MOTHERHOOD

"About every true mother there is a sancity of martyrdom-
and when she is no more in the body, her children see her with
the ring of light around her head."

Godey's Lady's Book, 1867

THE ART OF DOMESTIC BLISS

.....in a time lacking in certainty and filled with anguish and despair, no woman should be shamefaced in attempting to give back to the world, through her work, a portion of it's lost heart. -Louise Bogan
“And there are my children!
My darling, precious children!
For their sakes I am continually constrained
to seek after an amended, a sanctified life;
what I want them to become
I must become myself”.

~ Elizabeth Prentiss, Stepping Heavenward

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Homework Help Ideas



1. Homework must be done daily. Come to an understanding with your children that homework is a necessity. Teach them that homework is something that has to be done on a daily basis.

2. Set expectations. Communicate with your children's teachers to find out how much time students are expected to devote to homework each night. Discuss this expectation so your children understand the average time they will need to devote to homework each night. Setting expectations and time limits will make them more productive.

3. Allow for active playtime before homework.
If your children don't have an after-school activity, such as sports practice or dance class, provide 45 minutes to an hour for them to engage in physical activity before starting their homework. This will help them burn off energy, settle their nervous systems and help focus mentally for their homework tasks.

4. Create a designated area for homework and studying.
Depending upon the child, this could mean setting up a desk space in a bedroom away from family members or clearing off the kitchen table within view of the parents. The important thing to remember is to keep the homework locale consistent, quiet and free from distractions.

5. Create charts to track homework progress.
The chart will not only set a schedule that visibly shows that homework needs to be done every night, but will also allow your children to track their progress. Rewards can be given for homework completed successfully a few nights in a row.

6. Use positive reinforcement to encourage good homework and study habits.
Positive reinforcement should be used to recognize accomplishments. Small rewards should be given for small tasks, such as a gold sticker on the homework chart for completing homework that week. Larger rewards can be given for larger accomplishments. Here's one idea: An "A" on a test earns the privilege of choosing what the family has for dinner on Friday night.

7. Be a role model for your children. School cannot teach them everything.
Take an active role in your children's education. Check in on them while they are doing their homework to make sure it is completed properly. Also, suggest and model behaviors that teach important life skills that make tasks more manageable. For example, create flash cards on Monday for a test that will need to be studied for on Thursday or set daily "goals" for the child so a project will be completed ahead of its due date.

An Island of Security....A Mother at Home

Very largely does the wife hold in her hands, as a sacred trust, the happiness and the highest good of the hearts that nestle there. In the last analysis, home happiness depends on the wife.
  • Her spirit gives the home its atmosphere.
  • Her hands fashion its beauty.
  • Her heart makes its love.
And the end is so worthy, so noble, so divine, that no woman who has been called to be a wife, and has listened to the call, should consider any price too great to pay, to be . . .

the light,
the joy,
the blessing,
the inspiration,
of a home.

The woman who makes a sweet, beautiful home, filling it with love and prayer and purity, is doing something better than anything else her hands could find to do beneath the skies.

A true mother is one of the holiest secrets of home happiness.

God sends many beautiful things to this world,

many noble gifts;

but no blessing is richer than that which He bestows

in a mother

who has learned love's lessons well,

and has realized something of the meaning

of her sacred calling.










~ J. R. Miller, "Secrets of Happy Home Life, 1894" ~