Mom-Schooling

Sarah’s Mom Tips: Learn This Poem!

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / Leave a comment

Getting started with Fun-Schooling? Here’s one important tip:

For every element of FUN that you ADD you must take away something that is boring, or irrelevant or frustrating to you or your child. Just adding Fun-Schooling can feel like eating dessert too quickly after getting over-stuffed with a triple plate of Chinese food. You are going to love Fun-Schooling, it can bring so much peace, joy and delight to your days. 🙂

Don’t forget Mom-School, being an example is your most powerful tool as a homeschool mom.

Memorize this poem…

“For each new element of FUN

Something DULL must be undone!”

Dyslexia Games and the Fight Against Brain Fog (Part 1)

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / 2 Comments

(Guest post by Ferne Hood)

When Sarah Janisse Brown’s daughter Anna was struggling with dyslexia and finding it hard to read, Sarah began creating patterns and pictures in sequences and doing these “games” with Anna again and again! The result was incredible as Anna soon began to read comics and recipes, and then moved on to novels and the Bible. Anna didn’t realize she was actually learning to read when she was doing these puzzles with her mom, she just thought she was having fun. But her success led to Sarah creating a series of workbooks containing her Brain puzzles called Dyslexia Games, to help countless other kids and their parents who were having the same struggles.

            As some moms began going through the games with their children, and inadvertently doing them themselves, they soon realized that the games were having a significant impact on them too. It seemed as though the Dyslexia Games were helping these moms in their struggle with brain fog! So Sarah decided to conduct a little experiment. She launched a Facebook group and asked moms struggling with brain fog to commit to intentionally using Dyslexia Games to see if they could improve their brain function. Around 800 moms committed to the trial, keeping notes of their progress along the way. And the results have been astounding. Not only have these moms discovered a passion (or aversion!) to designing t-shirts and drinking green lemonade, and maybe a newly formed addiction to stationary, but they are happier, more focused, more present and feeling less scatterbrained as a result of committing to doing just a few pages a day.

            In the first week alone, participants were already starting to notice a difference. Melanie said, “I definitely noticed a clearer mind and was able to get more done each day. Doing two pages each day has opened a desire up in me to be more creative and to take up doing art with my daughter!” And Janice said, “I look forward to it every day! My brain feels good and likes working on the puzzles. Afterwards I feel more focused and refreshed.”

            Even after just a handful of days, the positive affect of Dyslexia Games was noticeable. Many moms mentioned how it was even helping to ease their anxiety. Elina commented, “I have had way less anxiety since I started the brain games. I’ve been more motivated and have come up with many new solutions for problems I’ve had for a while.” And Michelle said, “I got the best sleep last night that I have had in a pretty long time. I have also found that I’m less anxious if I do these. I am prone to panic attacks and have found that if I feel anxious and I focus on doing these I don’t do my regular nervous habits and the feeling doesn’t escalate at all. It is a fabulous coping tool for me!”

            An easing in anxiety, increase in creativity and focus, and more bonding with their children – it seemed like week 1 was impacting for so many moms. (click here to continue reading)

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Fun-Schooling in 3 Easy Steps for Your Younger Kids

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / 1 Comment
Fun-Schooling basket

So often people imagine Fun-Schooling must be as difficult as every other method. But now that I’ve been doing it for years I find it’s soooo easy. Let me explain in three simple steps how to Fun-School the most stress-free way for ages 5 to 13.

1. Plan your semester by putting five Fun-Schooling Journals into a cute basket with fresh art and school supplies. Add in some mini games. Have a computer or iPad set up for educational videos, an online math program and research sites. You can block everything else. Get an assortment of books that focus on the child’s passion and career goals. Your child is set!

2. Set up your Mom-School. Make a Mom-School Basket with your mom Journal, planners, and books about things you want learn. Use your Mom-School stuff to enrich your heart and mind, and be an example to your child. Use your Mom-School a few times each week while your child is aware of your learning activities. Teach by example.

3. Daily you will need to remind the child to get their Fun-Schooling Basket and go to a favorite place to do… ten pages, or whatever. I let my kids choose what Journals to use on most days. I am available for questions and some collaboration. I don’t teach much. I collaborate and show an example. I only teach reading (but sometimes I don’t).  I let them learn to read with Starfall.com, Dyslexia Games, or readingeggs.com, and if I teach I use Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. They learn to spell with Fun-Schooling Journals.)

I do projects with the kids using their passions. Or I just give them permission and supplies.

If kids rush and are sloppy, they don’t get computer time–they get chores after learning time. I check all their Fun-Schooling Journals every Friday. If they do awesome they get to some new art or school supplies from my little prize shelf.

