A dad’s experience with parenting and homeschooling

by Busch Jones on June 10, 2011

father son photos

Ash and Busch Jones

Dad’s speak out! I asked a number of father’s, in honor of their day, to talk about their expereinces with homeschooling, being a dad, loving their children and quite a number of other topics. Stay tuned over the next few weeks to see what they had to say. Kudos to Busch Jones, the first dad to actually write and send in his thoughts! So read on and see this dad’s experience with parenting and home schooling.

I look forward to the opportunity each evening I get to spend time with my wife and children after a long day of work. When I come home, I try to build on my children’s excitement of what they have learned, played and experienced throughout the day. I like to question them each on how their day went and what they did – not as an inquisition but rather to show my interest in what they learned and accomplished.

I love to see the excitement in my children as they describe in detail everything they experienced and learned – the book they are reading, the new picture they made, the new math concept they mastered, or what they made outside in the yard. I try to make comments about what they have learned in order to continue the environment of learning that my wife has built with the children throughout the day. I believe this reconfirms to my children that what their mother has inspired and taught them throughout the day is important. This shows my support to both my wife and my children that their efforts are good. This second confirmation in the eyes of my children not only helps them understand the importance of what they have learned but also helps them understand my role as the father in the home.

 

father daughter swimming pictures

Cedar, Busch and Tannin Jones

I believe that the mother and father have equal importance in their family roles. In our family, my wife is home with the children throughout the day. She is the one who is inspiring and teaching all day long. She is the one juggling the many daily activities of learning, going on outings, babysitting cousins, coordinating the daily chores, running her own business – the list goes on. She puts forth a great amount of energy and effort each day to help our children learn and grow. When I come home at the end of the day, I hope to continue on with the learning and growing rather than be a hindrance.

I also have the pleasure of being a part of the family bonding time when the day is winding down and my children may be worn out from a full day. This environment is ideal for gathering together to delve into a classic. I use this time to read, discuss ideas and opinions, answer questions, talk about dreams and goals or plan outings and travel plans with the children. Throughout the years, there have been many times that we have laughed, cheered, wondered, cried or just talked during this family time. I believe that memories have been built during these times that will last forever in our minds. The amount of time I have with my children each day is limited so I try to make the most of it that I can and I have found no better way than sitting and reading with my children.

Busch Jones lives with his wife Annette and children 14, 12 & 8 in West Valley City, Utah.    He and Annette have been homeschooling parents for the past 8 years.  His favorite things include spending time with his family, traveling, kayaking and all things Tolkien

I am really looking forward to hearing more father’s experiences with parenting and homeschooling. It will be enlightening to see how they view the role of father in the family.  So stay tuned. Mary Ann

 


 

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How you see it makes a difference

by Mary Ann on June 9, 2011

picnic fun picture

When I am present with my children I am ministering

How you see it makes a difference! I needed some mentoring.I spent some time thinking about it and I found just the person. Her specialty was what I wanted and needed and it cost a lot of money. YIKES!!!

So I wrote out my intention, hung it on the wall and looked at it every day. I thought “how can I get what I need”. Then I figured it out. It was a stroke of genius. I am an organizing whiz and a cleaning dynamo. I had never met this woman but I knew a bit about her. She has four children and runs a couple of businesses from home. She is busy. So I called, made a unique proposal and voila, I have my mentor.

bread making pictures

We minister to another when we teach.

I am sharing this with you because of what happened today when I was in her home. I was busily organizing and cleaning and her children, who are all out of public school for the summer, were just as busily messing and unorganizing. (Actually they were just being kids, doing kid things) Kim said, “Doesn’t that just get to you. You just get it cleaned and they mess it up. It seems like a losing battle.”

