I use to do scrapbooking, now I just do Facebook. Someday I WILL get all my digital pictures into photo books.

When the children came to stay with us last January I had to throw together our curriculum rather quickly.

For our morning lessons I made each of us a binder with page protectors.

In the binder I put the words to the songs we were learning; each month we learn a new one.

I include our memory work (we started out with the 10 Commandments) and our catechism questions…

and a list of the 21 Rules for the House. These were really good in the beginning as the children had to get use to a new way of life. We now review them maybe once or twice a month.

Each month I add a new character trait, we go over this 2-3 times a week and review the previous traits once or twice a month.

All these things, the memory verses, the character traits, the 21 Rules, the catechism questions and the hymns are GREAT to have ready to use as copywork too!

And what binder would be complete without a chore chart?

For older kids it would be great to add a list of goals too!

But this is their favorite part:

In the back of the binder I let the kids scrapbook, which for them was just gluing pictures in. Remember, everything is in page protectors.

We are big picture-takers around here, so from day one we have LOTS of pictures… we’re kind of like first time parents again!

One thing I noticed quickly was something that I’ve noticed in my grown kids, they “remember” more based on the pictures in their scrapbooks than they do the actual memory it’s self.

The new kiddos are constantly going through their binders and studying the pictures, ‘remembering’ the day they came here, remembering when Olivia built fairy houses with them, remembering when we made cupcakes while it was storming outside, etc…

This forces them to think on the happy memories, to ‘remember’ the good times!

I’ve also used our binders to show our social worker and lawyers a little of what our life looks like. The kids LOVE showing them to everyone that comes to visit!

We are almost 7 months post the kid’s arrival and their binders are getting full.I hope to be able to start fresh binders at their 1 year mark and put these on the shelf as their keepsakes!

I also figured if they had to leave us they would have plenty of pictures to take with them…to remember their time with us.

In this age of everything being digital let’s be sure to give our kids some physical things to look at, to touch…to remember by!

Take LOTS of pictures, even of trivial things, make sure people are smiling…even laughing. They WILL remember these things, but you may have to help them. YOU are writing history… YOU are documenting it!

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Kathy

writer, video producer, wife and mother at Teaching Good Things

Titus 2:3 says that we are to be "...teachers of good things...". We believe that part of these good things are practical skills that we all need in every day life to care for our family and neighbors. One of our primary responsibilities as parents is equip our children with the skills and tools to one day be productive, well rounded adults. Children need to be exposed to many different areas of work. Not only should they know how to work, but they should want to work. May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us- yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17

Latest posts by Kathy (see all)

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