Monday, August 28, 2017
Thursday, August 24, 2017
The Everyday Family Chore System: An Everyday Homemaking Review
Teaching kids to do a job and do it well is sometimes so overwhelming and seems much easier to just do it yourself. What this book highlights is the goal of producing an adult who is proficient in household skills AND working myself out of a job as a mother/teacher. To that end, there are age appropriate jobs, a box full of How-to-do-it cards, zone approaches, and a few different ways of assigning jobs. There isn't one hard and fast way of doing it, but several options suggested depending on your household needs. We have begun implementing the card box and job assignments in conjunction with the new school year beginning. The methods are very useful and versatile. The availability of all the printables pushed me further into organization than I would naturally go. As with most things, anything new is exciting and motivating to J, at least for a while. He has certainly thrived with more responsibility the last few weeks and that makes me hopeful for more success down the road.
However, as good as all these things are, the greatest impact from this book originated from the beginning discussions about the heart of the matter. One of our main purposes in homeschooling is guide our children intentionally so that their hearts and minds are equipped to serve God and serve others with success, self-discipline and joy. This Everyday Family Chore System is a way to keep their hearts focused on Him instead of getting burdened down with tasks that will be necessary their entire life. How many fights in your house result from someone dragging their feet or all out refusal to complete a task? Too many in our household I'm afraid. I'm happy to say we're working on changing that!
If you would like to get this handy book or one of the other books Everyday Homemaking offers, my readers can get 10% off until September 5th using the code TOS10books.
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Thursday, August 17, 2017
Special Day Sickness: Do You Have It?
The last couple of weeks my news feed has been packed with "Back to School" photos and parents scrambling to make the appropriate preparations. The new normal of cute pictures and mountains of school supplies is regularly being discussed and rehashed. What struck me most recently was the anguish many parents (moms) feel about making the last days of summer special. Full disclosure, I, like my mother before me, feel compelled to make anything from presents to field trips extra special just because. Things like holidays, milestones and anything iconic, it is not only fun to document, but it almost feels like you're a bad parent if you don't. It is a bizarre reality we have with social media giving us constant information about how others are living, but even that is filtered usually to show only the best. Honestly, no wonder mental illness is such a burden in this country.
As I was thinking about the moms who feel like a failure or a 'bad mom' if they didn't have time to go above and beyond this time around, I couldn't stop this thought:
Your mundane is so much more important than the special.
Like the characterized parent who is gone 90% of the time, but comes around once in a blue moon with an over the top present or something. That present might be cool in the moment, but that special thing is pretty insignificant to that child when they think about all the days that parent is absent.
Or the 80/20 rule. Whatever you do/eat/think about 80% of the time is far more important than the less than perfect 20%. Life isn't those extra special moments 80% of the time. It's full of grocery store trips, clean towels, struggling with self-control and learning what to do with those hurt feelings. A good parent is built in these mundane activities that will happen over and over again. Of course, we all remember that one birthday or 3rd grade program that was extra special because of something someone did for us, but without all of those mundane building blocks, the special thing might be pretty empty.
So, frenzied mom, are you meeting the physical needs of your children, teaching them to obey God and showering them with hugs, kisses and encouragement? Then know you are a good parent and let the special moments come and go as they wish. I love social media for many reasons, but to live a mentally healthy life with it, we need safe guards and that includes not believing lies. Goodness is not determined in the extra special (that's just icing most of the time).
Your mundane is so much more important than the special.
As I was thinking about the moms who feel like a failure or a 'bad mom' if they didn't have time to go above and beyond this time around, I couldn't stop this thought:
Your mundane is so much more important than the special.
Like the characterized parent who is gone 90% of the time, but comes around once in a blue moon with an over the top present or something. That present might be cool in the moment, but that special thing is pretty insignificant to that child when they think about all the days that parent is absent.
Or the 80/20 rule. Whatever you do/eat/think about 80% of the time is far more important than the less than perfect 20%. Life isn't those extra special moments 80% of the time. It's full of grocery store trips, clean towels, struggling with self-control and learning what to do with those hurt feelings. A good parent is built in these mundane activities that will happen over and over again. Of course, we all remember that one birthday or 3rd grade program that was extra special because of something someone did for us, but without all of those mundane building blocks, the special thing might be pretty empty.
So, frenzied mom, are you meeting the physical needs of your children, teaching them to obey God and showering them with hugs, kisses and encouragement? Then know you are a good parent and let the special moments come and go as they wish. I love social media for many reasons, but to live a mentally healthy life with it, we need safe guards and that includes not believing lies. Goodness is not determined in the extra special (that's just icing most of the time).
Your mundane is so much more important than the special.
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Butler Weekly News
My little race car is 4 months old this week and I'm trying to act like a mother of three who isn't several months behind on her life. He's doing well and we are so thankful for his sweet smiles and his strength.
A couple of weekends ago, my brother put on a mini Singing School for our congregation and J had a great time. I am certainly biased, but those piano lessons sure do help song leaders!
Pocket Poetry
Defeated.
Not actually, but the feeling.
Brick walls in place of the exits.
Exhausted.
Outnumbered. Over-touched. Crowded and out of space.
And it is Wednesday.
Thursday, August 3, 2017
In the Reign of Terror: An Heirloom Audio Production Review
Some familiar faces are featured in this Audio Adventure! |
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Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Long before our picture perfect lives were plastered all over the internet, people were still getting sucked into the it crowd and not realizing how lonely the homecoming queen really was. The impression people give us usually isn't the whole truth. So, no matter what kind of standards you think everyone else is living up to, those aren't trustworthy to judge yourself by because they are most definitely false.
Look around when you are setting goals for the future, but once you're living in it, only use your yesterday as the thing to beat.
Look around when you are setting goals for the future, but once you're living in it, only use your yesterday as the thing to beat.
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