Articles written by Allison Claridge

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About me - Allison Claridge

Guess it's time for labels: (in no specific order)
writer, wife, mother, daughter of God, college graduate, once-upon-a-time homeschool teacher, avid reader, crocheter, chocaholic, singer, dancer, actor, full-time payroller, Flybaby and dreamer

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Food & Drink > Dining & Restaurants (Other) Why eat out instead of eating in: 3 of 43

Eating out used to be a once-in-a-while kind of event. Today, it's the norm for a lot of families most nights of the week. We eat out because we need a quick meal, we eat out because we're too tired to cook, we eat out because we want a break from the fix-it, eat-it, clean-it-up routine. Eating out should still be a celebrat...
Education > Homeschooling Explaining the unit study approach to homeschooling: 1 of 8

Unit study is great way to engage the whole family when you are homeschooling. You take one subject and explore it from every possible angle, utilizing as many subjects as you want. This approach works well for families with several children, pulling them all together for lessons. When you have a teenager, an 8-year-old and ...
Education > Distance Learning Distance learning: The benefits of doing college from home: 3 of 15

Ten or fifteen years ago, if you learned via correspondence school, you must have been disabled, extremely introverted or just plain weird. Distance learning today has a whole new face, and a brand new reputation to go along with it. Distance learning has made education possible for people who once thought there was no way t...
Relationships & Family > Newlyweds How to survive newlywed squabbles: 6 of 21

1. First realize that you WILL have squabbles. No marriage is perfect, no person is perfect. You WILL put your foot in your mouth, he WILL say something he didn't really mean, she WILL forget to do something you asked... 2. Practice the forgiveness that you hope for from the other. 3. Remember that you are on the same team! ...
Parenting & Pregnancy > Parenting Teens How young is too young to think about having a girlfriend or a boyfriend: 7 of 23

"What exactly are your intentions with my daughter, young man?" "Mo-om! It's not like he's my BOYFRIEND or anything!" "So, you wanna go with me?" Oh, how the vocabulary has changed over the years. But the best advice we can still give our teenagers is not to date until they are 16 - and then there is a dating "advancement" t...
Education > Early Childhood Ed How to help your young child develop math skills at home: 7 of 22

Young children are little sponges, ready to absorb anything and everything you can give them. Parents don't need to sit down and have lessons to engage and stimulate little brains; just going through your day, verbalizing your actions, and playing WITH your child will help them develop both math and language skills. Of cours...
Relationships & Family > Marital Conflicts Tips for saving a troubled marriage: 13 of 38

David, an eight-year-old boy, arrives home from school feeling very frustrated. His best friend told the teacher a lie, and now David is taking the blame. He tells his mother the whole story and her advice is just to ride out the situation and see what the friend does tomorrow. A very disgruntled David mutters, "Whose side a...
Home & Garden > Home & Garden (Other) Preparing your family to move to a new home: 8 of 20

Any huge job can be broken down into baby steps. If you tackle a job a bit at a time, it's not as overwhelming. There are two sides to the moving adventure: the actual physical packing and unpacking and the emotional drama of change. Physically, start by packing up the stuff you already have in storage, and number your boxes...
Creative Writing > Memoirs Testimonies: School dance experiences: 6 of 12

It's been a long time for some of us since we got all jittery and nervous about a school dance. Some dances we went with dates, pairing off before the dance even started. Then you were completely jealous and fuming if someone dared to ask for a dance with your date. My 20th high school reunion is coming up... but a few dance...
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: Stories of how married couples met: 55 of 91

I was 18 years old and had just transferred to a new university for my sophomore year. I didn't really know anyone yet, and decided to take a plunge and attend a dance at my church. By mistake, I showed up an hour early. I walked into the dimmed gymnasium, surprised at the emptiness. And then this boy practically sprinted ac...