A Heart For All Students

Does your child take forever to work on that math assignment?   How long is long enough? Every kid has THAT subject in their schoolwork. It takes them forever to do and seems to be an infinite source of frustration. Thankfully, there is freedom and even benefits in calling it quits at the right time.Today I'll talk about the mistake of pushing our children to do every problem. Hitting a certain number of problems alone does not accomplish the education we seek for our kids. Small chunks over time yield fruit. How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.  In this episode, you’ll hear:A mama's concern for her child’s slower processing speed,My experience with my daughter’s multiplication struggle,Methods for effective and stress-free learningTime stamps:2:05 Children with slower processing speeds2:41 The problem with doing ALL the problems3:29 Goal of education4:12 Effective stress-free learning method5:48 Teaching my daughter three-digit by two-digit multiplication6:51 Our children want to do a good job for usRelated Links From This Episode:Episode Website: How Long Is Long EnoughHomeschooling The Unregulated Child

When homeschooling our kids, it's easy for us to get overwhelmed when our kids are struggling to learn.  Add in our kids' frustrations and their overwhelm can result in difficult behavior such as meltdowns and "tantrums".    And how we respond as parents makes all the difference. In today’s episode, I chat about how God’s grace changes the way we help our children through their hard behaviors. He is big enough to handle our tantrums as adults and He is certainly big enough to handle our kid’s tantrums. In this episode, you’ll hear:My experience with both my own and my daughter’s frustration with learning a new math conceptHow our relationships with our kids and homeschool lessons can not be separateAnd how God’s grace applies to teaching our childrenListen in and see if this resonates with you.  And if you're looking for more support to help your child navigate their own frustrations with learning, check out The Unregulated Child: Sensory Systems & Self-Regulation in Your Home & Homeschool. Time Stamps:4:23 My daughter’s frustration with algebra7:28 How God sees our frustration8:19 Continual pushing breaks relationship8:58 God’s BIG Grace10:50 We can’t control our kidsLinks from this episode:Website home: www.aheartforallstudents.comHomeschool Parent Training: Homeschooling the Unregulated ChildRELATED EPISODE: Zones of Regulation & Self-Regulation For The FamilyBarely Surviving To Outright Thriving Online Course For Moms

Should you train your kids to obey right away?That’s the question and that’s the topic I’m discussing in today’s episode. A sweet friend of mine asked this question a year ago and I answered her in a Facebook Live.  She asked this:“I was at a parenting conference this weekend.  The person leading the workshop told us that it was our job as parents to teach our children to obey right away.  He said we needed to expect this of our kids because that’s how we train our children to listen to and obey the Holy Spirit.   This didn’t sit well with me.  What do you think?”Well, as you can imagine, I had lots to say about it.  I remember hearing this from dear friends as we parented our kids in the earlier years.Ultimately, if it was ever possible for any of us to obey right away we would not need Jesus. All throughout the Old Testament we see the Israelites desperately trying to obey all the laws.  To obey right away and yet they never could.  They failed miserably over and over again. And in God’s ultimate wisdom, provision and love, He chose to send His Son to live the perfect life for us because we will never be able to do so on our own.  Friends, we can never do it perfectly.  We are considered righteous because of Christ’s work and not our own.  So where does this idea of obey right away come from and how do we discipline our kids well?I discuss this concept deeply in my book Behind the Behavior as well as in my online course Barely Surviving To Outright Thriving.  If you’re Christian mom who has struggled with an overwhelming sense of guilt when your child continually displays challenging behaviors, this is the episode for you.   Listen in.  And be encouraged and equipped.  Don’t forget to subscribe and write a review if you found this helpful.   Shoot me an email at Lindsay@aheartforallstudents.com  Would love to hear your thoughts.   In this together!

