School Plans this time

Jules-Alexis Muenier - La Leçon de catéchisme

What's happening at the Brown Home Academy in the 2014-2015 school year?

So, this post will only interest a few. Perhaps, in a few years it will just be a nice way to remember "How in the world did I ever do that?!?!" Because it won't be long and we'll begin to graduate'em and my class size will begin to decrease rather than all the increasing it's done every year. And this year we've had a big increase. But we've also had a tad more self-discipline and are trying to learn to be better stewards of time (works in progress).

This year Jacob is finally serious about learning, so long as it doesn't take up to much time and part of it seems fun. And Josiah will sit still for just a few minutes. Not sure with him how much is actually being retained but at least he's being "exposed" to learning (rather than just walking around exposing himself).
And we've added Brent who is 29 days younger than Alex but 3 times his size. It's like a chihuahua next to a doberman, although while the latter boy very much resembles a chihuahua the former is much more docile. He's cute and sweet and is finally adjusting to life with the Brown clan (we may be a little "different" than he's accustomed). His Papa brings him punctually each morning and that helps us remember to get up.

This year, in order to attempt to get it all mostly done I made a big Daily Schedule. Dividing the day  into 30 minute increments and began plugging in things to do - beginning with me getting up early and doing my very own prayer and devotions (fall off the horse, get back on) and including eating and chores and an extra section for Wednesdays when we go to Community Bible Study (CBS).

In the middle of doing that I was planning lessons - or lesson flow for all the subjects being taught this year - including time on the computer for various things like foreign language.

Top left: Checklist on clipboard on top of "Mama's Brian's"
innards; Top right: close up of Jacob's Weekly Checklist;
Bottom Right: Mama's Home School Brain - aka: Mama's Brain
Bottom left: Josiah's practice from a few weeks ago (just cause) 

To aid in planning for each child I used  Weekly Checklist (taken directly from the schedule) kept in Mama's Homeschool Brain (the same one I've used for many years). Each person (students and the teacher) has a clipboard with their own Weekly Checklist. They check off as they complete each assignment and any thing on loose papers (or not in a workbook) is kept in the clipboard behind the checklist until the end of the week. Over the weekend the teacher (that's me) checks each students work. Continuing assignments (like Science) are placed back under the new weeks checklist as well as worksheets for the next week and completed work is placed sideways on top to be put neatly away in their own binder (everybody's got a binder with dividers).

Attendance, and High School Planning

Also found in Mama's Brain is Attendance charts (one per child - we no longer have to turn them in BUT we are responsible legally for doing 180 days of "school" and so I do keep attendance. Plus, if any "official" ever wants to question us I've got plenty of documentation - and HSLDA - to back us up) and High School planning/records (so we can formulate a transcript sooner than we'd like to think). We do give credit for each class completed and they must have a certain number to graduate (sounds a lot like real school when they get to High School - bleck!)

Pray Pledge Praise Ponder signs;
Pledges, the Christian Flag, school rules
and school verse
Stuff on the walls: math, history, French

We start each day (just like last year) with Pray, Pledge, Praise & Ponder. We don't always do both of the last two but we try.
I normally pray but often ask one of the bigger children to ask blessings on our day. Then we Pledge the American flag, the Christian flag and the Bible and sometimes we remember to recite our school verse, 1 Peter 2:9.
We sometimes sing our Praises and we learned the song "Dare to be a Daniel" (verse by verse) which we counted for praise and ponder.
We started a Bible Study book over the summer and so we did that for Bible time until CBS started then we finished it up for our Ponderations.  And now we've re-begun the Catechism for Young Children. We started this a few years ago but never made it through. Gene and I felt that we needed to try again. This will also keep me free from looking for new things to ponder for a little while.
(those colored links will take you to a YouTube video and a Catechism website so you'll know what I'm talking about - not too very many years ago I'd never heard of such things).

And here's the lowdown on curriculum this year from the School Curriculum Coordinator (that's me too).

Bible & Math

Bible: We finished Volume 2 of the What We Believe Series: Who Am I? And What Am I Doing Here? ; in CBS we are studying Servants of God: Joshua through 2 Samuel.

