I have four children ranging in age from seventeen to five. I love them dearly and believe they are blessings from the Lord, but also, some days, I wonder if they will ever learn to get along. Often it feels like everyone is constantly arguing with each other.

“He took my toy.”

“He didn’t do his chores.”

“She was mean to me.”

“He won’t help me. “

“He is being annoying.”

Some days just listening to and trying to manage the arguing is exhausting. We talk about it, pray about it, do Bible studies about how to treat siblings, and discipline as needed. However, some days it feels like nothing we do is working.

It can be tempting to throw my hands up in defeat, and there are moments when I feel like a failure due to all of the arguing. I say all of this not to throw my children “under the bus,” so to speak, but to let you know that if it is happening in your home, you are not alone.

Hope and Encouragement

However, God has been gently and lovingly showing me that there really is hope in the arguing.
Over the last several months, God has been opening my eyes to the ways that my children love on their siblings. He has been showing me that they are still learning and growing, but that I should “not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

I have seen my seventeen-year-old help his little brothers build a turtle enclosure (without being asked by a parent), I have seen him take his little brother fishing, I have seen my daughter spend her own money to buy her older brother his favorite drink from the gas station just because she thought he might want something.

I have watched my nine-year-old spend his money to buy his siblings gifts on their birthdays. My five-year-old will draw pictures for his siblings and loves to spend time with them.
The arguing isn’t done (and while I trust and believe it will get better, it will probably never be over this side of heaven), but there is hope in the midst of it all. They are learning how to treat one another, control their emotions, and express their love.

Don’t Give Up

If you feel like the sibling arguments in your home are never-ending, if you feel like what you are doing is not having an impact, I want to give you hope and encouragement. Keep up the hard work of helping them learn to interact with others, and remember that they are growing and learning. It can be a slow process but look for the wins. Look for the times when they show love and grace to one another (even if they are arguing again five minutes later).

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library, you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always, I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in, and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

The Ten Commandments for children book was written by Ronald L. Cammenga and illustrated by Ana Sebastian. The Reformed Free Publishing Association published the book. This hardcover children’s book teaches children ages six to nine about the ten commandments. I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to review this book and share my honest opinions.

About the Book

At first glance, I loved the beautiful and colorful illustrations. The headings for each part of a section were in a different color, making the book engaging for young readers. The pages are also thick and sturdy, which is essential when little hands are helping turn pages and look at pictures.

Often children’s Bible books take a significantly simplified and surface-level approach to scriptures in an effort to make sure children can understand the text. However, while this book does break things down into understandable terms, it goes very deep into the commandments and explains them in a way that brings children to a deeper understanding.

There are several overview chapters, and then each commandment is broken down into two or three two-page sections. Each section includes Bible reading, scripture memory, songs to sing, a good explanation of the commandment, and discussion questions. There are a total of twenty-eight sections.

The Songs

The songs are from the 1912 United Presbyterian Psalter. They are simply recommendations for songs with no lyrics listed, but there is a QR code to download an app for the lyrics. Unfortunately for me, the app did not work on my device. However, the songs and music are readily available online.

This book has a lot of instructional value and could be used as a family devotional or as independent reading for an elementary student.

Theology

I know that I have a wide variety of denominations represented in my readership, and this book would be beneficial across denominations for the most part. The one point of contention I saw that might be an issue for some of my readers is the view that Sunday is the Sabbath, which I know is a belief that some of my readers hold, while others celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday. This would not prohibit anyone from using the book, but you would want to have that discussion with your children.

How We Used the Book

As a family, we read and discuss a chapter of scripture each day. We are currently working our way through Exodus, so it worked out beautifully to have this book to help my younger boys better understand the ten commandments after we read about them during our family Bible time.

My five-year-old recognized the golden calf illustration with the section on idolatry and was excited to be learning more about something he remembered from our Bible time.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I thought this was a well-written book that is an excellent tool for helping younger children come to a deeper understanding of the Ten Commandments. It is colorful and engaging while still being Biblically sound and instructional. I encourage you to check out the Ten Commandments for children to see if it would fit your family well.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library, you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always, I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in, and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Disclaimer: I received this kit for free in exchange for my honest review.

What is Robotics for Kids?

