Teaching conflict resolution, character building, and the truth about Jesus

Continuing on from the renewed focus  post, I also have a renewed focus for how I am spending time with my children.  I am a stay at home mom now, and I want to make sure I am using this time wisely.  That definitely isn't going to happen for me if I don't make a plan.  One of the things I asked for for Christmas were a number of books that you will find on the "Book Recommendations by Martha" tab at the top of the blog.  I added the whole list to my Amazon Wish List, and I received "The Young Peacemakers", "Bubbles, Balloons and Chocolate", and "Character Building".  I was really excited to get these books, but the next challenge was determining when and how I was going to use these.  So one morning while all 3 kids were in school and I had 3 hours to myself, I built a plan for the entire year of how we were going to go through all of these.  I tend to be lazy and undisciplined in many regards, but if I have made a plan, I'm usually good to go.  I'd like to share our plan with you in case it might inspire you to do some of the same if you feel like it my be valuable in your home. 

On Tuesday afternoons, at 1pm my middle child comes home from preschool (my youngest also comes home from preschool at that time, but this is her naptime so perfect time for me to sit one on one with the 5 year old).  This is the time I set aside to do the Young Peacemaker teaching with him, and so far it is going very well.  Also on Tuesdays, when my 7 year old gets home from school at 3, we also go through it.  It's 30 minutes to an hour, depending on their attention span and what I am teaching that day.  They have been loving it, and I scheduled out the whole year so by the end of the year we will have gone through the whole book.

On Wednesday evenings, instead of our normal daily devotional that we do together, we are going through the Character Building book.  There are 12 character traits in the book, and 4 sections per character trait, which works out perfect for one a week, and one trait per month.  It's quick and has generated some great questions and conversations.

My 7 year old has daily reading that he has to do for school.  He gets to choose what he reads, so on Wednesday afternoons, we read "The Case for Christ for Kids" during that time.  This is a fantastic book that will teach more of the logic and evidence behind Jesus.  We read for the 15 minute time period and then stop.  Again - GREAT questions are being asked and conversation is happening about it outside of the reading time.  My 7 year old really thinks through things, and I want him to have an intellectual understanding of his beliefs so that he is grounded in his faith. 

I also tend to get kind of lazy about play dates, and both boys love spending time with their friends.  So, we set aside each Thursday for playdates.  Guerin has his at 1, and Noah has his at 3.  It has been working great. 

Finally, both boys are into science, and so every other Friday is science day.  When Noah gets home from school, we do a science project.  They really look forward to those.

There are many other things I have scheduled in, but I don't want to bore you.  This is more an example of how setting a plan in place can really allow you to build so much more purpose into your conversations with your children, and provide more peace and structure in your home.  Just make sure you build in a lot of breaks so that they can absorb what you are trying to teach them.  I'll keep you posted on how it is all going!

A New Year . . . A Renewed Focus

I've been thinking a lot about the comments I have received, and whether I want to continue this blog and if so what changes I want to make.  Most moms of young children share similar struggles . . . what to feed our kids, engaging them, developing them spiritually, emotionally, and socially, feelings of guilt because of things we are doing or aren't doing, and the list goes on and on and on.  We have to take care of ourselves in order to take proper care of our families.  We don't always do a great job of this (okay much of the time we don't), but I'd like to encourage you to stop and think about what it is that truly renews and refreshes you.  Not what other people think will refresh you, but what it is for YOU.  There is a lot of advice out there, and much of the time too much and it often results in feelings of insecurities, guilt . . .

One of the things that I have really been realizing and coming to an understanding is that as I draw closer to God and spend time talking with him and in his word, I feel better and more at peace with who I am and how he is growing me.  The less I do this, the more I see the worst parts of me coming out.  But it is sooooo hard to find that time and focus to spend with him.  A few things, for me, will make this much more likely to happen - planning (HUGE), and starting the day not by turning on the TV to watch news, but by turning on a Pandora station that is going to get me started in the right direction.  Music inspires me and then moves me to spend my time more wisely.  For me, I built a station off of Third Day and I love the songs that come on.  I often wake up to immediate duties of taking care of children, but if I carry that phone around with me with that music playing, at some point I will have a small break, whether it is while I eat breakfast or later.  And if I've been preparing my heart through song, I find myself getting excited to find out what God has to share with me that day. 

I am so excited because I am nearing the end of reading through the whole Bible.  It took me 2 years, but I have finally accomplished a goal that has been sitting there for a very long time!  I have been getting worried that once I finished I will lose my focus and get back into old habits of laziness.  I started thinking that now that I have read through the content of the Bible, and been inspired by its word on many occasions, that I might find greater understanding if I read it chronilogically.  AND - even better, I have found a friend that is going to do it with me.  It is so great if you can find a friend to talk about what you've read with.  Things you were inspired by, confused by, and weirded out by.  So, I am going to start adding the readings to the blog, and if I feel so inspired, my thoughts on what I've read.  Should be fun!  I'll add a tab at the top of the blog with what I am reading on a weekly basis.  I would be so encouraged if you replied and let me know you want to read with me!  The more accountability the better.    I went to Lifeway yesterday and bought "The Daily Bible - In Chronological Order 365 Daily Readings NIV".  Don't freak out!  I am fully aware that I am not going to finish this in a year, but it was the only chronological Bible I could find.  I find that if I put too much pressure on myself to do it a certain way or in a certain timeframe that I get discouraged and stop.  So I am setting out to continue enjoying his Word and it's never ceasing inspiration, with hopefully a little added insight into the big picture. 

Also, I have received several comments about what you would like to see on the blog - thank you for your comments!  Food is a common theme, and I am going to spend some time thinking about that.  I am already dairy free, and am currently testing a GF diet to see if I feel better (constant headaches), and so meals have become even more of a challenge lately.  In a couple of weeks I will have a better feel for whether there is an allergy there, and if so I will overhauling our meal plan.  YIKES!  Love you guys!

DIY Craft

OK moms - I need your help!  I know there are a handful of you reading this blog, and maybe more, but I simply can't tell.  And . . . this blog was never intended to be for me.  I started it because I truly have a passion for moms of young children and the unique and challenging phase of life that it is.  So . . . if you are reading this, I would truly love your input.  What kinds of topics are you most interested in?  I'm willing to put time into just about anything if I believe it is helping someone, so even if I don't have my own experiences to rely on and share with you, I'll look into and offer any info I can to help.  Some ideas:  recipes, keep kids engaged, toy/game reviews, education . . . I'm sure you have more ideas.  And if you don't have any feedback/ideas, and you are following/enjoying the blog, please let me know that too.  I don't know how much I will continue it if I don't feel it is really helping anyone.  Thank you!

But for now, I will tell you that one of the primary ways I keep my sanity is through crafts.  For awhile I was scrapbooking, but I have sort of fizzled out on that and have (as many of you have) discovered pinterest.  I love it!!!  My amazing friend Sarah has been teaching me so many basics that should keep me occupied for a very long time.  I am including a picture of something I made today, and if you are reading this blog, and your last name starts with E, you may have a gift coming your way . . . :)  Here is a pic:

I borrowed the idea from pinterest and then put my own twist on it.  If you are interested in the details of how to put this together, let me know!