[SPEAKER_00]: Christian parenting.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is that time.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is time for summer break.
[SPEAKER_00]: Their homes go numb.
[SPEAKER_00]: Did I see a little hippie from you?
[SPEAKER_00]: Or maybe a feeling of dread came over you because summer seems to be a free for all and at the end of it you don't feel like you have anything good to show for it.
[SPEAKER_00]: But what if you took some purposeful times the summer and used it wisely to build and edify yourself as a homeschool mom?
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm breaking down some areas today to consider for you to pour into this summer in hopes that you take back your time and feel pleased at the completion of your summer break from your formal academics and you can look back and say it was a good summer for the kids and it was a good summer for me too.
[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to Little By Little Home School podcast, I am Lee Nguyen, and today's episode is something a little bit different, typically we talk a lot about the kids and we focus so much on the children and that is definitely needed, but you are the one that is pouring into them and you need to take some space or need to be some time where you're filling up yourself as well with good things that glorify God and sanctify you.
[SPEAKER_00]: The summertime is a good time to take some time, to focus on that, and we talked last episode about some things that your kids can do, they can spend their time wisely book, how about we talk about you?
[SPEAKER_00]: Some of these lessons I learned the hard way, and then I saw how when I
[SPEAKER_00]: actually did them.
[SPEAKER_00]: I had a good summer.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is when my kids were young when they were made middle school age and also high school.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I hope that today's episode encourages you maybe spurs you on a little bit and if it's a little convicting, I hope that it happens in a really good way.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if it does, I'd love to hear from you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Go ahead and leave a review for the podcast or if you want to make it a little bit more personally.
[SPEAKER_00]: I want to send me an email or you want to
[SPEAKER_00]: and then follow up at the end of the sender and send me an email and let me know how you grew yourself.
[SPEAKER_00]: This summer, I'd love to hear that as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: Enjoy today's episode.
[SPEAKER_00]: We often can have the school mindset.
[SPEAKER_00]: You probably had this as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: When I was in school, I couldn't wait for the summer because guess what?
[SPEAKER_00]: I could get off from learning.
[SPEAKER_00]: I could turn my brain off and I didn't even have to worry about school.
[SPEAKER_00]: Think about it.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was an absolute relief to just like zombie out.
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll say, you just zone out and become a zombie.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now I had to think about it.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I
[SPEAKER_00]: Then when we started homeschooling, I went into the same mindset and basically summer was a time to lose brain cells.
[SPEAKER_00]: My mind began to change.
[SPEAKER_00]: As I saw, there's this great opportunity for the summer.
[SPEAKER_00]: Whether you take possibly just a couple of weeks off because you homeschool your round or you take an entire couple of months off because that is what works well for your family now in this season.
[SPEAKER_00]: you have some time, a little bit of a break or a long break that you can be focused and you can use your time wisely and not lose brain cells like I used to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know longer lose brain cells over the summer, I refuse to do so and I'm going to share with you how I do that and how you can use this summer wisely.
[SPEAKER_00]: One of my favorite things to do here on the podcast is not just focus on the kids.
[SPEAKER_00]: We as moms can become so focused on the academics and the activities and the raising of our children.
[SPEAKER_00]: And yes, that's important.
[SPEAKER_00]: But there is a common denominator behind that in all of our homes, and that's you, the mom.
[SPEAKER_00]: This time, right now, while you're homeschooling your kids, it is not, we'll say, parenthesis.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is not a time that your life is on hold that it's in brackets or parenthesis and it just, you might have, say you have a sentence that writes your life and somewhere in there is parenthesis and in that it says homeschooling my kids.
[SPEAKER_00]: And
[SPEAKER_00]: that means to me that's like a picture I see of this time is I'm homeschooling my kids and forgetting about myself and we can very easily do that and there's some seasons especially when your kids are really young and a lot of your wants and some of your needs have to be put on the back burner but when you can pull out some of those so that you can refresh and you can be
[SPEAKER_00]: a really good mom for your kids while you homeschool them.
[SPEAKER_00]: So today, this episode is going to focus on you and this summer.
[SPEAKER_00]: You, the homeschool mom, I do have a future episode coming out that's going to be dedicated to the kids.
[SPEAKER_00]: So hold out for that one and don't skip this one.
[SPEAKER_00]: You are important.
[SPEAKER_00]: So stay with me here, okay?
[SPEAKER_00]: Your family isn't just about the kids, it's about you too.