Math: The bigger children (Ava, Autumn, Elijah, Alex & Brent) are doing Life of Fred. Each one is just where ever they need to be. I had them begin at the beginning (Apples) last year (except Brent who began this year) and work at their own pace. So some have made it to Algebra and other are in Intermediate Arithmetic books.
The littler children (Lora, Jorja & Jacob) are doing Math Lessons for a Living Education. And Josiah is just learning his numbers with Picture my Numbers!
I just realized that I got all my math books from Queens Homeschooling.

Language Lessons, Literature, Handwriting

Language Arts: Come to think of it, I got a lot of our language arts books from Queens too!
Everyone but Ava is doing their Language Lessons.
Jacob's is modified because he is also doing Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons as well as Donna Young's 133 Manuscript Handwriting Lessons for Beginners which follow that learning to reading book. So, in his Language Lessons I leave out the lessons about letters and we practice singing the alphabet or writing his name on those days.
Ava is on the final book in the Learning Language Arts Through Literature: The Gold Book - British Literature. We are considering letting her take some college courses online next year since she'll have completed what we have planned for her. Otherwise she'll read/study classics not covered already.
Brent is just beginning Cursive handwriting and using the same thing I started everyone else on New American Cursive. The other big kids are supposed to do some of their assignments in cursive. (They need reminding often).
Lora and Jorja are using Pictures in Cursive: Book A. I love the beautiful art and thoughtfulness that Queen's puts into their books. I have the girls read the sentences to me when we begin a new picture (week - but our weeks are wonky), then they copy one sentence a day. When they finish Book A we'll go to Book B.
We are working hard on reading comprehension this year! Everyone (except Ava and Jacob and Josiah) are doing book/literature studies by Memoria Press. Love these books! I have the children
read on day one then do the questions and activities on day two (looks like: Day 1 = Monday/Thursday & Day 2 = Tuesday/Friday).
I bought through the 5th grade level last year and plan to buy the rest this year. It seems to be a good investment.

Science and History

Science: We are still doing Apologia Science.
Ava is in Biology. Autumn is in General Science.
Those 3 boys are doing Human Anatomy and Physiology. And the 4 littlers are in Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day.
Thankfully, I can hand Ava and Autumn their Lesson Plans and theirs is self guided. The boys need prodding but also receive a Lesson plan to complete and work together. They listen to the books author, Jeannie Fulbright, read to them on MP3 (at the computer).
I'm reading Zoology 1 to the littles. We are enjoying learning about birds together. Even the little boys enjoy most of it.

History: The little girls and the 3 boys are continuing The Story of the World. We are still working our way through Volume 2: The Middle Ages. But since we are sticking to our schedule we are making better progress this year. This is still the first subject that seems to get pushed to the side while life happens but this year is going much better.
For Ava and Autumn we concocted our own syllabus for United States Studies in which the girls are to research a time period and turn in a report every two to three weeks. We, the school administration, just had a very lengthy conversation about this today. And are rethinking it. They are doing the work but we just don't think it is cohesive or that they are actually learning much, plus they are not taking advantage of all their resources (like the library), and their work is never complete. So while it looks like a great plan on paper, we may have over thunk it and are researching other options.
Autumn is teaching the little boys their history (go back and read that again! - she's doing a pretty good job). They are doing History for Little Pilgrims. This is one of my favorite books. Cute & easy! You can do as little or as much for each chapter/lesson as you'd like. So, I put everything needed for several weeks, including my lesson plans, into a manila folder and Autumn does the work.
Really takes a small load off of the mother and gives her good reading and teaching experience!

Electives: Rosetta Stone Spanish for Ava, Autumn, Elijah & Alex - each works at their own pace and
completes the supplemental, printable workbooks. (I called with several questions last year and wound up getting a GREAT deal and had another homeschool mother answering my questions. BIG recommendation!)
Hooked on French for Lora and Jorja. We are having a great time learning French together (finally something I know a little about!). (Nana picked up a "3-level program" at a yard sale and brought it to us. So, the price on this was better than great.)
For an easy foreign language program for younger children this is pretty good - not to hard. It says ages 4-6 but I think it may be helpful to either not read at all or be a reader already (know English) before trying to learn this way (unless suddenly your moving to France - in which case this would teach you the basics). It's got the same logo and look as Hooked on Phonics and published by Educated Products, LLC 2006 but I can't find it new online - I'm wondering if they still make it. It is on Amazon.
Ava worked through Health last year and this year Autumn is doing likewise. When Autumn finishes Health I'll have them begin Music together so they can listen to the accompanying CD's together.
Ava also completed Learning How to Learn - just as a guinea pig course. I haven't had time to put to much though into how to use it so I gave it to her. It's all about how to research to find things and use things like dictionaries, encyclopedias, phone books and such. I may use it in parts if I find someone is struggling to remember how to do what they should already know to do and it may come in handy with the little boys as they get older.

