May 2020
When God told me to pull my kids out of public school to homeschool them, I had NO idea what I was in for. I like to plan and create structure and I want people to follow it. But… God keeps reminding me over and over that, others don't necessarily like things the way I like them. He made each and every one of us special and unique. He reminds me of this the most through my own children every single day. I am continually learning to adjust my expectations. Homeschool is not a quiet, sit-down, listen, and raise your hand type of atmosphere as I envisioned. It is full of personality, conversation, rabbit holes, excitement, challenges, sometimes yelling, and plenty of joy. The more I surrender the perfectionist piece of me to Jesus, the more grace I have in my homeschool. I’ve learned it doesn’t get to be my way. It has to be His way. I hope that these little tips will help you bring grace to your homeschool.
Get In the Word & Pray
GET IN THE WORD & PRAY scripture over your day and those little humans. Do this daily! Take time to ask God to help you guide them in the unique way they need to be taught and loved. Ask Him to give you His eyes and His words. Ask Him to slow you down so you can embrace each moment. Hand the day over to him each morning - surrender.
Slow Down & Be Present
I can easily be distracted by ALL.THE.THINGS.
My To-Do List is always a mile long. BUT, the truth is, I teach my kids BEST when I slow down and be 100% present and LET GO of all the To DO’s of the day. This is the hardest thing for me to do. I remind myself many times a day that hard work brings great rewards. When I stop to just be with them and embrace every second of their learning, we have a grace-filled day. We bond and enjoy each other. This builds character and developing their character is so important.
Rhythm & Flow vs Schedule
It is so important for our kids to know what to expect. Having a flow to the day really helps with this. Especially if you have kids on the spectrum as I do. I love the idea of schedules, but I thrive better on a daily rhythm. When we are bound to a time schedule I constantly feel like we are behind and it brings me stress which then brings unnecessary stress into our homeschool. That is why finding a flow or rhythm is so wonderful We are no longer bound to a timeline but do we have an order we do things. This also allows me to schedule things outside the house easier. I can adjust the flow better than I can adjust a schedule. Again, being a mom of kiddos on the spectrum, this is so helpful when it comes to keeping things running smooth & without meltdowns. Structure without a schedule.
Take Breaks & Fuel the Body
Make sure you take breaks to move your body, eat a healthy snack, or get a glass of water. It's so good to do lessons that are harder for your kids to stay focused on shortly after or during a meal. When the body is well taken care of and fueled, the brain will stay more on task.
Be Observant
This really goes along with being present, but I feel it takes it a step further. Watch your children's body language. Body language speaks volumes. Did you know that body language makes up 60% of how we communicate? You will almost always see when your child is beginning to get frustrated before they verbally express it just by watching them. When you catch it ahead of time it allows you to slow down. This slow down is key for keeping grace in your homeschool. It is a time for you to speak life into your child, encourage them, ask them questions, change it up for them, give them a break, praise them, and even explain it’s OK they are not getting it yet.
"Give Yourself Grace" Roller Recipe
Give yourself grace as you love on your kids daily. God calls the least qualified so He can be given all the glory. He is enough, even if we are not. It's good to not be perfect.
10 drops White Angelica
8 drops Lavender
6 drops Valor 2 drops Frank
Add drops to a 10ml roller bottle
Fill the rest of the way with your favorite carrier. I use fractionated coconut oil.
Apply to wrists, neck and even chest to encourage a calmed grounded day/moment and say “He gives me grace, I will give grace”
Nothing ever looks exactly like the picture we paint. Why? Because God never shows us the entire picture. When we lose focus on what He wants for our homeschool or our life and become more focused on what we want instead, we become stressed, anxious, and we lose our peace. We lose the feeling of freedom. He brings us freedom. Every day I learn more about His grace and what living free looks like. It’s still really messy friends, because I’m not perfect, but I’m thankful God is qualified and that HE is enough. If you want to know more about anything you read today or just living a grace-filled life, get in touch! I’d love to chat with you.
Oh! Hey! I almost forgot, when you decide to get in touch, I have a free gift for you!