Homeschooling High Schoolers-Organization

Fall is in full swing now and we are on our 7th week of Homeschooling. This is our last week of soccer, and then we won't have to worry about what time we finish. (mwaa-ha-ha-haaaa...*wink*).


Homeschooling your teen through High School always brings about organization concerns. The thought of credits and transcripts can cause a little fear in the most hearty of homeschoolers. But really, it's not as bad as it sounds. 


This year I am the most pleased with our organization. I think I have finally figured out what works and doesn't work for us. Having graduated one of my kids certainly helps in so many ways.


I've shown my bookshelf before but here it is again:

(The numbers are from a previous post.) I bought magazine holders for each subject. These are working like a dream. Last year we used a milk crate, one per student. This was *okay* but stuff still got lost. Having the magazine holder, one per subject is MUCH more effective and things only get lost if they are not put away and I am holding everyone extremely accountable to put everything away DAILY. 


So, for example, in the Science section is the student text, the teacher's manual, the student notebook, any flashcards (we make flash cards for vocab. words), and a calculator. 


In the Geometry section is the student text, the teacher's manual, the protractor and compass, the Math dvd's, the student notebook, the flashcards. 


For History and Literature, it is the current book they are using, the student notebook, the flashcards. Any books not currently being used are stored on the top shelf (section 4 on the picture). Any books we are done with are stored on a separate shelf upstairs in the house so that our shelf is as empty as possible. 


For most classes they use a ring bound notebook. All grades are recorded in the front of the notebook, on the inside cover (if it's not blank I attach a sheet with double sided tape). Then all I need to do to calculate grades is to look in the front of the notebooks and average them with my trusty calculator. :) You finish one ring bound notebook, you start a new one and they all stay stored in their subject magazine holder for the year.


They do have a loose leaf notebook for some classes. They are divided by the school week. All loose leaf paper is kept in there in order of the week. Grades again, are stored in the front. They each have one large loose leaf notebook. It is stored on the top shelf as it encompasses more than one class. Actually they have two. One is for current work and coming work. One is for completed weeks. Once stuff is graded, it can move to their "completed work" notebook in it's entirety (by the week). The grading sheet in the front is never moved. 


There are NO papers ALLOWED out of notebooks. You can use loose leaf separate and then place it in the notebook upon completion. I will ONLY grade papers IN notebooks. They are NOT allowed to hand them to me in their "loose" form!! That is how papers get lost. In the past I thought I would correct them and put them away or they would put them away and it DID NOT WORK. I would at some point get behind and end up with a big, messy, horrible pile!!


So, it's working. So far so good. I would love to hear other organizational ideas and tricks. :) I'll share them here.

Eye to Eye, Shoulder to Shoulder

(My kids being silly on a recent trip to the zoo. I thought it would be make more interesting pictures if they imitated what we were looking at/photographing.)

I bet you already know what I am about to share. But just in case, I thought I would share it anyway. It was a great revelation to me. :) 

When my daughter and I need to have a serious talk, I can take her out to lunch and in perfect girl style we can sit face to face and have a wonderful time talking. No one had to teach me this because I am a girl too and this is how I thought everyone talked. Face to face, eye to eye. 

But, revelation of revelations, this is NOT how most men prefer to talk. They do their best talking and sharing shoulder to shoulder. The best way to have a heart to heart with your teen son is to take a walk or a drive. Speaking of drives, in the state of Maine you can't sit in the front unless you are 12 years old. I was so excited to see that day come for each of my kids. It's hard to talk when you're in the front and they're in the back! There's really nothing like a long drive with your son to ask those tough questions and actually get a heart answer. That's when you can find out where they're struggling, what's going well, what is not.

With my own teen boys, I also found that even better than being shoulder to shoulder is talking on the way home from a rigorous sports practice. All that exercise just gives them so much clarity! 

Now let me tell you a HUGE mistake I made with one of my kids when they were a preteen. This child would tell my husband and I endless made-up stories. For the most part it was great but there was no end to them and some days a mom gets tired (lame excuse). So I said (and I shudder to remember much less share), "If you can't talk to me about something REAL please STOP talking!!" To which the child said with a very devastated voice, "But I want to talk to you and don't know what to say!!!" Time. stood. still. I realized what an idiot I was.  I realized those stories were a bridge to that child talking to me when the teen years hit and the world turned upside down. I never again complained about the stories. And today I am glad. 

