? 

With Brave Writer online classes, participate when it’s convenient for your family!

In our classes, you’ll find:

  • Time—no need to type quickly in the text box while a teacher is talking
  • Room—no pressure to jump on the microphone as a live teacher puts you on the spot
  • Freedom—log into our classroom when it’s YOUR best time

You have time and room to think before writing. Now that’s homeschool freedom at its finest!

Brave Writer Online Writing Classes

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[Podcast #260] Nature Study: Notebooks and Beyond

Leaves changing color, evenings getting chillier—autumn is a wonderful time of the year to turn our attention toward the natural world around us. Today’s Brave Writer podcast episode is all about how to facilitate nature study for your kids. We:

  • cover resources that can help you on your journey,
  • give you specific practices you can try out with your family,
  • and, most importantly, dig into why nature study is so beneficial to educational development and well-being.

Remember, if you have nature study projects that you have really enjoyed, please share them with us!

Show Notes

Nature studies are wonderful intersections of art and science. They help us connect with the living, dynamic beings all around us. They have a deep history in education and human development. Helping your child get involved in these practices can provide them with the lifelong skills of observation and inquiry.

Resources for Nature Studies

Charlotte Mason, a 19th-century educator beloved by the Brave Writer community, wrote extensively about nature studies for children. The Handbook of Nature Study is a wonderful resource written by Anna Botsford Comstock in 1911 and is widely available today. 

For more recent books, check out Ginny Yurich’s 1000 Hours Outside, Christina Bjork’s Linnea’s Windowsill Garden, and Richard Louv’s The Last Child in the Woods.

There are also digital tools that can aid in your family’s modern nature studies. The “Plant Snap” and “Merlin Bird ID” apps can help quickly identify plants and wildlife. Many large urban areas have digital tree maps you can use to explore the city. Local soil conservation districts and nurseries usually have a ton of accessible information about your local environment. 

Nature Study Practices

Depending on your kids’ ages and interests, you can choose different natural study practices that fit them best. For very young kids, you can just keep a weather calendar where they use stamps and stickers to note the weather of the day. For teenagers, you can try constructing a “cold frame,” essentially a simple greenhouse.

Whether you observe a single tree over time with your kid, or take them to local class, you can get them interested in the natural world around them.

Nature journaling, specifically, can be a lifelong gift. Kids (and adults) can fill journals with written or illustrated descriptions of what they observe in nature and what questions those observations bring to the surface.

Right now, Melissa’s nature study project is building a “bug snug” so that pollinators can cozy up over winter and survive until spring. Do you have a nature study project that you have really enjoyed? If so, let us know!

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA Media

Brave Writer Podcast

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