Life is busy. We run from here to there. We rush through our lesson plans. We rush to finish another project with the kids. We rush to make cookies. We rush to church and special events. We have to pay the bills and buy the groceries and clean the house and make the meals that no one wants to eat.

And oh yeah, don’t forget you are a full time teacher. You have to plan the lessons, prepare to teach, and sit with each child while the others go crazy. Then the kid makes a mess all over the floor while you were spelling with your first grader, and everything has to be put on hold while you solve the problem.

We give and give until there is nothing left of ourselves, until we are empty. We take care of the chores, cook the meals, teach the lessons, take everyone to their special piano lessons and soccer practice, rush home to make dinner, put the kids to bed and then get them out of bed. bed in the morning to start everything. again.

However, we choose home school because we value a family where community and creativity are nurtured, where there is joy, warmth and rest, where there is no running from one event to another. Hidden in our hearts, a little spark, a little desire for something deeper, something more eternal, waits to blossom.

We can’t change anyone. We can only change ourselves. To move our families in the right direction, we must first move ourselves in that direction and trust that they will follow. These twelve life principles are lessons that I learned and forgot and then reapplied to my life many times over.

1. Get up while the house is still quiet. Get your breakfast. Get your shower. Take a moment to drink your coffee and plan your day. It’s worth the extra effort to take care of yourself before you start serving others. If you let them wake you up, you’ll be 10 steps behind for the rest of the day. And you will be too tired and cranky to face the challenges of the day.

If the children wake up before you are ready, send them back to bed. As a homeschooling family, you can set your own schedule. Let them read in bed for half an hour or play quietly until you’re ready.

two. Ignore unwanted criticism and advice. Busy bodies everywhere have their opinions about what you should or shouldn’t be doing. I’d like to say they mean well, but I’m not so sure about that. Most of them just want to feel better about themselves by taking someone else down, and very few know what they’re talking about.

3. Keep a journal. Write your thoughts and contemplate yourself. Take the time to acknowledge your emotional state. Emotions are often warning messages that help you know when to rest and when something is unhealthy. Take the time to ask yourself who you really are. Knowing and finding yourself is an integral part of good parenting.

Four. Explore your own creative aspects. We have arts and crafts for the kids, music lessons for the kids, and essay writing for the kids. If developing the arts is so important to your children, isn’t it just as important to you? You want your children to be whole, right? So don’t be hypocritical, and you will find that your children are more willing to participate in your lessons, following your example.

5. Never stop learning. Try new things. Check out books from the library to explore a new hobby and study something you’ve always wanted to know. Your brain is a powerful tool. Whatever homeschooling style you may have, you can always unschool yourself.

6. To have lunch. And eat a sandwich. At the end of the day, I find that she breaks more. Why? I’m not hungry, but once I’m done with dinner, my mood improves. We are finite people. Only God is infinite, and we depend on water, food, and God to nourish our lives. So don’t be a martyr and eat something.

7. Insist on an afternoon break. Children need downtime for unscheduled, undirected play. No matter how old your children are, it’s good for them and for you if everyone has time to themselves. Send them to their rooms to read or outside to play, but enforce the rule that they are not to be disturbed during this time.

8. Find time to exercise. Just as it is not your desire for your children to be unhealthy, neither is God’s desire for you. He appreciates you as you appreciate your children. Parental duties and homeschooling should never get in the way of this. Keep it fun and find a routine that fits into your schedule. Maybe adjust it during your quiet hour in the morning or during your afternoon break. Or get exercise videos kids can do with you.

9. Take quiet walks often. Not for the purpose of exercising. Not for any purpose. Just for the chance to wander and be quiet. have loneliness To explore. Adults are goal oriented. Everything we do has a purpose, whether it’s cooking dinner, shopping for groceries, paying the bills, going on a diet, or getting some exercise. We are always working. Sometimes we just have to put that aside. So trade favors with your spouse and take a little time each week.

10 Find time to play. To be a child again. Children are experience oriented. They do things for the simple pleasure of being. Growing up has caused us to lose that eternal quality of mere being. Sometimes we just need to enjoy the experience.

eleven Never let life become a competition. We compete to be the best mom, the best dresser, the best decorator, the best friend, the most organized, the best scrapbooker, the most creative, the most athletic, the most beautiful. But when I stop to contemplate this, I realize that my worth really has nothing to do with anyone else. Parents celebrate their children’s first steps, no matter how wobbly those steps may be. In the same way, we should celebrate our own faltering attempts to grow.

12 Learn to say no.” Sometimes one more activity, one more responsibility, or one more event is too much. Instead, choose to say “Yes” to being home, spending time with family, or enjoying dinner around the table.