If you are new to the idea of home education, you may be one of those moms looking to know how to homeschool.  It is not school at home.  Homeschooling is a lifestyle focused on educating each individual child so that they grow into a thriving adult.So if you are overwhelmed and searching for answers as to how to homeschool, give yourself lots of grace.  Learning anything is a process and does not happen overnight.With everything in life, internal motivation is the game changer that propels us forward in any endeavor.  We want our resistant readers to learn to enjoy the experience without stressing about making mistakes.Conversations and dialogue between a trusted adult and a child is not only life-giving but also build up language and reading comprehension skills. Bottom line, when you read aloud to your child of any age, you remove barriers to reading, increase foundational language skills and deepen relationships. Win!  Win!Related Resources:How to Help a Struggling Reader: The Mother of All GuidesOrton Gillingham Approach and All About Reading- Why They Work!How to Choose the Best Homeschool Language Arts Curriculum!

Do you have a kid who melts down at the slightest frustration?   Wait... Is that you banging your head against a wall?  I get it.  I really do.  I know how brutal it can be to navigate our kids' intense emotions and behaviors.  Because the reality is that when our kids are struggling, melting down, are irritable, refuse all the things... it's exhausting and frustrating.If we want to do more than just survive the hard days, we moms need to equip our kids with self-regulation tools.  In today's episode, I'm sharing one of my favorite self-regulation tools, the Zones of Regulation chart.  More importantly, though, I'm discussing the importance of self-regulation and executive functioning for the entire family.The truth is that it's not just our kids with ADHD, Autism, sensory processing and behavioral "issues" that need help with self-regulation and executive functioning.  Nope, adults need to focus on their own skills as well.  And that includes me, Friend.  Truly it does.We are all just people.  Parents and kids alike.  And it's crucial that we understand that we're all a part of the dynamic.  And while it's so hard to parent a child who doesn't fit in the box, the number one thing we can do to support these amazing (and God-designed little people) is to love them through a relationship.And that means that for us to respond well when our kids have meltdowns, tantrums, or simply refuse to do anything they're asked at home or in our homeschools, we've got to be our healthiest selves as often as possible.  (Let's be real--- no mom is ever going to be perfect at this--- especially me.  We're shooting for a new pattern- not perfection).I'm also excited to announce the release of my new in-depth training: Homeschooling The Unregulated Child: Self-Regulation in Your Home & Homeschool.  In it, I'll teach you all about God's design of the brain, and sensory systems and how both impact behavior and learning.  Then I teach you how to move forward with your child.  Get excited!  This is good stuff!Listen in and circle back to me with questions and thoughts.  In this together!

Help!  "My kid hates math!  I hate math!"Math.  You either love it or you hate it.   Our kids either love it or they hate it.I hear you and I hear this all the time from moms and kids.  The problem is that often it's just the way we approach teaching math (or any subject) that gets in the way of our kids' ability to learn.  I'm no exception.The traditional education model is so deeply engrained in our collective minds, that we are often held back simply because we don't check those expectations at the door.  I've been doing this a long time and I too catch myself falling into the "school has to look this way" trap.When it comes to math, we've got to be careful not to fall into these traps that can prevent our kids and ourselves from moving forward.  Again, I'm preaching to myself here.  This is especially important when homeschooling our kids who have learning differences such as ADHD, Autism, dyscalculia, or other executive functioning issues.  So, in today's episode, I offer 11 homeschool math teaching tips for how to best teach math to struggling students.    Listen in, see what resonates and give them a try.  Circle back to me and let me know what you think.  Ask your questions and together, we can change the narrative for our uniquely-wired thinkers.  And get excited because I've just release Homeschooling The Distracted Child: Priming the ADHD Brain For Learning.  I presented this training at the 2020 NCHE Summit for Teaching Exceptional Children.  Now you can have lifetime access to this in-depth homeschool mom teacher training to support your ADHD student.  I also share one of my new favorite homeschool resources Cross Seven Classical Memory Work.  Ah-MAZING!!!  I've been using it for about a month now and I cannot be more excited about this program.  I'm a HUGE fan of memory work as an essential tool in the learning toolbox and Cross Seven is AMAZING!  Did I tell you how AMAZING it is?!!!  Check it out for math memory work (memorize those math facts for good!) and so much more. And I also mention Times Tales Multiplication Memory System.  Both of these resources are fantastic for supporting your child's foundational math skills.  Check them out!This contains affiliate links.  However, I will never recommend anything that I don't stand behind.  Thank you for your support, Friend!!    :)

