• Home
  • Our Story of Restoration
  • The Marriage Restoration Roadmap™
BrinaLynn

BrinaLynn

Finding Hope & Joy in the Everyday Trenches

  • Marriage
    • Marriage Tips & Advice
    • Marriage Restoration
  • Money
    • Saving Money
    • Budgeting
    • Meals & Meal Planning
  • Motherhood
    • Faith & Encouragement
    • Large Family Living
    • Homeschool
      • Book Lists
    • Parenting
    • Organization
    • Holidays
      • Christmas
      • Thanksgiving
      • Halloween
  • Latest From the Blog
  • Home
You are here: Home / Homeschool / 2 Encouraging Reads for The Homeschooling Mom

2 Encouraging Reads for The Homeschooling Mom

Homeschool

31 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

This post may contain affiliate links to products. As an affiliate, I earn money from qualifying purchases. Please read my full disclosure here.

Every day I look at my calendar and realize that it’s almost that time. Back to school. I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I’m ready for routine again and no more of this loosey goosey-ness that’s been going on in my house for the past two months. But on the other hand, I dread it. It means lots of planning and prep work for me. It also means this homeschooling mom is back to trying to manage homeschooling six children in addition to all my other duties!

I won’t lie. That’s a beast of a job. It gets frustrating and can seem daunting at best most days. It is hard to juggle all the priorities we moms are required to juggle. The daily tasks can seem beyond overwhelming! However, I know that it can be done, and with more joy than I’ve been finding in my homemaking or homeschooling.

If you are a homeschooling mom, you know what I’m talking about. Whether you are a veteran homeschooling mom, a newbie, or looking to be a homeschooling mom, I highly recommend these books on homeschooling!

If you’ve been hanging around here for very long at all, you know I’m all about family and encouragement. Both of these books focus on family and seek to encourage you!

Top 2 Picks for the Homeschooling Mom

The Homeschooling Housewife: juggling it all, one priority at a time by Amber Fox

Recently, I finished reading a book called The Homeschooling Housewife: juggling it all, one priority at a time by Amber Fox at All Natural Joy. In her book, Amber sets out to encourage moms who are just feeling stuck. She offers amazing ideas to help balance our priorities and gives real life illustrations of how it looks in her family. Her tone is very conversational, encouraging, and uplifting!

I want to say that even though this is a book geared towards homeschooling housewives, it could apply to any mom struggling to balance everything. Of course there may be things that won’t apply to a working mom, but all in all, I feel like many of her tips could benefit any one of us.

In her book, she offers tips on how to balance the following priorities:

  • Putting God first
  • Loving your husband
  • Nurturing your precious kids
  • Serving the body of Christ
  • Passing on Godly character
  • Enjoying your family
  • Being the keeper of your home
  • Cultivating meaningful friendships
  • Finding time for fun
  • Teaching your kids at home
  • Managing your finances
  • Realizing it is all about surrender

True, we may know that we need to balance these priorities, but sometimes knowing and putting into practice are two entirely different things. This book gave me practical advice to help balance my tasks as wife, mom, and teacher.

I love the quote Amber used by Jani Ortlund: “I believe that a godly home is a foretaste of heaven. Our homes, imperfect as they are, must be a haven from the chaos outside. They should be a reflection of our eternal home, where troubled souls find peace, weary hearts find rest, hungry bodies find refreshment, lonely pilgrims find communion and wounded spirits find compassion.”

That–right there–is exactly what I want my home to be!


Teaching from Rest: A Homeschoolers Guide to Unshakable Peace by Sarah Mackenzie

About six years ago, I found out I was very unexpectedly expecting twins. At that point, I had been homeschooling only a couple of years. To say I didn’t know what I was doing is the understatement of the year! At that time, I had a 4th grader, 2nd grader, preschooler, and a baby. Throw two more babies in the mix, and it was a recipe for disaster. I had no idea how on earth I could continue to teach my oldest kids.

However, a sweet friend took time to listen to my cries and encourage me. She also recommended this book to me: Teaching from Rest.

 

512872: Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler"s Guide to Unshakable Peace

Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace
By Sarah Mackenzie / Classical Academic PressTeaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace will feel like a breath of fresh air to those of us dealing with stress, anxiety, and the everyday busyness of the homeschooling life! Encouraging moms to focus on relationships rather than checking items off the to-do list with frantic efficiency, author Sarah Mackenzie provides homeschoolers with a simple, centered pathway to restful teaching.

She shared how the book had helped her to see that she needed to be herself, to slow down, and to forget about what everyone else thought she should be doing. I ordered it that same day!

I’ve read Teaching from Rest multiple times, and I have it on my reading list again this summer.

So, what’s it about?

Not only does Sarah Mackenzie encourage you that you ARE made for this, she also reminds you that God’s got this! He led you to this, so He’s going to lead you through it! In the first two parts of the books, she takes time to encourage you and remind you.

In the second two parts of the book, Sarah takes time to talk about slowing down, simplifying the curriculum and the schedule when life demands that you “slow the heck down!” She also encourages us, as moms, to just breathe, to take care of ourselves and to stop trying to do it all and be everything.

For the last two years, we have used the idea of Sabbath schooling that Sarah discusses in the book. It has saved my sanity many times. When I was seriously running on empty, I would remind myself, Only one more week of school and then we get a week to regroup. In that week, we rest, regroup, and have fun. But I also have a chance to catch up, breathe, and plan for the next six weeks.

Can I tell you the thing that attracted me to Sarah’s book besides my sweet friend’s recommendation? She was just like me. She has six kids with a set of twins in the mix! I knew if anybody could identify with what I was feeling, it was her, so I read her blog, ordered her book, and pretended she was my BFF. (Okay, only kidding–sorta.)

Homeschooling mama, if you read no other book on homeschooling, read Teaching From Rest! I promise it will inspire you, make you feel normal, and encourage you that it will all be okay!

Encouraging Reads for the Homeschooling Mom

Check them out today!

If you are needing an extra heaping helping of encouragement as you face another homeschooling year, go ahead and check out these two amazing books! They will no doubt inspire you, while giving you practical advice and encouragement. Hopefully, they will challenge you to lay all the noise aside and focus on what really matters in your life and the lives of your children!

July 12, 2018 · 2 Comments

Previous Post: « Stop Expecting So Much & Give Yourself Grace
Next Post: Encouragement Sure to Get you Out of Your Funk »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. KellyRBaker says

    July 19, 2018 at 4:41 am

    I’m a homeschooling mom of four, and I get you. It’s a daunting task! My two oldest are entering 9th this fall and idk what I’m doing yet (with transcripts, etc.). Thank you for these recommendations. I have the first one and I’m going to pin this and look at the second book this weekend.

    Reply
    • Brina Lynn says

      July 19, 2018 at 2:37 pm

      Honestly, transcripts and portfolios aren’t so bad if you keep up with them, which I don’t. I wait until the end of the year, and then I’m scrambling to get it all together. Not sure why I do that to myself!

      I hope you find the book encouraging! Rereading it was exactly what I needed at this season, heading into another year.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hey, ya'll! I'm BrinaLynn, wife to my high school sweetheart, homeschooling mom to 8, coffee drinker, and friend of the written word.  My desire is it to encourage you [and me] as we find ourselves in life's trenches--and to somehow find joy there!

Read more

Looking for something?

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact

Footer

Helpful Links

  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • The Mended Marriage

Looking for Something?

Bible Verse of the Day

The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.
Deuteronomy 32:4

Copyright © 2022 · anchored theme by Restored 316

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT