Home schooling your Children

August 26, 2012

It was 'back to school' week for us.

Back to school means:

Alarm clocks

lunches

strict schedules

early bed times

early morning alarms

(none of these things bring a smile to my face)

It means time to buckle down and and put my nose to the grind stone.

It means making sure that there is plenty of clean laundry all the time.

It means making sure homework is done, and done correctly.

It means making sure meals are healthy and on time.

It means having plenty of healthy food on hand for lunches.

In many ways I feel like its the end of summer, the end of carefree afternoons spent at the pool or under the shade tree, the end of lazy PJ mornings..

However, as My older daughters head off to school to hit the books I am reminded that they aren't only going to be hitting the books, They will be observing how I handle this time of change in our life. Even though they don't know it, (and I often forget it) our family life and the way we handle situations, solve problems, deal with change, will become the basis and standards that they measure their life by in their adult years.

The conversations that take place around the family dinner table are a good example of how us Parents influence our children. Do they hear us voice negative opinions about our 'friends' and relatives, Do they hear me pass judgment on an unfortunate soul. Or do they hear me talk about the day's happenings with the love of Jesus in my voice?

Inside all of us is this desire to better ourselves, We all make promises to ourselves through the years,

Promises that we aren't going to make the same mistakes that our parents did.

This (in most cases) doesn't mean they were bad parents.

It's just normal that each generation desires to better themselves..

I sincerely hope my children desire to be a better parent than I am, It's the driving force of success,

Your life is the measuring stick of success that your children will use!

My parents NEVER argued in front of us kids!

therefore that's one of the standards I set for my marriage,

I wished my mom wouldn't yell in anger at us kids so much.

Therefore I have a standard of no yelling at the kids, I do it, I fail! But hey, Hopefully my children will have a desire to better themselves in this area and yell even less at their kids.

My parents went to church EVERY Sunday. Missing was Not an option.

And that's what helps us set the standard for church attendance in our family!

So school doesn't just happen in 8 mo out of the year! The most important lessons and life lessons Our Children are learning are from observing the adults in their life! Especially their parents!

So really, more school happens here at home right under my feet while we pack lunches, do laundry, cook meals, and interact with each other!

Even us as adults have people we look up to! People we admire, People who seem to have their life on track!!

These people are Human, therefore they will let us down, we'll see them make a mistake, or hear them say something that we thought they'd never say. But the important thing to remember is this! People will always let us down, Parents let us down, Friends let us down, Relatives disappoint us, Spouses let us down, The only Person that will never let you down is Jesus Christ. Trusting him with your life is the single most important way to have contentment and peace in your life!

So with all that said..... Here are a few Iphone pics of our first day of school!!

(and I won't, won't, won't feel guilty that I haven't yet taken REAL pics to scrapbook! that doesn't make me a bad mama!)

Kristina Ann on the first day of Middle school!!