My sons have been interested in robotics for a while. We have had a few robots and tried a few simple kits. They always enjoyed the kits, but most were more like toys than robots, and they did not learn much about programming a robot from them. However, we recently tried out a Robby the Drummer Kit and lessons from Robotics for Kids. I was pleasantly surprised by how much they learned about robotics.

Explanation of the Program:

Robotics for Kids has several program options, including some free online courses. We reviewed the Robby the Drummer Kit and courses. This involved getting the kit to build a robot that used a tambourine to drum.

The kit includes:

Micro-controller unit

Micro-controller Expansion Board

Servo Motors

Wooden Parts (for robots body)

Batter Holder

USB Cable

Drum Sticks

Drum

Mounting Brackets

Bolts. nuts, and Spacers

Wires and Screws

You Provide:

Batteries

Computer

Phillips Head Screwdriver

Once you receive the kit in the mail, you complete three one-hour Zoom classes that teach the students how to build the robot and then how to program the robot.

This also includes downloadable code for the robot. The students can initially use this code to program the robot and then change the code to adapt what the robot does. 

For example, they can make the robot drum faster or slower. They could make the robot’s head move or have it wave its arms. They could also make it so only one arm did something, and the other arm was still.

Our Experiences with Robotics for Kids:

My nine-year-old was especially excited when the kit came in the mail! He loves all things robots and has been learning a lot about robots through our homeschool, but had not had much robotics instruction.

Since my sixteen-year-old was also interested in robotics, and I knew my nine-year-old would need some help, we decided it would be fun for them to work through the program together.

On the first night, they mainly put together the mechanical and electrical components of the robot to get it ready for programming. My nine-year-old loved it, and my sixteen-year-old didn’t mind it but felt like he was not learning anything new.

However, nights two and three of the class involved programming the robot. This is where both of my sons learned more about the process and began to understand just how much it takes to make a robot do the different things they do.

The course came with code for the robot that we could download, and the instructor walked them through the programming process in a very step-by-step manner. Then once it was programmed, we spent most of the third Zoom class learning how to change the code to adjust the robot’s motions.

My son was so excited to show off his robot to friends and family, and he continues to play with it and wants to spend more time learning to program it.

Conclusions:

My sixteen-year-old and nine-year-old learned a lot through these courses, and I loved that they could work together to learn something new and build a cool robot. My nine-year-old’s interest in robotics was encouraged through this course, and he is hoping to take some of the add-on courses soon to keep learning.

If you have students interested in robotics but, like me, don’t know where to start or how to help them, this is a great place to start. They get to build a simple but fun robot and learn the basics of programming in a Zoom format that allows the instructor to help them with anything confusing.

For younger children (like my nine-year-old), you will want to be available to help them or have an older sibling help. However, I think most teenagers could manage the course without adult assistance.

Make sure you go to the Robotics for Kids website and check out Robby the Drummer. If you aren’t sure if your child would enjoy the robotics program, you can also try one of the free courses they offer to see if it is something your child would enjoy.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library, you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always, I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in, and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Read-alouds are a big part of our family culture. I’ve written several posts about different read-alouds that we love over the years, but we have recently discovered several new (or new to us) books and series that I wanted to share with you.

We listen to audiobooks in the car while we drive (yes, this totally counts as read-aloud time) as well as me reading books aloud in the evening several nights a week (with two younger children and two active teens, it doesn’t happen every night but that doesn’t mean we don’t fit it in whenever we can make it work).

Towers of Light Series

We were blessed with a chance to review the first book in the Towers of Light series and really enjoyed it. It is a fictional adventure story that shares gospel truths and spiritual warfare in a way that makes it understandable to children. I love it when we can enjoy a story for its own merits but also use it to help our children learn and grow in the truth of God.

For independent reading, I’d probably recommend it for upper elementary and middle grades students. However, we listened to the audio as a family, and everyone enjoyed it. If you have sensitive young children, there are a few intense scenes, but my five-year-old was fine with it.

They also have workbooks that you can use to accompany the novels if you want to make it into a unit study. (You can see my full review here.)

