Effective Way To Handle Anxiety in Homeschool

The previous post shared about how anxiety has been a problem for us during homeschool:

To read previous article, click here.

HANDLE ANXIETY BETTER

One of the main things we started doing to handle anxiety better on purpose at the start of our homeschooling days is by opening up with praise and worship. This one thing helps us in so many ways. The main thing praise does is to prevent anxiety before it can even get us going each day, but it can also help sweep it away after it has started.

3 Truths Praise Helps You Remember

Praise and worship helps you remember who and whose you are.

1. Stay Grateful

Praise reminds you to keep an attitude of gratitude, instead of complaining when things don’t go as expected. And with all the unexpected that happens daily in homeschool, praise has become a NEED for us. It is not just a good idea, but an actual craving and need. Ever heard of the hymn that says…

“As the dear panteth for the water, so my soul longs after you…”?

2. Father God Loves and Never Forgets You

Praise reminds you that you belong to the Great and Only Wise and Loving Father God who never leaves you and never forgets the details about your homeschool or life needs.

3. God’s Love Flows Through You For Others

Praise as a group reminds you that you are not just connected by blood, but also by the blood of Jesus. This helps us live out the True Love Walk. Being reminded of our divine connection with Him and each other helps us walk in grace and love with each other. This shapes how I parent, how I teach and how I partner with my husband. It sets the atmosphere of our home and homeschool and reduces anxiety not just for me, but for the children, too.

Resources For Praise And Worship

Vevo.com

We are creating our own video playlist of songs that include the lyrics to help us sing along. I have to set this up for them because this site has other music that is not parent approved, too. If you use Apple TV, you can show your video playlists on your tv and enhance the worship experience for yourself and your children.

WeAreWorship.com

The children have found some songs that they love on this site which is totally focused only on providing worship music. They have been able to find some great videos as a result of using this site. We prefer not to use YouTube directly, but using the weareworship site helps us find great YouTube videos that don’t have the ads and other video previews and thumbnails that we don’t want the children to see.

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Music Education

The children enjoy making their own instruments (usually they’ll use closed containers of grains or salt as shaker noise makers). They also love using instruments that they have received as gifts to play along during some songs. They also sing along, sometimes by using videos that include the lyrics on-screen. And, of course, they love to dance, too. For the most part, I step aside and let them enjoy this experience together, but sometimes I join in with them. However, if I take part, I try to stay in the background as a participant and allow them to lead it out. Each child is required to choose and lead one song.

How Do You Celebrate God’s Love In Your Homeschool?

Please use the comments area to share how your family stays reminded of God’s love and grace and mercy over your lives. What works well for you and your children to stay focused and avoid anxiety … or to deal with anxiety after it has started rearing its ugly head?

THANKS. PLEASE. SHARE.

Thanks for stopping by. Please use the sharing buttons to let your friends know about this discussion, too.

~ Donna Marie, The Mommy of Butterfly Homeschool

Please follow our blog at ButterflyHomeschool.com for inspiration and information that can help you in your homeschooling journey.

Successfully Recognize and Overcome Anxiety in Homeschool

This article shares about how you can overcome anxiety in your homeschool journey.

One of the things that you may not often see homeschool families blogging about is their struggle to overcome anxiety – both for parents and for children. This is part of the ugly side of homeschool. People don’t like to talk about it openly because it shows that we are only human and that we need God’s help, just like everyone else. If you have weakness, how can you maintain that “Super Mommy” image?! LOL 🙂

The good news is that God loves being our Super Everything. Leaning on Him is the only thing that has helped us to successfully recognize and overcome anxiety in homeschool. And I am good with that: laying aside all pride, I have surrendered to the Lord to guide my parenting and homeschooling.

OUR BACK STORY – STRUGGLE TO OVERCOME ANXIETY

Our family struggled with overcoming anxiety for years. When I say struggled, I mean that we didn’t recognize what it really was, AND didn’t deal with it well. One of my children had major issues with anxiety that pushed my patience to the limit. My inability to deal with it in my own strength, as a professionally trained therapist, left me feeling helpless and hopeless.

But that is a very good place to be because it forced me to seek Father God’s help. This challenged me to learn how to be better for my children’s sake, not in and of myself, but in Christ by renewing my own mind. Allowing the Lord to transform me from the inside out in a whole new way has changed the whole atmosphere of our marriage, parenting and homeschool learning.

RECOGNIZING WHERE YOUR HELP COMES FROM

I am grateful for my local church and excellent teachings by my pastor on how to take authority over your emotions from a grace-based mindset.

