Search Results for: blog learning to stand up for yourself

Learning to Say No

Saying that little two letter word has always been a struggle for me. I don’t like to disappoint or upset people, as a result, I often find myself in situations that I really don’t have the time or the energy to be in. Now that I am divorced, I find myself doing the same thing with my ex-husband. My fear of conflict often causes me to give in to the inconvenience of the things he asks on a regular basis. “I have plans tonight, can I get him now instead?” Well, of course. “I got off work early and don’t … Continue reading →

Learning to Stand Up for Yourself

I’ve never been very good at standing up for myself. I’m a pleaser, so I tend to let people walk all over me, my ex husband included. There have been many times that I have given in to him to avoid the contention that inevitably follows if I don’t. This is something I have struggled with for as long as I can remember, but I have finally come to the realization that it has to stop, because my needs are important too. Many times I have become so consumed with keeping the peace, that I forget to take care of … Continue reading →

Intentional about Learning More

The year 2012 I plan on being intentional about learning more. I always admire adults who go back to school or otherwise continue their learning. I was in my late 30’s when I took some online courses, some related to childcare and others were general (such as economics). It felt so good to be learning even later in life. This past summer I had an opportunity to learn more about my field of writing by attending a writing conference in another state. It served as a way to sharpen my skills. Learning more about your field will help grow both … Continue reading →

Learning from Past Mistakes

Have you ever looked at your kids and wondered how they can keep making the same mistakes, after you’ve told them time and time again about it? We can be tempted to think much the same when we look at Scripture and the Israelite people. Recently my readings have been in Numbers. I read how the Israelites refused to listen to Caleb and Joshua and ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years instead of entering the Promised Land. They also refused to listen to Moses and Aaron and grumbled against them, Numbers 16 and again in Numbers 20 … Continue reading →

Free Range Learning

Free Range Learning is born from the idea that a child learns best naturally. If one is able to harness a child’s natural bent toward learning then one can instill not only a love for learning but a curiosity about the world. Children and teenagers blossom academically when the restrictions are lifted and they are free to learn. This book also emphasizes how homeschooling takes center stage in allowing this type of academic freedom. While the author does an excellent job explaining her position she is backed up by an array of experts from neurologists, historians, child development experts and … Continue reading →

Matching Teaching and Learning Styles

In any classroom, there will be students who easily understand and comprehend everything a teacher is communicating. There are also students who struggle to follow the teacher’s instructions. There was a time when this inability to understand the teacher was misinterpreted as as learning disability. The truth is that in these cases it is more likely that the teaching style of the instructor doesn’t match the students learning style. While one teacher cannot adapt their teaching style to meet the learning styles of everyone, In the homeschool environment adapting is much easier. The first thing a homeschool parent must do … Continue reading →

Already Tired of Resolutions? Give Yourself a Rest

You may think it’s a bit late for New Year’s resolutions, but I always give myself some slack the first two weeks of January. I want to enjoy the full 12 Days of Christmas, and then I want to get back into the work/school routine again so that I can really see where we want to make changes. I have made suggested resolutions for adoptive parents before, and made others just for myself before. Upcoming blogs will have my reflections on those resolutions, as well as information on events in 2008 that affect the world of adoption, such as the … Continue reading →

The Older Couples on the Path

I’ve learned a lot on my quest so far this year to understand what it takes to have a long and successful marriage. I’ve learned secrets from Families.com readers and non-Families.com sources of inspiration alike. But one thing I failed to consider was something else. Something that struck me the other day as I was walking Murph on his favorite park path: your marriage can’t last if you don’t. Yes, I’m talking about keeping yourself healthy. Seems so obvious, but it wasn’t until I saw the older couples on the path that it clicked. I’m talking 65 and up. They … Continue reading →

Baby Blog Month in Review: July 2008

Two of my three children are summer babies. That is, they were born in the summer and had their first months surrounded by sunshine streaming in the windows, the sound of birds chirping, and days spent wearing nothing but a diaper and a “onsie.” I made sure that they had Fourth of July outfits ready, even though one of them arrived a week after the holiday. I guess he just wasn’t interested in the parade. Do you have a summer baby, too? We had a lot of new information to share this past month, such as recall notices and new … Continue reading →

Learning How and When to Walk Away from a Stressful Situation

Many single parents eventually learn how to be fighters. We learn how to stick up for ourselves and how to advocate for our children and our families. This, in itself, can be a good thing and a real developmental leap for many of us. There are those times, however, when the very best thing we can do is NOT stay and battle and fight—but to walk away and let things go… It took me a long time to learn how to walk away and avoid a fight or argument. In the world that I was raised in, I learned how … Continue reading →