[SPEAKER_00]: So let's talk about what I think is something you can really pour into the summer and to use your time wisely and to look back when you begin the home school year later in the summer or into the fall and say, that was a really good summer, I'm really happy with how we spent it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now that doesn't mean that you fill up all your time and that doesn't mean that you have to be
[SPEAKER_00]: super scheduled or anything like that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Again, lean into you, your family, your season in life, your summers are going to look different.
[SPEAKER_00]: They might not look vastly different for a few years, but then suddenly you'll start to see your kids get older, and then they get to be teens, and they're starting getting jobs, and I remember the first summer that I had a kid that was 15, had a job, and I was like, wait a minute,
[SPEAKER_00]: we just like to go and do what we want to do when we want to do it and if we want to go on vacation we have to I mean yes we would know our vacation plans in advance but say we decided to go away to visit family for a weekend in the middle of a week say Wednesday Thursday we decided okay we're gonna head away head out for the weekend on Friday
[SPEAKER_00]: We couldn't always just do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: If he couldn't find a replacement for his position for the shifts that he was supposed to work that weekend.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I was like, oh my goodness, my life is revolving around a part-time job.
[SPEAKER_00]: I remember this when I was 16.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that was a weird.
[SPEAKER_00]: You'll get to that point, too.
[SPEAKER_00]: But right now, let's just focus on this summer that you have ahead of yourself and you where you are in your season of life and how you're feeling about your motherhood in
[SPEAKER_00]: the homeschooled mom growth.
[SPEAKER_00]: What kind of growth can you have this summer?
[SPEAKER_00]: Whether again, that's a couple of weeks or a couple of months for your summer break, where are you feeling that God is tugging on your heart?
[SPEAKER_00]: Having things come to your mind, having situations, having things come up that he's speaking to you, what areas are you feeling God calling you to work on?
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you pause this episode right now and write those down and admit to yourself where you feel that he is calling you to work on.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're not quite sure, go back to the fruit of the spirit.
[SPEAKER_00]: Are there any of those that you're feeling like, wow, I'm really feeling a tug in my heart that I am not being kind enough or
[SPEAKER_00]: And there's a further spirit, but then there are so many more.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so let's just go back and look at kindness.
[SPEAKER_00]: You could say, I'm kind to my family, or sometimes often, we can be kind to others outside of our family, and not be as kind, or not be as patient to those in our family.
[SPEAKER_00]: So we can get really specific in areas.
[SPEAKER_00]: So what areas do you feel God calling you to work on?
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's talk about some ideas.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you're like, I'm not really quite sure.
[SPEAKER_00]: So now throw out some ideas and maybe write down something that you're like, yeah, I think I think that's something I need to pry on and see how I can lean into that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's just break it down into first would be physical.
[SPEAKER_00]: Are you feeling that this is a good time to work on your body physically?
[SPEAKER_00]: That could mean exercise.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's a fantastic way to spend some time this summer, but maybe you already have that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you're already doing some type of regular exercise, some type of movement, and building strength in your body.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you're saying, you know what, I'm not getting enough sleep.
[SPEAKER_00]: I am not getting the rest that I need overnight.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm staying up too late at night, or I'm sleeping in too late in the morning, and I'm missing that morning time where I could get some things done.
[SPEAKER_00]: is that a area that you're feeling convicted that God wants you to work on your sleeps that you can have that proper sleep and be able to function well all day.
[SPEAKER_00]: But then there's also beyond just sleep, it's rest.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe this homeschool year has been just always on the go.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's been very structured, very scheduled, there's just been so much going on.
[SPEAKER_00]: and you are saying, you know what?
[SPEAKER_00]: I think God just wants us to rest.
[SPEAKER_00]: He doesn't want me to fill up our days.
[SPEAKER_00]: He wants us to have quieter days at home more than we usually have, and he just wants me to rest.
[SPEAKER_00]: Get a book, go sit outside, or maybe when it's really hot this summer, get a book, sit closer to the air conditioner, and just rest, just rest in him.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now what about the spiritual
[SPEAKER_00]: and that can then carry over into the school year.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you don't have a dedicated time to reading the Bible, getting into God's Word, doing some type of Bible study, some type of Bible time.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is a great time to start that.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then it becomes a habit, and that it can be a habit that will then carry over into the home school year.
[SPEAKER_00]: What about mentally?
[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes we can just be so drain mentally and emotionally with raising our children.
[SPEAKER_00]: I remember the beginning of every home school year being just exhausted at least for the first couple weeks.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I realized after a while, it wasn't just a physical exhaustion.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was a mental and emotional exhaustion that I felt from the home school year.
[SPEAKER_00]: And maybe you're just feeling depleted right now from that.
[SPEAKER_00]: And there is some time of rest that you need to do for your mind.