• *You can get 10% off of these books from the website by using code schoolinswag*

Jack Zulu

Our family loves the Green Ember series by S.D. Smith, so we were excited to get the first book in his new series, Jack Zulu, this year for Christmas. He is writing this one with his teenage son, which was a big hit for us, and it had my children asking for one more chapter every time we read it.
It is a fantasy book that shares the same excellent writing style as The Green Ember but is very different in that it features humans as the main characters. It occurs in a small town in West Virginia and other worlds.

It is fun, exciting, and a little suspenseful, but it also teaches some valuable life lessons without feeling preachy. We read through it quickly because the whole family was enthralled, and the only negative is that we now have to wait for them to finish the next book!

Growly Books

I had heard of the series several years ago, but we had not yet had a chance to start reading them. A couple of months ago, I found the first book on audio and decided it was time to try them. We adored this fun and endearing adventure story about Growly the Bear and his friends Chippy and Tully.
While it is ideal for elementary and middle grades students, my high schoolers also enjoyed it. ( I would not pick it if I only had middle and high school students, but it is excellent for a mixed-age group.)

The story was exciting; the characters were lovable and fun. When we finished the first one, we were traveling, and they wanted me to immediately buy the next one so we could keep listening. Unfortunately, only the first one is on audio, so we had to wait until we were not on the road to keep reading.

My one complaint is that the first book leaves you at a very unfinished point, and that is a personal pet peeve of mine; however, it also made you really want to grab the next one and keep reading. A big bonus for this series is that it is also available on Kindle Unlimited!

Mistmantle Chronicles

Mistmantle Chronicles was a series that I had never seen until my daughter’s friend recommended the first book for our book club. It is a fantasy series that features animals as the main characters, battles of good versus evil, sweet stories, and tales of adventure.

The first three books in the series are available on Kindle Unlimited, a great way to read a wide variety of books. We have yet to finish the series, but finding the last couple of books in the series can be challenging as they are currently out of print. However, I have seen that there is a company that is bringing the books back one by one, so hopefully, by the time we get to the last books, they will be reprinting them as well.

Campground Kids

These mystery and adventure books take place in different national parks and follow the same fictional family as they vacation in various national parks. Each book has a different mystery/adventure as well as life and moral lessons woven through the story.

We have particularly enjoyed reading these while we travel in our camper, but they are also a fun way to travel vicariously.

To Be Read and Reading Journal

We have a Two Be Read list that is pretty long, including finishing these series, waiting not so patiently for the sequel to Jack Zulu, listening to Mary Poppins for our book club, and wanting to start The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place on the recommendation of a friend.

If you are like me and need a way to track all of the books you are reading and/or the ones, you want to read, check out our new reading journal and log. You can use code SWAGREADS to get 25% off.
However, we are always looking for great books to read, so I would love to hear your thoughts and recommendations. In the comments, share your favorite read-alouds, particularly those that are good for multiple ages.

More Reading Posts

Remarkable Read Alouds

Tip Tuesday: Our Homeschool Secret Weapon-Audiobooks

Reading With Your Ears

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library, you will get a link and password to the library; we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always, I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in, and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

I recently had the opportunity to review the “Have I Got a Story for You” downloadable art history program for the Renaissance period. It is also called HiGASFY as an acronym and because the paint drop character in the videos is named Gasfy.

What is “Have I Got A Story For You?”

This program was 12 video lessons, each ranging from fifteen to thirty minutes. The program covers three artists: Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. It is designed for students in grades 1st through 8th, but students of any age could use this program.

In addition to the videos, there are two or three art activities to choose from to go along with each lesson. Each lesson plan includes critical thinking questions, vocabulary, and writing activities. Geography, history, and science activities also coordinate with the lessons. Finally, there are downloadable flashcards and a “Name that Artist” Assessment PowerPoint Game/Test.

For example, one of the writing prompts is:

Write or retell the story of Michelangelo’s meeting with Francesco’s art teacher,
Ghirlandaio, and how he became his apprentice. If writing it, use 1-3 paragraphs and
incorporate 5 vocabulary words from this lesson or previous lessons.

A sample science activity is making play dough, and advanced students use that play dough to recreate Michealgelo’s Pieta.

How Did We Use This Program?

We reviewed this product with my eight-year-old son in mind, but not surprisingly, my four-year-old wanted to watch the videos as well. The videos were fun and engaging; my sons would always ask to watch another one when the video finished.