The big girls an I also had hoped to do Logic - but that's gotten pushed to the side. It will turn back up somewhere. 

Note that I wrote lunch and breaks into my schedule. I TRY to limit phone-calls to these times as well as my own study time and preparation for our little homeschool as well as CBS and Franklin County Right to Life and an occasional nap. I've tried to train myself to do certain chores (like mop and clean the bathroom) on certain days. But I am a work in progress. This homemaker thing does not come easy to me (cause cleaning is NO fun! - unless you dance or hire a maid - guess I'm gonna be dancing). 

Gene, our principle and eldest student, is half way through his fall semester with Liberty University Online and plans to have his Associates Degree in Religion in his hand next May. Hooray! 

We are ready for him to be done!

So that's what's happening with the students and faculty at BHA!

Love ya'll!

More words on child rearing . . .

My kids are NOT always "so good." 
They, not very unlike their parents, are sinners. 
They, not very unlike their parents, have the strangest ideas, and are constantly in need of grace, mercy and a good swift kick in the keister.

And somehow we "have merriment" (that's what the lady on the phone who dialed the wrong number just said, "you have merriment." What a nice way to put it!).

I had another one of those questions I giggle at later. "How do you get your kids to be so good?"
Well, sister, they certainly don't just come that way!

Here is my LONG response. 'Cause I love ya!

I was thinking about our "how to" child rearing confab and thought, 

"I'm with my children all the time."

Gene and I have not given authority to our children over to anyone else (with the exception of sometimes - grandparents, a brief stint in school, sitters - 'cause once I had a "real" job)
So, although we are not always consistent, and we are VERY fallible in all our ways - we aim to be consistant and above reproach ("He's still working on me . . .").

These children rely totally on us. To lead, teach, train, provide . . . 
We attempt to be one sided (on the same side) and focused. (Attempt!) 

We aren't striving for excellence. We aren't striving for genius. We are okay with totally ordinary. We are striving to turn their heart toward God (lofty goal!) and have them turn out to be Godly men and women (servant hearted, kind, moral, good citizens, prayerful . . .). 
Our goal is not to have raised our children but to have raised good adults. 

That's not a responsibility we just hand over because somebody else has a degree, or a background check, or a want to, or . . . 

And we seek godly counsel - Preachers like Voddie Baucham, John MacArthur, and some families - the Maxwells, Campbells, Strattons, Pearls even the Duggars - and then sometimes we have to fly by the seat of our pants and pray. (We may not agree with these people 100% on every tiny issue - but they have produced Really Good fruit!)

Proverbs 22:6 - may not be a promise but it is a great principal.

Illustration Credit

People often talk of the sacrifice that parents make. Woe to them. 
We aren't "giving up" stuff in place of the children - rather, we are blessed with children. Blessed to be entrusted with their very souls for such a short time! 
Blessed that the stuff we are "giving up" wasn't important anyway. 

The "stuff" can come - maybe - in the midst of grandchildren (greater blessings). Our reward in old age. 

It's not easy. 

Heaven's sake! What is? 

Sometimes drawing breath can be hard!

Take that breather, Mama, and get back in the fight. 

Marriage is hard. Times are hard. Jobs are hard. Learning new things is hard. Leading/ministering to a group of women is HARD. 

Raising children is hard.

You already hold the instruction book. Your already doing great. 

Keep seeking those who can give wise counsel. 

And keep your priorities straight = God's princess, wife, mother, other. 

(And when you seem me slipping on my priorities tell me!!!) 