What do we do when our kids are out of control?  When our kids' first response to frustration is to chuck things across the room or to kick and scream and hit?Tara, a sweet momma from A Heart For All Students private community, asked me this question last year.My boy turns into the Hulk when he is mad!  What do I do?"In today's episode I speak to Tara's problem from a lot of my own personal experience.   Tara, you are not alone, Friend.When we were in the thick of it with my son, he hit, kicked, bit, screamed, threw everything and more.  It was awful.  Sadly, for years I felt completely alone and isolated when none of the good Christian parenting strategies I knew to use worked.  It took years for me to finally realize that this child needed a new approach to parenting and that required me to SHIFT MY THINKING.Today we discuss two of the four steps of the 4 step parenting framework in my recently released parenting course, Barely Surviving to Outright Thriving.RelationshipEmotional VocabularyI will specifically walk Tara through her scenario with the exact steps I recommend to use with our kids when they are in full-blown meltdown mode.   Step by step, I'll walk everyone through a meltdown and how to navigate it with confidence.We address self-regulation, executive functioning and God's brilliant design when He made our kids SMALLER than us when they don't have a fully developed prefontal cortex.  Who knew it's ok to not freak out when our little kids hit us?  I'll tell you why it's ok to take a deep breath and respond differently.  So, that's why we're here today.  Listen in, be encouraged, and regardless of age or diagnosis, know that these principles work.  You've got this, Momma!Don't forget to subscribe & write a review if you found this episode to be helpful.  Grateful for you.  In this together!  One mom at a time, we can change the narrative for kids with ADHD, Autism, anxiety or no acronym at all.  For more homeschooling and parenting support, visit me at A Heart For All Students.  Join Barely Surviving To Outright Thriving and find freedom from the chaos and move the needle forward with your child.  

I recently posted a question to the moms in A Heart For All Students Private Facebook Community.  "It's Saturday!  Another school week in the books.  What do you hope will be different next week and how can we help?"One of our moms replied with this:"We finally decided to do family photos after like 5 years. Scheduled them several weeks ago for Saturday & ...my daughter got sick.  We had to cancel. The best part is, the only place she’s been to pick something up is the doctor’s office a week ago.  Sometimes I have no idea why I try."That one hit me like a ton of bricks.  Sometimes I have no idea why I try.The reason it hit me so hard was because I had this exact narrative in my own head just a few days prior.    If you're new to the show, you may not know that A Heart For All Students was born out of years my own mom burnout.  The adoption of my son & the ensuing years of absolute chaos, stress & isolation led to the mission."To equip moms to empower outside-the-box kids to thrive as the people God has created them to be."Kids who don't fit the box of the world's expectations often struggle terribly in the traditional systems of parenting, education and even within the church.  This may look like:Meltdowns (physical and emotional)RagesVolatile behaviorInattention Poor academic performaceBullyingShaming by adults who see behavior as always willfulSelf-shame & more...When you're the mom of a child struggling, your heart breaks daily.  Fighting for the right supports, for others to show compassion for your child.  The doctor's appointments, interventions (speech & occupational therapy), tutoring, late-nights reading everything you can to help your child.Physical exhaustion of it all.  Then add a child who struggles w sleep every single night for 6 years. True story.  Mom burnout is real.  If you have a child w special needs such as ADHD, Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, Anxiety, dyslexia, etc... it's even more so.   But we still try.  We still bother.  Because we LOVE our kids fiercely.  Even though we know deep down that there is a high likelihood that it'll all fall apart, we still bother.My thoughts on why we should even bother.  What God spoke to my heart just a few days before I read from Sweet Kara of AHFAS tribe of moms.  Be encouraged, Friend.  Mom Burnout is real & it's imporant that we openly aknowledge our pains & struggles.  Our needs matter.  If we pretend they don't, we end up stuffing them deep down until we explode & then we're no good for anyone.In today's episode, I'll address the topic of motherhood & shame.  I discuss shame's role in our mom burnout and how we must fight against it.   We take those shameful thoughts captive to Christ and then we teach our children to do so as well.  So, "Why do we even bother?"   We bother because we love our kids and families so fiercely.  And sometimes, it's the bothering that's the whole point.  Sign up for the FREE Devotional & Teaching Series & learn about executive functioning, behavior & a Gospel-based way to parent differently so our kids thrive!  

