Do you get that little rainbow spinning wheel when you hit your computer keys too many times or when you have too many windows open at once? I have to say that that is one of the most frustrating things for me about my computer. I do not have time to sit and wait for the tiny little information processors to go through all the motions of my cursor and clicks of my keys. Many times, I’ve typed an entire line and have been unable to see what has been entered. It’s become a joke in our home–the little spinning wheel that begs you to sit patiently. Have you ever been frustrated in that way?
Secretly, I sometimes wish I could apply my own spinning wheel to my weekly schedule. If only I had a little more time in my day, I could actually get everything done. I think we all have felt the desire for a change at one time or another, a time where we simply couldn’t do a thing, and it wasn’t even our choice, just the way things turned out. We hear the continual click of the keys as our days fly by, and watch the movement of our cursor as we race from one event to another. We fill our schedules with chores, housework, careers, and extracurricular activities like sports and the arts. Our little vehicles just putter aimlessly from one lesson to another. There are times in our lives when we simply have to say, enough is enough. If you are in that place, looking for a break from the hubbub and rush, then stop long enough to read this article by Valerie Felder. She will help you find the balance we all long for that enables us to begin again at a fresh new pace. [bctt tweet=”Finding balance is key to a productive pace… #homeschooling #KeepTXFamiliesFree” username=”thsc”]
Amazing Team Spirit of Order Produces Amazing Kids
By Valerie Felder, http://www.valeriefelder.com
My family loves fun sporting competitions. Whether it is taekwondo sparring, gymnastics, basketball, or track and field, we all love a well-executed game played by our amazing favorite teams. Oddly enough, watching teams compete and win did more than entertain us. It also demonstrated to our family that winning teams win often due to purposeful team organization.
- They prepare before each contest.
- They possess and maintain the right equipment.
- They heed quality guidance.
- They eventually enjoy a journey bedecked with victories.
Our families should also taste sweet victories, big and small, as we teach them along the way, employing the same tips from above, as we work to improve family function:
- Prepare Before the Contest: For the organized family, this means getting the house in good and reasonable order so all functions flow sensibly and with ease. As an example, if the kitchen is organized, making it easier to find even the tiniest cooking implements, little precious time is wasted in searching. Likewise, if bedrooms, common living areas, and schooling zones are decluttered and structured, fewer possessions are lost; less clutter “crying out” for attention exists. Children’s minds are then less distracted and more focused where life matters. Only then can the fullest task (contest) of schooling begin.
- Possess and Maintain Equipment: Proper possession and maintenance of schooling supplies is essential throughout the process. Like a baseball pitcher who fusses over frayed stitching in a ball (it negatively affects his pitch and could lose the game), so is a student who learns to appreciate the value of his books, pencils, spirals, and schooling tools to “win at school.” Keeping them in their right places and always in the best condition employs the notion of “everything has a place; everything in its place.” Excellent habits of stewardship emerge and bless.
- Heed Quality Guidance: Sporting coaches earn the respect of their players when they not only teach the game, but also show how to best play it. Similarly, parents who practice what they preach about organization get the greatest results. If they themselves live by rules of order and simplification, their children will more readily follow suit. More is “caught than taught.” Children will function to the same degree of order they witness in their parents. (Ouch!)
- Enjoy the Journey: The family that practices order tends to lose fewer possessions and gain more time accomplishing tasks versus always being on miserable safari hunts to recover, repair, or replace items misplaced. Everyday living is then better defined by moving competently forward from one task to the next with greater ease and less confusion.
Amazing results in both school and family life are realized in a home where sensible organization is respected. The amazing team spirit of order–apply it as a family and then watch it produce amazing children who live with greater purpose and celebrate recurrent victory.
To hear more from Valerie in person, join us at both 2016 THSC Conventions for her session on “Taking the Struggle Out of Your Home School Day.” Register today; pre-registration for Arlington and early bird registration for The Woodlands are ending soon!
Do you know of others who could benefit from a workshop on finding balance in home schooling? Please share this article with them!
Stay in the know by joining our Facebook group for THSC Convention insider information!