I loved that they were engaged and learning about different artists in a way that felt like a fun treat and not a challenging school subject. In the videos, the teacher, Mrs. Beth, chats with Gasfy, the paint drop, and tells stories about the life and work of the artist.

The lesson is presented through conversations between Mrs. Beth and Gasfy and story times. It is engaging and easy to understand. While we checked out some of the activities in the lesson plans, we mainly used the curriculum by watching the videos and discussing what they learned.

One thing I loved about the lesson plans is that they included some extra activities and questions for advanced students. Also, because the program was downloadable, it was stored on my laptop, which made it very portable. We could watch it at home or when we traveled.

Who Should Use “Have I Got A Story For You?”

I recommend it for elementary students, but it could easily work as a family study. If older students were included in our lessons, I would use this as a jumping-off point and have them go deeper into the study. Still, it is comprehensive enough for elementary and possibly even middle grades students.

You can find out more and purchase this product and the other time periods at Timberdoodle!

I received a free copy of this product from Timberdoodle in exchange for my honest review.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library, you will get a link and password to the library; we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always, I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in, and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

With children ages four to sixteen, it can be challenging to find games everyone enjoys. However, the IQ 6 Pro was a hit with all four children. I love when a game works on critical thinking skills and problem-solving because I know those skills will benefit my children into adulthood.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this product from Timberdoodle in exchange for my honest review.

What is the IQ 6 Pro?

The IQ 6 Pro is a pocket-sized game that works on problem-solving, visual-spatial skills, concentration, and more. The game includes a pocket-sized case with two different game surfaces and twelve multi-colored, multi-shaped connected beads that fit together in the game surfaces.

There is also a book that includes 120 puzzles for the user to complete with the surfaces and beads. The puzzles range in difficulty from reasonably simple to much more complex; they are also two- and three-dimensional. This variety made it an excellent option for so many different ages.

How Did We Use the IQ Pro 6?

While the IQ Pro 6 could be included in your schoolwork and is a part of Timberdoodle’s Ninth Grade Curriculum kit, we just used it for fun.

When it came in, I opened it up and sat it on the table to see what would happen. The kids were drawn to the bright colors and interesting design. They would gravitate to it as it sat out, and each one gave it a try.

For my four-year-old, a try was simply seeing if he could get the pieces to fit back onto the playing surface. My other three children could use the included puzzles and begin working through them. They were surprised at just how challenging some of the puzzles were. None of them have been able to do the most challenging puzzles yet, but they are getting better, and I think my son will have figured them out with a bit more practice.

What Did We Think?

IQ 6 was a fantastic game for many reasons. I love that we can use it with all ages and that it doesn’t take up much space. The size also makes it a great game to take in the car on those long road trips when you don’t want their heads in a tablet for hours.

Another perk is that it is a one-player game. I love playing games with my children, but I also need them to have activities they can do independently while I work with their siblings, cook dinner, etc.

Finally, I like that it is fun but still very beneficial. My children do not see it as school work, but I know that it is strengthening their brains and helping them with valuable life skills.

Find Out More

This game is marketed to teens and recommended for grades three and older. That is a good recommendation, though younger children could enjoy the less challenging puzzles.

You can find out more and purchase your own set at Timberdoodle for only $11.99. It would make a great gift or fit nicely into an Easter basket.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library, you will get a link and password to the library; we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you updated on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always, I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in, and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Reading, math, science, nature study, art, art appreciation, poetry, music, music appreciation, physical activity, foreign language, logic, Bible, handicrafts, life skills, and so on.

There are often so many different things that we want to teach our children, and it can be pretty overwhelming. A while back, I talked about not having to do everything every day, but today I want to talk about mastery versus exposure.

What are Mastery and Exposure

There are some subjects and skills that I want my children to master before they leave my homeschool. For example, they need a good mastery of phonics so that they can read well. They need to master math to the level that allows them to function well in adulthood (maybe not calculus but at least introductory algebra.).

However, my children do not need to have mastery of fine arts or poetry. This does not mean that I do not include them in my homeschool or that they are not important, but that the goal is different.

When is Mastery Important?

