The Importance of Routine by Cindy Rushton

Good morning dearies! I just got an email from Mary Beth asking me to share this article. She remembered reading it before, but couldn’t remember where to find it. She asked if I could post it here. YES! Hope all of you enjoy! This is an oldie. Fun to read now that my crew are grown and graduated. I could not recommend better tips today. This one is timeless. Enjoy….

Homeschools come packaged in all sorts and types. Homes all have their own atmosphere…their own discipline…and their own life. What will make for happy homeschool days? My vote goes to routine!

As we look at different homes, we find that many people use many instruments to establish discipline. In our home, we have used primarily two tools–instruction and routine! You can probably see the need and benefits for instruction but why routine? Routine is the means by which we lay down the tracks of discipline. In our family routines, we take away much of the pain of who does what, when they are to do whatever, and how much they are to do. It has become part of our character to do all that we do with excellence…diligence…and of course, speed! So, what are some ideas for bringing routine into the home? The following thoughts are a hodgepodge of my thoughts on routine and form that I have jotted down as I studied this month… Read more

Let’s Make A Memory…Over a Great Book!

Hummm…was it the giggles the whole way through adventures with Pooh? My constant sobbing through every page of The Little Preacher? Our total addiction to every single page of Pilgrim’s Progress? The giggles and strategy as the children would run off to “play” every single bit of Daniel Boone’s life—with stiff warnings from Mom that NO ONE really got the hair-cut! Peeking outside to see the hard, hard work as forts were raised and mud pies “baked” for our beloved “soldier.” Oh, the precious, precious memories! Precious memories that are OURS forever!
Want the best homeschool year yet?

Why not make it a priority to curl up as a family over the pages of a great book each day? Get the water going…pull out some nice snacks…settle down for tea (or hot cocoa!!)…and dig into great books!

Game, but have no idea where to begin?? Come home with our family and get a picture of how easy AND awesome building a memory—over a great book—can be! Read more

Dare to Discipline!

Our society has a skewed impression about child discipline. It is obvious that Satan has set up a high place blocking the correct view of discipline. He has worked over-time to set up presuppositions about child discipline that now affect our society, even our churches.

First, let me tell you why I think the enemy has waged war in this area. He knows the areas of our lives that help us to know God and have a close, personal relationship with God. He always assaults those areas.

When we discipline our children the way that God designed for us to discipline them, they are brought up in a nurturing, teaching, training environment. They DO stick to it. They do not depart. What a delight they are. What a better life for them as a result.

I get letters every week from mothers who share that they TRIED discipline and that it did not work. They always continue to share how bad things are getting. Read more

Things I LOVE About the Charlotte Mason Approach by Cindy Rushton

I remember the day that one of my dearest friends introduced me to the Charlotte Mason Approach. It was a day that defined our homeschool.

It was the end of our very first year of homeschooling. I was having an afternoon of sewing and smocking with my friend (I taught classes on sewing and smocking as a part of my home sewing business). We had stopped our work to have tea. While we were having tea, I shared with her about the ups and downs of my first year of homeschooling. She was a homeschooling veteran. I really respected her ideas and opinions. She was rock-solid. I was SO impressed by her children and all that they had accomplished homeschooling. I shared with her that there were a few things that just worked GREAT for us….others that were, ugh, a nightmare! She was sooo calm as she declared a truth that would set me free to find the philosophy of education that was just for me and my children. She told me that I sounded like the perfect Charlotte Mason/Unit Study mom. As I listened to her ideas for getting to know more about those approaches, I thought back to the very first book that I had bought— Books Children Love, which was written with suggestions for great books to be sure to read to your children while they were growing up. And…another book, For the Children’s Sake, which just grabbed me! Read more

A Pop Quiz from God…

Cindy,

I wanted to share with you a couple of questions that God asked me one day, He gave me a pop quiz.  I know I am not alone in this because I see from posts on our local groups site and a few from your desktop that there are others who were (or still may be) under the same pressure.  I am posting this on our group’s site to confess and share with others as well.

I was stressing, things were not going according to schedule (ever try to put something God gave you on a schedule, boy does He like to throw a monkey wrench in my schedule), dh was working long hours (the bags under his eyes could hold a weeks worth of clothes), my second child was home from Iraq for 2 weeks, but not spending much time at home due to a strained relationship with his father, my oldest was in the middle of a bitter divorce and custody battle…….on and on and on and to top it off my younger 2 were “behind.”

First question from God-”Behind in what”  Read more

Psst! A Secret to Scheduling Success! by Cindy Rushton

Want to know one of my biggest secrets to homeschooling the easy way? Want to know one of my biggest secrets to scheduling success? This one secret can make your daily schedule finally fit. It can end your scheduling frustrations forever.

I am not a “schedule by the minute” type of person. (GRIN)  I fail with schedules like that. They don’t meet my needs. My life includes too many areas that have different needs daily. Timed schedules just do not work for me.

So, what has worked for me? Setting up a framework to my day. This is one incredibly powerful tip. It can make a HUGE difference in your day as well. It just might be the secret that has alluded you through the years.

Wondering what I mean by a “framework” for your day? By framework, I mean a general flow to each day that includes all of the areas of my life that I juggle. But, how do I do that? Here are some quick tips:
Read more

How to Serve Up Whole Books…

Charlotte Mason wrote the following…

“…for the best thought the world possesses is stored in books. …our concern is abundant provision and orderly serving!”

Yes, the best thought, the greatest ideas, and a world of information are all captured in books. They are the very best textbook. They are the very best lesson book. We have at our fingertips a bounty to serve to our children. So, in your choices, give abundant provision! Consistently serve them the very best books.

But, where do we begin? How do we serve up whole books?? Let me give you some very easy tips that will get you started… Read more