Staying Motivated to Homeschool

This is the time of year when it is hard to stay motivated to homeschool.


It has been an especially rainy and somewhat gloomy day outside, it is winter and I think it got dark around 5:00pm? On top of that kids are somewhat out of the routine - only a few weeks out from Christmas and New Years - kids are hard to keep focused. Not only that, this is about the time of year when all those New Years Resolutions are nagging in the back of your brain. So what is a homeschool mom to do?

Here is some advice from a veteran Christian homeschooling friend of mine:

1. Stop with the "big goals" - broad goals are hard to define, hard to execute, and easy to beat yourself up over. Instead be steady. You already know the small steps it takes to get through a typical day - it isn't the grand gestures that are going to make homeschooling a success - it is the everyday, slow and steady routine that will get you to the ultimate goal - well schooled children.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

2. Focus on the positive - Can your child read well? or are they better at math? Praise the good subjects! Instead of being constantly critical of your students weaknesses - focus your energy instead on the subjects they are great at! Yes, you will have to teach that really hard subject, but don't make it the whole focus of any one day - or that day will be TERRIBLE, for both you and them. Try to tackle the hardest subjects in-between two favorites and refer back to the small steps - you can't learn math in one day - but you can discourage your child and create a wall of resistance in a single day.

Philippians 4

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

3. Take a day off once in a while - Public schools take 1 or 2 school days off every month. In January it is Martin Luther King Day, February is President's Day - some months there isn't a holiday at all, but school will still be out at least one day. These breaks are necessary to blow off steam and to keep you and your student fresh.

Ecclesiastes 3

13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

4. Keep to a routine - Aside from taking a day off once in a while it is important to keep to a daily routine. Your student needs a regular program so that they know what is expected of them, not only that but the teacher needs a routine, too. Why do I need a routine? Quite frankly there will be days when I do not feel like homeschooling - but having a routine will keeps me on auto pilot even on the days when I am tired, cranky, and just having an off day.

Proverbs 6

10 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
11 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
Scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

5. Enlist some support - You know other homeschool moms, don't be embarrassed to reach out! You might find that they are struggling with the same issues you are - maybe they have some sage advice, and maybe they have a great coffee maker and a good ear - either way. You are not alone in this! Don't buy the lie that you have to be super mom, we are so much better when we stick together!

1 Thessalonians 5

10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Hang in there, You can do it!

Will we lose our right to parent our children?

An Update from Michael Farris
19 January 2010

Dear Champion of Parental Rights,

In Minnesota, “Jaime” was shocked to learn she needed her 11-year-old daughter’s permission to access the daughter’s medical records or contact a physician about the girl’s health. The doctor hides behind a federal law as the justification for his action. “Lisa” in Colorado learned that “to protect the privacy” of a 9-year-old’s library records, government librarians refused to tell her what books her child had checked out (even though Lisa was being asked to pay the over-due book fine) – an experience shared by “Nicole” in Maryland.

These examples demonstrate the urgent need for the Parental Rights Amendment (PRA). Governments have an ever-increasing view of their power to deal directly with children in exclusion of the parent.

In the past year, we’ve seen the PRA introduced in both houses of Congress, securing 129 co-sponsors in the House and 6 in the U.S. Senate. We have built a grassroots network throughout the country that must continue to grow, fueling our support in Washington until the Amendment passes. We have communicated loudly to Ambassador Susan Rice and to the U.S. Senate that we do not want to see the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child ratified. And we have built the behind-the-scenes infrastructure of our organization that has directed this growth and will see us through to ultimate victory.

All of this has been made possible by the generous support of donors willing to invest in this vital effort to preserve our children and their freedoms by enshrining our freedoms in the text of the Constitution.

Parents of 5-year-olds shouldn’t have to fight a doctor or dentist, because of federal privacy law, for the right to remain present while their child undergoes an examination or receives care. Yet we have received letters from “Megan” in California and from several others in different states who have faced just such a challenge.

Many others find educational freedom to be an even greater challenge. “Jenni and Dave” were frustrated when their Alabama school refused to move their son out of a classroom that contained a bully and an abusive teacher, even as their son’s school performance dropped. Sixteen-year-old “Kelly” in California was able to get a secret abortion because her public school released her without parental consent to have the procedure done. Mother “Monica” was shocked to learn about all of this when she accidentally received the bill.

Even home education is not without problems, as the “Nelson” family in New York learned. They were threatened with charges of educational neglect simply because they opted not to use the public school at all, though they followed the letter of the law to home educate their child from the very beginning.

If we are to protect these rights and see our success continue in 2010, we know we need to increase our reach. But reaching a wider audience will require more resources than we have had available so far. To meet this need, we are looking for members to support this vital effort.

Donors who give just $25 or more in 2010 will become official Parental Rights Members and receive two ParentalRights.Org decals and a pocket Constitution.


A Parental Rights Advocate is one who gives $100 or more in 2010. Advocates will receive an official PRO mug in recognition of your contribution.


Parental Rights Delegates give $500 or more over the course of the year, and will receive a bound portfolio embossed with the ParentalRights.org logo to show our appreciation.