These days it every mom has had some experience teaching their kids at home.  As millions of families were thrown into remote learning for the first time, many felt like they were drowning.  Whether you are a seasoned homeschool mom, or if you are teaching your children at home for the first time, you know it's not an easy feat.  A HUGE issue so many homeschool moms face when teaching their kids is engagement.If you have a preschooler, a kiddo in kindergarten or if you are teaching any resistant child, no doubt you've had to be creative to get your student to want to learn.Often, teaching younger students can often feel like stapling jello to a wall.Part of the problem is that many parents believe homeschool life is supposed to look like traditional school except at home.   And often, this is where the resistance to learning comes into play.Get excited, Momma, because here's something to get excited about!Homeschooling  is not supposed to look like school at home!!  This is a good thing because that means you have more power than you think!  :)In this episode, I will offer some reasons why younger children and even older students hate learning.  I'll tell you what you can do to change that in your homeschool.  I specifically discuss one simple strategy that I use to engage my 6 year-old son in learning.   (Hint... I use it with my older children as well as myself.  It works for all people as a strategy to help us all overcome the obstacle of having to do that which we really don't want to do.) Whether you have a preschooler or a high schooler, the general principle behind this technique can be implemented for all learners.  Stop beating your momma head up against the wall, and try this homeschool teaching tip to engage your child in learning!  To read more:  Teaching Tips For Preschoolers (Hint... Works for Adults Too)For More Support & To Learn About God's Design of The Brain, Executive Functioning, Behavior and all the things... check out our Resource Library!  For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-30/

There is nothing I talk about more than the importance of our relationships with our kids.  Nothing.  If we don’t have a healthy, loving and trust-based relationship with our children we have no power.  Period.  The End.For way too long moms, including myself, have been fed this garbage that says that if you don’t nip bad behavior in the bud, that your child is going to fail.  Your child will rebel and ultimately, it will be your fault.When your child disobeys, it’s your fault, Mom.If your child ends up doing drugs, it’s your fault, Mom.When your child struggles with grades, organization, impulse control and all.the.things… it’s your fault, Mom.Whether we received this message intentionally from the world, our churches, our parents, neighbors, friends, or ourselves, buying into this is a life-sucking lie.In today’s episode, I discuss the number one most powerful weapon we mothers (and fathers, teachers, police officers, pastors, youth leaders, children’s ministry leaders, speech therapists, occupational therapists, anyone who works with kids…) has:The ability to INFLUENCE our children through RELATIONSHIP.There is nothing more powerful especially when raising a child with ADHD, Autism, a child of trauma, a child with a fight-or-flight response that is in overdrive.These kids (and all people) need to feel safe in order to receive and process the information that we want to impart to them.As I discuss and teach extensively in my new online parenting course, Barely Surviving to Outright Thriving, relationship must come first. And often, this means, that we moms are going to have to be willing to shift our perspective when our kids display “poor” behaviors.  We are going to have to use our adult executivefunctioning skills in order to stop, breathe and look behind the behaviors.  By looking behind the behaviors to seek the root issues, we then can equip our children, through relationship, with the tools and strategies they need to better handle disappointments, frustrations, transitions, big emotions, and such… in the future.Kids can’t hear us when they feel threatened… because these kids with ADHD, autism, trauma (even a little “t” trauma), executive functioning issues, anxiety, learning differences, etc… these kids are living in fight-or-flight… by no choice of their own.They need to feel SAFE inherently.  Not by your adult brain reasoning standards, but by an immature, scared, and not fully developed child’s standards.What would that have looked like for you as a child?Listen to today’s episode to learn more about how to handle the worst behaviors in a way that works.  Through relationship.   For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-29/

