Best tips for peace, sanity, or really helpful stuff!

[water2wine]

We all think someone else has the better life sometimes - the better house, the better husband, better kids, a better figure, a better relationship with God, a better God-given purpose in life, - oh this comparison stuff is destructive and it is NOT from God. When I choose to be positive, life looks better to me, and life IS better. No one has a perfect life, so it makes sense to quit wishing for someone else's life and make the very best of mine. This gives me PEACE and contentment and JOY.

Is this not the truth! I loved your list Julie, lots of great ideas!

Pam made me think of another one that really helps and I do not think I listed it and (hard to believe with all my words ) but I have a chore chart and it is awesome. It is just something I made up and the only reason it is awesome is it works for my family. But the reason Pam made me think of it is that laundry is rotated between my older kids. I still do some of it but we have a lot of laundry and it would be difficult to get it all done on my own. Basically the kids end up washing their own clothes and things they dirtied is how it works and I wash the rest. I put two on laundry each week and clothes are hung in outfits if possible. Chore charts are great things though and I have found for us having four times chores get done to be perfect (morning, mid-day, before dinner and after dinner evening). I keep my kids on the same chores for a week and then they rotate times and chores. That way nobody gets a bad deal. It really helps for sanity. Here is a copy of what I use under each "Block" is a velcro sticky with a name so they know they are on that color block for chores. (I am not showing that part but just know that each block 1-6 goes to a kid and I rotate each week) The smaller blocks at the bottom (pink and purple) rotate between my two youngest. The uncolored block stays constant. This kind of chart may not work for everyone but maybe it will help someone.

[my3sons]

Thanks w2w, and I loved your list as well! Thanks also Terri - that was such a kind thing to say, and I am glad to hear it because we like you being here.

I can't believe with all of my words I did not share the chore chart thing either. I really like yours, w2w - it looks very clear and easy to follow, and I bet that has helped give you immense peace and sanity. We have rotating chore charts for each of the 2 older boys as well. I hang them on the fridge, and they check them off as they complete them. Most of them are completed first thing in the morning before we start school, but anything not finished must be done after lunch before free time begins. If something was not checked off when I check it the next day before they get up, then no dessert that day. It has worked great! They like to check them off as they complete them, and this is funny - but I play "Hard Working Man" by Brooks and Dunn (calling all country music fans here ) while they do their chores - they take such pride in their work! They have rotating chores, so each of them has a 1, 2, 3, and 4 sheet for the 4 weeks in a month. I'll just share their first sheet to give you an idea of how it works:



I also have a laminated "body check" for each of them the checkoff in the bathroom in the morning, and a laminated "room check" on each of their doors they check off in the morning as well. This has been a HUGE help in keeping their rooms clean and also in maintaining good personal hygiene! We worked on them all summer so when we started school they were doing great with it already. Here is a copy of each of their checkoffs:



I like checkoffs - but if looking at these makes you want to hyperventilate - just move on to reading someone else's ideas! For those of you that enjoy organizing, maybe something here will click for you!

In Christ,
Julie

[water2wine]

Oh My now I know what has been missing! Tomorrow is Body and Room Check making day! Those are so great! I am so glad you posted that. We definitely need to get six of those customized tomorrow! I think I need to put a checklist in the main bathroom too so they can remember a few things there. We are just getting to that age where stuff needs to happen if you know what I mean. Great idea! I also love the choice of song for your crew. My poor son wishes he were in a family like that rather than surrounded by girls but God thought differently. Hehehe!

[momofone]

Oh, I am soooo enjoying this thread! I really need to keep reading. These lists are very inspirational

As you all know by my username, I have the special challenge of an "only." Pray for me!! Most other homeschool moms don't understand how I do it and folks who don't homeschool think that I shouldn't homeschool.
To top it off, I have a friend that sent her son back to school (after only a year of homeschooling) and she tries to convince me to send mine back and tries to convince me that a well known boxed curriculum is the best thing since sliced bread!

So, I know that these tips were meant for me! You all keep rolling them in. I am really enjoying the chore ideas. My son will do some chores, but we don't have anything organized as of yet.
Hope I didn't get too far off topic with my post. Just had to vent!
Tina
ds8-beyond/bigger combo

[NicoleJ]

I must say, I have LOVED each and every one of your sanity savers!!!!!

