Worries and Questions about Home Schooling Part II

Below is a comment to a recent reader of my blog: So you do summer home school with your children by having reading time and some Math and you don't think you are doing such a great job??? And you feel guilty for wanting alone time with your husband??? It is so sad (and all too familiar) that you would say those things. I think the two biggest things that cripple us as women and mothers are not having confidence in our abilities and guilt. You are obviously a very capable teaching mother and you have five kids...OF COURSE you want alone time. I don't care if you home school or not, finding out what is best for your children through prayer is the best thing you can do for them, which you are already doing. So good job.

And as for those perfectionist home schooling moms that always have their house cleaned, keep a tight schedule, bake their own bread and prattle on about how their kids can name all the bones in the human body, well, between you and me, we hate them. Actually, I don't think they exist and if you want to feel good about yourself, look at my blog some more. I am the perfect example of NON perfectionist and "what's easiest?"

Yes, small world! I thought that was you, but Joey didn't recognize your married last name. Really, you seem like such a wonderful mom and just do what you feel. I never thought I would home school my children, but here I am and it has surprisingly been such a wonderful experience for me (I really think and hope for them too.)

Love,

Sabrina

The Gift of Lights and Self Confidence

Last night we went out for pizza with some friends and then went to The Gift of Lights. We had never been before. It is a park that is loaded with eight million Christmas lights and you drive through in your car. I think the kids really liked it and I really liked how it was a family activity that Sylvia could be buckled in for (I wont even tell you about her at the pizza place.) This morning we went to our MOPS meeting. We got to do a service project. We put together kits for women in a shelter. We then had a speaker on self confidence. I jotted down some tips she gave us for helping our children have confidence...

TIPS

-Tell them your stories and experiences (successes, failures, embarrassing stories, etc.)

-Set a good example

-Enforce rules

-Love unconditionally

-Show affection

-Express your belief in their abilities

-Supply challenging chores

-Teach problem solving

-Establish a safe environment (at home)

The speaker also said that a study was done of 1,700 families that had confident kids and three things were always the same,

1. The children were loved and appreciated.

2. The parents were more strict and disciplining.

3. The parents demanded accountability, responsibility, and self control from their children.