Apologia Educational Materials has a great book to offer from Mary Jo Tate titled "Flourish Balance For Homeschool Moms".
Apologia is a trusted and well known name that most of the homeschool community loves and uses, from educational material to reading material and has something for everyone. Apologia Educational Materials sent Flourish to our Schoolhouse Review Crew for reviews and I was thrilled to be chosen as a part of it.
Mary Jo Tate is a homeschool mother to 4 boys and a successful business woman that in her book helps guide and direct from her advice so that you may possibly find a better way to Flourish!
Flourish is a book for mothers! I know can you believe it? Most the time our reviews are for our children and we finally all scored and got something for ourselves!
The book is a softback book full of over 300 pages of information and the back of the book has recommended resources and planning forms!
During the 16 chapters this is some of what you will touch on:
1 - An Invitation to Flourish
This chapter is an overview of all the things you need to understand about the book. This enlightens you about Mary Jo Tates story and reasons behind the book. Chapter 1 talks about what it means to flourish and thrive in all areas of your life and starts offering strategies for you too.
2 - Change Your Mind to Change Your Time
This chapter starts talking about the way you use your time and do you use it wisely? There was some awesome insight in this chapter and this chapter really made me think of some wonderful words that I had heard early in the year at a homeschool conference. This chapter hit home for me. Balancing home, homeschool and work outside of my home is something that is new and I've never had to do before this school year so I have to say this chapter really helped me to see where I need to be doing better at applying my time.
"Tightrope walkers make frequent small adjustments to maintain their balance."
"True balance doesn't mean spending an equal amount of time and attention on each area of your life. It means spending an appropriate amount of time and attention on each area."
Mary talks about how each person's life is different and has circumstances that another will not have and I believe the reason this is talked about here is simply so you will not be discouraged. We all know how some people give advice and we are left thinking - Yeah I can really do that - yeah... Well this book isn't like that! She has advice and techniques for everyone!
3 - The Freedom Toolbox
This chapter started out with this quote
" If you really want to do something, you'll find a way; if you don't, you'll find an excuse. - Jim Rohn"
Man oh man how true is that for us?
FREEDOM stands for
F ocas
R eflect
E ducate
E liminate
D iscipline
O rganize
O rganize
M ultitask
Here are 7 very important strategies for helping you with your life and obligations that you have. I loved within Educate that she talks about the need to expose yourself and your family to new ideas and methods simply to keep sharp on your skills or life. Who doesn't want to learn of a better way of doing something that could save you time or money? I know I am game!
"Self discipline is an essential tool for homeschool moms."
"If one aspect of your life is unorganized, it has a spillover effect on every other aspect of your life."
4 - Where Did My Time Go
This chapter is all about watching where your time is spent! She talks a lot here about a time log, I have to be honest I just couldn't do it. However she talks about routine and schedule here and this is totally me! You either like schedules or you hate them! I LOVE THEM!
I am a very routine oriented person and within this chapter you will get great tips at how to help your day go smoother and fit stuff in that you didn't think you had time for.
When my family is schooling (we school year round) I have a very routine day and my children know this and enjoy it. You're asking how I can tell right?? Well, be here the 2 weeks every 8 that we take a break and you would see that they are somewhat lost and chaotic. This is exactly what Mary is talking about here.
She gives you helpful tips on blocking your time and some advice on what you could accomplish within small blocks of 5-15 minutes.
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. - Theodore Roosevelt"
5 - Aim High - Setting Goals
Goal setting is something that I am personally not great at but I love check off lists. This chapter talks about setting small goals in your personal, family and business.
I know that each year when we start our new school year my children and I set goals for what we hope to accomplish and when we hope to have certain curriculum finished by. This does help one stay accountable and I believe that was a large portion of what needs to be took away from this chapter.
6 - What Do I Do Next? Seven Essential Planning
Big Dream
Yearly Goals
Monthly Calendar
Weekly Plan
Daily Tasks
Running To Do List
Stop - Doing List
All 7 of these planning tools are helpful for a more organized life. She had a great hint to offer me during this chapter that I just really haven't ever thought of. Color coding the calendar and planner! Why had I never thought of this? I color code my children lol but I never thought about it pouring out into my life. This is something that I have started doing last week after reading and redoing our homeschool planner. It is so much easier to look at a glance and see the color (child or event/topic).
I always have a running to do list and it helps me stay on focus so much! I recommend this for every household!
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. Annie Dillard"
7- We Interrupt This Program
This chapter is dedicated on how to deal with those interruptions that always come up in our life. The perception of the stay at home mom is exactly like Mary states in this book - They have nothing else to do so let's call them! I dealt with this for the first few years I homeschooled but eventually to save my sanity and schooling with my children came to the point that no phone would be answered during our instructional time, we actually purchased a phone that had a "Do Not Disturb" button for me to push while schooling, so we never heard the phone ring to distract us and I honestly have to say this saved me at that point and time. I don't use it as much now as I did but it was needed badly at one time in our family.
Here she also talks about social media and internet usage being great however it is a hindrance if you allow it to be!
8 - It's Time for an Attitude Adjustment
Attitude adjustment?? Ohh man does this hurt! This is an area that I struggle with almost daily but Mary talks about it being a struggle for her too.
9 - Oxygen Masks and Monkey Bread Days
This talks about taking care of you mom! Yes you. Your worth taking care of although we are normally the last one we think to do anything for. This is a challenge for most mothers I feel and I know most of my homeschool friends has the same struggle. Just remember that your actions speak louder than words and you want to give your children good habits and how better to give them that than to show them it. Mary talks about how you should make it a priority to spend time in your spiritual walk daily and I believe here again we show our children God is most important when they see us in His word.
"Don't sacrifice sleep." I try not to but I admit this is something I do.
I have to admit that this is as far as I have gotten. I am still digging away at the book and have learned so much on how to Flourish and thrive better in my every day life but I look very forward to the rest of the chapters that I have to read.
10 - Training Your Child
11 - Making Memories
12 - Managing Your Home
13 - All of Life Is Learning
14 - Solo Act - Flourishing as a Single Mom
15 - Home Business
16 - Moving Ahead
At the end of each chapter you have a "Take Action!" section that goes over questions and to do activities to help you understand and put into action what Mary has talked about in her book.
There are quotes and encouragement all throughout this book and I found them to be awesome! I loved reading the quotes (its a personal favorite).
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks so much for stopping by and reading about our journey! Leave me something that will make me happy! Have a blessed day!