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.

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.

Delicious Homemade Fudge Chocolate For Fall

UPDATE – OUR DEPOSIT AMOUNT WAS REDUCED AND THE DUE DATE WAS EXTENDED. YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO HELP US. READ ON TO LEARN MORE.

Our aspiring Chef Justine has been perfecting her delicious homemade fudge chocolate skills this Fall. You can be sure that all of her family members are enjoying being her taste testers! 🙂

PREVIEW – Click to watch delicious homemade fudge chocolate video.

To Watch Video, Visit Our GoFundMe page for our S Africa Missions Fundraiser http://www.gofundme.com/safricamissions

DELICIOUS HOMEMADE FALL FUDGE CHOCOLATE

If you would like for Justine to send you our thank you gift (a small batch of delicious homemade fudge chocolate), consider giving $20 or more to our missions trip fundraising campaign on GoFundMe between October 8th and 15th of 2014. On our GoFundMe page, we posted a brand new update and included a video that Justine made while she was cooking.

You can see the video at this link:

http://www.gofundme.com/safricamissions

MISSIONS FUNDRAISING GOAL:

Raise the rest ($2,380) of the

UPDATE $1200 deposit due by 10/31

$2400 deposit by October 15, 2014

To learn more about our trip and our goal, please visit the gofundme page at the link or type in http://www.gofundme.com/safricamissions