Might I add that there's nothing like having boys to teach you a thing or two about being married?! I learned that often my husband really IS listening to me even though he's not looking at me! But still often I'll remind him that I need "visual acceptance", as I call it. :) 

"Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2

Quantity AND Quality

My youngest child is 13 years old. It sure does change things! I can run out to the store, meet someone for lunch, attend meetings. Gone are the days of searching for a reliable babysitter! The kids can stay together and they get along well. If there's a problem they can call me on my cell phone or call nearby friends from church.

But I have to be careful. My job with them isn't finished. I still have so much to pour into them and I can't do it unless they are a big, big priority. It's easy to think that because they CAN stay alone that I can take my hand off that "plow" of parenting them full time (and I have seen parents who both have to work do this by making themselves highly available to their kids) and pursue other things. 

Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62

I've heard so many times...it's not the quantity of time together but the quality... And it's true...partly... If I am with them all day but they are on the PS3 and I am on the phone, the computer, doing other things...well, I might as well be out of the house. There's no quality to that time. BUT, I find that it takes *quantity* to earn *quality*. If we get too busy with other things and then throw a family night amidst weeks of chaos, I am likely not going to hear their hearts that night. Distance begins to grow. 

But if we're living, loving, working, playing, talking, praying and just BEING together, THEN I find they'll open up and tell me what is on their heart. And still, sometimes, I must dig a little. "I noticed your eyes look sad, what's up?" or "You seem a little aggravated, anything wrong?" or "When you got in the car after church, you looked hurt. What happened?" And when they say, "Nothing", I say, "No really, what's up?"

It's tempting to think our teens are independent and don't need us. But I think they need us more then ever! It is such a tough time in life. So many temptations, so many decisions to be made, so much of their belief system is being formed. SOMEONE is going to pour into them, if not us as parents then who? All the wrong voices are screaming for their attention. I shudder to think what happens when the parent has stopped walking that path with them. 

There's a lot of pain in the teen years. Boy, honestly, I had forgotten until I started to see my own kids go through it. It's hard to walk with them sometimes. It hurts and I wish I could put my head in the sand sometimes (or at least hide under the bed), but I can't and really in my heart of hearts I don't want to. I want to pray for them, listen to them, love them through. It challenges my own walk with God as I have to trust that He is working amidst THEIR trials, guiding them through, making up for my lack. I fail them and have to repent. I am tempted to be bound by fear. It feels like a war sometimes because it is. We are fighting a spiritual war for the hearts and souls of our kids. But we don't fight alone do we? We put on the whole armor of God and fight through together! It's rewarding, SO rewarding! 

Yes, they still need us, big time!! They need to learn from us how to walk through the fires of life and trust God through it. They need to learn how to pray, how to have faith, how to not give up. They need to learn that Jesus is the answer. They need to learn to put their relationship to God above all others. They need to see it daily, hourly, minute by minute... They need to see repentance, forgiveness, grace... And it's MY job and my husband's job. God gave them to us...and He'll help us! Quantity counts...

C'mon my child, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1)

My Life May Not Make Sense...to Others...

I love this photo that my daughter took recently. It reminds me that time and life are passing quickly. 


 "For, 'All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;  the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.' And this is the word that was preached to you."  1 Peter 1:24-25 


Life is short. Too short to walk a path not marked out for me. It's hard to swim upstream when it seems like everyone is swimming the other way, right? 


~When Robin and I decided I would be a "stay-at-home" mom there were those who thought we were in the wrong. Some thought I should work so to keep my husband in vocational ministry...just to name one example.
~When we decided to homeschool...yeah that was a big one.
~When we decided to keep homeschooling through High School...
And in another whole different direction,
~My husband and I choose to refrain from drinking any alcohol.


Then there's our music choices, what versions of the Bible we read, our clothing standards, how we spend our money... And I know there are some reading who are saying they felt God was leading them in the opposite direction in some of the areas I have mentioned and felt just as judged for following God's will for them. Right? 


I could keep listing, couldn't I? There's lots of decisions even now that we are making with/for our kids that don't make sense to others or that are, at the very least, curious. But they are based on burdens we sense are coming from God...and whether we are right or off base...we're going with them. And I don't expect to regret it. 


Really my point is that we, as fellow Christians, can be tempted to judge each other not based on a "thus saith the Lord" sin, but based on what *we* think is wise, or based on individual convictions in areas of biblical freedom. I know I've done it too and I struggle often to stop. I have to *check* myself constantly to see if I am judging another and make myself stop. I have to pray on it...hard...


