Social Graces

In his newly published Bringing Up Girls, Dr. James Dobson writes:

A girl who has been trained properly is never completely

knocked off balance when she is in an unfamiliar circumstance.

She knows what is expected of her and how to deal with it. Her sense of self

worth is reinforced by the way adults react to her charm, poise,

and grace. For the mother who wants to give her daughter a

head start in life and help her compete socially, this is a great place to begin.

I love the thought that if I train them well, my girls will not be knocked of balance when they are in an unfamiliar circumstance. Isn't that a beautiful picture? What a gift to give my girls.

All good training, teaching social graces included, is a daily - (constant) endeavor. It requires direct training, setting a good example and sneaking in good object lessons as well. I am excited about a new book that I found recently that is going to the top of our read aloud books.

What I love about this book is that it uses stories from literature to illustrate manners. Remember, story is a pull strategy? I often say to my 4 year old, "Are you acting like The Beast, or a Beauty?" This instantly gives her a visual and gentle reminder from me to correct her behavior.

What about you? How do you teach social graces to your children? Today, the Homeschool Village is having a blog carnival and you can see how other parents are doing just that!

Looking Forward,

P.S. The MODsquad Blog is coming July 5! I am super excited to be part of this amazing blog for Mother's of Daughters. Follow us on twitter @modsquadmoms or find us on Facebook so you don't miss anything.

Home School Village

Robyn, Stef, Sue, and Susan started The Homeschool Village with a desire to provide a place of connection and encouragement for homeschool moms. Each week, they have a link up party at Layton Family Joy, focusing on a new topic of discussion that is applicable to the homeschooling mom. During the rest of the week, they share encouragements (and Starbucks) through their facebook page and tweets! If you are a homeschooler, I know that you will be glad to hang out at the Village! This weeks link up party is to share a favorite book you have found in your homeschooling journey.

I have been homeschooling for almost 6 years. Yes, that sounds like an eternity to me, too. But really, it has flown by. For me, it is not so much about teaching my girls. It is about being with them and discipling them. I do teach math, language, history, science and the like, but our focus is doing life together. I have never been one to read a lot of "how to books" on the subject of homeschooling. So the book I am going to share with you is really a heart book. My pick is:

The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson:

One of my favorite parts of the book is when she describes the ministry of Christ:

"The night before Jesus was to be crucified, his heart and mind must have been filled with weariness and exhaustion at the thought of what he would soon endure...But instead of just telling them (the disciples) what to do, harshly commanding their allegiance with orders and threats or guilt and manipulative statements, he chose to tie the cords of his heart to theirs with the strong and unbreakable bond of a loving, serving relationship. Jesus spent his last night on earth with his disciples in service to them." Pages 34,35 (excerpts)

When I first read these words I thought, "Jesus understands me. The disciples really were like little children. My mothering is a ministry." I can't tell you what a difference this has made in my life as a mom who also happens to homeschool. Every day I have a choice to tie the cords of my heart to theirs. Some days I do better at this than others. But it is always my goal. I pray that they remember, not just the lessons at the table, but the relationships we built around it.

Looking Forward,



P.S. Sally has a beautiful blog called I Take Joy that you really should visit! I know her words will encourage you!

Stories

"Peter's mother put her arm around him suddenly, and
hugged him in silence for a minute.
Then she said: 'Don't you think it's rather nice to think that we're in
a book that God's writing? If I were writing a book, I might make mistakes.
But God knows how to make the story end just right--in the way that is best for us.'"

Taken from The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
page 243

I love a good read. I am especially touched when a book intersects with what God is teaching me . This passage from the Railway Children spoke loudly to me this week. You see, I have been thinking a lot about how stories connect us to others, make us real, and can have a powerful influence upon others.

Mostly though, I'm grateful that the author and perfecter of my story knows me well enough to pen a story that is just right for me. (Hebrews 12:2) There are a few things I would personally edit, but the power of a good book is that all the good and bad work together in the end.

What about you, read any good books lately that spoke loudly to you? Leave a comment below and tell us what story captured you heart and why. And be sure to stop by tomorrow for The Friday Five.

Looking Forward,
Stacey

P.S. Holley at Dayspring has an amazing series about the Story of our Lives. She blogs at Heart to Heart with Holley. You can follow along with this 21 day challenge by clicking here.

Reading To Your Kids

Do you read to your children? Do they love books? Edith Schaeffer said:

"If children haven't been read to, they don't love books. They need to love books, for books are the basis of literature, composition, history, world events, vocabulary, and everything else."

I want my kids to love books and to be good writers. Writing experts encourage reading aloud to your kids at least 2 hours every day. Is it just me, or does that seem impossible to achieve? I love to read to my girls and our current book, The Railway Children by E. Nesbit is a great adventure. Still, I struggle to take 2 hours every day to read to them.

Another way to engage them in listening to the written word is through audio books. We have used them from time to time, but I am thinking about using them more regularly. When I mentioned this idea to my super techie husband, he said, "That's what I-Tunes is for!" So today I checked it out and I found some great resources. My favorite is by Kara Shallenberg. She uploads 1 chapter each week onto I-Tunes. Currently, she is sharing The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann R Wyss. And the best part is that it is free! Isn't that awesome? You can also visit her website: www.kayray.org/my-recordings for other great books! And I thought I-Tunes was just for music and movies!

"Countless studies over the past several decades have confirmed over and over again the undeniable impact of reading aloud on a child. Apparently, God has designed the minds of children to grow when watered with words from good books, His words being the best. It is impossible to overstate the influence you can have on your children simply by reading aloud to them regularly. It stands alone as an educational tool that is nearly universal in its effectiveness. Beyond that though, there s also a bonding that takes place when a family shares the experience of reading aloud. It is a unifying experience. Some are apt to be suspicious that such an uncomplicated means can produce such complex ends, but sometimes God uses the simple to confound the wise. Reading aloud is just that." Sally Clarkson, Educationg the Wholehearted Child.

Now, if only math were that simple!
Looking forward,
Stacey

P.S. This is not meant to stress you out and add one more thing to your already very full life! I have days when I want to toss everything out the window...like today! But sometimes you just have to stop, grab a good book and read to your kids. It truly does simplify all the chaos!