Christian Homeschooling: How To Survive

By Brian Lehr

Every Christian homeschool encounters times when things get a little difficult. To help you get through those moments, here are some thoughts that will help you put everything into perspective.

Stop and consider the many reasons you began your Christian homeschool. Along with the educational reasons, most families also start to homeschool their children in order to have more quality family time together.

When difficulties arise in your Christian homeschool, and sooner or later they will, call the family together for a special family meeting. Discuss the issues, pray about them together, and then make some decisions as to how the problems will be corrected.

Everyone loves family traditions. Think back on when you were growing up. What traditions did your family have? Which ones can you begin in your own family? Which new ones can your family think of that you would like to start? Perhaps one of your traditions will be to begin each school day with prayer.

Celebrate unusual holidays and incorporate the history into your homeschool. For example: February 7th is Laura Ingalls Wilder's birthday; March 15th is National Buzzard Day; and April 23rd is the birthday and day of death for William Shakespeare. Weaving events and celebrations into your study will bring interest and creativity.

Always ask your children what they want to study. So often the conflict in homeschooling is created by children being coerced into assignments they have no interest in doing. Trust yourself to help them find the way and trust your children to learn through their own passions.

If your children are having a difficult time with some of your curriculum, perhaps it's better to switch to something different than to keep forcing the current material on them. Remember, if you keep doing what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten. Sometimes that's a good thing; sometimes it's not.

So you're going through a homeschool crisis? What else is new? You didn't really think having a homeschool was going to be a bed of roses simply because it's a 'Christian' homeschool, did you? Your homeschool will never be perfect; accept it and move on.

Determine your child's learning style so that you are sure you are teaching the weakest subjects using their strongest style of learning.

One of the great things about having a homeschool is the freedom to teach our children in ways that are different than the traditional school. Use your imagination and be creative with coming up with lessons and activities.

Everyone has days when they just want to quit. Maybe you've come to the place where you just want to walk away from it all. When those moments come, think back on the reasons you chose to homeschool in the first place. Also, make sure you're part of a local homeschool support group. They will be invaluable to you during the tough times. All homeschooling parents have been there at one time or another.

Have you ever had one of those days when you begin to wonder if homeschooling is for you? You're not alone. Some days can be more stressful than others. One coping mechanism is to simply go out and get some fresh air. Let the kids go play for awhile, while you spend some quite time in prayer. This will help you clear your thoughts, and help you focus more on what needs to be done when you return to your "classroom".

One of the biggest dangers of homeschooling your children is that you are so focused on them and their schooling needs, that you take very little, if any, time for yourself. As a result, you're becoming a great candidate for burnout, whereby you will be doing no one any good. Take care of yourself, so you are in a better position to take care of your family.

About the Author:

For over nine years Brian Lehr has been involved in homeschooling his three children. Save yourself time, money and headaches by visiting his Christian homeschooling blog for great tips, reviews, and fun advice. Also visit to discover some easy ways to help finance your Christian homeschool.

Be Better, Be Cleverer

By Simon M Skinner

Unless you live off the grid in a remote area (and if so, you're probably not reading this anyway), you no doubt hear a lot about the need to reduce our carbon footprint and to live a greener life. It's important and almost everyone will acknowledge this, but it can feel like you're being lectured at times.

Happily, there are some simple steps you can take towards living a greener life. In most cities, there is curbside recycling; so all you need to do is to separate your recyclables and place them out on the curb along with your trash for pickup - the pickup service takes care of the rest, all you have to do is separate your recyclables and take them to the curb.

Try to drive less. By combining your errands, you not only save fuel and reduce the traffic on the roads; you are giving yourself less stress from dealing with traffic jams and other drivers. Carpool or use public transit when you can. If you choose to ride a bike or walk for some of your errands, you also get needed exercise. This will help keep your heart healthy and keep you limber and toned.

When you do things around the house, there are a lot of green products you can use that cost very little. If you replace your standard incandescent light bulbs with energy-saver bulbs, you can save a considerable amount on your energy bill, and the costs of the bulbs are very similar to the incandescent bulbs. These compact fluorescents last much longer than a traditional bulb as well as using less energy.

Other things you can do will just make your home more comfortable. Larger windows can help let in more natural light so you don't need to turn your lights on early. Using compact fluorescent bulbs can save you money and will save energy. Use energy-efficient appliances and don't leave your air conditioner on when you're not at home. You'll be amazed at how much this impacts your energy usage.

Small things like recycling cans, bottles and plastic packaging helps lower your garbage bills and helps reduce your carbon footprint. Use cloth bags when you shop instead of taking their paper or plastic bags. Some stores even knock off a few cents when you use your own bags. All of this will help reduce pollution, which is healthier for you because you'll be breathing cleaner air.

As you can see, it is easy to begin going green. It is not only good for the environment, it is better for you and it will save you money. Living green will soon become a habit, and before you know it, you'll be looking for more ways to be even greener. So don't be afraid to take that first step. It's easier than you think.

About the Author:

Simon Skinner is the owner of green-base.com. Green-base.com is your base for all things green, providing news and views as well as news and services to assist you in your new eco-friendly lifestyle! Bookmark www.green-base.com for all of your eco-friendly news.