A Year Later

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March 1, 2021 By Jennifer Lambert 11 Comments

It’s been an entire calendar year since the USA began lockdown to eradicate COVID-19.

Over 500,000 in the USA dead from a virus because we couldn’t care about people over profits.

What have we learned?

We’ve seen an awful lot of uncaring people who fight mask mandates and argue with store employees.

We’ve seen retail stores and restaurants struggle to remain open. Some do a better job than others following recommended CDC guidelines, protecting their employees and customers.

We’ve see the breakdown of government leadership with an insurrection and failed coup.

We’ve seen local leaders torn between maintaining curfews and reopening the economy.

We’ve seen greedy corporations and wealthy individuals demanding more, more, more while so many are without the assistance they need to survive. Deregulation, privatization, and government bailouts make the rich richer.

We have seen vast discrepancies between the rich and poor, white and BIPOC, liberal and conservative, young and old.

We’ve seen our youth turn into zombies before the screen with so many hours of Zoom schooling. We have seen disparity with schooling for children of color and different socio-economic classes. What are we gonna do about it?

We’re in a housing crisis as so many are laid off and unable to work and therefore unable to pay rent.

Massive financial debt paralyzes a great percentage of our “first world” population – as poverty rates climb everywhere and there is no aid or end in sight.

Who are essential workers and why don’t we value them?

Climate chaos is here – vast fires and extreme cold and bizarre weather patterns.

The vaccine rollout is just a mess.

But go on, insensitive people, sure, go on that fancy vacation to imperil more lives who are dependent on your tourist dollars and have little choice but to serve you.

We have at this moment the chance to change our trajectory.

I am so thankful that my husband, eldest child, and I were able to be vaccinated.

My husband works in the WPAFB epidemiology lab. My daughter is a care worker for disabled adults. I was scheduled because I am a teacher. We file as an 08 school in Ohio and I received a message from the county that I qualified.

Our family has not dined in a restaurant in over a year. I haven’t gotten my hair done in over a year.

When did we stop caring about our neighbors?

Is it the rise of social media that gives us a false sense of community while erasing real empathy?

Why are politicians and those brainwashed by the “news” so concerned with avoiding socialism while maintaining American evangelicalism, racism, sexism, and capitalism, widening the vast abyss separating the haves with the have-nots?

We have seen how broken our health care system is and how so many people suffer trying to juggle their physical and mental health with keeping their jobs and paying rent. We can afford to care for people properly.

We now know how many jobs can be done virtually. We can abolish the rat race of 40+ hours a week. We can prioritize rest and relationships over profit. Will we do this?

What is the cult of self-care anyway? It’s doing all the unnoticed, tiny, deliberate, thankless tasks that keep us from falling downward into the spiral.

Self-care should not be something we resort to because we are so absolutely exhausted that we need some reprieve from our own relentless internal pressure.
Brianna Wiest

If you’re thinking that the pandemic hasn’t really affected you and your family, then you’re not thinking far enough ahead nor about the bigger picture.

What is the effect this year of isolation will have on our children? And I’m not saying that our kids are gonna be behind in school. The psychological effects of watching our world burn this last year will be long-lasting.

What is the cost of a year without friends? Most of my kids’ acquaintances continued socializing all through this last year, oblivious to CDC guidelines. We are left behind, forgotten, dismissed. It will be difficult to reintegrate socially and do we even want to – with such callous people?

All the togetherness is trying for some families who are used to going their separate ways every morning – to day care, school, work. Our lifestyle hasn’t greatly changed. We’ve seen lots of complaining and comments from many families online. The lockdown provided children and parents time to learn they like one another. Or not. We have seen some issues with families who have to learn how to actually live together.

Why are so many yearning to “go back to normal” when it’s so obvious that normal isn’t working?

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Linking up: Grammy’s Grid, Suburbia, Marilyn’s Treats, Pam’s Party, Random Musings, Anita Ojeda, April Harris, Create with Joy, InstaEncouragements, LouLou Girls, Our Three Peas, Anchored Abode, Grandma’s Ideas, Soaring with Him, Ridge Haven, Ducks in a Row, Girlish Whims, Fluster Buster, Ginger Snap, Penny’s Passion, Katherine’s Corner, OMHG, Imparting Grace, Try it Like it, Debbie Kitterman, Crystal Storms, Slices of Life, Answer is Choco, Wordsmith, Momfessionals, CWJ, Simply Sweet Home, Life on Oak Hill,

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Pandemic Holiday Tips

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December 2, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 15 Comments

For many people, life as they knew it has been put on hold due to the restrictions we all must adhere to with COVID-19. The days of waiting patiently for life to return to “normal” have passed. In fact, there has been enough time that has passed since the virus hit in early 2020, that we can confidently say, we have developed a new normal.

At first, this new normal was odd. Anything new is going to be strange to our human brain. We like consistency, predictability, and familiarity. It is what helps us to feel safe and secure, the most basic of our human needs.

We are now about to embark on another adventure in experiencing something new – The Holidays.

This is a time of year that we typically would travel, visit family, go to parties at friends’ homes and restaurants, as well as within our workplaces. We typically deliver presents to share holiday cheer with others. Perhaps your family spends time in service for organizations or with individuals who need extra help and extra support during this time.