My kids really aren't THAT good! (Goats are never mentioned well in the Bible and thus "kids")

I have a friend who's boys - big'uns - like to come over and play with us. We (the children and I) love hanging out with this family. Recently, the middle boy (about 12) was talking with his cousin about women who intimidate them. Guess who's at the top of his list? Me. And who, between Nana and Mrs. Erin is the meanest? Me again. And guess who he'd go live with if it weren't for the fact of the whole parental relationship thing? Mrs. Erin wins again. 

I've set that little (taller than me) feller straight a few times and he loves me all the more - he shows more respect. 

And (snicker) I'm proud to be the mean Mama. That's my job. 

One last thing - and I'll end this long narrative: Marriage first, children second. 

That man gets the bigger portion. (sounds silly to a mom of tiny children - impossible! But when we focus first on being the wife God made us to be for the man we are made for - being the mother to his children becomes much easier). 

(insert Looney tunes end music here) That's all! (for now)

Picture for Grandmother: Josiah's first hair cut he gave himself. Not too terrible.

What to do?

What does God want for me? How do I know? Is He speaking?

That's what on my mind. Right this minute. And it's all because somebody said something to me on Facebook.
Good questions.

Here's the low down on a snippet of life recently:

There's this Bible Study for Mama's (or any lady) that I would LOVE to lead. I put out a little "feeler" to gauge interest. I was planning to begin the study with a small group this summer. BUT!!!
Then I remembered to pray. Hard. And seek my husbands counsel. And the answer I was getting was something to the effect of, "you can if you want to but you ought not to. Look at what is being neglected." And I look around and see my home and discover that first things MUST come first.

So I posted on Facebook:
As much as I would LOVE to do the Gatekeepers of Our Home Study with a bunch of ladies, I've been convinced/convicted that my focus right now needs to be on my OWN home. (and not everyones)
As much as I want to pour into others, my first priority MUST be to my own family. (I still LOVE yours and am only a phone call away)
As much as we all LOVE to be with other, like-minded families to learn and fellowship (especially fellowship) I just can not commit more time away from my home. (still have plans to fellowship and play - often)
As much as I want to do this one more thing, I need to "be still" (which looks nothing like "still") and allow God to continue to prepare my mind and heart for the service(s) He's already called me to. (like God's child, wife, mom, and FCRTL & CBS)
All that to say that I don't always get what I want (and I really want it) but in obedience to my Father (and my husband) I'll focus on what He's already made me for. (And think about this study again later - way later).

That post got "liked" right away. And encouraging comments showed below. Then my sweet sister-in-love posted a comment and reminded me of me. So, this is my comment back to her.

Hey Sister,
I love you.
We are all pulled in so many directions. As wives and mothers and daughters and sisters and all the other hats we wear. Learning to say "no", or "not right now" is HARD! Saying "yes" to the right things can be just as hard. It's a battle of our will. Life is NOT easy. It's HARD! The Bible confirms to us that we are NOT promised easy.
But He will make our paths straight. What are you doing to "listen" to God?
Are you disciplining yourself to daily spend time with Him in prayer - praise, thanks, seeking His strength? 
Are you disciplining yourself to  daily spend time reading/studying His Word - His love letter to YOU - EVERY DAY? (His Word is how He "speaks" to us. Just as I am communicating to you now through the written word - but I make mistakes - He brings understanding and wisdom).
Are you meditating/thinking about His Words during the day? 
Are you truly seeking Godly counsel? Are you shunning false teachers? 
Are you currently attempting to 'train up" my sweet nephew 'in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?" 
Are you an encouragement to Daniel as the leader of your family? Are you praying for your husband? 
Or are you, like many mothers (like I was and still am on too many days), just trying to make it through each day? In your own strength? Missing out and overlooking daily blessings, provisions, help, answers? 
Remember, IF you have believed Jesus as your Savior, as the Lord of your life,  He has given you the Holy Spirit to lead guide and direct you in all things. Submit to Him.
Do what you know you should do and the works of the flesh will slowly become the fruits of the Spirit - and you'll realize one day that God is still in the business of miracles - cause you are one. 
You are His incredible creation and He has a perfect plan for you.
Get in the Word! And the Word will get in You!

The Lost Sheep by Alfred Soord

P.S.
Here are some verses (that I can remember) that came to mind as I was writing - in no particular order. (And that I do NOT have memorized but looked up on BibleGateway.com - English Standard Version)
I'm sure you'll think of others.