Grace = undeserved and unearned favor and help from God; no condemnation because of Christ’s Sacrificial Blood; unconditional and non-judgmental love – He takes us as we are right now

I am also grateful for prayer and accountability partners, and for the AOP homeschool devotional called “Daily Focus”. All of these have helped me to daily remember who I am and whose I am.

God has come alongside of me and supported me through His Word and through His People. He has not come down from Heaven and sat beside me in flesh form to help me deal. He has sent me all of His Ever Present help in all of my time of need. I embrace and welcome His Help in whatever way He chooses to send it.

In our case, we didn’t get to the point of seeking medical help this time (we have sought pro therapy help in the past when I had post-partum challenges), but for some people, this may be a part of your journey. If that is something that you need, then by all means, get the medical help that you need for yourself or your child.

AN ENCOURAGING WORD FOR YOU

Looking back on the very challenging and sometimes overwhelming times of high anxiety for myself or for my children, I am amazed that this is now rarely a struggle for us. I can look back now and see how our trust in the Lord has grown. This transformation in our mindsets basically boils down to daily (and sometimes hourly) remembering this promise from His Holy Word:

There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection]. 

~ 1 John 4:18 AMP

This scripture has come alive to me in recent months more than ever, even though I have been reading and hearing it for years. It helps me remember that because God loves me AND I choose to truly trust His Love for me, I have nothing to fear or worry about ever. I know that He does not miss any details and never leaves or forgets about me. He has all of those bases covered.

That truth has set me free emotionally from bondage/slavery to fear so that now I just live, love, learn and have fun with my husband and children like never before. What a feeling!

Now these changes have empowered me to set a better example for my children in this, too. I am truly amazed at how the Lord is helping them to learn how to turn to Him for help when fear or anxiety starts to rear its head. They calm down faster now and are more teachable. I am also overjoyed at the increased peace in our household which helps our homeschool learning progress better and faster.

HOW AND WHERE TO GET SUPPORT FOR HOMESCHOOL

If you would like support as a homeschool parent, here are ways I recommend that you can get support online and locally in Atlanta:

• Read the encouraging articles in the Christian Homeschool Moms Blog at ChristianHomeschoolMoms.com.
• Join The South Fulton Homeschoolers Support Group in Atlanta at the Wolfcreek Branch Library Every 4th Sunday @ 2:45pm – 4:45pm.
• Join us at World Changers Church International to hear the awesome good news about God’s grace in Atlanta, satellite church locations all over the world or online.
• I would love to pray for you. To send me your prayer request, leave a comment below or on the contact form at my main website.

God bless you and your family.

Shalom!

(This means “total peace/wholeness” from God so that you have nothing missing nor broken in any area.)

~ Donna, The Mommy Butterfly

Christmas Play Ideas #ButterflyHomeschool

Our Christmas Gift For You Is Play Ideas.

During the holiday season, you might be a little lost about how to keep your children busy. You might need to keep them occupied while you prepare for your Christmas event guests or for travels. Or maybe you just need to keep them busy so they stay out of trouble when your normal schedule is not in play. Here are some mild weather outside play ideas that we have been using, along with some recent photos.

Why Play With Your Children?

Also, if you play with your children, it is a great way to get some exercise AND clear your head from holiday stress. You can use the time while they play to take photos of the children in action. Later, you can use printed versions of those photos for craft projects to create future greeting cards and gifts for close family and friends.

Make A Holiday Welcome Mat

Get out the colored chalk and make your own holiday welcome mat.

chalk welcome mat and holiday greeting #butterflyhomeschool

sidewalk chalk fun #butterflyhomeschool

Mild Weather Outside Play Ideas:

• Sidewalk chalk play – create a hopscotch board
• Freeze Tag – even with a small yard this game is easy
• Frisbee – get a really big one with soft cushy edges
• Hiking at your local or state public park

jumbo disc – giant soft frisbee #butterflyhomeschool

Where To Hike With Your Family

We recently checked out our local library’s complimentary state park pass in Fulton County, Georgia. Library patrons can access it once per year per adult library card. It was a blessing because the park we chose to visit was much much nicer than we ever expected. Also, our unseasonably cool weather warmed up nicely at about mid-day, and was not too hot. Check out our picture gallery of Sweetwater Creek, a Georgia State Park below.

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

~ The Johnson Family: Henry, Donna, Justine, Samuel and Charity

P.S.

Please also check out Mom Donna’s articles over on the Christian Homeschool Mom’s blog. Here is the link to her profile:

http://christianhomeschoolmoms.com/donna-marie/

The series of articles that she shared in Fall 2014 gave tips on why and how to connect or re-connect locally and prevent or stop isolation.