Are We Deceiving the Children?

Where did we get this concept that summers are a time of living carefree? You know, those lazy, hazy days of summer?

These long days of summer are to be enjoyed, but this mentality of 3 months of doing nothing but fun in the sun is wrong.

Summers should actually be our busiest time. This is the time to sow, weed, water and harvest.

Back in the agricultural days kids took a break from “school” to be able to help work the family fields and farms. They understood the work that it took to keep everyone alive.

Teach Them to WANT to Be a Part of the Work

I haven’t been blogging much, been busy around the house. We are working on a little home improvement project, although it doesn’t feel so little! Today I watched as Jeff took time to give Peachy-girl a “job”.

I LOVED watching him tell her what to do. She just wanted to feel like she was a part of the project. There is not a lot that a 4 year old can do, but she can work the shop-vac!

So Where Do We Start?

I received many private emails in response to last week’s post, I challenge you….

A few emails had the same questions like the one I received from “Mandy”, she has given me permission to share her email with all of you.

” Homeschooling my 3 kids and keeping home and managing the finances keeps my days full. I just… found out that the place my husband works is closing. We are just trying to keep our heads above water. I do try to be an encouragement to other moms in our homeschool group, but we neither have the space (very tiny house), the time, or the money to have people in our home.

Why They Get On My Nerves -Part 2: Child Training

After posting yesterday about why my kids, my husband and the housework get on my nerves, I felt like there needed to be a follow up post about another aspect of this.

This part is mainly about the children, those sweet precious gifts from God, that were also born with a sin nature, just like we were.

These kiddos (just like me) need to be taught and trained, taught what is right and wrong, and then trained to do the right thing, regardless of what they want to do.

Sometimes you have to wait until they are thirsty.

You can lead a horse to water,

but you can’t make it drink!

Yes, this is my daughter who was drug to the quilter’s guild every Tuesday for 4 years starting at age 10. The same one who was made to sew and cook, even though her heart was not in it. Now she is sewing curtains for her new home, on her new sewing machine (a bridal shower gift!), not because she has to, but because she WANTS TO!

The Brodock Family Motto for 2013

“Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. “-Proverbs 29:18

Whether you have a family mission statement, a verse or motto it’s better than having nothing. It helps the family unit understand who they are and why they are here. It helps with planning your year if you know what your goals and purpose are.

This year we have chosen the family motto, “Be a blessing, not a burden.”

The Chore Zone

There is no doubt in my mind that daily chores are

an absolute must for raising responsible children.

Work is a good thing.

Work is a necessity for all of us.

Charts are good because everyone needs to know what is expected from them and it keeps the boss (mom or dad) focused and on track.

The Zone Chore Chart is what works best for us. We have each younger child matched up with an older child for a few reasons:

A lively hope…

“…it is called a lively hope because it puts the soul upon lively endeavors.

Hope will make a man pray as for life, hear as for life, mourn as for life,

obey as for life and work and walk as for life.

Hope will not say this work is too hard and that work is too hot;

this work is too high and the other work is too low.

Hope will make a man put his hand to every work.

Learning to Do Man Work!

I met Allison a few weeks ago at a party we catered. She and her family were there not only as guests, but she was also the photographer for the party. She has a really neat family which is partly birthed through adoption. You can read more about her family at Five Lewis Crew. When I went to look at her blog for the first time this morning, I thought, ‘oh, yeah, this family knows what raising children is all about!” I love her post, Learning to Do Man Work. YES! This is it, the real stuff of raising a man up!

Family Life Makes Good Cents

A couple weeks ago I posted why I believe older kids should have to help pay their own way. Today I’d like to break down how we do a few things and the benefits of living as a family.

It is COST effective to live together and share:

Auto Insurance - Our adult children can be on our auto insurance as long as they live in our house. They pay their portion, which is a lot cheaper that getting their own.

Family Phone Plan - We have 5 phones on our plan, one belongs to my mother, who also lives here, we each pay a share and divide minutes. Our girls are allowed a smaller amount of minutes because they don’t ‘need’ as many, so they pay less. If they abuse the privilege of the family plan they are removed and can get their own plan and pay more!