I looked up and smiled. “I raised seven children,” I replied. “It used to upset me. It did seem like a losing battle. Then one day I decided that I wasn’t at war. It wasn’t me against them. It wasn’t a zero-sum game where if I win they lose and if they win I lose. It wasn’t even about cleaning and keeping it clean. It was all about ministering.” Kim smiled at me and said, “I like that, I really like that.”

kid medicine picture

We minister when we comfort

How you see it really does make a difference! I realized that the reason I was cleaning and organizing in the first place was to minister to the needs of my children and family. I baked bread, changed diapers, cooked food, gardened and sewed all for the same reason. I was ministering to the needs of my family.

The meaning of “to minister” is to give aid or service and I would add, to do it with joy.

It felt good when I stopped going to war every day and just went to minister.

laundry clothes picture

We minister when we work

It really freed me up. I no longer had to worry if I got it all done before they could mess it up again. In fact I no longer had to worry if I got it done at all. All I had to do was look for ways to minister.

Some days that meant doing nothing but teaching a child to sew or helping an 11 year old make bread. Other days it was all about cleaning up vomit and rubbing sick tummies and soothing sweaty brows. Other days I ministered in the park along with a half dozen 10 year olds putting a nature study book together. Sometimes ministering meant mountains of laundry and folding, folding, folding. I stopped going to battle. I made peace with myself, my family, my sometimes mundane work and that season of my life. I began to focus on ministering to those around me. How you see it, whatever it is, makes all the difference..

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How to embrace present season of your life

by Mary Ann on June 8, 2011

seasons Of Life pictures

Ecclesiastes 3:1 1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…

What is your season of life? Do you find joy in it? Do you wish you could move to a new season? Does it cause you consternation that the seasons of your life don’t always mesh with what you want them to be?

“I have been feeling lately that most of my brain is asleep. I have only been doing what is necessary for many years. I would like to feel more awake and capable. So I am on the search for something I would like to do. I have created the habit of doing a lot of thinking and coming up with ideas but not moving forward with them. I will just have to step out and make the effort.  Love, Marie”

A short time later I received this letter.

“So I am thinking about trying to get a small class together here. I read your post on stopping yelling and thought maybe I would start with that. Maybe do two things per class. So I would need to elaborate on your ideas more. Maybe you could email a little more detail on your steps two at a time. I would maybe do a class every other week or once a month. Also maybe give us each a challenge to work on until the next class. What are your thoughts on this? Love, Marie”

This letter came from a dear friend of mine. She has recently begun a second marriage. She has four children ages 3 through 11 and one on the way. Being pregnant is not easy for her. She will have her children home 24-7 which isn’t this family’s normal schedule.

She feels the need to exercise her brain, do something worthwhile and important; maybe create a class, organize a group of women and have challenges to work on. After all she has spent the last 11 years doing what is necessary, parenting her children and all that entails. It doesn’t feel like very inspiring work to her right now. She is questioning the value of her present season of life.

pregnant mom child pictures

Cherish the season of life you are in

I think that this woman has challenges aplenty. She is in a very important season that is going to take all the energy, wit and humor and time that she has; parenting a new family and creating a new life!

I love this woman. She is an amazing mom, a wonderful friend and a real go getter. She like many other women I know has a difficult time recognizing the season that she is in and then accepting and embracing it. That is how many of us get into trouble.

Here was part of my reply.

“As for your brain, during a fifth pregnancy is not the time to try and take on a bunch of new stuff!!!!!!! Find a good book to read and call it good until this baby is here and at least a year old. That really is the focus right now and it is OK. Everything has a season. Really!

I love you Marie. Don’t get distracted. Right now you are creating a new family and a new baby. There are forces which will try to distract you even with good things. Don’t let them do it. Just be present with what is happening now. Let this be your season to blend your family, heal it, and to add to it. Let this be your season for magnificent mothering and peaceful parenting.”

I know that it is really important for a woman to stretch her mind and find her passion, follow her mission, and so forth and so on. I have heard it all. However, it is equally important, if not more so, to cherish your mothering years, to value them and to find peace in them. Cherish motherhood and the duties that come with it. Be open to the season you are in.

