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10 Days of Simple Homeschool-Getting Rid of Discontent in Your Homeschool


10-days-april-karen


Welcome to 10 Days of Simple Homeschool. For the next two weeks, I will be posting about all things simple in homeschooling. 10 Days of Simple Homeschool is about going back to the basics.  Too often we tend to complicate our purpose by trying to do too much.  Homeschooling can be very effective when we go back to the basics and let our everyday life be our classroom and learn by doing.  
 Simplifying Homeschool is dear to my heart-getting rid of all of the distractions that keep us from our purpose and from putting God first in all! 
Some posts will be practical ideas, some will focus on our hearts, but all will be focused on keeping it simple.

Subscribe here so you don’t miss a thing. Be sure to follow on facebook and twitter too!



Do you spend more time reading abut homeschooling than actually homeschooling? Planning your homeschool than actually being present in your homeschool?  Are you living for the expectation rather than for the moment?

I used to do that. I would spend more time planning what we should be doing than actually accomplishing what I needed to. It was so hard in the beginning to sort through all of the information-so I felt I needed to read all of it. Yet soon it became apaparent that I was only sowing seeds of discontent in my home. If I felt we were lacking, than the kids saw that.


Today I want to talk about eliminating those seeds of discontent. How often we are our own worst enemy?  
We forget to rely on God and try to rely on ourselves or worse, rely on others.

Does the comparison trap have you paralyzed at times? Are you feeling that you should be doing more, or like someone else?

Stop. Stop it all.

Stop collecting mental “clutter” and start doing real things!

There is so much information today, we must be extrememly careful to discern what to do with our time. What to fill our minds with.  And to absolutley stop living for something else and live for the here and now.

I have come to realize that so many of us our discontent with the here and now, because God has designed us for eternity.  This is not our home. 
We are always longing for something else.

Dear sister, realize that yearning for something else is the inborn deep set need for eternity. God placed it there so we yearn for Him.  We will never be fully satisfied until we are one day in that glorious place with our Lord.


Once we realize that, we can stop the insanity. Stop continually searching for something more.  Knowing this is not our home, yet, making the best of each and every second here. It matters.


I do not want to look back someday and have regrets. I don’t want my children to remember mommy on the computer or distracted with meaningless tasks- I want them to remember our homeschooling days as filled with memories of our time together, fully present in the moment.


I write because God placed a desire in my heart. My goal though is to always, always point others to him. Seeing Him in all.  I only write when he places these words in my heart and they overflow onto the keyboard.  I never write with the intention of gaining more readers and thinking I “know it all.” In fact, I know nothing. He supplies words for me each day and the strength for me to homeschool. I do not do it by one ounce of my own strength.


I’d rather have them remember mommy always praying, turning to Him for guidance-
and always playing, always there.

We need to enjoy each other’s writings, support each other wholeheartedly, but never let all of this information get in the way of real life.


Homeschooling each day should involved mommy fully present. We don’t want to teach our kids to be so distracted!


Do not succumb to the lie that other people are doing things better. God created your family unique for your family’s unique purpose. Do not covet someone else’s homeschool. Enjoy your homeschool with your family!  I have had friends completely disconnect from facebook, etc. so that they could do just that. Be free to be themselves.  It is freeing indeed.

Enjoy each second. It is cliche but it goes by so fast. Learn with your kids, play with your kids, create a foundation that says, “My mom was fully present when I needed her most.”


Don’t fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others. Don’t fall into the trap of always living for the expectation of how things “should be.” Anticipate your glorous home some day, and make the most of each second here.


Turn to Him each and every second in your homeschool-not others.  And enjoy Simply…Homeschool.


My “Unplug Your Mind and ReCharge Your Soul” eBook is a perfect resource for this topic. It   is free! You can get it on facebook or subscribe here and email me to let me know you’d like it. I will send it over directly!

**click “only likers” on the facebook page to download**


The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects. Visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. And of course, click the image below to visit all the 10 Days posts from these homeschool moms of the iHomeschool Network. You’ll be blessed with tips on how to handle bad days, cultivating curiosity, teaching with Legos, and much much more!

Also, Simply Homeschool is #1 this week at Amazon.com for Homeschooling books.  I am humbled that so many people are be being blessed by it.
Simply Homeschool is now just $0.99 for download or for Kindle at Amazon.com Click here for more info

On another note, Simply Homeschool continues to be #1 on the Amazon. com best sellers for homeschool books for Kindle and #3 for all homeschool books! Unbelievable. For a book that I wrote for my readers, and was put on Kindle in case anyone wanted to read it on their Kindle, it blows my mind to be a top seller. No marketing, nothing fancy- just a book from my heart to encourage others. God is amazing! I am thrilled so many are being blessed by it. To Him be all the Glory!
Simply Homeschool is now just $0.99 for download or for Kindle at Amazon.com Click here for more info

© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

SimplyLivingforHim

April 24, 2012 by
10 days of series, 10 days of simple homeschool, Simply...Homeschool, Simply...Living For Him

10 Days of Simple Homeschool-Starting Your Day with the Lord

Welcome to 10 Days of Simple Homeschool. For the next two weeks, I will be posting about all things simple in homeschooling. 10 Days of Simple Homeschool is about going back to the basics.  Too often we tend to complicate our purpose by trying to do too much.  Homeschooling can be very effective when we go back to the basics and let our everyday life be our classroom and learn by doing.  
 Simplifying Homeschool is dear to my heart-getting rid of all of the distractions that keep us from our purpose and from putting God first in all! 
Some posts will be practical ideas, some will focus on our hearts, but all will be focused on keeping it simple.
Subscribe here so you don’t miss a thing. Be sure to follow on facebook and twitter too!

