M.O.M. you ask? Yeah, I call it my
'Moms On the Move' bag. It's a portable homeschooling kit for when you travel, need a ready supply of fresh homeschool materials to keep a youngster occupied, or want something to fall back on in a serious situation that disrupts your day-to-day homeschool life.
When our children were younger we did lots of traveling in the car. We drove back and forth between Vermont and Florida many times to visit grandparents and other close relatives. We also spent lots of time driving to lessons, the library, flea markets and other activities closer to home. Two of the best things we ever purchased for our children were soft material, briefcase style carryalls with a zippered side that would act as a drop-front desk in their laps.
These M.O.M. bags hung over the backs of the front seat headrest in the car and were filled with reading and writing materials, workbooks, pens, pencils, and small electronic handheld gadgets. We never heard the words
'I'm bored!' from the backseat, no matter how many miles we traveled.
If you are paying attention to the economy and recent news, then you're well aware that our country is in a world of hurt. Even other countries are feeling the stress of collapse as well. The only thing keeping America afloat is our ability to print our way out of the money crunch, but even that is quickly reaching the point where our dollar will be worthless.
Meanwhile, natural disasters, such as earthquakes, fires, hurricanes and tornadoes, have displaced thousands of families in the United States. When, not if, we reach that tipping point of no return and TEOTWAWKI arrives, be ready to continue your child's education with your well equipped M.O.M. bag. It needn't be fancy. Even a pillow case will do. Personally, a fancy-schmancy backpack with a gazillion compartments and comfy shoulder straps is more to my liking, but if money (or lack of) is a restraint then an inexpensive one will do.
Depending on the age of your child, fill your M.O.M. bag with lots of writing tablets, pens, pencils and sharpener, markers, crayons, workbooks of all subjects, flashlight or hands-free headlamp, a hand-crank or solar radio (don't forget the earphones), and reading books. Some good topics for reading would be survival stories like
Swiss Family Robinson or
My Side of The Mountain. How-to books on gardening, hunting or fishing should also be considered. For older children the
Foxfire series is a great read. Add some non-perishable protein snacks to your M.O.M. bag and a
water bottle with its own filtering system just in case you find yourselves stranded.
If you do find yourself and your family on the go after an upheaval of any kind or magnitude, your M.O.M. bag will not only serve as an emergency backup for your child's education, but it will provide comfort and security for your child at a time when it is needed most.
"Prepare for the worst, but hope for the best" is not just a slogan. When you think about these words you'll begin to understand what it means to be truly responsible for you and your homeschooling family. You'll realize the only one who will look after you and your family in a crisis is you, not the government. Your M.O.M. bag is a reminder to your child that the only one who truly has their back is mom! This is not a slight to the dads who homeschool because dad's job is to make sure mom has what she needs to do her job. He can even create his own D.A.D. (Dad's Academic Dufflebag) bag to supplement mom's. Like any great team you must pull together. To do otherwise could very well jeopardize your survival and that of your family.
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