Back to doing things differently...it's hard for me to stop justifying myself. Why is that bad? Well, because in my heart I know that I want people to *think I am right*. It bothers me if people think I am wrong...or bad...or unwise... Which is a character flaw for me when I fall into this...because my job is to please GOD.  I stand before HIM in judgement and HIM ALONE. If someone else's opinion of me gets in the way of that, then I am treating THEM as if they are my god. Their opinion becomes an idol. And that IS BAD. 


So, I have to work very hard to keep my eyes on JESUS, to stay in His Word and praying constantly to keep my focus and to obey His voice. And I love this little phrase by Tim Chester:


"God is gracious so I don't have to prove myself to others." 


When someone explains or wishing to explain to me why I am wrong I can stop trying to defend myself.
If it turns out they were right all along, I can confess it without letting my pride and desire to be right flare up. I'll repent and turn to Jesus, not afraid if others know that I needed to repent. You know? 
I can walk God's path for ME in freedom of other's opinions. FREEDOM, what a beautiful word!! 


Someone once said to me:
"Opinions are like armpits. Most people have more than one."


And Gregg Harris said:
"Everyone loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." 


I rely heavily on Isaiah 30:21
"Your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."


Yeah, life is short. Walk with God. 

3 Teens and a Summer

"God sets the lonely in families..." ~Psalm 68:6


I love summer. It's a great time for us to set aside the school books and just have some fun! I hope to make great memories together! 


I like to ask the kids what they hope the summer looks like, what they would like to do, and who they would like to spend time with. It's always good to hear everyone's expectations and hopes. 


Three teens...three distinct personalities...three sets of hopes and likes and dislikes... :) One of the great things about being a family is sometimes learning to set our own preferences aside for each other or to the bear with the one who at that moment is the weaker. We become strong and tighter for it! 


Some of the things on our list are: going to the beaches both the ocean and the lakes, kayaking, mini golfing, movie watching, campfires, a bit of shopping, time with church family, family game nights. We each have our favorite places and events. We each have things we'd rather not do. We meet somewhere in the middle. It's a give and take that is sometimes hard but always rewarding. No matter what we always find SOMETHING to laugh about and that's one of my favorite things about my family. :) 


It's going to be a great summer. I am looking forward to every minute of it! 


"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." 
~Philippians 2:3-4

Teens Still Need...

I have three teenagers now...and I love it! Sure we have our moments and our mood swings (I have mine, they have theirs!). But overall, it's a great ride. I've always loved kids in the Jr. High/High School/College Age range. I love their energy and their drive, their enthusiasm and their dreams. The whole world is stretch out before them and they know it...


We all know that being a teen is also an unsure time. There are huge decisions to be made. They are deciding what they truly believe and where they want to place their faith. They are seeking to separate a bit from their parents and stand on their own. They are trying to make some heavy life decisions (Thanks to adults that fool them into thinking that a 17 year old is suppose to know what they are going to do with the rest of their lives...really do adults believe that?? Did WE know?).


This unsure time plays tricks with their minds and hearts, deceiving them into believing that they are not *enough*...not smart enough, pretty or handsome enough, skinny enough, muscular enough, friendly enough, strong enough...that they are not *worthy*...not worthy of love, of friendship...


I am sure many of us would readily admit that we still have many of the struggles that mark the teen's life...


As I was in the car with two of my teens yesterday and thinking how much I just ENJOY being with them and laughing with them I started thinking of things that I believe that teens still need despite the fact that they are growing up fast...


They still need to know...


~That parents answer to God for their parenting. There are times I have had to say, "I know that you disagree with me on this decision (maybe a movie they want to watch or music they want to listen to or any number of more serious things), but I have to stand before God for this decision and to the best of my ability I think this is the right choice. Please understand that standing before God to give an account for my parenting is not something I take lightly." 


~That they are fiercely loved. They need affection and "I love you's". Even if they run away from it, laugh about it, make you think they hate it, they still need it!! Even if they say, "I hate you", they need to hear you say back, "I love you." 