Here's mine:

* Get up early! I find it hard to spend time with the Lord in the morning too as I have early risers (6am).
* Use workboxes! And have them filled every night for the next day.
* Start the day with a drink of water for everyone and family worship!
* Get all the 'morning jobs' done before school starts - hair brushed, teeth brushed, beds made, dishes done, etc.
* Start with the little ones first - we do LHTH with my 3yo.
* Make sure each child you are not with has something to do - little hands that are not occupied become the devil's tools.
* Do as much school as you can when one or more of your other dc are in bed!!
* Get your kids to work!! Why are you folding all the clothes yourself while they are watching a DVD??
* Try to fit in as much school as you can before lunch! It seems like the school day falls apart after lunch, for some reason.
* Make simple dinners! Our dinners (called Tea here) are really simple - like a fruit plate or a smoothy. That way little tummies can rest properly overnight and then they are ready to eat a big breakfast. And it means that there is no crazy late afternoon when you are trying to get a 3 course meal made for tea!
* Put all the kids to bed on time and early! This is my No. 1 sanity saver!!!!! My kids are in bed by 7pm (my oldest is 6.5).
* Get OFF the computer!!! (I need to now do this! Hypocrite! )
* STOP LOOKING AT OTHER CURRICULUMS!!!!! This has been a BIG time waster for me. It is very interesting, and I feel like a full-bottle on curriculums and feel like I can make good choices with my money, but it became idolotry in some ways - I was spending WAY more time with catalogues than I was with my Bible! I still struggle with this...

I have a long way to go before I have my day all sorted out like I would like it to be - but these have all helped me tremeandously!

Blessings, Nicole

[water2wine]

Nicole I loved your tips! I have some lipstick tubes that can testify to the unoccupied hands rule, hehehehe!

I just wanted to say I did a modified version of Julie's Body check chart. I made them yesterday. I added an attitude check as well as a room and body check. I have not even hung them up but already it has had amazing results. Finger nails are getting checked, rooms are clean, and they actually are paying attention to the attitude part I added as well. They are actually enjoying it. Julie thank you for posting that! It was so helpful.

[MommyInTraining]

These are so great!

I hope more of the ladies will share if they have the time !

W2W, your chore chart is great!

Julie, I love your lists!

Nicole, I love the idea of your light "teas". So, with such a light meal before bed, what kind of breakfast and lunch do you have during the day?

[Carrie]

I loved this thread, even though I haven't had time to respond myself. So, I thought I'd bump it to the top of the board for any of you who are still wanting to respond or for those who just need some inspiration!

Blessings,
Carrie

[crlacey]

I can totally relate to the curriculum shopping and the grass is greener syndrome. Those are two things I really struggle with.

I find that if I stay off the computer more, I get more done around the house, more done with my kids and spend less money.
I found by switching what we use for phonics/reading instruction (we now use Rod and Staff), we get a double dose of Bible each day. Which helps us keep our focus on Christ as we accomplish our academics.
Being more consistent with my discipline has really helped. We got the "If-Then" chart from Doorposts and hung it on our kitchen pocket door. This has made it easier for the kids and me to keep order since they know what is wrong and the punishment ahead of time.
Making the choice to stick with what we have for school has freed up a lot of time on researching. Plus it got rid of a lot of stress.
When I stick to using Motivated Moms, my house is so much nicer to live in. Which of course means a happier family.

[water2wine]

Just thinking of something else that is helping me this year. I made a list of all the things I kind of missed last year or were problems. For me a huge one is correcting math and LA and also telling them to do something but not following up to make sure it got done. So I made a check list of all the stuff we do for them. And every day this year I am opening word and keeping a list as we go of what I tell them. I also have a notepad. Right now I am using word too becasue I am keeping track of my time trying to make the ultimate schedule. So far I see having two places to read CTC as an option can be a good thing in my schedule. But back on topic I also added time in my schedule to correct math and LA. So I spot check as we go and check on the day LA. The next day I correct math and go over the next lesson. So they fix their mistakes and do another lesson in math each day. Then when I spot check I will check only the corrections form yesterday's assignment. That may be too funky and all over the place for some people but the point is adding a place in my time to get done the correcting of Math and LA which was an issue for me last year. I have many levels to correct in those areas and it is easy to let someone slip through the cracks.

[NicoleJ]

Nicole, I love the idea of your light "teas". So, with such a light meal before bed, what kind of breakfast and lunch do you have during the day?

Hi Terri! We are vegetarians, and don't have much dairy (makes us sick!) so my meals may be a bit different than 'usual', but here goes...

Well, for breakfast, we have (usually):
Cooked oat porridge, cooked rice porridge or cooked plenta with soymilk. Cereal if I am running late. All our breakfasts have toast and fruit too. Sometimes I will scramble eggs and have them on toast with baked beans. None of these foods are particularly heavy but we eat a lot - and I must admit, that my kids eat a lot more than the average kids at meal times, and I put it down to light teas and we don't snack at all in between meals. That way their tummies have had a chance to rest before their next meal - and they are actually hungry and want to eat what is put in front of them - no more whingeing about what there is to eat and no more half-sandwich-I'm-done meals. Breakfast is usually between 6-7am.

