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An Open Love Letter to Our Village
To the people that love our family: It’s common knowledge that it takes a village to raise children, and, undoubtedly, you are part of ours. Family and friends, church and neighbors, mentors and mentees, you have come alongside of us on this journey of raising our children, and we want to thank you. Some of you are in a similar stage of life as us. You, too, are chasing around your little ones. You are empathetic to the craziness, joy, and exhaustion of child-rearing. You understand. Thank you for being our confidants. Thank you for raising your children alongside of us, for embracing the messy side…
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40 Things to do Outside with your Kids this Winter
I will be the first to confess that winter is not my favorite season. I don’t love the cold. Because of this, I am privy to staying indoors. But this year, I felt convicted to spend time outside with my kids daily, even if for a little bit. I have found the benefits to be amazing, and have actually learned to love being out in winter weather. Perhaps you, too, are sensing that you and your kids need to get outside more. If so, here are forty ideas to get you going. Some are easy and require no effort. Others may take a little planning or snowy weather. In…
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Being Outside in January: How Braving the Cold has Benefited our Family
Each year, I dread winter. Especially January. I know what January holds: cold days, long nights, and little to be desired. Anxiety, which, for me, stems out of fear of illness and feeling trapped, simmers endlessly on the back-burner of my mind. My children, who are blessed with energy I will never have, seem to bounce off the walls; the same walls that seem to be closing in on me in the heart of winter. Traditionally, I suffer through the month, feeling a bit relieved when February comes around, even though it’s not much better. But this past January was entirely different. I have a pretty good idea as…
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On Greeting our Children and Becoming a Better Parent
Confession: There are times when I parent poorly. There are times when I put my needs ahead of my children’s needs. There are times when I’m more interested in what’s on Instagram than I am in my own kids. There are times when I allow my frustration with them to lead me to say harsh words that harm them. There are times I ignore them, and in doing so, devalue them. I am not a perfect parent. I make mistakes. And there are times when I hurt our relationship by how I treat them. I am guilty of this sad reality. I think, at some point, we all are.…
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10 Reasons to Homeschool for Preschool
It was just over four months ago that I made a spontaneous decision to homeschool Levi for preschool. Since, the most common question I’ve received from people is, “How is homeschool going?” And I can honestly say, it’s going great, despite some moments of frustration, and I have zero regrets over my decision. I am a huge advocate for homeschooling, and especially homeschooling preschoolers. Here are 10 reasons why. 1. You Can Do It One of the main reasons parents think they shouldn’t homeschool their child is because they think they’re inadequate. This is completely untrue. You don’t need an education degree, a gorgeous homeschool space, or a plethora of…