“My kid started kicking me as I was trying just to get him up and ready for Transitional Kindergarten today.  Brutal morning!!”Yep… in this week’s episode of the podcast I share w you a situation that happened with me and my boy last year. That day, I ended up sharing w the moms in AHFAS private Facebook community about that really hard morning w my kid.  Let’s just be real…  we’ve all had crappy mornings w our kids.  Some of us may have more crappy mornings than others.   When you take that deep breath to gird yourself up for wake up time.  Some of you may know that feeling when you prepare yourself for one of two options.It’s either going to be that a choir of angels shines down on you from heaven as your kid has a relatively smooth transition to consciousness.  Or you’re gonna encounter a full-blown attack the moment you dare breathe the words,  “Good  morning, Sweetie.”Well, let me tell ya… That morning was a doozy… and at the same time, it was a morning of clarity.  Yep.  My son started kicking me as I prepared him to get ready for his morning transitional kindergarten (one more year of preschool before kindergarten in our homeschool). It could’ve gone down in flames from there, but we rebounded.  I’ll tell you why and how I handled it in today’s episode of the podcast. If you have a child with executive functioning issues… whether your child is in preschool or is in high school… If your child tends to be familiar with volatile reactions, listen in and be encouraged.  You’re not alone and there is a better way to navigate these tough moments.  We don’t have to freak out and project years into the future… we can stay present and respond differently than the world and tradition tells us. Listen to the episode and tell me what you think.  How do you navigate those wrong side of the bed mornings?  Sweet momma friend, we’re in this together.For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-28/ 

Who simply loves it when the kids are fighting?!!!!  I know I do!  Nothing brings this momma more joy than when the oldest is picking on the youngest.  Even better... when the kids are wrestling for the remote control and end up whacking one another with passionate rage and aggression!  Yes!  What a proud and peaceful mom moment!!  Said NO MOMMA EVER!!In this episode, I speak specifically to a mom in AHFAS private facebook community.  She is open and honest about losing her ever loving mind with the kids' constant fighting and bickering.I hear you, Girlfriend, I hear you.  We all hear you. Today, we're talking about:Mom's frame of mind & reaching out the the Lord for miraculous calm in those momentsAddressing the root issues behind the tensionSpecific language and verbiage to use in those moments when you want to scream at the kids to 'STOP IT NOW OR I'M GOING TO LOSE MY MIND. WAIT?!!  I JUST DID!!"All this and I'll offer a specific strategy to end sibling rivalry that I like to call Peacemaker Points.  (While this will likely work up until the age of 12, you can use the general principle of this strategy to end sibling rivalry in older sibling dynamics).Be encouraged, Momma!  Sibling rivalry is no fun, but remember that these relationships are to be a blessing to our children as they learn how to navigate conflict.  God has chosen these kids to be the sibling of the others and I believe wholeheartedly that He is in this 100% with them.In the end, it's really not only on Mom to solve these issues.  We just get to participate at some level.  We won't be able to fix it always.  And that is ok, Friend.For more encouragement and mom support as we navigate the messy of parenting, register for the 5 Day Devotional Series For The Exhausted Mom. Check out the first module right away!For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-27/

