Luv'N Lambert Life

Mental Health, Homeschooling, Epilepsy and More

Archives for 2011

Cinderella Story? I think not! {Thoughts from Me}

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Somedays I feel like I’m trapped in a bad Cinderella story.  The clutter seems to take over and I feel like I’m drowning in mess.  No matter how hard I try to overcome the Chaos, I cannot find a way out. 

I know I’m not the only one who feels like this.  Millions of women fall prey to the clutter overtaking their life.  Daily we search for the magic key to find our way out of the mess.  We read books and visit websites about cleaning, organizing, and overcoming this part of our lives.

I have read many books myself, frequented websites like Flylady.net, and attempted to put into action tons of plans to help me get organized and learn the important aspects of housekeeping.  Each time I have failed.  These same things that have worked for tons of women, do not work for me.

So where to start when you are overwhelmed, overworked and overly stressed?  Where do you start on the days when it’s just too much to get out of bed and face the mess in your home?  What do you do when you don’t know what to do?

I have learned that the first thing I should do is take my mess to the Lord.  I pray and ask God for guidance, allow Him to work His magic on my life.  While He is healing my clutter on the inside, I work on our home. 

Second thing I do is pick a place and just start.  For instance, today I cleaned out a cabinet in my bedroom, refolding the clothes inside, threw out the clothes I no longer like, and I went through a file of photos that were stashed in there too.  It wasn’t much but it made a big impact on my bedroom.

I find that my time on the computer takes a lot from my day, preventing me from getting things done that I need to.  In order to prevent this distraction in my life, I have been limiting how much time I am spending on this time waster.  This is allowing me more time to get my housework done. 

Small things, like investing in a dishwasher have helped me a lot, too.  Instead of washing dishes, I am able to load the dishwasher and then get something else done while the dishes are being washed by the machine.  This is something my children are also able to help out with giving me even more time to work on other tasks that need done.
I distribute easier tasks to my children.  I have them pick up their own messes as soon as they are done.  They help our preschooler put her things where they belong.  They are being taught that living in a home requires everyones help to keep it in control and they enjoy the results of their efforts over time.

I am still learning about homekeeping and organizing.  It’s been a long hard road for me to travel but I have learned bits and pieces from the materials I have read, though the methods haven’t worked for me.  I am taking the bits and pieces and creating my own style of cleaning and organizing that does work for me and my family.

What are some of your best homekeeping and organizing tips?  Which tasks do you do yourself and which do you distribute to other family members to do?