~That they are safe. Teens need to be taught how to stay safe and they need to know that as they try out their wings that we are there to catch them. Where ever my kids are at whatever time, if they call me and need me, I am going to drop everything and be on my way! I always told them when they spent the night at a friend's house that if they were uncomfortable for any reason they could call and I would come no matter the reason. If they were to afraid to say they wanted to leave, I told them to go in the bathroom and call me on their cell phone and I would come. Those of my kids without a cell phone have mine when they go somewhere with few exceptions. I think this is important, especially with the sorts of abuse possible, that kids know that they can come home whenever they are uncomfortable. It helps them to trust the icky feeling you get when something isn't right. Uncomfortable can turn bad fast. Even if they are at a church event and have that feeling or are uncomfortable they are to call me immediately.


~That our faith in Jesus is our first priority! Pray with them, pray for them, pray over them. Share God's Word with them. Read to them and with them. Give testimony of how God has worked in your life. Tell them when you've blown it and need to ask forgiveness. Teach them how to make it right when they blow it and be a part of God's grace to them. Make gathering with other believers a priority (Sunday sports and such are a great controversy and many of us fall in different places on it. It's been a struggle in my own house. But I have told my kids that every family I know that goes to church as long as nothing *important* comes up has kids that grow up and leave church behind. If it is never that *important* priority above other things, then we have taught that it is unimportant. Not that we've never missed, we have. But we have tried to prioritize it ABOVE other less important events. The coach may not always be happy but hopefully he is happy with the player with the morals he learned in church!)


~That we're on the same team. Often times I am trying to help and my motives and what I am doing are misunderstood. I often remind, "We are on the same team here," or "I am on your team." They need reminders that as parents we are trying our hardest to give them what is best. We might mess up and totally blow it, but in our hearts we're on their team. In keeping with that, we must be careful what we say about our teen to our friends and on places like Facebook. How crushing for them to hear that their parent posted, "my kid is driving me crazy" on a social network. Seriously, if our husband posted that or our kids about us, would that make US happy?? It's just hurtful... 


~That what is important to them is important to us. Romans 12:15 says to "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." Proverbs 25:20 says, "Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, and like vinegar on soda." There have been times when my child is upset that I try to make them feel better by offering the perspective I have from being much much older. But I end up making them feel like they are wrong to be upset or that their problems are small in my eyes. And I hurt them. I am trying to learn to LISTEN and comfort. If there is a lesson they need to learn in that area, I find it best to teach it at a separate neutral time (in most cases). Also going to their games, their performances and cheering them on is a joyous thing. If they're involved in something positive or healthy do everything you can to show them you're excited about it. Invest in it... 


~That we are interested in their interests. Sit and watch the movie they pick out, go to that ballgame or concert that they want to attend when possible. Listen to their stories, their music. Of course these things are easier if you've held them to boundaries of decency... In a flash they'll be grown and gone and you'll be so glad you shared what they love with them.


~That family time is important. Teens can easily get in a pattern of withdrawing and isolating themselves. It's important to route them out and not let them spend too much time alone. Having a movie night, a game night, a night out for ice cream or whatever, can really help that. Sometimes when they're playing a video game, I'll just go in and sit and do my knitting or reading there just to be with them. Or if they're watching a sporting event I'll invite them to come in the family living room to watch it. If it's a big game, I might buy some special game time snacks and make it an event. 
I also keep TV's, computers, laptops, IPOD touches OUT of the bedrooms. That makes the bedroom pretty uninteresting and they might spend an hour or so reading in their bedroom but fortunately it gets old fast!


I am sure there is more I could put here. As I have written these out I have felt convicted on certain points of areas where I need to improve or things I have let slip. I need to get working on those today!! I am far, far from perfect...just ask my kids...second thought, don't... ;) I love, love, LOVE my kids. Doing these things as I have mentioned FOR them has really helped me find new interests and hobbies, as well as new favorite bands and singers and such. As I have failed, I've been humbled. I have some regrets. I am trying...and I am going to keep trying. I am going to succeed and I am going to fail. But I am going to LOVE...


"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

One Last Book

As we graduate our first home schooled child (now young man) I will end how I began...reading a book aloud to my children. Yes, I still read to them. I have not read aloud as much to my oldest recently, but I still enjoy reading to them and have never completely stopped. I love sitting around the table or in the living room, sharing a good book together. I like to be the first to see and hear their reactions. 


I have pictures of my husband reading to each of my kids when they were infants. We've always read to our kids. My husband used to read to my kids before bed too. Often times they would slip downstairs and say to me, "Mom, dad fell asleep and he's snoring! Could you get him out of our room?" LOL!!  We learned not to have him read a book we wanted them to remember because as soon as the kids heard his voice in that sleepy hour they'd be OUT! 


