How to prevent homeschool burn out | Why breaks during school are important.

It's March, we are a couple of months into school since Christmas break.

Who's suffering from school burn out?

We schedule regular breaks into our school year, it helps keep everyone fresh and ready to learn. Two weeks ago I was sitting in the living room, during school, wondering why I would rather run away and hide so they couldn't find me to teach math. 
Then it occurred to me...we hadn't taken our scheduled break! Due to being sick and crazy weather it had slipped my mind.

Last week we took the break we had missed. I am still always amazed at the difference it can make in all of our lives and outlooks education and school.
We watched movies, went for haircuts, built gingerbread houses with friends, visited the library, attended science club, slept in a little, meandered through the mall, took adventures outside, visited the candy store and just generally had fun. It is always fun to unplug from the school part of homeschooling and focus on the home part of it. It can sometimes get lost in the shuffle of school, eat, sleep, repeat.

Something I have been making a mental note of, every time we take a week off, everyone of the (school age) kids has found themselves elbow deep in their own self lead form of education by Wednesday afternoon.

When you see your child has turned their own mind back to learning, then they are ready to start school again.

We keep our work loads full but not too heavy for them to manage. However, when we are doing school a lot of information is going into their brains, scheduled breaks are necessary.    Our brains process a lot of what we have learned while our bodies and minds are at rest. How can that happen if we never give them a moment to rest?

We started back to school this week ready to learn.

That's a great feeling!

Learn from my past mistakes, take regularly scheduled breaks. They are best for everyone's mental and physical well-being. 

Blessings!

~Lyndsay

Public Speaking? | How to Adult Without Debt Blog Announcement

Recently, I was given an amazing opportunity to talk with some really cool teens about life, God, money and debt. 

This was the first time I had ever been asked to speak about our life story and how debt can make or break God's plans for your life. To be honest I almost turned it down. What's so important about our little story (Which is so much like everyone else's story.) that would matter to anyone? Maybe nothing, but I'm willing to talk about it, if people want to listen.

 So, I put together a slightly haphazard presentation, resisted the urge to vomit and made myself stay in that class room with those young adults, despite my urge to run away and hide behind my computer screen and blogger profile. I stayed until all the jitters passed and we got down to a real conversation about life. I've never been more thankful for my notes and bullet points. I lost my place and said 'Ummm' way too many times, and I probably had a bit more fun than they did. Truth be told they probably think I'm a few fries short of a happy meal. 

 I am so blessed humbled to hear and see a group of young adults open up and tell me what they think about life and how they feel, and to see their brains click and make the connection between the people in the Bible, today's society and how it all connects to them and their future selves.  

These kids have some big thoughts and they are going important places in life for God! 

People are forever talking down to and about our young adults of this generation as being worthless, unintelligent and disconnected from the real world. It probably is true to some extent, because that is what the majority of society has been speaking into them for the last couple of generations!

 However, there are so many of them out there who really want to do this thing called 'Adulting' the right way! 

 Just maybe we should stop talking about them and start talking to them about some REALLY BIG and HARD topics. Let's do it now before they are out in the world floundering around.

Is it possible to find your calling at 32? Because I've never had so much fun and felt so rewarded with anything other than being a homeschooling mom and wife.

~Lyndsay

After praying about this topic for a people of time, I decided to start a resource for blog for teens and young adult. It is called 'How to Adult Without Debt'. There is also a facebook page in the works. 

Please be patient with me while I work toward trying to spend more time here on this blog and on the new one as well. 

Life With Toddlers

 I realized this month that we are in that phase of life with a two year old when I don't take a lot of pictures. There are usually loads of pictures from birth until eighteen months, then a huge lack of them until sometime shortly after turning three.

   In the past I used to feel really bad about this, then I realized it has happened with each little one. I don't snap a lot if pictures because my hands are full and I'm in the thick of it with them, running along behind them with a blanket, a sippy, snacks and lot of wipes!

  Toddlers are excited, full of wonder, always sticky, super smart, and running full speed ahead toward whatever the next new adventure may be. It is fun, surprising, joyful and even down right exhausting for mothers, fathers, and even big siblings.

  It's no wonder these elusive creatures are not documented as much as their infant counter parts. Sometimes it is not for a lack of trying to take a picture, they all turn out blurry!

  While this isn't my favorite stage, I definitely wouldn't trade it. Because in the blink of an eye she will be a real true big kid, ready to take on the world with her brother and sisters.

  Right now she is learning about the world through us, she's testing her boundaries, she's learning how to push mommy's buttons, and she's learning how to care for others and be loved. 

'I'm Captain Mickey!'

  Last night at dinner she told Daddy and I thank you for dinner. The day before, she hugged me and told me she loved me.

  Toddlers are such awesome little people. Although, very difficult to capture on film!

  I know now, after the first three, that we'll eventually emerge from this stage. There will be more pictures, more calm and less running with scissors. She will tie her own shoes, use the potty alone and think at least twice before barreling into the next new (usually dangerous) adventure.

  I absolutely love watching her grow and learn. You can literally see them processing life and their brains growing, making new connections. It happens right before your eyes. I don't want to miss a moment of it. 

  So the next year or so, I'll be soaking up this little ball of energy and love, taking mental pictures instead if real ones.

  Feeding her knowledge, love and hopefully a few green vegetables.

~Lyndsay