The areas for which mastery is important are often skill-based subjects, which they will need to use throughout their lives. We also consider a good knowledge of the Bible essential, though they will hopefully continue to learn and grow in that area for the rest of their lives.

Areas, where we want exposure tend to be content areas. These are subjects that I want to share with them, but I don’t expect them to master them.

For example, it is important that my children have exposure to various famous artists and musicians. However, they don’t need to pass a test on their various works. My goal for fine arts is for my children to gain some knowledge and interest and be able to find out more.

Some subjects may be both mastery and exposure for some children. In our home, I wanted to expose my children to musical instruments, but it was not necessary to me that they be proficient on the instrument. However, my daughter loves playing her violin and is working towards mastery. Since it was a priority for her, I shifted her schedule around to allow time for mastery in that area.

Why is it Important?

Analyzing each subject, you teach with the mastery or exposure concept in mind is important. By deciding if it is mastery or exposure, you can better determine how to include it in your homeschool.

One example from our home is math. Since I want a solid mastery of the math courses, I have chosen to use a formal curriculum which my children work on at some point during most school days.

However, poetry is a subject to which I want to expose them without requiring mastery. Therefore, I include it during our read-aloud or poetry tea times. They get to hear and enjoy the poems, but I do not require formal work.

You can certainly use a curriculum for areas that are just exposure (we love using our fine arts curriculum to make it easier for me to be intentional). However, remembering that your goal is exposure can take some of the pressure off and give you more flexibility. 

This can also help you with a tip I posted a while back, not needing to do everything every day.

So, take some time to determine what subjects you want your children to master and which ones you just want to expose them to, and then use that information to help make your homeschool schedule work to meet your goals.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library, you will get a link and password to the library; we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you updated on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always, I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in, and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

I recently realized that I wanted to work more on United States geography with my children. The older two have a basic knowledge of the states and capitals, but I wanted to go a little more in-depth about the culture and highlights of each state.

I wanted something we could do as a family to give them a good foundation and be fun. We have been saving up to take a cross-country vacation the year my oldest is a senior, so I thought it would be great to use the geography study to help plan the trip.

*Some links are affiliate links; see full disclosure below*

Free Geography Printable

For the spine of our study, I created a geography printable (available in our resource library) to use with each state. Since I want to include this as part of a high school geography course for my teens, I am having them split the states and each complete the form for 25 states. I am also going to do a few states with my younger boys.

Then we will come together as a family and have them share about the states they are covering. I plan to do this one or two states at a time so that it is not overwhelming.

Then, based on the information they found about the states and their interests, they will plan out potential routes for our cross-country trip to include as many unique attractions as possible, given our time constraints.

Even if you were not planning an extensive trip, you could have students plan dream vacations or maybe a little weekend getaway to something special in your own or neighboring state.

.

Food Ideas

In addition to the research and state-by-state forms, we will include food in our study. Many states are known for certain foods. For example, Georgia is known for peaches, North Carolina has two kinds of regional BBQ, Louisiana has crawfish and gumbo, and Texas has brisket.

As we learn about each state, we will try to make a dish from that state. Our family finds that food makes learning enjoyable and helps create memories, and these memories help the other information stick with them better.

Geography Games and Activities

The core of our course will be the state-by-state forms and the fun food that we include with each state. However, there are a few other games, books, and activities that I want to include throughout the study, and I think those will be especially important for my younger children.

We love the Stack the States app for a fun way to learn more about the states and capitals. Another fun game is the board game Scrambled States of America.

 Ticket to Ride doesn’t have as much specific geography. Still, it does help children get a better understanding of the location of major cities, and I have to mention it because it is one of our family’s favorite games.

In addition, we have several fun games that revolve around the national parks. This is a great way to learn more about the history and geography of different locations. They are also great places to put on a travel itinerary.

Our favorite National Park games are Trekking the National Parks Trivia and a National Parks memory game.

I will include some of the art lessons from You Are An Artist’s American Landmark Course for my budding artist. Our art membership contains this course, but you can also purchase it as a standalone.

There are many great lessons, including Yellowstone Falls, The Grand Tetons, The Golden Gate Bridge, and more. If you have the membership, there is also a course that includes some great map paintings that would pair well with this study.

