Ever Feel Like Everything is Falling Apart, Including Your Best Laid Plans?

When you tell God that you are willing to go anywhere or do anything, you had better be prepared to follow through.

Since January, I have been leading the kids through a Bible study called Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby.  The basic premise of the study is that God invites us to join Him in the work that He is doing.  Throughout history He has been speaking to His people, inviting them to grow faith and trust in Him by partnering with Him in works that only He can do.  This study has reset my heart and helped to prepare our family to GO near or far.  We have been praying, “God, what do you want us to do?  Help us to want only what You want for us.  Help us to be willing to go anywhere or do anything.”

Having started the year with this mindset, we recently received the news that we need to move out of our rental home.  (If you missed that update, you can watch that video HERE.).   Though we knew from the time we moved in that our early eviction was a possiblity (our landlord eventually wanted to move into the house we rented), it was not a call that we were expecting.  The ousting  made it clear that God was doing something- though we were not sure what yet.  Thankfully, our landlord gave us a couple months to move out and make plans for what to do next. 

Since we were praying for the Lord’s direction and this was unexpected, moving into the RV seemed like a good idea.  It gave us time to wait on the Lord as we prayed about the future and how He wanted to use us.

That brings us to this week’s video.  Moving into the RV seemed like a good plan, but… we weren’t really thinking about the repairs that would be needed, first.  I decided to take a good look at the RV before moving us in.  It’s a good thing I did.  When I got into the RV to give it a good deep cleaning prior to the move in, the “fun” began…  

Thank you so much for your continued support!  We appreciate every email, text, prayer, thumbs up, comment and “share” of our videos.  The time that you have taken to encourage us through participating in our journey in various ways is such a blessing to our family.

Please let us know what kind of videos you would like to see in the future!  And if you see a video that you know would benefit or bless someone else, please pass it along!

Keep Doing Life Deliberately,
Trisha

To Fold Underwear or Not to Fold Underwear? That it the Question.

What type of person are you?

In this week’s life skills video, Gideon receives a lesson in folding clothes and organizing drawers and linen cabinets. We even have an intense debate as to whether one should fold their unmentionables- where do you fall on the matter? You can let us know your opinion in the comments below.

Learning how to help out around the house and serve others is important. Our hope in these life skill videos is that we can help teach others in a fun and entertaining way. What kind of life skills videos would YOU like to see us make? Let us know in the comments below.

Thanks for watching!!

Math Curriculum That Is FUN??

Math is a common struggle from home to home. We all want our kids to love it, but so often it is just battle of the wills to get through a lesson. 

On top of teaching struggles, math can also be a TON of work for homeschool parents. First, there’s planning out your lessons for the year and daily introducing new concepts. Then, there’s answering questions throughout the assignment. Next, there’s correcting your child’s work.  After your student makes the needed redos, you re-correct their work. Finally, you mark down their grade in the record book when their work is done.

And if you have more than one student, you’ll repeat that process multiple times.

It’s no wonder math quickly falls out of favor in homeschool- it’s exhausting!

BUT… what if I told you there is a math curriculum that:

✅ engages students with color and sound
✅ provides hints to set students up for success
✅ praises correct answers
✅ encourages students when they make mistakes
✅ teaches the lesson
✅ corrects the lesson
✅ records all your student’s grades

Does it all sound too good to be true? It’s NOT! 

In our latest video I share our favorite math curriculum- Teaching Textbooks 4.0. This curriculum was a game changer for our homeschool experience and I look forward to sharing it with you in this week!

Have a favorite math curriculum? I’d love to hear about it! Let us know your favorites in the comments below!

Keep Doing Life Deliberately!

Trisha

Hey, Mom! HOW do I do the Laundry?!?!

One of the never-ending chores of motherhood is the mountain of laundry that never seems to shrink or disappear. But as kids grow older, more capable of following directions and accepting responsibility for household chores, laundry is one of those tasks where mom can happily pass the baton! In our latest video, I take Gideon step-by-step through the process of sorting, washing and drying the clothes properly. We talk about the necessity of sorting, how to properly use the machines and what kinds of materials are needed to wash and dry clothes.

AND, as an added bonus, I created a laundry checklist for YOU! This checklist takes the guess work out of laundry and makes washing whites, lights and dark clothing laundry frustration-free!! Just click on the link below to download your FREE laundry checklist.