An American Education {Homeschooling}

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Lately, I have been asked quite a few questions about home schooling, especially in our home state of South Carolina. In this post, I would like to discuss home schooling throughout the country. Later, I will discuss the particulars of home schooling in South Carolina.
With the downslide of American education many parents are seeking different methods for educating their children. Parents want to improve the lives of their children by bringing their children back home, or at least back to their families, instead of thrusting them into the common institution of Public School. Parents are beginning to realize that there are other options to choose from.
The Public Education System:
This educational method was developed as a normal occurrence in America in the 19th Century and became the primary source for education in the decades that followed. This form of education has it’s benefits and it’s downfalls.
Benefits are that there are set hours for learning that both parents and children can rely on. This allows parents a break, as well as time for work, home duties, and community relations that would be harder to manage with children at home every day. It allows children to know exactly what to expect each day.
In public schools, children are taught from the five main subjects of Mathematics, Reading, Writing, Science and Social Studies or History each year and later they are also taught Composition and Literature. Many public schools include studies in Physical Education, Art, Music, and Foreign Language. Some schools add in even more studies but these are the general group of studies available in most American schools.
Transportation and meals are provided by the public school system for those in the community. Discounts and free materials are provided for those who have low incomes that qualify for assistance. Field Trips are often an added bonus as well as constant socialization with peers.
Downfalls are that children often get up early for school and don’t get home until late afternoon. Parents and children miss out on essential relationship time with one another and special moments are often shared with the educator instead of a child’s parents. Children are often pressed to learn concepts they are not ready to explore and forced to stay on task when they fall behind on these confusing concepts. This often leads to children not obtaining optimal scores on tests and later to them becoming more confused, making it harder to catch up to other students who are ahead of them on the learning curve. Many children never catch up at all and continue to fail throughout their lives.
Parental interaction and discipline becomes a task trusted to the child’s educator instead of the parent. Respect towards a parent tends to drop due to lack of interaction from the limited time parents and children actually have together. Educational right is signed over to the school system making the school responsible for your child in the many hours they are in the school’s possession, leaving the parent with essentially no right to their own child.
As you can tell there are many bonuses and many disappointments in American Public Schools. As a parent, we must weigh the positives and negatives against our own families beliefs, wants and goals to see if this option is right for us. For many, it is the perfect way to educate but for others there may be better ways that are being missed. I will discuss those next.
Private School:
Privately funded schools have been around much longer than Public Schools. These schools are often funded by wealthy members or large corporations. They are similar to public schools in that they provide education in a wide variety of subjects, however they often come with a high tuition and a limited entrance allowance for students.
Some schools require students to pass a entrance exam before accepting them for admission. Often these schools do not provide free meals or transportation and these things must be provided by the parent instead on top of tuition cost and educational fees. However, having less students in a classroom provides a better educational approach, sometimes providing more one-on-one time for students than Public Schools offer.
Private schools often offer music, sports, and more. Christian schools provide education in the Lord. This can be an excellent educational choice for students and families if a parent can afford tuition costs and provide the necessary essentials needed to maintain this choice.
Virtual School:
Virtual schools come in two forms: State provided and Tuition schools. Tuition paid virtual school allow much more freedom in education than those provided by the state but often home schooling parents cannot afford the cost.
Tuition paid virtual schools allow parents to pick and choose their curriculum choices, their hours, options, field trips and more. It is all up to the parent to decide what to use, what works best for their child and what is not worth the time spent to complete. This version of virtual school is often the only one supported by home school associations in America.
State provided Virtual school has recently been termed “public school at home”. Many home schooling associations throughout America no longer accept this type of schooling as home school and instead have deemed it to be public school. Statements by parents who use this method have showed that this type of education can often be much harder than that of regular public school, as it is geared to challenge a student more than normal public school does.
If your child excels at school work then this would probably be a great option for you. If your child is behind in school work then this option may put your child farther behind educationally. Only you, as the parent, can decide what is best for your child and family.
The same educational choices offered through public school are often offered with Virtual schools. Field trips, school events, etc are provided through the public school option.
Charter Schools:
Charter Schools are sort of a cross between private and public schools. They are state provided, though they have less rules than that of traditional public schools. This allows Charter Schools more freedom of choice in educational methods and materials, often allowing a better education for students.
Charter schools often have admission requirements that must be met by a student, much like Private schools. Transportation is not always provided. Outside resources sometimes provide essential money for educational provisions. However, teachers are not always certified trained educators.
The degree of freedom allowed can make up for the lacking of institutional requirements for this type of school. Children are often found to excel in this type of educational environment because the general requirements are more lenient than those of Public Schools.
Home School:
School at home is our choice of education. I cannot stress the benefits of home schooling enough. I will first mention the downfalls though.
Home schooling is tough. Parents are often with their children 24/7 with little to know break. Parents must see to their child’s every need and have no one to blame their slackness upon when things fall through. Parents must find educational methods on their own to provide interest for their children, to cure boredom and challenge children, as well as themselves. Parents are the only disciplinary figure in their child’s life. Parents must deal with medical issues that affect education with little to no help. Parents must provide educational materials, opportunities, socialization, and more with no assistance or financial help. Families often have to learn to survive on one income.
Now for the bonuses of home schooling: Children are able to learn in a private, comforting environment. Children are able to learn at their own pace, with little to no interruptions. Children are able to work for shorter periods of time, allowing more time for play. Families are able to spend large amounts of time together strengthening bonds. Families are able to take trips with one another or have park or play days when it’s convenient to them, not a state dictated schedule. Children are able to learn subjects that interest them, not those preferred by the school district they attend. Children are able to dress, eat, love things that fit their style. Parent’s are able to choose curriculum content based on their family preferences, adding biblical studies, life skills, foreign language studies and much more as they please and as early as they feel it is educationally important. Children come to enjoy their schoolwork instead of resent it because it’s tailored to their likes and needs. Families get along better because they don’t suffer from the pressures of outside tasks.
This list could go on and on but I will stop here. In the future, I will be giving more home schooling information, sharing specifics for the State of South Carolina, as well as curriculum ideas per grade level. We will share our likes and dislikes, our joys and regrets. For now, I hope this article gives you some insights on the different educational types available in comparison with one another. 
Disclaimer: This is my personal opinion.  I am not a doctor or lawyer or professional and do not proclaim to be.  I am only a blogger.  The rest of my disclaimer is located at the bottom of the home page on my blog.

10 Things About Me {Thoughts From Me}

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It’s been a long day.  I’ve had the feeling of Satan breathing over my shoulder all day.  Not a pretty experience.  It’s lead to some serious misunderstandings and well, drama.

That brings me to this post.  I feel I should be honest, and I should truly let you know me.  I warn you that it’s not at all pretty.  I mean I am Human!  I can almost feel yall shudder at that statement!  I shudder myself.

Human – there I said it again.  I am HUMAN.  I am NOT PERFECT. 

I have opinions, like all humans.  Opinions I have formed after being on this massive planet for the last 31 (almost 32) years.  Should any of us be faulted for that?  Nope, we are all imperfect according to the word of the Bible.

