Perspective

Published on by Kim

It can be difficult to have multiple people in one place. All. The. Time. As much as we love our families, rough edges show more often in that case. If you are looking at working and schooling from home this fall, a perspective check will help.

But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
    and his righteousness to children’s children,
to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
(Psalm 103:17-18)

Whose child are you? As children of Almighty God, we are given everlasting love. This love lasts through the longest days, farther than we can imagine. That perfect love sustains us today and forever. Bask in that a moment.

Because we are so loved, we love others. You may remember choosing to love your housemates (for a time) or your spouse (’til death do you part). Loving parents or children doesn’t have quite as abrupt a starting point, but the love is still there. We love our households deeply. It is the foundation and fuel for daily life in the home, whether any moment is draining or rosy.

Do we see it that way, or do we need to fight to remember? Do we look at the person on the other end of the couch with love, aware of how we are loved and how we love them, or with distaste, frustrated at the many clashes that came throughout the day? Are we seeing extra time together as a burden or as an opportunity to share even more love with each other every day? Are we serving or surviving? Are our meals served with love?

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is
    than a fattened ox and hatred with it. (Proverbs 15:17)

It’s not always easy, but it is always worth it.

Preparing for School at Home

Published on by Kim

As promised, we are continuing on the topic of possible schooling at home on a widespread level this year.

An ounce of prevention… Let’s talk about what you can do ahead of time to make school time so much easier.

Prayer
It sounds simple…or trite…but gathering the student body (whether that be 2 or 12) together before kicking schoolwork into gear can be a blessing. Everyone is together, and the focus is on God. It is a daily reminder of our dependence on Him for what is needed to get through the school and work day, as well as a refresher on our goal to glorify Him as we do that.

Gathering supplies
Boxes or bags dedicated to one activity — in this case school work — help just as much when schooling is done at home as when everyone leaves the house. If all the books and tools are in one place, everything is ready when needed. The boxes can stay in a closet when it is not school time, but then be carried right to the assigned spot of the student for use. Everything goes back in the bag when school time is over, ready for the next session.

An extension of this principle is the need for charging devices. Devices that may be used for entertainment the rest of the day should be returned to the appropriate bag or box by bedtime and plugged up in a nearby outlet. Then they will be ready to roll in the morning. An alternative practice would be if you can have all devices in one place overnight to charge. Then everyone grabs a device and a bag each morning.

Gathering materials
This requires advance prep, whether it be the night before or the morning of, but the time invested adds value to the learning process and the daily atmosphere.

Before each student goes online for a class, make sure they have (or are trained to get ready for themselves, if they are old enough) what they need right beside them.

Before any student needs to take a test or go online or complete a quiet activity, be sure that any other students are aware of the extra need for quiet and occupied sufficiently for that time. This requires meshing schedules for multiple children — or your work schedule and school schedule — but it pays off.