Homeschooling and Christmas Tips

Have you said, "No more!" to helping at Christmas time at your church because you are weary? You are building a legacy.
Do you feel like you have realistic expectations for December and the holidays? Here’s some Christmas tips for you!
I have often found myself worrying and anxious with mom-guilt: Am I doing enough? Will this be a good Christmas? What else should I be doing? Is baking 60 dozen cookies for the neighbors enough?!?
Picture of green and red decorated Christmas cookies
I was helping with the church Christmas play one year (which went well) but my home life was another story. I felt like a nervous wreck!
So how are you doing? I find that I have had the best holidays by following these rules for myself:
  • Keep quiet and let others talk!
  • Make sure you compliment the efforts that others have made to make the holiday special whether they traveled to get to the dinner, cooked the dinner, or contributed in some other way.
  • Do your share in helping to keep any children entertained. Moms with young children will certainly appreciate having the help: reading to children, playing with blocks, holding a baby, or even changing a diaper. Older moms will love it as well: play cards or chess, listen to the children talk about their school, projects, dance class, siblings or babysitting. Teens will want to talk about their accomplishments, hobbies and dreams, too. Most people are glad to share themselves with someone who loves and cares about them.
  • Don’t expect that people will voice their appreciation of YOU or compliment YOU.
  • Serve the needs of others.
  • Not everything will go well. Don’t have unrealistic expectations- there will be spills, someone will be late, someone may be rude, something may not taste exactly right.
  • If something doesn’t go right, move on. Don’t dwell on it.
  • Ask permission before offering opinions and advice. “I have some ideas about that. Would you be interested in hearing it?”
Be thankful for who you are with and the blessings of God has showered upon you this past year. We keep a “Blessing Book.” We have found that remembering God’s blessings at the end of every day keeps us grounded in the truth and reality of God’s care for us.
We recommend that YOU keep a blessing book too. Our goal is to write down 3 blessings per day. Some days there are lots more blessings to record!
Concentrate on the positive. I took a challenge to write down 50 Things That Make Me Happy. I thought it might be difficult but once I got started, it wasn’t! Will you take up the challenge? This might be a fun group activity to do with family this Christmas.
Bonus and MUST READ article for this year: Don’t Buy Your Children Toys This Christmas! This article talks about buying your children hours of fun instead of the usual toys. Great ideas!
Homeschool Christian Mom Elizabeth Estelle is ready to help you!

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#CancelNetflix: I Apologize. Do you agree with my reasons?

#CancelNetflix

I have joined the #cancelNetflix bandwagon.

If Netflix loses subscribers perhaps that it will send a message against sex trafficking, pedophilia, and the exploitation of women. But I regress. I need to apologize to my family and readers first.
I’m Sorry. I’m really sorry. I should’ve canceled Netflix long before this. Please forgive me.
  • I knew better.
  • I know better.
  • I try to apply the Bible to my life– but in this area, I had not set a good example of “learning not the ways of the world.”
  • I have not been a good example of “Be ye holy for I am holy.” or “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.”
  • or “I will set no wicked thing before my eyes.”
  • I have not been matching up what I say I believe with what I do.
  • Please forgive me. I’m going to do better.

Continue reading “#CancelNetflix: I Apologize. Do you agree with my reasons?”

No More Crazy Repetition with 3 Sanity-Saving Tips

Home school: 4 times rule! and other sanity saving tips

 

Does noise bother you after a long day of home schooling?  Or just after a long day in general? Singing, humming, banging on the pots and pans- sometimes for me it just gets to be too much.  Children do learn by repetition but sometimes my nervous system just couldn’t take the noise!

[click_to_tweet tweet=”Imagine if there was more sanity at your house! When your children repeat and repeat and repeat–we have a rule that deals with it and will save your sanity. Homeschoolchristianmom.com/4times #hmschchristnmom #homeschool #homeschooling” quote=”We have the 4 times rule for those noisy, repetitious situations. “]

A child is allowed to sing the same song four times in a row, but if they begin the fifth time the 4 times rule is put into action.  They have to choose a different song! This goes with (almost) any repetitive noise.  Note: I did have to make some allowances for piano practice. Haha!

These Rule Twins Stay Together:

Don’t be purposefully annoying.  Don’t be easily annoyed.

My son just posted the following to my Facebook page:

Growing up we had two rules about being annoying:

“Don’t be purposefully annoying,” and “Don’t be easily annoyed.”

Really works when you apply them to the rest of life too! Thanks Mom! Continue reading “No More Crazy Repetition with 3 Sanity-Saving Tips”