Each and everyday we don’t open a “school” book until we have opened the most important book-The Bible. I truly believe we must put God first in all, if we are to succeed on this journey. He wants to lead us everyday.

I made this decision a few years back–we will never skip Bible time, even if we are having a busy morning, or if we are behind in other lessons.  How can I ever put a language book or a math book above His book? How can I teach them to put Him first, if we are letting other things take precedence?

Bible time is non-negotiable. We start every morning in His Word together. The we pray together, and many days we worship together. It is our sweetest time of the day. It sets the tone for the day.

And it doesn’t stop there. As the years passed, I began to include Bible reading after lunch. Again, we don’t open up any school books after lunch until we have read the Bible together. We pray together again. It is a time to refocus. No matter what has happened in the morning-if there were tears over math, arguments between siblings, or poor attitudes-at this time of the day it is an opportunity to bring it all to Him. We can refocus our day and recharge if necessary. His mercies are new.


Simplifying homeschool is about getting rid of many of the unnecessary extras in our day and in our homeschools. Truly, if your child loves the Lord with all their heart, soul, and mind first, then all of the other lessons will fall into place. They will measure everything they do against the Lord’s standard.

When we seek first His righteousness, He will supply our needs. He already knows what He wants for us. We just need to submit to His plan and not our own.


What an awesome, mighty God we serve. How blessed we are to incorporate His teaching and His love into every aspect of our day.

Here are the past links in this series!

Day: 1: Cooking with Kids
Day 2: Why I Have Simplified Homeschool
Day 3 Using Your Library
Day 4 Scavenger Hunts!


The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects. Visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. And of course, click the image below to visit all the 10 Days posts from these homeschool moms of the iHomeschool Network. You’ll be blessed with tips on how to handle bad days, cultivating curiosity, teaching with Legos, and much much more!

Also, Simply Homeschool is #1 this week at Amazon.com for Homeschooling books.  I am humbled that so many people are be being blessed by it.
Simply Homeschool is now just $0.99 for download or for Kindle at Amazon.com Click here for more info

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© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

SimplyLivingforHim

April 20, 2012 by
Simply...Homeschool, Simply...Living For Him

Sweet Simplicity…

This is one of my favorite homeschooling posts from the past.  To view more homeschooling posts click on “Simply…Homeschool” on the sidebar!

Some of the things that I love about homeschooling are the simplest things.  Our life may seem busy to those on the outside, and it is to a degree…but it is also less complicated in many ways.


We are all together during the day, so there is no worry about getting everyone to different places.  


We do a lot of schoolwork together, which makes for much easier planning.

We don’t stress about doing “school at home.”  If I wanted my kids to be having the same education as the schools use, then they’d be in school.  But we use everyday opportunities to learn.  We learn by doing.  We learn by seeing.  We learn by being immersed in life.

We get to take notice of the world around us, and not just let it pass by.  This struck me the other day, when Grace (almost 10) called me in to her room.  She was going to sleep and it was about 9:30 pm.  She said she noticed that she looks at the sky every night at 9:30 pm and she sees the big dipper.  She told me she noticed that it’s placement in the sky had changed over the past few weeks.  So then we got to talk about how it is fun to notice how things change with the seasons, and how it is so cool that every year we can observe these changes, and God always stays the same.

Even the other day, John and I were sitting at our table in the schoolroom/office, and it was a very snowy day.  There in the tree appeared the most beautiful cardinal.  It’s red feathers so bright against the freshly fallen white snow.  We both watched it for awhile, and then another one came.  We had a chance to talk about how the red one was a male, and it’s bright colors are to attract the females.  We got to talk about how God made it that way, and isn’t that amazing?  It was another moment that I savor in this time that I know will pass so quickly…

Another thing about homeschooling that I love, is that the kids can be kids. I love that in the afternoons they can play outside, use their imagination, and just be kids.

Homeschooling really doesn’t have to be complicated.  In fact, it can be one of the most natural things for a family to do.  No, it is not natural compared to the society we live in (although the numbers of homeschoolers are booming!!), but once you start doing it you realize, wow, this is a great way for families to live.  Learning together each day, and embracing life…together.

Homeschooling doesn’t have to involve fancy curriculums and supplies.  There is a world of information out there, and if we just utilize it properly, our kids can be educated just as well as any fancy curriculum.  In fact, I bought one of those fancy all in one curriculums a few years ago.  It truly is one of the best out there.  I needed it that year because I was pregnant and figured I would let the curriculum do everything for me.  But now, I choose not to buy one like that, but to gather different things from different sources.  The library is really our best resource out there.  We have really simplified our curriculum.

By simplifying though I do not mean lowering my standards, I just mean cutting out lots of “fluff.”  Focusing on what is important.  Our kids days don’t have to look like the public/private school’s days.  They’re not supposed to.

Our learning goes on from the moment we wake up until we go to bed.

And most of all, we are doing it all together…I see the kids interacting with each other and becoming so close.

And to me, that is simply the best!


© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

SimplyLivingforHim

May 5, 2011 by