Mom, How Do I Do the Laundry_ Checklist (1)Download

Have you taught your kids how to do the laundry? At what age did you begin teaching your kids how to wash clothes? PLEASE, share in the comments down below!

Keep Doing Life Deliberately!

Trisha

Hey, Mom!? How Do I Clean the Bathroom???

Have you taken the time to teach your kids HOW to clean the bathroom? Cleaning the bathroom was my Saturday chore as a kid. I still remember my mom giving me the play-by-play of how to properly clean the bathroom as a child. And you can bet that she let me know if I didn’t do it well! (Ha,ha! Thanks, Mom!)

Well, now it’s MY turn to make sure MY kids know how to clean the bathroom well. In my latest video, I show Isabelle how to clean the bathroom step-by-step. And she does terrific work of getting the job done!

Would you like your very own printable checklist to help guide your kids through the process of cleaning the bathroom? Click the download button below for your FREE bathroom cleaning checklist. I suggest laminating it so the the kids can use it over and over and cross off each step with a dry erase marker as they go! You can hang it on the back of the bathroom door or inside the cabinet with the cleaning supplies so it’s handy when they need it!

dld-bathroom-cleaning-checklistDownload

What chores did you have as a kid? Let me know in the comments below!

Keep Doing Life Deliberately!

Trisha

In the past year, more students have been educating at home than ever before. But is school-at-home the same as homeschooling?

Talk to any veteran homeschool family and they will be very quick to tell you that the experience of virtually educating children from home is NOT the same as homeschooling your children.  In today’s video, I help clarify the differences between a genuine homeschool experience and executing online classes from home.

You may find yourself wondering WHY the difference between homeschool and virtual education matters.  Many families have fought hard over the past several decades to increase and maintain parental rights from state to state, specifically in the area of home education.  While government oversight of homeschool varies greatly from state to state, those actively involved in lobbying for increased homeschool freedoms continue to advocate for a strong differentiation and separation between homeschool and virtual learning.  Genuine home education is overseen and guided by parents or guardians to fulfill the specific needs of their children.  Virtual learning is dictated by government regulations and overseen by public or private school teachers.

Watch my latest video to learn more about the distinctions between homeschool and virtual, online learning.

Need a Homeschool Assist? Check out AOP’s Monarch Curriculum for the Win!

If you are looking for a quality online, self-paced homeschool curriculum that schedules, teaches, corrects AND record-keeps, Alpha Omega Publishing’s Monarch Curriculum is worth a serious look! Check out our latest video for a full curriculum review:

Sometimes Cleaning Up Our Own Messes Is a Little Overwhelming.

Have you ever had a mess get completely out of control? You make a series of little choices to throw this here, toss that there, put off tackling this, shove this other thing under the bed… and before you know it, you have a ginormous mess that is so overwhelming, it’s hard to know where to begin to get things back in order.  (Sounds like a pretty good metaphor for other areas of life, doesn’t it?) 

In today’s video, Isabelle called in an assist from mom. She needed help to tackle the pigsty that was her bedroom.  Of course she had cleaned her own room many times before.  But this time, things had gotten so out of hand, she found herself too overwhelmed to know where to start.  I had asked her repeatedly to get the job done.  But the sheer enormity of the task had given her the “paralysis of analysis”. 

Can you relate?  I can.

Sometimes our kids need us to guide them through overwhelming tasks.  Instead of getting frustrated with their lack of obedience, we need to assess: are they being rebellious? do they lack knowledge needed to do the requested task? or are they overwhelmed and frustrated?  In this case, Izzy was overwhelmed and just needed someone to step in and help.  I was able to help her break up the task into smaller steps and get it done.  Did it take a good chunk of time to get it done?  It sure did.  But we did it together.  And both of us learned a good lesson: it’s GOOD to ask for help.  It’s GOOD to offer help when your child is discouraged.

If you or your kids need a little cleaning motivation, click the link to today’s video!  We hope that this will inspire you and your kids as we look to spring and prepare to declutter and clear out all the cobwebs from winter!

Top 5 Reasons YOU Should Consider Homeschooling Your Kids This Year

Homeschool is NOT for everyone. BUT, there are some great reasons why it deserves some strong consideration. Our latest video will give you some food for thought as you contemplate your educational options for the coming school year.