I actively parented for 40 years. Our youngest child left home last year.I am over 60 years old and am here to tell you that there is life after parenting. There is time for all the beautiful things you hope to accomplish in this life. Its never too late to accomplish your dreams and goals.

I finished my bachelors and did my Master’s when I was almost 50.

grandparent kids reading

There is LOTS of life after parenting

I started a new business after I was 60 and it is doing well.

I began writing after 60.

I began speaking in front of large audiences, a long held dream of mine, just before I turned 60.

It is important to relish the seasons of your life. You are not going to run out of time by taking care of the season of life that you are in. You will, however, be able to look back on each season with a bit more joy and satisfaction!

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A memorable summer experience and a FREE gift!!!

by Mary Ann on June 7, 2011

excited boy picture

A Dozen Weeks of FUN!

A Dozen Weeks of FUN is here.

As many of you know this is a wonderful program to help you jump start your children’s summer and keep it gong with excitement and learning right into fall.

I am very happy to announce that I am  giving away three of these exciting programs!!

What do you need to do to win? Just share one of your most memorable summer experiences with my readers and I. You can share something from your childhood or youth or from your current family. Winners will be announced here on June 13, Monday, along with our Traveling Closet post.

I have shared so many of my youthful experiences with you but I thought of another one the other day, a very memorable summer experience.

One of my husband’s favorite things is breakfast. That is a sad circumstance because he married me and the only meal that I don’t like and rarely cook is breakfast! Really, breakfast food is gross! Give me a slice of cold pizza or a bowl of left over chicken noodle soup and I am good to go.

The one caveat to this is that I LOVE cooking outdoors and will rise at 5am just to cook breakfast. Amazing isn’t it. So one summer day I had the idea that I would cook breakfast in the park which was just two blocks from our Montana home.

lady cooking pictures

I really LOVE cooking outdoors!

I put our big, old homemade camp stove in the back of our old beat up pickup. I packed all the supplies for bacon, eggs, pancakes, green chili and coco in a large cardboard box. I packed a blanket to sit on, lawn chairs for Don and I, and all the plates, utensils, napkins, etc., whew it takes a lot of stuff to feed a family of eight outdoors!

On Saturday morning I woke everyone up early and amid protests of where are we going and why do I have to get up I loaded six sleepy children in the van and one sleepy husband in the truck. Off we drove for the whole two blocks.

That was the most wonderful breakfast and a real memory maker. Don still mentions it occasionally. The thing that made it so memorable was the spontaneity of it. It was totally unexpected by everyone.

By the way, you may be asking what green chili is. Well, Don’s granny and granddad Landis worked in the coal mines in Colorado with many people from Mexico. They learned how to make Mexican green chili which they ate on pan cakes. Please, stop making faces; it is absolutely to die for!

Granny made it so hot that when it passed by your plate your eyes began to water and you broke out in a sweat. I have changed it a bit as we would rather sweat while playing ball, not while eating breakfast. There really isn’t a recipe but you can find the general directions below. It is one of our family’s favorite breakfasts and is requested on all holidays and at all reunions. Enjoy!

Landis Mexican Green Chili

Chop one large onion. Sauté in a skillet with at least a pound of hamburger till onions are soft and burger is done. (We use a bit more burger) Add two small cans of chopped green chilies (we use more and they are MILD) and simmer a couple of minutes. Salt and pepper well. I add a bit of Kitchen Bouquet for color. It is in the spice aisle of your grocery store. It is optional. Add two tablespoons of flour (or more) to this mixture and stir well. Let it cook a minute or two and then add enough water to make thick gravy. Simmer while you whip up some pancake batter. Bake the cakes and serve them piping hot, covered with the chili. It isn’t green but looks like good brown hamburger gravy. Mmmmm I am hungry just thinking about it. Enjoy!

mexican Green Chili Salsa picture

Landis Green Chili looks like this, sorta : )

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