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 

John 14:15

If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, 

we lie and do not practice the truth. 

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, 

and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

1 John 1:6-8

If anyone's will is to do God's will, 

he will know whether the teaching is from God 

or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 

The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; 

but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, 

and in him there is no falsehood. 

John 7:17-18

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, 

and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, 

for these are opposed to each other, 

to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 

But if you are led by the Spirit,you are not under the law. 

Now the works of the flesh are evident: 

sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, 

fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, 

and things like these. 

I warn you, as I warned you before, 

that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

But the fruit of the Spirit is 

love, joy, peace, patience,kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;

against such things there is no law. 

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 

Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. 

Galatians 5:16-26

Only be strong and very courageous, 

being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. 

Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, 

that you may have good success wherever you go. 

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, 

but you shall meditate on it day and night, 

so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. 

For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. 

Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, 

for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 

Joshua 1:7-9

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, 

that we should be called children of God; 

and so we are. 

The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 

Beloved, we are God's children now,

 and what we will be has not yet appeared; 

but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, 

because we shall see him as he is. 

1 John 3:1-2

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, 

so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts 

and flog you in their synagogues,  

and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, 

to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 

When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak 

or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 

For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 

Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 

and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. 

But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 

When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, 

for truly, I say to you, 

you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 

It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. 

If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, 

how much more will they malign those of his household. 

Matthew 10:16-25

As a side note - for further study:

• Get some paper and keep it with your Bible and write down prayer request and what your reading and what your learning. (a practice I struggle with)
• use a concordance or biblegateway.com or blueletterbible.org to search out words like "but God"  "meditate"  "straight paths"  "obedience"  "wife"  
• study Matthew 6:19-13 and learn more about "how" to pray - search out other prayers in the Bible. (we are currently doing this as a family about once a week) 
• Read or retell Bible stories to kids - be sure to have your Bible open.
• Remember the Bible is truth - nothing this world dreams up compares.
• If you fall off the horse, GET UP! and get back on. (meaning - if you try to have a personal and/or family devotional time each day and you just don't - try, try again). Don't give up.

And I'm only a phone call away if ya need me.

The Prodigal Daughter by Charlie Mackesy

Yelling

"Train up a child in the way he should go;

even when he is old he will not depart from it."

Proverbs 22:6

After the last post a dear, honest, mother, love of mine asked, "How did you stop being a yeller? I find myself yelling way too much and I don't like it one bit."

I don't like it one bit either. And sometimes I'm still that yelling, crazy Mama.
And I'm sure I will yell at some smart-alecky or disobedient child in the writing of this post, that's just how this seems to work. I'm preaching to the choir! 

How did I quit being a yeller?

I read a book* about training children. 

Light dawned! (like a slap upside the head)

As much as their disobedience is a heart issue, so is my yelling. 
The way I'm training them to listen and obey says a lot about my heart. 

Why hadn't someone explained this stuff to me . . . like . . . when I was a child! 
Long years before I started thinking about actually having children of my own. 
Somehow, after YEARS of seeming MAD, I decided one day that what I'm doing isn't really working. 

So I had to put it into practice.

First time obedience is a requirement. If I have to tell someone to do something (or not to) more than once they have already disobeyed and punishment is in order (in some fashion). But yelling at them didn't really do much good - especially when I seem to be out of control - and the yelling was frequent. 
I do take into account that they really may not have heard me, or may have a valid REASON (not excuse) that they haven't gotten to it yet but are on the way.

I can discipline without yelling (I'm a work in progress - but I've come a LONG way!). 
I was firm this morning and lectured about "destruction of property" (i.e. "where have all the crayons, markers, colored pencils and the spiffy containers they were supposed to be in gone and why do ya'll put paper everywhere") and I did not yell. I was tempted (I found two markers, three crayons and a box lid when it was time to do history and we needed colors for our maps - I didn't feel real happy). But I did not yell. 
I'm being trained and disciplined to do something different and better.

I carried a switch everywhere and used it, rather than yell (I still do, these little people are also still being trained). You may often find us riding down the road with a switch, belt, spoon, flyswatter next to my seat. The children like to use switches for sword fighting so there are usually several handy. 
We are firm believers that spanking** works. 

"Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.

