Monday, June 16, 2008

IHM Conference notes: Surviving Siblings

Ginny Seuffert, mother of 12 has to be one of the funniest speakers in the world of homeschooling. She gives out practical advice on organizing a household and educating children of many ages at the same time. Her talk this past week included the "S list":

strict not stern:
be loving and kind, start discipline early and often, enforce rules 100% of time, never allow your children to argue with you.

schedule set in stone:
create one that makes sense for your family, children do better if they know what to expect, little kids will play better on their own in morning, brainstorm to solve time problems.

spic and span not squalor:
do the best you can- surface clean counts, a certain level of cleanliness is needed, don't procrastinate, get rid of stuff you don't need to reduce clutter.

stingy:
be very mindful of any activity that takes time away from homeschooling.

sense of humor:
don't be so serious- keep a joy of family life, accept bad stuff with calmness and prayer, remember the eternal view- keep a big smile on your face, joy is proper for a Christian.

steadfast in faith:
see Jesus Christ in the face of everyone-especially our children, we would sacrifice our own life for our child- we should sacrifice our daily life for their soul.

I made a point to tell Ginny what wonderful talks she gave this weekend and how lovely it was to hear someone who shares my basic homeschooling philosophy. She really shows mothers how we can pull it together and have a loving attitude toward our families. When I think of homeschoolers I would love to be more like, Ginny Seuffert is close to the top of the list.

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