Related Post: 5 Life-Changing Tips for Parenting a Strong-Willed ChildJessica asks, "My kid is so disobedient!  He's so strong-willed and will not obey.  Help!  What do I do?"In today's episode, I will speak to an amazing momma, who knows what it's like to parent a more strong-willed or determined child.  I love Jessica because she is so authentic and real as a momma.  Her openness about her struggles with her child allows other moms to come out of the shadows to really hash through some of the hard and messy of motherhood.  Thank you, Girlfriend!!In answering Jessica's question about her son, I discuss my experiences with my oldest daughter when she was younger.  My girl was a tough cookie back in the day and I employed traditional, authoritative Christian parenting strategies with her.  And it worked.  Kind of.  I was able to get my kid to zip it, and behave outwardly in a way that me me "look and feel good" about myself.  But was it the best approach?  Did it serve my child in the long run to learn that her outward behavior was the most important thing to me?I'm not so sure.  Being totally real here, Friend.  If we want to get our kids to obey, we often need to start by looking at ourselves.  Relationship changes everything.  Listen up and be encouraged as I offer my suggestions and tips so that we moms can best equip our strong-willed kids to thrive.Today we discuss all things parenting, discipline and most importantly, we discuss the reality that we mommas have a lot of garbage rolling through our heads.  Often we carry a lof of unhealthy burden that stems from beliefs and ideas of motherhood that are often left unchecked in the church and in our culture.Let's talk about it today and chew on some different tactics that allow parents to better influence their kids' heart, beliefs and, ultimately, their behavior.  I discuss this in my book, Behind the Behaviors, as well as in the FREE 5 Day Video Teaching Devotional Series for the exhausted momma.  Related Post: 5 Life-Changing Tips for Parenting a Strong-Willed Child

Are you homeschooling a child with ADHD?  Does your kiddo hate all things school?  Chores?  Sitting still?  Ha!  Don’t be discouraged.  ADHD can be an incredible gift!!Regardless, whether you are a new or veteran homeschool mom, harnessing the attention of the ADHD brain can be a challenge. You know the signs:Trouble paying attention to non-preferred activities (think math, reading, chores… whatever is not interesting)Can’t sit still,Difficulty taking turns,Trouble making transitions,A bedroom that is always messy no matter how many times it has been organized…You get the idea.Insisting on the traditional school-based approach in our homeschools only sets up our kids (and moms) to fail.  Mom becomes frustrated with her inability to teach her child.  Academic growth stalls while frustrations and tensions between child and mom grow.The good thing is that ADHD is often not the problem!  It’s our adult expectations that’s the issue.  When we adjust our expectations to see the abilities and strengths of the ADHD brain, we can harness its genius!Listen to this week’s episode full of ideas to best harness the power of your child’s ADHD brain.  My sweet friend, Alicia Mathews, a pediatric Occupational Therapist offered some of her favorite OT strategies to use to support optimal learning for our ADHD kids.Get excited and have some fun this week as you try out these simple, but powerful tips in your homeschool!  And get this… these strategies work for ALL.THE.THINGS… behavior, chores and to simply allow your child to thrive in so many ways.  Listen in and be encouraged!  Comment below with your favorite ways to teach your ADHD kiddo at home!   We’re in this together!! For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-25

“My son screams bloody-murder to get our attention.  He interrupts constantly.  What do I do?”Do you have a child who is constantly interrupting?Screams in frustration when he can’t get his words out?I speak to this issue in this week’s episode of the podcast.1 - Speech & language processing & delays2 - Sensory processing as a whole,3 - ADHD (including Adult ADHD)4 - How to guide our kids (and ourselves) through some of the toughest moments. Remember, Friend, behavior is information.Be encouraged.  There is so much behind the behavior.  Let’s rally around our kids and support them with the tools and strategies they need to thrive.Be encouraged!  There’s hope!For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-24/

When the world tells us that our kids’ “poor” behaviors are always WILLFUL we can end up so frustrated when traditional ways of discipline don’t work.So many of us are great at becoming “offended” when our kids behave “badly.”  This happens because deep down, we believe that our value comes from our children’s outward behavior.Girlfriends, this is such a lie and it’s killing us moms and it’s destroying our kids who don’t fall in line with the world’s expectations!Mommas are always asking me what to do about their kids whose default response is RAGE.  When our kids become ANGRY at the slightest hint of correction.  Within the church community, we moms have an extra level of pressure because we are continually reminded that ANGER is SIN.  Therefore, we mommas had better nip that in the bud.  Ugh!  Such a life-sucking belief that destroys.So many of our kids are struggling not because they are intentionally trying to be ugly, but because THEY NEED HELP.  And when we moms continue to push harder with the same old rewards and consequences mentality, we often only make things so much worse.In this week’s episode, I discuss the challenges and pain (I’ve been there, Girls) of having a raging, destructive child.  I share what I’ve learned and why we must approach these kids differently.Be encouraged!  There’s hope!For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-23/