My last official book read out loud will fittingly be a missionary story. I've read countless missionary stories to them over the years. I wanted people who had given up everything for Christ to take their rightful place among my kids' heroes. I hope I was successful. 


I've tried not to count "lasts" in my son's senior year. I am so not about "lasts" and no one knows what the future holds except that thankfully, we are all headed to Heaven to spend eternity together. But I can't help but mark this "last". Homeschooling has been such a big part of our life together; I really can't imagine life without it but I know God has plans for all of us.


This particular "last" missionary story really connects with what God is doing NOW in a great hot spot of our world and culture, that of the middle east. I pray God stirs our hearts as to how we can be a part of His work in the world, glorifying Him and bringing people into His Kingdom.


The last home school book shared together...but not the last time sharing and discussing God's work in the world, not the last time sharing what we're reading with each other, not the last time living and loving and learning together...that's what I'll try to focus on...not the end of our story...just the end of one chapter...


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

From Homeschool to College

"I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken."

Psalm 16:8

We've been walking a whole new path and if I am honest, I have to tell you that it's been scary at times. Although I have been assured and reassured by other homeschoolers walking this path, I guess I had to see for myself.  So with great trepidation and lots of prayer I watched as my first born son applied to college. With even more fear we prepared (and with much procrastination) his transcripts. 

Through the whole journey (so far, we're not done yet!), I've been encouraged. The colleges we looked at had friendly encouraging statements on their websites stating that homeschoolers are welcome and do very well at their schools. As we applied, I have found they treated us like any other student from a *real school.* No questions about why we would do such a thing, no inquiries about whether he ever attended a *real school* or had special testing. 

We sent in the transcript...and waited. At the bottom of it, I had put a little phrase *more information will be provided upon request.* I was pretty sure they'd want to know what curriculum we used, what extra testing we did.  ...Nothing... The colleges we have contacted so far have accepted our transcript *as is.* I didn't have a third party certify it or even prepare it. We prepared it ourselves on Google Docs.

I am so thankful for other homeschoolers who have gone before me and paved the way!! It seems colleges and universities are pretty accustomed to homeschoolers these days. Very cool... :) 

My Teenagers, the Internet and All Things Screen-ish

When it comes to screens and their place in our lives, I am willing to venture that you will rarely come across two sets of parents who have made all the same decisions. It calls for wisdom and knowing our own kids. I think I seem pretty strict to many, not strict enough to some. I am going to share what we have decided just as one way that one set of parents have decided to handle things. I don't come as the one who has it all figured out, but more as the one willing to share in hopes of encouraging another parent to either figure out what is right for their family or perhaps to know they are not alone.

I think the important thing for Christian parents to always remember is that one day we will stand before God for the decisions that we have made in raising our children. I take that very seriously. My kids have to understand that I make my decisions based upon that truth.

This is what Jesus said: "But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and be drowned in  the depths of the sea." Matthew 18:6.

This teaching is reiterated in Mark 9:42 and Luke 17:2 so it seems to me that it is something God didn't want me to miss!!

I know that many would argue with me that teens are not children and that they need to make their own decisions. I do allow my teens to make every decision that they can possibly make but I do believe it is up to my husband and I to set the principles and outer boundaries. If we communicate well then it can be a teaching moment and our teens can be involved in the judgement of various areas. It is something I hope we talk about with them and they give their input as well. But the overall principle is: "But as for me and my household we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

The verse I have really taken hold of for our standard concerning screens is in Psalms 101:3 which says: "I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me."

Other rules are for their own protection. Even teens can make careless decisions that can turn out dangerous. I see myself and my husband as gatekeepers. I tease my kids that I don't want to wind up on Oprah, warning other parents not to make the same mistake I did! ;)

Having said all that, this is where we have *landed*:

