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Minute to Minute
Readers Helping
Readers | |
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| November 17th, 2007 |
| Since last week when Cheryl and Donna wrote our Minute
to Minute Readers, we received numerous helpful letters with
tips, personal stories, and helpful ideas for our chronically
ill homeschool moms. In the past, we've been encouraged by
Frances, a homeschool mom with a chronically ill
husband.
Today, our homeschool moms from around the
nation rallied to let Cheryl and Donna know that they are
not alone in their quest to homeschool through their chronic
illnesses. They uphold one another in prayer knowing that the
Lord will give strength where none exists and somehow help
their fellow homeschool moms and dads make it through another
day. In fact, in time past The Old Schoolhouse has been able
to help and encourage
Please continue to uphold one another in prayer,
remembering, in the immortal words of Tennyson, "More things
are wrought by prayer than this world dreams
of." |
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Happy Thanksgiving!
"Be thankful unto Him, and bless His
name."
~*~*~*~*~
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| You're Not Alone |
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Dear Cheryl and Donna,
Over the last three years I've had two very
long bouts with pneumonia and numerous lung/sinus ailments.
Being sick not only meant the chores didn't get done, but it
was hard to talk. Also, after feeling better, I still had to
restrict where we went. That meant cutting back on homeschool
group activities and sometimes on church activities as well to
avoid catching anything again while my immune system was so
weak. The main weapon I had was prayer. My dear husband
prayed for me so much. There were four women who prayed for my
health constantly.
During this time we did a lot of workbooks
and DVD learning. Yes, I have regrets that I've not been able
to do neat crafts and experiments with my children at times.
I've regretted that we aren't as active in homeschool groups
as others are, but that always comes as a result of comparing
our homeschool to
another's.
Cultivating a
thankful attitude no matter my circumstances is hard.
Paul speaks to that effect in Hebrews 13:5--"Let your
conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such
things as ye have: for he hath said, I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE
NOR FORSAKE THEE." What a promise to hang on to!
Here are some things we did to become more
healthy and productive:
- Get in the Word of God and read it every day.
- Pray like you never have before.
- On my doctor's request [a regular MD, too], we switched
our household to Melaluecca cleaning products. She was
concerned that over-the-counter cleaners were the triggers
for my breathing problems. That's helped a
lot.
- Embrace the goal of having independent learners. If that
means doing school by
DVD, correspondence courses,
or workbooks, then do it. Don't allow guilt over
your
homeschool method to steal your joy.
- If you, like me, cannot get out of the house much due to
illness, jump into the
on-line community. Join HomeschoolBlogger to meet
other homeschool families and develop a support structure
without leaving home. HOWEVER if what you are reading
or viewing is creating a sense of dissatisfaction in how
your homeschool operates, let those things
go.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "In every thing give thanks;
for this is the will go
God in Christ Jesus concerning
you." His will may not be to relieve the sickness, but
to teach us and our children to rely on Him as we endure.
Relying on God through it all is the best lesson we can
teach our little ones!
- Simplify your home. Get rid of stuff you don't need. Get
the whole house involved
in keeping the home neat. Even
little ones can help get laundry from the dryer,
wash a
few dishes, and pick up toys.
The children may remember certain times as "when Mommy was
sick." But speaking as one who lost her mother early, I
am thankful for all the time I did have her, sick or not. Your
children will, too. They will rise up and call you blessed for
sticking out this homeschool calling. Remember, dear ones,
"Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it!"
[1Thess. 5:24]. Focus on what you CAN do, and leave the rest
to Him!
Homeschooling Because of Him,
Gin |
| Focus on the Important |
| Dear Cheryl and Donna,
I have disabling depression and homeschool an
11yr old and a 16 yr old. Down days cause all kinds of
havoc with schedules and lesson planning so I've learned to
just be very flexible. My primary job on school days is
school, until the kids started taking over most of the
housework; that's what my husband did to contribute to
homeschooling. He worked all day Monday through Friday then
came home and took care of the house. Even when my
children were very young, they helped with the housework and
learned to feed themselves (though they didn't use the stove
until they were over the age of 10).
My best advice is
to decide what is most important on any given day, and put
what energy you have into accomplishing that. I gave up on a
clean house long ago in favor of putting most of my energy
into education.
On the days that you just can't
function well enough to get anything done: have automatic
reading and self-study assignments for older kids, and
remember that younger kids learn a lot about the world just
from playing--so have plenty of quality materials/toys for
self-play.
And give yourself a break; while your
challenge may be chronic illness, someone else's may
be caring for an elderly parent, or trying to succeed
with a spouse, or having to run an in-home daycare while
homeschooling and any or all of those could lead to
homeschooling being unsuccessful without determination and
adaptation. Stick in there; you can do it!
A Fellow Chronically Ill Homeschool Mom,
Kelly
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| Pray, Research, and Relax |
| Dear Cherl and Donna,
I have an auto immune disease. It came on me quite
suddenly after my third child. I came to the point where I was
in so much pain and had difficulty even walking. With that,
you do become depressed; because you are a homeschooler and
desire strongly to be able to teach your children on a
consistent basis and have fun doing it. That was not the case.
I have understanding children who are patient, but for a bit
their school did suffer some.
