Flourish at Home Mary Jo Tate

Flourish At Home

Training Your Children





Curious about training your children? People often ask me how I manage to homeschool and run a home business as a single mom. One of the most important factors is that I have taught my sons how to run the household. In this episode, I'll talk about how to train your children to be independent and responsible, how to take initiative, and how to serve others cheerfully. These four things will prepare your children well for adulthood and contribute greatly to building a balanced life for your whole family now.



These sample chore charts will give you an idea of how I allocated housework and other responsibilities among my sons at different stages of our family life:

Sample Chore Charts

How do YOU teach your children responsibility, independence, initiative, and service? After you listen to the podcast, please leave a comment and share your best tips with us!

Listen to these podcasts for additional resources:

Homeschool Lifestyle

Last Minute DIY Tips

Money Saving Field Trips

All About Teaching

Raising Spiritually Strong Kids

Six Homeschooling Insider Tips

Best Staycations for Kids

Avoid Curriculum Pitfalls

Top 10 Parenting Secrets

45 Family Date Night Ideas







Thanks to our sponsor, Harper Collins Christian, and the Kingdom Girl’s Bible







Girls will discover the power of faith in this beautiful Bible that features women of the Bible. This is the ideal Bible for girls on their journey of faith! This special Bible is specifically crafted to highlight the stories and lessons of the inspiring, famous, and sometimes infamous women of the Bible. With over 400 engaging features, colorful illustrations, and helpful notes, this Bible is perfect for girls ages 8 to 12 as they learn about the strong and faithful women who came before them. Visit the website for more information.

It's Time for An Attitude Adjustment

Me? An attitude?



Homeschooling moms are sometimes so busy training our children that we can forget to examine our own hearts. Do you ever struggle with guilt or fear? Are you paralyzed by perfectionism? Are you ever tempted to complain  about your own life or to envy someone else's? On this episode of the Flourish at Home show, we’ll be talking about how we can make a choice every day to honor God with our thoughts, attitudes, and emotions as well as our actions.







Thanks to our Sponsor: Harper Collins Christian:   Kingdom Girls Bible



Girls will discover the power of faith in this beautiful Bible that features women of the Bible! Here is the ideal Bible for girls on their journey of faith! This special Bible is specifically crafted to highlight the stories and lessons of the inspiring, famous, and sometimes infamous women of the Bible. With over 400 engaging features, colorful illustrations, and helpful notes, this Bible is perfect for girls ages 8 to 12 as they learn about the strong and faithful women who came before them. From Eve to Ruth, Esther to Mary, this Bible brings the stories of these women to life and shows how their faith and strength can still inspire girls today. Featuring a beautiful design and easy-to-read text, this Bible is a great resource for girls as they grow in their own faith and learn about the women who have impacted the world.

Laundry and dishes and dust--oh my! Laundry and dishes and dust!

Do you ever feel like you're navigating a dark, eerie forest? Imagine, instead of facing the unknown threats of lions, tigers, and bears, you're up against a relentless onslaught of laundry, dishes, and dust.







Thanks to our sponsor, A Fanthom Presents Film – The Ark and The Darkness – Movie Trailer here: NoahsFlood



In theaters March 20-21! Noah’s Flood is preserved in ancient writings from every major culture around the world. Recent discoveries confirm what the Bible has said all along. Sevenfold Films and Genesis Apologetics present: The Ark and the Darkness.

Laundry and Other Never Ending Chores

Life's busyness often overwhelms us, tempting us to overlook our work's profound significance as homemakers. In this episode, we dive into the importance of homemaking with a grateful heart. We'll share practical tips for housework, organization, and cooking. Plus, we'll highlight the real significance of even the smallest daily tasks.



Navigating through domestic challenges can feel like trekking through an unyielding mountain range. The endless chores can cloud our vision, making us forget the true value of our roles at home. Yet, these tasks, mundane as they may appear, are extraordinarily significant.

Importance of Homemaking

We dedicate this episode to the beauty and importance of homemaking. We aim to equip you with practical skills for mastering housework, organization, and cooking, making these tasks manageable. We'll also explore how to find encouragement and fulfillment in recognizing the importance of every task, no matter how small.



Homemaking is more than cleaning and cooking; it's creating a sanctuary of warmth and love. It involves stewarding our spaces with care and intention, recognizing that each act of service contributes to a happy, healthy home.