~The Internet~
Laptops and Desktop computers stay where they are visible to all. They are only in the common areas of the house. The rule also applies to my husband and I. All three kids have ITouches. They stay downstairs in the common areas. They are not brought upstairs in the kids bedrooms at night. If they want to listen to music they can use their old IPOD Shuffles or the radio. 
I hold all passwords, ALL of them. I do spot checks on Social Networks, Email accounts and chat boxes. If they're online anywhere, I have the password. But here's the thing...they have mine too. Now if you send me an email, they are not reading it. Quite frankly they don't care. But they are allowed to access my Facebook and it's just an accoutability for me. For my 17 year old, we discuss who is good to have as a friend on Facebook and who is not. If someone is posting really inappropriate things they're either going to be blocked or we'll take them off the friends list. But we decide together. (However if I see something someone has posted on his wall that I feel is inappropriate I immediately remove it and THEN talk to him about it.) For my 14 year old, I go through the lists and I remove friends that are posting things I don't want him exposed to. Period. Usually it is someone much older than him and they're not chatting it up anyway. Once in awhile it is someone his age. But really, if they're using terrible language and it's something I wouldn't let him be exposed to in a movie, I am not going to let it come in the back door through a Social Network. I also go through their ads on Facebook that come up on the side bar.
Fortunately, this is not something my kids have given me a hard time about. They realize why I am doing this.
We do have screening software on the computers. Everyone knows that dad is a computer programmer and master hacker. He can track keystrokes if he wants, he has remoting software so he can see what's on any screen in the house at any time. Clearing histories or delete does not hinder us if we need to see something. Just knowing that is its own level of accountability.  It's just not an area we can allow privacy. Do we see every conversation? No. We spot check (because I don't need to be nosy, just vigilant). Does that mean something could get passed us? Yes. We teach and check and teach and check. Anyone, including me, is more than capable of sinning. We try to guard, we deal with discipline, restoration, and forgiveness when needed. We've not been flawless, but we're not naive enough to think that the internet is the only window for evil in the world, kwim?

~Cell Phones~ My 17 year old has a cell phone. Again, if I need to check chats I can. But honestly, it has not been a problem. I have a cell phone that I give to my younger two when they go somewhere alone. My husband has a cell phone. That has sufficed. Having my oldest two kids be boys, well they are not really into talking on the phone. So that made things much easier.

~Music~ We listen to predominantly Christian music. I love their music and they love mine. I've always enjoyed about every style of music, even rap and hip hop. I am not a big fan of screamer music but if the lyrics pass the test, it's allowed.  We check lyrics with nonChristian music and avoid bad language and provacative lyrics. I am strict on that. I hold myself to the same standard. So really it's not about how old the child is. It's about the standard we have set for ourselves and for them.

~Movies~ It's pretty rare that we watch anything that is not PG or G. We watch NO R rated movies. We rarely watch PG-13. We check Christian sites that review movies before we watch PG or PG-13 movies. Again, no exceptions based on age. My husband and I hold to the same standard and I am 45 years old. Again, the kids are so great about it. My oldest and I have only ever disagreed with one movie. In the end, it's just a movie. Who really needs it? And again, I stand before God for it so I err on the safe side!

~Television~ We have parental locks on the upper ratings on the TV. We have no HBO or anything like that. We've blocked some channels like MTV. There's just not enough good on it to justify letting it in. I am going to be honest. I've had shows on and my kids have told me they don't think I should watch it and I've changed the channel. In that way we keep each other accountable.

~Video Games~ Again, same standard. The boys love the sports games and my daughter hates video games so that helps. And now, there are some that have come out that allow you to input your own music on. When the band games were big, my husband and I picked the one that we could stomach (music-wise). They were pretty much a phase that is past. :)

It's honestly a little scary for me to put this out to the world because I know it opens me up to judgement. Just know that I have the same motive as I do when I put up a homeschool schedule. This is the way one family has chosen to keep things pure. It is not the only way; it is maybe not the best way. But we don't make those decisions lightly and this is what we think is best for us to live the life God has called us to.

My husband has always said: "Rules without relationships breeds rebellion." I believe that is true. When the parent/child relationship is strong, they usually don't want to rebel. They want to please. I say usually because we are all sinners and all rebel. All a person needs (child OR adult) is a good enough deception or *reason* to choose a different way and they're off like a shot. I have my own young rebellion story that I could tell. God is the perfect Father yet oh how his children have rebelled!! There are no guarantees. I stand before God for my parenting (and I am far from perfect, ask my kids!) and they stand before God for their obedience to the authority that God has placed over them.

I am thankful that my kids understand our standards and the "why" behind them. We don't argue about these things. They just "are." Has it been easy for them? NO WAY!! It's hard to feel different. It's hard to have to say "no" when you are out and about with friends. It's not fun. But best they learn to do that now. When they leave and are out on their own, the stakes only get higher. But we in are it together and with all my heart I hope we can stay that way.