Lunch is more substantial and is at about 11.30am/12.00pm. We have... pasta & salad, soup/buns, stir fries, fried rice, potato bakes, dal and rice, sandwiches if I am running late, potato wedges and cooked veges, sometimes stew (don't you wish they would come up with a nicer name for such a yummy meal?)...etc! My kids (they are aged 6/3/1 - all girls) will eat a bowl or two or the main dish (for eg. stir fry) and then something sweet (homemade biscuits/cake/whatever) and a piece of fruit or two.

Teas are at about 5.00/5.30pm and are light: smoothies, soup, sago, fruit kebabs, pita bread chips, vege kebabs, popcorn, etc. I try and keep this like a snack. My husband is a bricklayer, so he usually adds a bit of toast or two so that he isn't as hungry. If we have a vey late, very large meal for lunch, we will have a hot drink or a juice for tea.

Some might freak out at no snacks and a light tea, but I must say that my kids are happy, healthy, and very-unfussy!

Nicole

[Lynnw]

It seems this is the right time of year to revive this older thread. So much wisdom here! I was so blessed reading it and thought others would be as well!

[tnahid]

This is wonderful! Thank you so much for all this wonderful advice! I will just add a few things that are helping me:

1. getting up a little earlier to read devotions (Julie's book! ) and spend some time with my Father.
2. Often my sons get up before me and go ahead and start their work without me! Yay. I really like this, as I am not a morning person. They have a list of what they are to be doing, and they do all of the work they can get done independently (right now it is handwriting, math, spelling, contenders of faith, and language arts) I work with my 4 year old daughter first on LHTH after I mill around, clean up a little, throw a load of laundry in, make bed, etc. Then we are ready to do all our Beyond History, Science, Bible and Storytime for the rest of the schooltime.
3. I let my children fix their own lunch and sometimes even their own breakfast. My sons enjoy this. And I don't mind. I just mostly do some of the clean up work in the kitchen when they are done. This doesn't bother me and takes stress off of me actually.
4. My hubby and I try to have date nights every two weeks.
5. I go to the Y and ride the bike and read every other day or so. I also run/walk/and exercise as well.
6. When 4 year old takes her nap in the afternoon, we have 1 hour of reading/rest time on our beds. While my sons read on their beds, I lay down and read a Christian fiction book of some kind purely for fun. This is really a nice, relaxing time of day. Then, they can get up and go play in their own free time until my hubby gets home.
7. I schedule times with other women friends often. I attend a women's bible study on Wed. nights at the YMCA. My husband is very supportive of me having some alone time and woman time. I am really thankful.

Those are just a few things that are helping me. Oh, I also play soft music in the background during our schooldays, like www.pandora.com. This is free streaming music. It just helps me calm myself during the day. I believe it helps the children too.

Blessings,
Tina

[Lynnw]

When you plan it is "working" It is "good" and you are "successful". When you then do and it is not God directed other thoughts, other voices can take His place and then you can feel discontent. But do you know what I figured out. It is far more "empowering" to say "Lord I am turning it all over to you. I can't do it on my own. I can't be confident in my own ways or even my own choices or even abilities, the task is too big. So I am turning it over to you and I will pray for contentment from you and admit you are the only true source." Do you know what I am happy as a clam. If I have a bad day it is not what I am using I know that because I clearly heard God in my choices and He is faithful and He does not waver. So knowing that I can simply pray to Him for solutions and He will show me things, great and wonderful things I could never know on my own. It may be something He makes me realize or a great idea from a mind that works differently than mine.

I just wanted to say how thankful I am for this part of the thread (well, really all of the thread) because it really spoke to me (and to Lovetobehome who's post prompted W2W's response.... I could have confessed many of the same things!)

I used to say I needed a homeschool conference in October instead of the summer... because in the summer I could make great plans, and some years I could implement them for about 10 weeks. But, by October, it felt like our tongues were hanging out and we were dropping subjects like soldiers tossing personal belongings on a long march. By October I needed a new plan and, I thought, another conference, LOL. It is so true that planning is deceptively satisfying. It does feel as if you have accomplished something, but afterwards the search is never ending. I am SO thankful to have HOD this year!

[GinainMD]

This has been so encouraging to read. I can hardly think of anything to share that hasn't been mentioned. For myself I would say that learning not to overdue everything has been the most important lesson. HOD is ENOUGH! I have a tendency to want to add stuff. Someone may mention to me that their children are learning to type. I panic and buy a typing program to throw in. Someone else is doing latin so I buy latin. You get the idea. None of these are "bad" things, but for us they just take away from the important stuff. I just tell myself that there will be time for these things later, I didn't learn to type properly until high school. We don't have to do it all. My dc don't need latin, typing etc, they need ME. Blessings.