Nature study is really a simple thing. There are many things to look at and discover throughout your days and weeks. Here are some pictures I’ve accumulated over several weeks.

Since our cats are not ‘fixed’, we get to enjoy the miracle of life and also experience the sadness of death. They are outside cats. The first cat that adopted us was a smart cat and only got pregnant once per year. When she died and we replaced her, this cat was not as smart and ended up pregnant more often. Unfortunately, we have experienced the sadness of death many many times with our cats. But it is neat to see newborn kittens and watch them as they grow up.

Here are two of our kittens.
It is fun to watch as they learn to hunt. This is the reason we have them, to hunt mice, moles, gophers, and any other pests they can get rid of.And then just to watch them interact with each other and their habits is interesting.

Right after I snapped this picture they both opened their eyes and looked right at me.

When we were out planting flowers, I saw this bug.

I don’t know what kind it is but during our homeschooling years, we would have gotten out the insect books to try and make that determination.

One day I looked out and saw this.

Do you see it?

For a while, we were seeing lots of these. I’m not sure if they are still about and I’m just not catching them or if they have moved on or proceeded on the circle of life.

Then one day my hubby pointed out this critter.

Yeah, this one is hard to see . . . how about now?

This one is larger than we’ve had walk around the house before. Usually it is a box turtle; I’m not sure what this one is.

It’s rained quite a bit around here lately. One day these popped up. When I first noticed them they were very domed. As they have matured thy have flattened out on top. Michael has since mowed the grass and now they are not. If we still had school aged children, I would have had him leave them until we can watch how they finish out their cycle.

Planting flower seeds and watching them grow is another great way to study nature.

We grew these from seeds we had saved from planting store bought seeds several years ago. We will dry some of these seeds and save them for next year. You can do the same with many flowers; marigolds is another easy one to do because the flower head dries out so quickly.

Then one week in the parking lot of the library I saw this.

I don’t know where she ended up but they made it to the grass. It was neat to watch those little ducklings jump up the curb.

Of course, if Liam, my grandson, had been with me, I would have read Make Way for Ducklings when we got home or inside the library if we were staying for a while. It was so fun to see.

Just seeing these things and telling someone else what they saw is a good start at nature study. They can also draw what they see. Taking a picture of it is always a good idea too but not necessary. They can look up information about what they saw. Diagram it, labeling its parts. They can draw the life cycle of it.

In the case of planting seeds, they can have several pages where they are ‘documenting’ their plant growth. In the case of animals, they can find out what they eat and what might eat them. They can discover how it is born and how long it generally lives. You can go as deep as you desire or stay shallow by simply documenting what they see. It doesn’t have to be elaborate but if your child is interested in the topic, he/she can do more research via library or internet.

Bottom line is to be observant as you go throughout your days. Draw attention to the shape of the moon or that the moon is visible sometimes while the sun is still up. And then have them write something about it, assuming they are old enough.

I have seen a hummingbird and a butterfly on the flowers out in the middle of my yard, from my living room window, all because I took the time to look. Just imagine what you might see!

I hope this inspires you to look around you and observe the wonder that is all around.

Until next time, God bless,

Michele ºÜº

Save

Save

When my kids were young, they wanted a dog. I made the prove that they could be responsible for the dog’s care by keeping the living room clean for a month. They were warned ahead of time that if they missed even on day, they’d have to start their month all over again. We started over again a couple times and in the end they knew that having a dog would be a job as well as fun.

I am not an animal person, so if we were getting a dog, they were going to have to agree to ALL of its care: potty walks, bathing, feeding, everything. They agreed to every bit of it. There were times I had to remind them that the dog was their responsibility and I wasn’t giving him a bath or feeding him. It was a good thing for my children.

I’m sharing an article with you about teaching responsibility through owning a pet. I hope it will give you some ideas for your children.

Until next time, God bless,

Michele ºÜº

Teaching Responsibility through Pet Ownership

By Linda Brodsky

“Mom, we’re coming home with a new member of the family,” my 17-year-old happily announced. “Oh boy,” I said. As a new widow, this was the last thing we needed—another pet. But this dog would officially be my “adopted” son’s pet and he would be responsible for all his care. He agreed if it didn’t work out, his mom, who recently lost her 14-year-old dog, would take him. But “Buddy” was currently on probation with us. When I first met Buddy, a St. Bernard mix, I said, “No way! He’s huge and he’s going to be a handful!” But his pitiful look and laid back ways made me give him a chance. Besides, I thought he would help my daughter through her grieving process.

A UK pet retailer, Pets at Home, surveyed 1000 children ages 5-16 who have pets in their homes. A high percentage of the children believe caring for a pet makes them more responsible, caring, happy and intelligent. 36% of the children said they have become more caring and 34% feel a greater sense of responsibility.¹

What Does Pet Ownership Teach Kids?

Pets teach kids to be more caring towards others. Children generally are focused on their own needs. Having a pet will teach them to serve others’ needs as well.

Having a pet means the life and well-being of another living creature is in your hands. The biggest responsibility is love. It can take a lot of time, money and energy. You have to be committed and work hard. Before pet ownership, there are certain things that must be considered such as the pet’s life span, how much time you and your child have to commit to your pet and the costs involved.

Before getting a pet, ask these questions: Why does the child want a pet? How mature is the child? Can he/she handle the responsibility and if not, will you help? How will the new pet affect the rest of the family and other pets already in the home?