First of all, I prayed and prayed then, researched and
found a vitamin regime to help as
well as change my diet. The biggest thing that has helped
me was to not worry about it;
I can school all year round. In fact it is better for my
children; they can do a lot of independent work. I feel less
stressed and worried about it, swinging me out of the
depression. If I am just too ill to teach, I suggest a project
for them to do and such. One day this week, I gave my 16 year
old son the responsibility to do his work and help his younger
sisters. I really wanted to see how he would do and he was
great! He was patient, easy to understand, and probably a nice
change for the girls. But, of course I will not make that a
habit. Since I have learned to not worry about it and to relax
just taking one day at a time, I have felt better. This
goes with removing things out of my busy schedule too,
realizing the children are what I need to focus on right now.
I felt liberated; and I have been able to do more school with
them now more than ever. I will be lifting you both up
in my prayers that God will grant you the desire of your
hearts to be able to homeschool your children with good health
and ease.
A Fellow Chronically Ill Homeschool Mom,
Danielle |
| Tackle The Hard Subjects First |
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Dear Cheryl and Donna,
I am right there with you; I suffer from various health
issues. Just today we had to end lessons for a while because I
could not continue to teach. I am running a high fever today
and my head feels like it will explode at any minute.
Thankfully, my husband stepped in after work and finished up
with math and spelling.
My son
is only eight, and I too suffer from guilt about our
situation. I have to remember the Lord is my strength. Now, I
know this is easier said than done. One of my favorite
scriptures is in 1 Tim. 2:3, "Thou therefore endure hardness,
as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." I like this verse because
it reminds me that we all have our burdens to bear. Mine are
different than the next persons but God knew that we would
have to endure some hardness. And, guess what? He knows that
we can and will make it! He also says in Psalm 48 that He is
beautiful for situations. I love that! God loves to take a
tough situation and turn it into something
beautiful!
What has worked best for
us is to have my son do the subjects that are the most
difficult for him first. That way, if we need to take a break,
for my sake, then the hard stuff is over and a lot of times he
can even finish without me(makes me feel useful-lol). I hope
this has helped in some way. I truly feel that homeschooling
is a calling, and God uses all sorts of people. If we put it
before God and are willing to continue doing His will we can't
help but be blessed!
A Fellow
Chronically Ill Homeschool Mom,
Andrea |
| DVD and Video School |
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Dear Cheryl and Donna,
I understand your feelings very well. I suffer from
chronic headaches, pain, and muscle fatigue. This is my
4th year of homeschooling my now 14 year old son. He is
in the 9th grade. We use the Bob Jones DVD
curriculum. We had started out with their HomeSAT program but
found the DVDs to be more economical for us. This type of
curriculum has made it possible for me to teach my son at home
even on my bad days. Some days all I can do is lie on the
couch in the school room and just be in the same room with him
as he watches and listens to his lessons. I can answer his
questions. Bob Jones also lays out the lesson plans so
all I do is adapt them to our plan. My son tells me he
enjoys the DVDs and has been learning a lot. Most of the time
all he wants is for me just to be in the room with
him. Even if I am lying on the couch sleeping. His
test scores prove that I am not cheating him in his
education although there are many days I feel like it. I
know that God has called me to do this so on the days that are
really bad I remind Him of this(as if I had to) and remind
myself. Then I get down on my knees and sometimes even my
face and ask for the strength that only the Lord can give, and
He does because in the end everything seems to get
done. I also remember Paul and his "thorn in the flesh"
and all that he accomplished with it by relying on the
Lord. Be encourage sisters; you are not alone. Remember,
"Nothing is impossible with God!"
A Fellow Chronically Ill Homeschool Mom,
Tammara |
| Homeschooling Resources |
 "I
know I should be eating healthier, but I don't know where to
begin!"
"A
healthier diet would be nice, but my husband and kids will
never go for it."
"Healthy
food doesn't taste good."
Have you ever
had any of these thoughts? Many people do! Incorporating
healthful habits is important for all of us, but it can be
overwhelming trying to figure out how to do it. In her
long-anticipated E-Book, Supermom's Simple Guide to
Healthier Eating Erica Johns shares her philosophy of
taking realistic baby steps toward your healthy eating goals,
rather than burning yourself out on extreme health plans.
Erica shares
tons of easy ways to take baby steps with your diet, covering
beverages,
breakfast,
lunch,
dinner, and
so much
more. |
| Homeschooling Resources |
|
Are
you overwhelmed by housework?
Do you want to involve the children but don't
know how?
Try the brand new Clean N' Flip Zone &
Room Cleaning Combo at a special Schoolhouse Store
discount! These flipcharts walk children visually and
systematically through the process of cleaning specific
areas. Pictures clearly identify tasks to be
completed so that everyone, from pre-school to high school can
easily follow along. Finish a task and flip the page! Kids
love the sense of immediate accomplishment as well as knowing
there is "an end" in
sight. | |
|
Thank you for encouraging our chronically ill homeschool
moms. Because you replied, they and others found the strength
to look to the Lord for help during their troublesome times.
If you have a question you would like to ask the Minute to
Minute Readers, please email us. When you
email us you give
us permission to post your questions in the Minute to
Minute e-newsletter and use them in The Old Schoolhouse
Magazine's My Voice
column if selected.
Sincerely, |
Elisabeth Marlowe, The Minute to
Minute Editor
The Old Schoolhouse
Magazine | | |