For tips on Fun-Schooling your teens:

Sarah’s Mom Tips — Setting the Example in a Paperless World

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / Leave a comment

With our digital world we surround our children with adult activity that tends to be paperless.  They only see adults who use smart phones and gadgets for everything – so kids no longer see the example of parents reading a variety of publications, writing on a calendar, taking notes in a planner, or putting messages on a family bulletin board. What we ask them to do is no longer modeled in the home, so they have no example to follow.  This may not be the case at your house, but what I have found is that children who slop through their schoolwork need to see an example.

So that is why we developed the Mom-Schooling books  – so kids growing up in a digital world will see something real.

When my children were young, I didn’t use a small personal device.  I wanted my children to always be able to see what I am doing.  When I had a smart phone I could have been reading the Bible and my kids would assume I was playing Tetris!  I could be photo editing and they would assume I was just wasting time on stupid videos.  All they see is a mom on a smartphone ignoring them, in her own personal world.  I have gone back to reading real paperback books too, I want my kids to see me reading.  I have gone back to using a real camera, I want my kids to know I am enjoying my hobby and making memories, not just playing around with my phone.  My husband also stopped using a smart phone for the same reasons. We even chose to travel to 15 countries all over Europe last year with no smartphone, and no GPS so the kids would learn about maps and how to write things down- things like train schedules.   We put down the phone and picked up trail maps and bus schedules just to be an example to the kids of the real things that we are really doing in life. We even bought watches!

I loved all the fun and cool things that can be done with those little devices but all I was teaching my kids was how to be a mom focused on a device. 

I think we just need to be aware and be careful when we expect kids to use paper and books, but we don’t use those things too.  I know that many of you are rediscovering the joy of coloring, journaling and using real books.  If you do choose to use a device I would just encourage you to talk to your kids ALL the time about what you are doing.  If you are on Facebook, tell them I’m talking to Aunt Linda, or I am sharing a picture of you with my friends, and I just found out that Leslie is going to have a new baby, or ask them to pray for Rosie, because her grandma died.   If you are editing photos, videos, writing a blog, or publishing books – include your children in these wonderful creative activities, and snuggle them close so they can see the tiny pictures on your smart phone too. If you need to be on a device, include them.

Your kids have electronics out of balance? Read here: Sarah’s Mom TIps: Digital Devices

Homeschooling Moms CAN and MUST Make Time for Self-Care

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / 2 Comments

I’m a “HAPPY” mom of 15 kids. Five are dyslexic and some are hyper-active. Five of my kids are adopted internationally.

I’m busy. I homeschool. I keep this house running. I’m also a work-at-home mom. I’m currently homeschooling ten.

Since I am constantly giving, leading, and orchestrating around here, I need to be renewed and refreshed!

I make time for what matters! Self care matters! This is why I have a lot of time dedicated to Mom-School, because I can’t pour from an empty cup!

I hear so many of you drowning and struggling with feeling empty and overwhelmed.

It’s often because you don’t take care of your own needs for quiet time with God and personal learning and hobbies. You are running on empty.

Mom-School is one of the most important elements of successful Homeschooling!

It’s the example of BEING a passionate “learner” that SHOWS my kids what it means pursue “self motivated education” in a positive way.

You can say you don’t have time. Truth is, you have priorities. You don’t MAKE time because Mom-Guilt keeps you focused on giving giving giving… without taking care of your own needs. And then complaining that you are unsatisfied with yourself and with your husband… for not doing enough to help you and support you. And you think your kids are failing because you don’t do enough for them. But really, you don’t do enough for you. You are neglecting your own simple needs for nourishment of body, mind and spirit.

Why?

Because homeschooling moms with large families think life is nothing but sacrifice and suffering in silence and the kids look at your frazzled life and style and don’t want it. How do I know this?

Because I lived it. Why? Because none of my peers showed me another way. All my mom-friends were burnt out too, trying to be noble. This is especially true of Christian homeschooling moms.

And I watched a slow burning of all joy and passion darken their lives.

So often homeschooling support groups on Facebook are on fire with the cry of burnt-out moms who are trying so hard to give it all and do it all… for love.

One day, when I was a mom of eight kids under ten years old I realized I AM NOT too busy to enjoy my life and marriage, I just didn’t know how to manage my 16 waking hours well. Isn’t it enough to spend 2 hours cooking and cleaning, and four hours focused on homeschooling? And of course I was wearing a couple of babies!!! But where did the time go? Sixteen hours is a lot!!!! And that still leaves 8 for sleep!!!