Geography Books

I intend to check out various library books about each state and the attractions in that state. However, we also are enjoying the Campground Kids book series. It is a fictional series, but each book introduces the children to a different national park.

My friend Jen over at HomeschoolFanatic has a great list of other geography books!

For the actual travel portion of our study, we have our National Park Passports and a Scratch Off US Map. We love the National Park Passport program because it gets the kids excited to go to new parks, and once you’ve purchased the passport, the stamp is like a free souvenir at each new location.

We will also participate in Junior Ranger programs at various parks during our travels.

Can You Help Us?

Whether planning a big trip or just wanting to cover more geography, I hope this study helps you have fun while teaching more about United States geography.

I would love to hear about your favorite places to visit in the United States as we learn more and plan our trip. Also, share your favorite geography books and games in the comments.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library, you will get a link and password to the library. We are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you updated on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always, I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in, and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies

If you have not tried SchoolhouseTeachers.com, you don’t want to miss this sale!

USA – Get 50% OFF an annual subscription to Night Zookeeper.

I know it’s trendy and cliché, but I like the idea of having a word or phrase of the year. It can be a good way of helping me keep my focus and make needed changes. Last year I struggled to decide on a word, but this year I knew before December 1st what my phrase would be for 2023: Making Space.

When you hear the phrase making space, your mind might immediately go to physical space, and we probably need to do a bit of decluttering, but my main focus is going to be space on the calendar and space in my mind.

What Does Making Space Look Like?

I think Making Space will look different in different areas of my life, but it will mean taking a good look at our priorities and goals and making sure that we are saying no to things, even good things, to make the space to say yes to what we are called to

do.

Making Space in Our Homeschool

I had been thinking and praying about my daughter’s high school years and felt God lay those words on my heart. I realized that I needed to make space for her to achieve her goals and move forward with God’s plan for her life.

That will look different for each child (and I’ll be praying about that for each one), but for my daughter, it means making more time for her to focus on her music studies. In practical terms, it means she isn’t going to do some of the other electives and extra courses my son did, even though they might be included in a typical college prep course of study.

She will, of course, complete all of the requirements, but she will skip some other classes, like Spanish, to make room for more music courses and practice.

Sarah Mackenzie once said, “The sky is only the limit if you are an airplane.” I think we often forget that when we plan out our children’s homeschool schedules. We believe we can do all the things and add the extras, but sometimes we need to step back and make space.

For my oldest, making space may look like finding him more time to focus on his business. For my eight-year-old, it may be more art time. I just want to make sure we are giving them the time-space in which to pursue their callings and passions.

Making Space for our Family

Over the years, we have made some decisions to keep our outside activities manageable as a family. For us, that meant that we mainly chose activities that the family could do together, we avoided activities that kept us from family dinners multiple days a week, and we turned down some otherwise good opportunities.

However, even with those safeguards, the past year has felt super busy. We are active in our church, our AHG and Trail Life troops, and 4-H. When you add on extended family activities, the teens running small businesses, my oldest being dual-enrolled at the community college, etc., it was becoming too much.

We plan to sit down, re-evaluate some of the extras, and make sure that we are making space for us to be together as a family and to rest and recuperate. When we are too busy or away from home too much, tensions get high, attitudes get poor, and there is no peace in our home.

I am making space on our family calendar by allotting at least one or two days a week that we are home together for the entire day. This will allow us to rest, keep up with chores, and complete schoolwork without feeling overburdened.

Making Space in my Spiritual Life

I know the importance of Bible study and prayer for my spiritual life. I also know the importance of service, and I think making space for all three is vital. However, I have been off balance and need to make time for all three.

We were in a season of heavy service (which isn’t a bad thing). We also have been focusing on Bible study and discipleship within our home (which is vital), but I feel the Lord is convicting me that I need to make space for more personal Bible study time. I must ensure that I am immersing myself in His word so that he can guide me as I teach my children. So I will look at my days and make sure I make space for that personal Bible study.

Overall

I am looking forward to this year of making space, and I think it will bring renewed energy and refreshment to our homeschool, more peace in our family, and growth in my spiritual life.

If you have ever gone through a similar season, I would love to hear what worked for you. I would also love you to share your word or phrase for 2023. Let’s cheer on each other!

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