If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol." Proverbs 23:13-14

I think knowing that a spanking is near at hand if they act out is often enough to keep them in line.
We use other forms of punishment. Take away privileges, miss out on watching a movie, extra chores, extra copy work, writing about what they did and why is was wrong and what should have happened. If their disobedience caused harm to someone (emotionally or physically) they may have to write out and apology. Some children can't stand being sent to their room or put in time out or otherwise separated from the fun, it's terrible punishment for them. Others hope they get sent away by themselves. Likewise, some children's dread of a spanking is worse than actually getting one, and some children would rather have a spanking than act right. 
That's why God gave you the kids you got. So you would get to know them and what works best for them. 

I realized my inconsistencies. Like counting, "I said, xyz! I'm going to count to three. Do you hear me!?! One . . . Two . . . Two and a half . . . " 
I used to think I was being a noble, consistent parent by starting at "two" because "one" was the first time I told you. But really I was just giving the child more chances to disobey before I disciplined them. I was training them to disobey. 
So that just had to stop. 

How's that working?

As I have confessed already, sometimes I still yell. It is getting easier. The last time I yelled . . . no, the time before that . .. they needed yelling at. The last time I yelled, I had to apologize. 
They were being difficult, they were pulling out all the stops to get me to yell. I'm sure it was an organized event on their part (if only). I still should not have yelled.
Mommies learn too. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks. 

You'd think that we'd have had a harder time changing discipline methods with the older ones, not so. It was explained that I was trying to change my ways and what all that entailed (swifter judgement). I had to be VERY consistent, as if I was starting over. But we had been disciplining all along, we just began to do it better. It's more "respectable." So, very soon, the older children realized that this was actually a lot easier (and quieter) and they had a happier mama.

THEY HAVE A HAPPIER MAMA! 

That's right. I'm more content and happy (and fatter, perhaps yelling burns calories). 
Therefore, happier children, happier home. 
(The Daddy is happier too, but mostly because Mama is happier). 

I'm not an expert (although in about 15 more years I think I'll claim to be - reading this post will then cost you $300).  I'm not always consistent. I'm lazy. I remind myself often, as often as I remind the children, "Do what's right!" And the effort I put in now WILL pay off when they are grown.***

"So, whether you eat or drink, 

or whatever you do, 

do all to the glory of God." 

1 Corinthians 10:31

That's it! Are you a yeller? Or a reformed yeller? What good tips can you share?

P.S. 
Standing on the back porch and yelling names across the back-forty because it is time to change activities doesn't count. Shout all ya want! 
(It is also an excellent way to test baby names).

* I've been reading books about raising and training children since the first one was in the womb. With the exception of two - NONE of them could have prepared me for REAL parenthood. 

Of the two exceptions, I don't fully agree with either author on every little detail. I do believe they give sound, Biblical advice, great ideas from years of practice, wisdom and loving kindness. I believe each child in each family is going to be a unique individual. For my "hard kids" (or for children who have experienced trauma) some things have to be tweaked. You really can NOT love them all the same.
Book #1 (which was a wise baby gift from a wise aunt) is Dr. Denmark Said It! by Madia Bowman. This book has not much to do with this post but I HIGHLY recommend it for new parents. I love Dr. Denmark, though I've never meet her. She died in 2012 at 114 years young. Her wisdom and love for children and their mothers lives on. What a legacy!
Book #2 The one that made me see the error of my ways with my children is To Train Up a Child by Michael & Debi Pearl. You'll find a mixture of reviews about this book online and some of them are really bad. Mr. Pearl stands by his book. I have read it (the first edition). I keep it on the shelf with all the other child rearing books. If you are having trouble, get this book.

Prodigal Son - Rembrandt 

**spanking - Though often referred to has "a beatin'," spanking for discipline's sake, with a clear reason and because you love the child and care how they arrive at adulthood, is different than actually beating a child which comes from anger, cruelty and lack of self-control. We understand the temptation to Beat them, we live with little sinners.

*** When they are "grown" they may question everything we've tried to teach them. They may for a while fall away and/or make life altering mistakes. They are, like their parents, frail humans. BUT they will have a solid foundation. They will have been deeply rooted in truth. And they will remember and not depart. We can't promise their "happily-ever-after" but we can improve the odds for generations to come.

Even so, come Lord Jesus!