I know not all of my friends believe in God or the Bible but I do so bear with me, please.  I know yall are my true friends so you already do, though I’m sure you think some of my thoughts about “God” are bogus nonsense.  I never know because you never tell me, just as I try not to do you.  I appreciate that respect.

So, I’m getting off-track in my message.  There are some things you should know about me that I probably should have thrown out there a while back.

1.  I’m a recovering Dramatic.  That’s right, I can admit it!  I have been known to be quite the Dramatic in my past.  I still suffer this issue at times.  It’s something you have to learn to overlook.  People who really know me will tell you it’s not as bad as it once was.  I fight the urge to be a Drama Queen often, daily in fact.  I have learned to put away the crown and just let life be over the years.  But there are days, like this one in fact, that it’s just soooo very had to do! 

2.  I can sometimes be selfish.  Oh, another one I can admit to! 😉 I don’t fall prey to this one as much now that I have my children.  In fact, I tend to be more selfless than anything.  I put my children and their wants first.  I put other’s needs first most days too.  Funny how having children really will change you!

3.  I speak my mind.  Not nearly as much as I once did but if I believe in it, I speak it.  I do my best to think about who could be hurt by things I say but sometimes I miss.  I remind you of my earlier comment that I am human. 

4.  I am not afraid or ashamed to stand up for what I believe in.  This goes along with number 3: I speak my mind.  If you hurt someone I care about I will let you know.  If I disagree with you I will let you know.  If I have an opinion on something I will let you know.

5.  I am HONEST.  It’s a quality missing in many folks these days.  If you don’t want an honest answer, then perhaps you shouldn’t ask me.  As I said, I will tell you what I think and what I believe in.  I will make an honest effort not to hurt your feelings, to listen to how God tells me to breach a comment or thought to you, but it will be an honest opinion.  I do my best to take in both sides to form an unbiased opinion too.

6.  Sometimes I curse.  Yes I’m Christian but no I’m not perfect.  I try not to but sometimes I do it.  Reminds me to be thankful that God forgives!

7.  I am Christian.  I am not a devout, bible smacking, “you’re going to hell because _______” type of Christain.  I am a meager, little soul who loves God and Jesus and the Holy Ghost.  I pray hard for those who cross my thoughts.  I ask forgiveness for all in Jesus’ name.  I try to follow God’s rules and I do my best NOT to judge others for any reason, though sometimes I do fail (I am human).  I believe God uses me for His Good and I try to allow him to do that.

8.  I am a homeschooling Mom and it’s something I push for other’s to enjoy.  I admit it’s not right for everyone but many simply miss out.  This makes me sad for the parent and their beautiful children.  I chose homeschooling because my daughters both have Epilepsy and my son is ADHD.  I knew they wouldn’t get the education and attention they needed in Public School.  Our educational choice is Eclectic and Unschooling, varied throughout the year.  I know some will disagree with our method but the beauty is that it is our choice.

9.  I like being old-fashioned in my beliefs.  I like having tradition.  I put God first, my spousal relationships second and my children third.  I think of them all pretty much as being first though in some way. 

10.  I learn I’m wrong on my own.  I don’t need you to “tell” me I’m right or wrong.  I have a bigger God to do that for me!  And trust me, he lets me know!  You cannot convey nearly what he can.  I simply won’t listen. 

So those are 10 things you probably didn’t know about me but now you do!  If any of this changes how you feel about me, that’s ok!  I love yall anyways.

Planning for my Future {Thoughts From Me}

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I’m doing a lot of reviewing in my life.  I sometimes get a little sidetracked due to Life but I’m trying to stay focused.  Often it’s hard to do.  I blame it on being a Gemini but I’m sure there are more contributors too.

Somethings I need to change in life are:
1. Going to bed late.
2. Getting up late (due to going to bed late).
3. Eating healthier.
4. Home management aka cleaning house.
5. Educational development.
6. Reading for blog reviews.
7. Researching information for more structured blog posts.
8. Last but NEVER least, reading encouraging Christian things that strengthing my relationship with God.  This includes reading my Bible, which I don’t dread nearly as much as I once did.

Next step is figuring out where to start. 

At this time I feel a good place is to instill a decent bedtime and wake up time.  And also work on reading encouraging things that bring me closer in my relationship with God.  I want to be a blessing to the Lord, to do His work, as He intends and to help other’s with His divine guidance. 

This week I will work on these things.  I will also work on setting out a plan for home management and education, as well as reviews and blog research and posting. 

I feel that if I can establish a decent sleep pattern my days will flow better.  I also feel that having a strong relationship with God is the most important thing I can do for my children and myself.  After managing these things the rest should fall into place.  I suppose with time we will see what happens.

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