What questions do YOU have about homeschool? I would love to hear from you! Please leave your questions and comments below and I will answer them as quickly as possible.

AND, if you are completely overwhelmed as you consider homeschooling for the first time OR are currently homeschooling and struggling, let me help. You can contact me HERE for a FREE 15 minute consultation to see how I can assist you.

Keep Doing Life Deliberately,

Trisha🙂

Are you ready for Easter?

Are you ready for the Easter and Lenten season? I make it easy for you to prepare for a Christ-centered season in your family and homeschool with 12 meaningful Easter ideas. I give you free, easy and inexpensive ideas that can make a BIG impact in the hearts of your family! You can find links to all of the websites and products I list in the description box of the video. Thanks for watching and God bless you this Lenten and Easter season!

Keep Doing Life Deliberately,

Trisha

What’s It Like to Be a Homeschool Mom?

Ever wonder what it is like to be a homeschool parent? Today is your chance to follow me through a typical day of homeschooling. We currently have two teenagers and two tweens- homeschool looks vastly different now than it did ten years ago when we were just getting started. Now, our kids are able to work so much more independently than they used to. But some things do not change in homeschool, regardless of your kids’ ages or stages: schoolwork still needs to be checked and corrected, assigments need to be planned out, kids need assistance with difficult subjects and someone to keep them on task. It is a joy to see them grow- accepting responsibility for the work that needs to be done and pursuing learning rather than just trying to complete the work (a virtue we are continually working on)!

What questions do you have regarding homeschool? I would love to hear from you! Please leave your questions in the comments below.

-Trisha

Feeling anxious about homeschooling your kids this year? I’m here to support you every step of the way!

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Homeschooling can be an extremely rewarding experience for the whole family. Learning, growing, exploring, struggling and achieving goals together has the potential to draw families into a closer knit unit than ever before. Due to the fallout of COVID-19, many are contemplating homeschool as a valid option for the first time ever. Regardless of your reasons for homeschooling this year, it can feel very overwhelming to get started! There are so many considerations:

• state laws
• homeschool methods
• multiple age levels and grade levels
• setting up a school room/study area
• supplies needed
• curriculum options
• scheduling the day
• tracking progress
• learning styles
• keeping infants and toddlers engaged while teaching
• finding local communities to plug into
• keeping things fun!

It can be a struggle to know where to begin, but it’s not too late to get started! With the surge in homeschooling over the past decade (61.8% increase according to the US Dept. of Education¹), there are more resources available to homeschool families now than ever. It’s merely a matter of learning what you need to know quickly and tapping into those resources.

And that’s where I come in.

Let my twelve years of home education experience serve you by giving your homeschool journey a jumpstart! Through my consultation services, I can accelerate your homeschool start-up by pointing you to all the resources you need. My homeschool start-up consultation includes:

• a 30 minute phone or video call where I get to know you and your family’s personalities, needs, learning preferences, goals for the year, etc.
• a personalized homeschool report, which will include homeschool laws specific to your state, homeschool methods, curriculum options and recommended assessments
• a detailed checklist of items to consider as you prepare and plan for your homeschool, such as supplies, schedule and schoolroom setup
• a final 30 minute phone call where we will review the document together, giving you an opportunity to ask any questions you have

And for those who want to ensure that their homeschool experience remains productive and positive, I offer ongoing consultating services throughout the year to keep you on track. I will

• meet with you for 30 minutes via video or phone, followed by an email with notes from our time together
• discuss curriculum challenges, troubleshoot learning difficulties, classroom dynamics, and suggest additional resources needed
• provide reviews of curriculum
• supply tips on how to incorporate the arts and physical education into homeschooling
• offer ideas for active learning through field trips and various hands-on resources

My consulting services combined with my free weekly newsletter and Facebook homeschool support group, are sure to get your homeschool journey off to a great start this year. If you would like to learn more, click HERE to visit my Homeschool Consultaton page. I look forward to partnering with you in this adventure of life-long learning as a family!

YOUR TURN: In the comments below, share your biggest concerns about homeschooling this year. What homeschool topics would you like to hear more about on my blog or weekly newsletter?

¹https://redtri.com/why-homeschooling-in-the-digital-age-makes-more-sense