What was I doing with my 16 hours??? Being wasteful.

What if I had 14 hours to pour it all out for my kids… and just TWO to spend on myself???? Can I give myself two hours of my day? Yes. Can I give my husband ONE? Yes, that leaves 13 for homemaking! What if I give a half hour of my day to God? That’s more than I was when I didn’t realize I had 16 hours to manage!

So now… 30 minutes for God. One whole hour (at least) for my husband. TWO hours for me! A half hour here and there!!! This is NOT being unrealistic. It’s being intentional!

Yeah… and 5 hours for social media!!!! Just kidding!

I also work a few days a week, and when my kids were little I had to get help to have time in the home-office, because we didn’t have a TV.

Even though I have a house full of high maintenance kids I still spend a lot of time enjoying my passions, studying my interests. My kids are very curious by my example of learning! Seeing me doing Mom-School inspires them in their learning.

I do my own thing, and sometimes they jump in. Always they observe.

I do my hobbies right in the middle of everything, surrounded by my children. They get involved, watch or do their own stuff. My little kids play a lot, and all my kids play with each other. Since they are all a year or two apart they are really good at entertaining each other.

How did I ever get a break when my kids were young?

It was hardest when I had 3 under 3!!!! My husband would give me four hours each Friday for myself. There were times I would also trade childcare with my sister or another mom. During one season in life when I had six little ones, my dear friend, in her 50’s, who missed babies and had no grands, would come play with my kids. Sometimes teens would help me. When my 4th was born, a college girl came over to help a few afternoons each week.

I didn’t always have extra help, so I focused on hobbies and interests I could do in the middle of it all.

If a mom of 15, who also runs a publishing company can make time for self care and Mom-School, anyone can! And yes, even with toddlers and babies. There is a way!

Share your tips for self care in the comments!

Mom School – Show Them How to Dream!

/ Sarah Janisse Brown / Leave a comment

Mom-School is one of the most important elements of successful Fun-Schooling! It’s the example of BEING a passionate “learner” that SHOWS my kids what it means pursue “self motivated education” in a positive way.

I spend a lot more time enjoying my passions, studying my interests, and doing projects than I do trying to compel my kids to do their school work.

I do my own thing, sometimes they jump in, always they observe.

I just model a love for learning, a passion for projects and show them what it looks like to live life to the fullest.

​I am fully alive and totally focused on pursuing things that I am excited about. I invite them in to be part of my interest, and they invite me to be part of their learning. Anything I want to encourage them to do more of, I do myself in relation to my own interests.

I have a life, and I have adventures, and I enjoy projects and activities that have nothing to do with my kids, but everything to do with being an example to them. They see that I am a very passionate learner and I am living dreams right in the middle of raising a family. I share my accomplishments and struggles and they share theirs.

​I am curious about their learning and pursuits and they are just as interested in mine. Because I am enjoying life as a learner, they do too. I have done so many things in my life that my kids can learn from. I entered an election and became vice president of the town council. I wrote for newspapers and magazines. I made new kinds of foods and put on parties. I read books and listened to audio books.

​I also show them what fun it is to be a wife and mom. I teach them that it’s okay to eat chocolate in the morning and fill up journals with poems. I make tea for myself and some for them, and they make tea for me. I plant trees and research strange animals. I travel.

My husband makes music, sails, fixes computers and plays Pac-Man… We do a lot of things that we love, and we have fun. We climb mountains together, and go camping!

The children can join us, copy us, learn from us, or ignore us… and when they are grown we will still have each other and our hobbies and interests! I call the pursuit of my own learning “Mom-School”, and in the middle of homeschooling my children is life, my life, my marriage, my adventures! You can’t see where learning stops and life begins, they always blend!

​There are a lot of things I don’t do to make time for what I love, and what I love the most… family. I am not willing to spend all my precious days fussing over math books and spelling words, when we can spend our days in awe of all the magic, wonder, mystery and truth and makes life amazing.

Since I am preparing my kids for the careers and calling that they dream of I have very little work to do to motivate them to work hard and get serious in their fields. It was much harder when I was giving into pressure to teach things they resisted.

I create an environment and give them the tools. I really feel like true education happens when parents and kids collaborate to do real things. But, since I have so many more children than most people, it is a lot easier for me to live out many of my own dreams, than it might be for parents with just a few kids, because the kids create a big amazing team to run this house and to do important projects and go on adventures..

​SHOW THEM what it looks like to live a dream. Then, with very little effort on my part they dream their dreams, they build businesses, they live their calling they become producers, artists and they bring their dreams to life!