A Grateful Heart

Join us as we journey through the dense forest of homemaking, armed with gratitude, practical wisdom, and a renewed sense of purpose. Let's uncover the beauty in the everyday, celebrate quiet victories, and remind ourselves of our work's profound impact on our loved ones.



 



 

A special replay in honor of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network's 10th Birthday!









 

Are you committed to homeschooling but finding it hard to get it all done? Join Mary Jo Tate as she shares 6 of her best practical strategies developed over 18 years of homeschooling.





 











Check out these podcasts, too!



A Letter From a Veteran Homeschool Mom to the Newbies\

Streamline Your Homeschool



And this resources:

HOMESCHOOL CALENDARS & GOAL SETTING BUNDLES

 

 

How do you respond to the word organization?



* Does it make you cringe? Do you feel guilty because you’re hopelessly disorganized and wish you could be more organized?

* Does it make you smile, with a happy sigh that all’s right with the world?

* Do you think a certain amount of clutter is a sign of a happy home?

* Do you resist the whole idea of organization—maybe because it reminds you of a neat-freak friend who labels everything in her household, uses color-coordinated storage containers, and alphabetizes her spices?



Whatever your reaction, this episode is for you.

Organization is the sixth tool in my FREEDOM toolbox—7 tools for making the most of our time so we can live balanced, peaceful lives. Here’s a quick review of the tools:



* Focus

* Reflect

* Educate

* Eliminate

* Discipline

* Organize

* Multitask



Organization is essentially self-discipline applied in an orderly way to free you to focus on what's most important to you. Organizing your time, tasks, thoughts, and things helps you overcome and prevent obstacles to focusing on your priorities.

How organized you are has a powerful effect on the atmosphere in your home. Disorganization creates chaos, while organization promotes peace. Which do you prefer?

If one aspect of your life is unorganized, it spills over into every other aspect of your life. For example, if you can't find your car keys, you'll get flustered and be late for your appointment. If you're sleep-deprived or running late, you'll be much likelier to forget things and drop things, which will make you even later.



Organization even affects your relationships. If you're running late and feeling frazzled, you may become irritated and impatient with your family.



It's important to remember that there's no one right way to organize. What helps you function effectively may be completely different from what helps your best friend or your mother-in-law function effectively. Isn't that a relief?



Ironically, it's possible to over-organize—to spend so much time on organization that it keeps you from focusing on your priorities instead of facilitating them.



Take some time to reflect on your life to identify areas that hinder you, and commit to becoming more organized if it would help your life run more smoothly.



If you struggle with managing your time and organizing your life to focus on your priorities, you’ll find many more strategies in my book, Flourish: Balance for Homeschool Moms, available at online retailers and through my website at www.FlourishAtHome.com.

There are millions of books available today. How on earth can you choose what's best to read? In this episode, we'll consider how to choose good books—both for yourself and for your children.



This is part 2 of a series on why, what, how, and when to read and why and how to build a home library.

Three Types of Books

To be able to choose good books, you need to understand the different types of books. Apart from the usual categories of fiction and nonfiction, there are three main types of books:



* Living Books - A living book is written by an author who loves the subject; it is challenging and inspiring. Focus on these!

* Reference Books - Atlas, dictionary, almanac, etc. These are useful to have on hand even if you also look things up online.

* Twaddle - This is Charlotte Mason's term for dumbed-down, diluted, silly, easy-reading books with poor writing and sometimes tacked-on morals. Avoid these.



What Is a Good Book?



* In general, older books are likelier to be living books. New books are often politically correct and likelier to contain offensive material.

* Great books feature excellent writing and thought-provoking ideas. They often have an impact on other literature and culture.

* "Safe" does not equal "good." All great literature involves conflict; otherwise there's no plot. Literature can provide both positive examples to emulate and negative examples to avoid. Use books to teach your children discernment.

* It's OK to read non-Christian authors (even ancient pagans). All truth is God's truth.

* Include a mix of challenging books and easy books.

* Every person's and family's standards and tastes will differ. Choose good books in accordance with your own standards.



Guides to Help You Choose Good Books

Here are some of my favorite guides to help you choose good books:



* Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt

* How to Grow a Young Reader by Kathryn Lindskoog and Ranelda Mack Hunsicker

* Who Should We Then Read? (Volumes 1 and 2) by Jan Bloom

* Read for the Heart  by Sarah Clarkson



For a longer list of my favorite books about how to choose good books, as well as my favorite books about homeschooling, visit my blog for booklovers at a href="http://www.eclecticbibliophile.