Do you get that little rainbow spinning wheel when you hit your computer keys too many times or when you have too many windows open at once? I have to say that that is one of the most frustrating things for me about my computer. I do not have time to sit and wait for the tiny little information processors to go through all the motions of my cursor and clicks of my keys. Many times, I’ve typed an entire line and have been unable to see what has been entered. It’s become a joke in our home–the little spinning wheel that begs you to sit patiently. Have you ever been frustrated in that way?
Secretly, I sometimes wish I could apply my own spinning wheel to my weekly schedule. If only I had a little more time in my day, I could actually get everything done. I think we all have felt the desire for a change at one time or another, a time where we simply couldn’t do a thing, and it wasn’t even our choice, just the way things turned out. We hear the continual click of the keys as our days fly by, and watch the movement of our cursor as we race from one event to another. We fill our schedules with chores, housework, careers, and extracurricular activities like sports and the arts. Our little vehicles just putter aimlessly from one lesson to another. There are times in our lives when we simply have to say, enough is enough. If you are in that place, looking for a break from the hubbub and rush, then stop long enough to read this article by Valerie Felder. She will help you find the balance we all long for that enables us to begin again at a fresh new pace. [bctt tweet=”Finding balance is key to a productive pace… #homeschooling #KeepTXFamiliesFree” username=”thsc”]
Amazing Team Spirit of Order Produces Amazing Kids
By Valerie Felder, http://www.valeriefelder.com
My family loves fun sporting competitions. Whether it is taekwondo sparring, gymnastics, basketball, or track and field, we all love a well-executed game played by our amazing favorite teams. Oddly enough, watching teams compete and win did more than entertain us. It also demonstrated to our family that winning teams win often due to purposeful team organization.
- They prepare before each contest.
- They possess and maintain the right equipment.
- They heed quality guidance.
- They eventually enjoy a journey bedecked with victories.
Our families should also taste sweet victories, big and small, as we teach them along the way, employing the same tips from above, as we work to improve family function:
- Prepare Before the Contest: For the organized family, this means getting the house in good and reasonable order so all functions flow sensibly and with ease. As an example, if the kitchen is organized, making it easier to find even the tiniest cooking implements, little precious time is wasted in searching. Likewise, if bedrooms, common living areas, and schooling zones are decluttered and structured, fewer possessions are lost; less clutter “crying out” for attention exists. Children’s minds are then less distracted and more focused where life matters. Only then can the fullest task (contest) of schooling begin.
- Possess and Maintain Equipment: Proper possession and maintenance of schooling supplies is essential throughout the process. Like a baseball pitcher who fusses over frayed stitching in a ball (it negatively affects his pitch and could lose the game), so is a student who learns to appreciate the value of his books, pencils, spirals, and schooling tools to “win at school.” Keeping them in their right places and always in the best condition employs the notion of “everything has a place; everything in its place.” Excellent habits of stewardship emerge and bless.
- Heed Quality Guidance: Sporting coaches earn the respect of their players when they not only teach the game, but also show how to best play it. Similarly, parents who practice what they preach about organization get the greatest results. If they themselves live by rules of order and simplification, their children will more readily follow suit. More is “caught than taught.” Children will function to the same degree of order they witness in their parents. (Ouch!)
- Enjoy the Journey: The family that practices order tends to lose fewer possessions and gain more time accomplishing tasks versus always being on miserable safari hunts to recover, repair, or replace items misplaced. Everyday living is then better defined by moving competently forward from one task to the next with greater ease and less confusion.
Amazing results in both school and family life are realized in a home where sensible organization is respected. The amazing team spirit of order–apply it as a family and then watch it produce amazing children who live with greater purpose and celebrate recurrent victory.
To hear more from Valerie in person, join us at both 2016 THSC Conventions for her session on “Taking the Struggle Out of Your Home School Day.” Register today; pre-registration for Arlington and early bird registration for The Woodlands are ending soon!
Do you know of others who could benefit from a workshop on finding balance in home schooling? Please share this article with them!
Stay in the know by joining our Facebook group for THSC Convention insider information!
