Hug, Kiss, and Pray

I am extremely blessed to have women in my life who encourage me as a mother. A lot of them are friends who are in a similar season of life as me, and some of them are "older" women who have older children or kids that are all grown up.

I absolutely cherish these friendships. There's nothing more encouraging to me than sitting down with other moms who love the Lord that can relate to my struggles, but ultimately point me back to Jesus and what the Bible says about raising our children.

I can remember not too long ago talking to one of my friends(she has older children, and has been homeschooling for quite awhile.) I was telling her how I was concerned about trying to homeschool two different grade levels, while trying to keep the three younger children entertained and out of trouble.

She listened carefully to my concerns. She gave me some tips for managing my schedule. Then she told me three things that she would focus on if she could go back to when her kids were little.

1. Get God's Word in their heart. Make that the priority. There will never be another time in our children's lives that they will memorize things as quickly as they do now, so this is an opportunity to hide scripture in their hearts.

2. Teach them to help. It might not be perfect, or be exactly the way you would want things done, but involve them in the house work. By putting in the effort now, they will become a huge help as they get older.

3. Hug them, kiss them, and pray with them about any issues they are having. Childhood is fleeting. Let them know that they are growing up in a home where they are adored, and that they have a Father who will help them when they are sad or scared or when they just can't get along with their sibling.

These three things have been my focus this year. Yes we still do plenty of math and reading, but ultimately I strive to make these things our home's priority.

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Linked to Raising Arrows, A wise woman builds her home, Walking Redeemed,Titus 2 Tuesdays