I want to change the lives, and the trajectory... the long-term outcomes for our children that dare to live outside-the-box and don’t fit the mold. And the only way that I can do that is by creating a tribe of moms who are willing to parent differently, who are brave enough to parent differently.What I found when I was navigating the most horrific behaviors of my boy, was that I felt so alone. Once I moved to the other side of this, I realized how desperately I needed community then.  We need one another! I need other moms to join with me in order for us to change the long-term outcomes for our outside-the-box, neurodiverse, uniquely-designed childrenI want to share what I've learned with other moms who know there must be a better way to parent their kids, but aren't sure what that looks like.Let's rally together.  One mom at a time... I share with you.  You share with your friend.  That friend shares with another friend and eventually we create a tribe of moms that boldly parent the children in front of them instead of parenting the "prototype" kid of norms and cultural expectations.God calls us to love others.  And He models this through relationship. We need to model that love to our kids and equip our kids using the power of our relationships with them.Relationship first.  Always.   Join us and grab the Free 5 Day Devotional for you. Be encouraged and grab your free copy at www.Bit.ly/exhaustedmomhope For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-22/

Freaking out about homeschooling your child this year? Friend, you can do this. "How am I supposed to homeschool my child?!!  I'm not a professional teacher."   A sweet momma from A Heart For All Students Private Community asked me to speak to this question... and you know I have a BIG opinion on this. In today's episode of the podcast, I talk all about co-learning and why you do not have to be a professional teacher to equip your child with a stellar education. Of course, I mention my favorite homeschool writing curriculum... Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW), and of course I throw in a @classical_conversations history sentence as well. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do this, Friend!  If you are feeling led, go for it!!  Learning happens all the time!!  Rock this with your children and co-learn with them. I'm all about equipping our outside-the-box thinkers.  Even if your child has a learning difference, you and your child can thrive in your homeschool!!Be encouraged!  Listen to the episode (forgive my son's interruptions... #homeschoollife)... and get inspired!!  For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-21/

As a homeschool coach, moms are constantly asking me to help them figure out how to help their kids write.  Or at least not hate it.When it comes to helping our children learn to write, let me encourage you.  It’s all going to be ok. I’ll share some of the major reasons why children hate writing.   What is the objective of teaching our kids to write?To learn to communicate ideas and thoughts to the world.  Friend, our kids hate writing for a reason.   It’s our job to help them find the reason.If we want our kids to get over their hatred of writing, we’ve got to make writing as accessible as possible.We must accept what our child offers.  This is critical for our children who hate to write.When our kids have the undivided attention of a supportive adult, confidence builds.  Internal motivation to communicate through words grows.  Practice penmanship separately from new concepts and skills.  Your child who hates writing will pick up a pen when intrinsically motivated. For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-20/

If you have a child with any form of anxiety, this selective mutism story is for you.I’ve asked a sweet teen friend of mine, Sarah, to share her selective mutism story to encourage other young girls.Nearly 4.4 million children have been diagnosed with childhood anxiety.  This does not include likely millions of others who do not have a diagnosis.Awareness of this issue is critical to improving the long-term mental health of these amazing, valuable and God-created people. Ultimately, spreading awareness of childhood anxiety in its many forms will help us better equip our children with what they need to thrive and overcome.Selective Mutism is one form of anxiety that affects our children and teens.My hope is that her story will not only serve to encourage younger girls but will spread awareness of the multiple faces of childhood anxiety.  Parents, educators and other people influencing the lives of our kids need this information.  For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-19/