Parenting isn’t as easy as it looks on Instagram, is it? How do they get everyone to look so clean, so well-pressed, so happy? Is it real??? Why can’t my kids look like that?
As you know, there is quite a difference between the way things “appear” in a photo and the way things actually are in real life.
These blog articles focus on parenting—things that help us, as parents, on the journey. I learned them through many challenging experiences, through folks who had parented longer (and more successfully), and through what my kids taught me.
Your Child Might Not Be What You Expect
Scene 1: The lake. My husband and I are inveterate, if amateur, water fowl watchers.We delight to observe the junior high antics of coots, the intensely punk look of mergansers and the aerial fishing techniques of osprey. But, among all the birds we commonly see, none is more stunning nor elegant…
Slow down and enjoy this time
Have you ever noticed that your kids keep getting older. . .and bigger? Amazingly, the longer you parent, the older your kids will become. And, in the blink of an eye, they suddenly become adults. Just yesterday I had three little kids, and today I have three grown adults with…
What’s In YOUR Cupboard?
What are the things that make you uniquely you? And, how do you share them with your children? Fortunately, despite the title, this is not one of those how-to-make-a-meal-from-whatever-you-can-find-in-your-cupboard-when-you-should-have-gone-to-the-store-yesterday posts. Although, if I were to be truly transparent, I might be considered an expert in putting off going to get…
The Buttermilk Lesson Or. . .
How do we pass on to our children the things we love? How do we help our kids develop a taste for those distinctive traits that make up our own family’s “culture”? What benefits are there if we take the time to share various foods, places, people, and activities with…
Humor at Home
Do you remember the saying, “Give me a fish and I’ll eat for a day, teach me to fish and I’ll eat for a lifetime”? It is as true for laughter as it is for seafood! “Tell me a joke, and I’ll laugh for a minute. Teach me good…
Parenting with God’s Love
Parenting in Love I’ve been pondering I Corinthians 13:4-8 for some months, especially as it concerns parenting: Love is patient, love is kind.It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no…
With time and effort
Some years ago, I was invited by horse-loving friends to attend a natural horsemanship clinic with them. They were thrilled that this traveling clinic was going to be so close to my home—because it was a lot closer for them than their home in Australia!! During one section of the…
Keep Things in Perspective
You're Doing A Great Job! What you are doing matters. Your homeschooling means that you have all of the planning, all the work, all the struggle, all the sleepless nights. . .to give your kids the opportunity: to know what it is to love learning, to be loved in a…
Winning Traits of Homeschool Dads
Today, I’d like to share the top 3 traits of homeschool dads: Understanding his kids; Investing in his kids' Being intentional at home. To bring it to life, here are three of my favorite stories—all from New Zealand! 1) Understanding his kids At a homeschool meeting in Rotorua, NZ, I…
Homeschooling with Little Ones
I know it is so much easier to say, "Be thankful for your little ones now, they will grow up so fast," than to do all the work of caring for babies and toddlers. It is MUCH more difficult to actually be thankful when you are in the midst of…
Doing the Priority — Relationship!
Do you ever feel like you have way too much to do? Do you valiantly attempt to do it all anyway? It’s part of the homeschooling mentality—that sense of juggling twelve balls in the air at a time—cooking, cleaning, chauffeuring, nursing, teaching, shopping, listening, laundering, reading aloud, picking up, devotions,…
Lessons YOU’VE Learned
Learning Our Own Lessons As you walk out your unique journey on this earth, you gain deep experience and wide knowledge through the “lessons” of life. As a homeschool mom, many of your lessons come through the day-in and day-out challenges of teaching your kids at home—that place that also…