Do It Yourself Education

In considering homeschooling, a kind of do-it-yourself education, one of the first questions to ask is: Who is the 'you' in 'yourself'? Parents have busy lives, earning a living and pursuing other important values that benefit them and their children. Making time for giving a proper education at home, especially for single parents, can be difficult. What to do?

History of Homeschooling

Taking into account that schools are a realtively modern invention, children have been home-schooled until the late 19th century. From then, laws compelled children to go to public school. However, public schools were not seen as the best option for the early advocates of homeschooling.

Homeschool Approach

There are a dozen popular approaches to how to design a homeschool program for a child. They range from highly structured courses, to no structure at all.

Unschooling

Unschooling is an approach to homeschool education that represents the most unstructured approach to learning. It means, as the name suggests, not designing a curriculum at all. Instead, the child is allowed to explore any and all interests, at any pace and in any order they choose.

Hiring Tutors

Some parents just aren't particularly suited to providing education. Yet they want the best education possible for their child and know that public school can't provide that. Private school is often economically out of reach, and still often a second-best in terms of quality. The solution is to hire a tutor.

School Results

One of the first questions parents ask about homeschooling is: Does it work? They know the public schools have problems, but they wonder if they can do any better. Maybe, they say, we should try a little harder to afford private school. With something as important as their child's education at stake, they're understandably cautious.

Games for Children

Keeping kids occupied is an age old dilemma that many parents face and finding a solution to childhood boredom may seem overwhelming. However, help is at hand. There are plenty of games for children to consider when looking for something to fill time with fun activities for kids.

Crafts for Children

There are a plethora of crafts for children available online. These projects are real lifesavers for a mom who needs some downtime and they also serve as great creative outlets for the kids. All you really need to do is keep a good stock of crafting supplies on hand.

Best Halloween Costume Ideas Ever

Superheroes and Villains

Whether it's the Joker thanks to a recent Batman movie or the latest TV show, superheroes and the villains they conquer are always near the top of any list.

It's not just the associations with popular characters that does the trick, though. Just think of all the cool makeup possibilities with someone like the Joker. He's gone through several variations from TV and films from the past 50 years. Superhero masks offer an outstanding way to avoid that trouble, though. Pop it on and you're ready to party.

Fake Blood Tips from the Hollywood Pros

First, you have to buy or make some fake blood, of course. We trust you don't have plans to use the real thing!

There are dozens of recipes for making your own inexpensive version of fake blood. One ultra-simple recipe uses a tablespoon of water added to 3 tablespoons of corn syrup. That will serve as a good base. Then add red food coloring for bright, fresh-looking blood. For an aged or deep cut look, add a bit of blue. This type will work well on fake facial or arm cuts.