Finally, Parental Rights Ambassadors are those who give $1000 or more in 2010. Ambassadors will receive, as a token of our appreciation, a bound portfolio embossed with the ParentalRights.Org logo and engraved with their name. Ambassadors will also be guaranteed a seat at our Victory Banquet when the Parental Rights Amendment is finally ratified in its thirty-eighth State, becoming a legal part of our Constitution.
These donations provide the funding to maintain and update our informative website; to send out email newsletters and alerts to more than 100,000 readers each week; to provide resources for local chapters and individual volunteers; to lobby Congress; to coordinate national lobby days and call-in days; to build relationships with and promote our cause among other national organizations; to spearhead Parental Rights resolutions at the State level; to provide up-to-date information and parental rights news from around the nation and around the world; and to provide the facilities and infrastructure necessary to support the only national parental rights organization in the country. No one else is doing what we do to halt ratification of the CRC and to preserve families by securing the Parental Rights Amendment.

Won’t you please click here and consider which one-time gift or monthly pledge is right for you? Our freedoms and those of future generations depend on your generosity and our mutual commitment to persevere until parental rights – and our children’s futures - are secure.

Thank you for all you have done and are doing to secure the Parental Rights Amendment. We thank you, too, for your generous consideration of this need. Together, we are protecting children by empowering parents to make the best, most loving decisions for their sakes.

Gratefully yours,

Michael P. Farris, J.D.
President, ParentalRights.org




If you have not yet signed the petition and joined the Parental Rights mailing list,
please click here to do so now.

Homeschoolers Unite - jk

I am really blessed to be a part of an AWESOME homeschool co-op. I must say that there are several support groups in the area that offer "Mom's night out" and other group activites and general support, as good and needed as these are, this is not the same thing as a co-op.

A co-op is where homeschoolers come together to share their gifts and talents so that everyone in the group is blessed. Our co-op meets once per week and offers all the little extra things that are required by the state - like music, art, pe and fire prevention in the spring - and MANY more classes that you might just want a little help with. All of the teachers are moms - just like you - and anything offered is designed to supplement what you are doing at home.

So what is offered?

PE and Health Education - all ages
Mystery of History Vol 2 - 1st -4th grade
Mystery of History Vol 2 - 5th - 8th grade
Kids Chior - with service opportunity in the spring 1st -6th grade
Guitar lessons - all ages - cost $7.00 for a 1 hour group lesson (typically 4-5 people in a group)
Creative Witting - 4th -6th grade
IEW (English and compisition) 7th -9th grades
IEW (English and composition) 10th -12th grades
1st -3rd science - Astronomy Apologia
4th - 6th science - Swimming Creatures - Apologia
Physical Science - Apologia - 7th and 9th grades, possibly older kids too?
Spanish for jr high and high school age (some small cost - not sure exactly what)
Art - all ages
Preschool program that runs while the classes are running

Our co-op meets from 8:30am - 2:30pm.
We start with 1/2 hour devotional
then run 3 - 1 hour classes
followed by 1/2 hour lunch
and then 2 more 1 hour classes.

Anyone is welcome to attend, however teacher moms are required to agree with a statement of faith and must have pastoral and personal referrals.

I just can't say enough about what a BLESSING this has been to my family and how wonderful it has been to meet with like minded homeschoolers!!!

If you are interested in joining this group now is a great time because our second semester begins January 25th - classes will be at a great place to jump right in.
Joining the co-op costs $20.00 and a few classes ask that you purchase supplies.

One of my sons list of supplies for all classes included:
3 - 3 ring folders
loose leaf paper
pencils
colored pencils
crayons
markers
paintbrushes
ruler
2 old water bottles filled with beans or rice for weights
an old towel
2 books to be shared by 3 kids - 24.00 for both

If you are interested, or just want more information - email me

Homeschoolers unite =)

Amanda

Happy New Year

How fitting a quiet time for New Year's Day

James 2:
14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

Faith here I think it is talking about what I believe in my heart - actual faith - and how I let my beliefs become good intentions, and my good intentions become inaction, replaced by the business of the day, a moment of self indulgence, and an "I deserve it" attitude.

I was listening to Charles Stanley the other night talk about how Christians have perverted worship(worship being living a life focused on God's will and living every moment of every day to that end) to be all about themselves - I think that is the real trap - the "I deserve it" line. Self esteem replacing esteeming others more highly, self- reliance replacing dependence upon God's grace

18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God.[f] Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”[g] He was even called the friend of God.[h] 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

This is a hard concept to grasp and I always had trouble with it until a few years ago. We don't earn our salvation - Ephesians 2 - and we are saved by grace - yet we do not sin so that grace may abound - Romans 8 - so then how does James jive with the rest of the Bible.
Surrender - what was the one thing that Abraham wanted more than anything else in the world? A son, yet when God asked he was willing to give that up, to please God - his actions were an outward reflection of an inward attitude of servanthood. Surrender is really really hard. I would like to believe that when I surrender something to God he will actually let me keep it anyways - like Abraham and Isaac - BUT in reality - surrender means I will let it go even if it is taken away, because it is what my God wants, my obedience, my surrender to His will in my life.

The cool part of all that is that I don't serve some sadistic jerk in the sky - I serve The One True God - and He wants what is ultimately best for me, by giving up I gain confidence, I gain clarity, I gain reliance on God, and God gives me more and more grace - to continue to grow and serve Him.

His grace allows me to come to Him, allows me to turn over any stronghold in my life, and gives me the strength and peace to keep going even though even the hardest times.

If that isn't cause for a Happy New Year - I don't know what is.
Thank you God for Your mercy and for Your unceasing goodness to me. I do not deserve it, I can not earn it - and You give it anyways.
Thank You.