Pets can be a very positive experience for children. They offer companionship, entertainment and education. However, they require care, attention and maintenance and also involve a financial commitment. They teach great responsibility, but the rewards can be very positive! The children also need to learn what happens when they don’t take care of their pets. And we have had several accidents or deaths when proper care was not given.

Part of pet responsibility is how children treat their pets. There are certain behaviors that should be banned, otherwise the child may be at risk of getting bit or scratched by the pet. They can also seriously hurt the animal. Excessive hugging and kissing, chasing, running, screaming, poking, teasing, handling roughly and riding on, are all behaviors that should be avoided.

Responsibilities of Pet Ownership

Children may need adult supervision when interacting with some pets. Don’t expect too much from younger children. For example, cleaning a cat’s litter box can be very dangerous, as small children touch their eyes and mouth and may not properly wash their hands after doing the task. Don’t overwhelm the child. It will discourage them from taking care of the pets and therefore will resent them. Then the pets will be the ones who suffer in the long run.

Here are some ways to encourage responsible behavior:

• Praise your child every time a pet chore is done without having to ask
• Try to reward your child in a way with a fun pet activity
• If they start to lapse on their responsibility, offer gentle reminders
• If problem persists, sit down with your child and see what can be done to make it more effective
• Be a good example yourself

Parents must be clear about the responsibilities of pet ownership before a pet is received. And if a child does not care for the pet as she should or neglects assigned duties, perhaps a loss of privileges should be the consequences.

The lifelong commitment and responsibility to a pet ultimately rests on the adults in the house, not the children. If you’re not sure whether your child is read for a pet, especially a cat or a dog, consider fostering an animal for a short while. This will serve several purposes; you and your child can see what it actually requires to take care of this type of pet and animal rescue organizations are always in need of care for strays or abandoned pets. Your child may also want to volunteer at the local shelter to become familiar with what it takes to own a pet.

Throughout the years we have had every kind of pet imaginable: cats, dogs, parakeets, cockatiels, parrots, guinea pigs, fish, toads, gecko lizards, rabbits, hermit crabs and even a three foot long iguana! In fact, our children have had so much experience with different animals that they even started their own pet-sitting businesses. That’s a whole new level of responsibility.

As for Buddy, well he had a few mishaps, but he’s one of the sweetest, most easy-going dogs I’ve ever met. He gets an A on his probation report!

Having a pet is an incredibly rewarding experience for your children and can provide a lifetime of memories, education, responsibility and most of all, love.

Ages and Responsibilities for Pet Ownership

Toddlers to age 5:

-help parents put food and water in pet dishes

-clean and put away pet dishes

-put away pet toys

-help with brushing and grooming

-play with the pet

Ages 5-10:

-put food and water in dishes, still with some adult supervision

-heavier level of help with cleaning and maintenance of pet areas

-grooming and bathing, depending on size and personality of the pet

-help with exercise and walking, depending on size and personality of the pet

-clean up after pet when it goes to the bathroom

Ages 10 and up:

-all aspects can be responsibly assumed unless it’s a large, unruly animal

Low, Medium and High Maintenance Pets

Low Maintenance Pets

Fish – Perfect “starter” pet

Beta fish require no filter, heater or aerator

Goldfish don’t require a filter but it is good to have one

Insects & Arthropods – Ant farms and hermit crabs are easy, educational and fun

“Sea Monkeys” (Brine shrimp) – Tiny crustaceans that are fun and very educational can be bought in kits with minimal care and can survive a year or more!

Reptiles – (Gecko lizards, toads, turtles, snakes)

They are non-allergenic so they make great pets for those that may be allergic to pet hair and dander

They are also very educational and fun

However, they need vitamins, heat and a light source

Small Birds – (Parakeets, canaries, finches) Birds are pretty easy to take care of and they are very educational and fun

However, they can be messy!

Rodents – Hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, rats, gerbils are all very educational and fun

However, they could be high allergens, especially guinea pigs

Medium Maintenance Pets

Cats – Cats are great for when there is limited space and you can’t get a dog

They are very independent and usually friendly

Dogs – A dog is a kid’s best friend too – we found that our boys especially love dogs, but they do require a bit more responsibility

Great kid-friendly breeds are Labs, Retrievers, Poodles, Airedale terriers (which we are biased to since we had one that was absolutely awesome! Clifford was ten years old when he passed away and we talk about him all the time. He was the best dog ever!)

High Maintenance Pets

Larger birds such as parrots, horses, chickens, goats, sheep, exotic animals such as chimpanzees, pigs, llamas, etc.

Linda Brodsky, along with her late husband Mark, owned and operated Brodsky Ministries, an online resource for curriculum, homeschool t-shirts, natural health and beauty products and general Christian materials for over 12 years. She has written numerous articles and a book, Fruit of the Womb: Our Journey to Joy in the Morning which can be ordered through her website www.brodskyministries.com. Linda has done seminars at homeschool conventions throughout the country, speaking about nutrition and child safety. She will be writing and speaking about homeschooling through adversities in 2014. She can be reached at lindadroid2@gmail.com

Copyright, 2014. Used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in The Old Schoolhouse^® Magazine, the family education magazine, July/August 2014. Read the magazine free at www.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and download the free apps at www.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.