[SPEAKER_00]: Or maybe you're saying, I need to challenge my brain in a different way.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe find some books.
[SPEAKER_00]: I remember one summer picking out some books that were really a challenge for me to read.
[SPEAKER_00]: They were older books and I just my brain was not trained to be able to read that it was a slow going.
[SPEAKER_00]: But it really expanded my mind and caused me to have to think more deeply and it was just really good.
[SPEAKER_00]: So mentally challenging yourself.
[SPEAKER_00]: Are there things that you can do?
[SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't always have to be a book.
[SPEAKER_00]: It can also be mentally challenging yourself to stick to a routine of your Bible time, of reading the Bible, getting into the word every single day.
[SPEAKER_00]: It could be mentally challenging yourself to exercise a little bit harder or to be a little more intense about it.
[SPEAKER_00]: But are there areas within your mental life that you can challenge yourself outside of homeschooling?
[SPEAKER_00]: And then what about the emotional part of us?
[SPEAKER_00]: It can be very emotional raising kids.
[SPEAKER_00]: And our emotions can go up and down and sometimes hormones play into that.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I would encourage you, maybe to use this summer to get into working on yourself physically.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I know we talk about exercise sleep and rest, but maybe that has to do with nutrition.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe physically has to do with how you are feeling your body and what you are eating.
[SPEAKER_00]: But the emotional part, maybe God is
[SPEAKER_00]: tugging at your heart.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're feeling the Holy Spirit, convicting you that there are some areas of sanctification within your emotions that need to be worked out.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe it's anger.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you are not slow to anger.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you are quick with your words that hurt and take down.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe not your children, but your husband.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so there might be some emotional parts that you need to work on, have some times just with God.
[SPEAKER_00]: And sometimes I know for myself this can be something like, I need to kind of get away or have a few hours to myself to be able to feel comfortable and safe that I can just be raw and honest and cry out to God.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so maybe it's carving out some time that you can do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now because we do homeschool, let's not forget about the growth that you can have
[SPEAKER_00]: There are some amazing homeschool mom books out.
[SPEAKER_00]: I am super jealous of you all that these books were not out when I was homeschooling.
[SPEAKER_00]: The very first homeschool books I got were by Sally Clarkson and it felt like there's a little bit of a dry spell that I found Sarah McKenzie her teaching from rest.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then I had found Jamie Erickson's book Home School Bravely.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I feel like ever since that book, it's just been like a waterfall of new books.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I've had a lot of those, I think all that I, uh, a couple of those that I mentioned, but now I didn't have, I haven't had Sally Clarkson or Sarah McKenzie.
[SPEAKER_00]: We'd love to have them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those are goals on goals right there.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I've had a lot of authors on the podcast.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can go back scroll back and look through and see which ones have been on.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can listen to that episode, check out their books.
[SPEAKER_00]: then not just focus on ourselves, but like ourself as a homeschool mom.
[SPEAKER_00]: How can you go into the next homeschool year, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally, prepared for the homeschool year?
[SPEAKER_00]: Where is God calling you to maybe step out in the way that you think about education?
[SPEAKER_00]: that could be an area of growth, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Reading some books that are going to possibly make you think about education a little bit differently and cause you to maybe homeschool a bit differently.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I would encourage you also to focus on that homeschool aspect.
[SPEAKER_00]: But this summer is a great time for you to work on.
[SPEAKER_00]: yourself.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not being selfish.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not saying to completely just work on yourself and be completely so self-ish, which I really don't think you're going to.
[SPEAKER_00]: But to take this time right now where the kids just let them play.
[SPEAKER_00]: You don't have to fill up the days.
[SPEAKER_00]: Send them outside with some water guns.
[SPEAKER_00]: Send them outside with a little pool.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sit outside with some snacks, always snacks, lots of snacks, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm out with a bunch of watermelon that should keep them busy for a little bit and just give yourself a break a little bit, but also then challenge yourself and with the goal.
[SPEAKER_00]: of seeing how much growth you have come the next homeschool year when you jump back into with two feet and you get deep into the trenches right off the bat and into your homeschooling and be able to look back at the summer and say, it was a really good summer.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm glad I took time to work on those couple things and it doesn't even have to be a couple things.
[SPEAKER_00]: It could be one thing.
[SPEAKER_00]: Two things.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes when we add too much,
[SPEAKER_00]: The waters get a little muddied and we don't do those things well.
[SPEAKER_00]: So maybe just pick one or two areas that you're feeling God calling you to work on and that you're feeling like, wow, this will really be able to add to our homeschool life, come the fall and dig into those.