While these traditions were part of the bedrock of the holidays, they are most likely not available to us this year. Although this season will look quite different than years past, we may be able to find some hidden treasures in our new “holiday normal.”

Here are a few suggestions to help you get through this new “holiday normal” that are based on the science of how our human brain is wired with a sprinkling of strategies to improve your relationships and boost your resilience. So, in other words, these may be things you choose to add to your life, regardless of whether or not we are in the middle of a pandemic.

Set the Tone: You set the tone of what this holiday will feel like for your children. They certainly will get messages from your community, their peer group, and the news, however, how you feel and talk about the holiday in your home will have the greatest influence on how they feel. Start by asking yourself, am I already setting myself and my children up for being disappointed? Boost your awareness by noticing how you are talking about the holidays with others, especially when your children are present. When you listen to the things that you say, do you feel uplifted or upset? When your children talk about the holidays do you feel your own body get tense or weak? Although you think your children can not sense this inner state, they can, and it greatly affects how they will feel. You can also use a mindfulness platform like Ninja Focus that can be a great companion for your children to check in on “how they are feeling” and listen to guided tracks from wellness experts.
Make a List of Things You Do Not Have to Do: Rather than focus on what has been lost by listing all of the things that you cannot do this holiday season make a list of all of the things that you DO NOT HAVE TO DO because of the pandemic. Having worked with families for over 2 decades, I have found that many of them become overly burdened this time of year because of all of the obligatory things that they must do either personally or professionally. Start this list by titling your paper, “All of the things I do not have to do, and I never enjoyed doing anyway.” After you create that list, how does it feel when you read it?
Focus on What Truly Matters: Without all of those obligations, you now have a lot more time to focus your energy on what truly has meaning to you and your family. Time for another list. What are some things that you wished you could have had more time to enjoy if you were not running all over the place during the holidays? How many times have you purchased gifts for your children, but then not have time to actually play with them? Focus on those things.
Make New Traditions: It is a great opportunity to make some new traditions and get your children involved in it. Whether you are celebrating a specific holiday or simply taking some time off of work because school is closed, now is the time to collectively decide what family or individual things your children would like to explore during this time and perhaps share with you. Plan ahead, and yes, create another list by asking your children about things they are really interested in doing or learning and find creative ways to explore these things together.
Spend Quality Time and Bond as a Family: Last but not least, remember that this is the perfect “storm” for you to actually BE together, as a family to talk and connect. Ask any child psychologist and they will tell you that the best way to raise children to be self-confident, respectful, happy, and secure, is to give them THIS most important present — YOUR PRESENCE. Simply being side by side, listening to each other without being rushed, speaking honestly about their dreams, fears, desires, challenges, and joys. This is what cultivates a happy home and healthy relationships.

Remember the most important thing is to spend a few moments each day enjoying the company of your children this holiday season. It can bring your family closer and boost your mood. If you think it helps, include yoga and mindfulness exercises into your daily routine.

Ninja Focus is a great resource with short and easy to follow mindfulness exercises and meditations that you can practice as a family with your children.

We’re enjoying winter walks, exercise videos, arts and crafts, kitchen creations, holiday movies and music, and lots of reading. We’re enjoying Advent devotions every night with dinner and a Tomte story after our homeschool read alouds.

Happy holidays!

Linking up: Random Musings, Three Peas, Grandma Ideas, Anita Ojeda, Anchored Abode, Soaring with Him, InstaEncouragements, Little Cottage, Ridge Haven, OMHG, Suburbia, Create with Joy, Ducks in a Row, Girlish Whims, Fluster Buster, Ginger Snap, LouLou Girls, Penny’s Passion, Debbie Kitterman, Slices of Life, Answer is Choco, Simply Sweet Home, Momfessionals, iThrive, Grammy’s Grid, Fireman’s Wife, CWJ, Imparting Grace, Life Beyond the Kitchen, CKK, Being a Wordsmith, Everyday Farmhouse, April Harris,

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Maybe We’re Not Lost

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November 25, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 6 Comments

I think many of us have felt lost this year.

So many changes thrust upon us and we are not in control.

Plans canceled.

An entire year that feels missing.

Many of us stay home from school and work and most other activities. I realize for many this has been a very difficult transition.

We’ve isolated ourselves and quarantine inside our houses with our family bubble.

We also realized that many people are not capable of caring for others or following science and health safety guidelines.

I really just don’t have a lot of sympathy for people crying they can’t go to Target without a mask or needing to eat dinner out in a restaurant.

We’ve lived through many crises this year – a pandemic, forest fires, political upheaval, natural disasters.

What will we do next year? Do we really want to “go back to normal” when normal wasn’t really working?

What if we’re not lost?

What if we’re right where we ought to be?

What if we’re…found?

While our homeschooling lifestyle hasn’t much changed with the quarantine, we do miss the freedom of extracurricular activities.

(For people confused about what freedom, liberty, rights, and privilege mean – I spell it out in my Independence Day Unit.)

We narrowed our focus even more.

Perhaps we would have missed opportunities for blessings if we were distracted by other things.

We explore our backyard nature – the woods and nearby pond. We hike when it was safe at local parks.

We bought a house. We probably would have even under other circumstances. We cleaned our new house top to bottom, inside and out. We certainly had time. We did some repairs and updates. We organized and purged clothes, books, toys and more. We donated items when thrift shops reopened. We’re streamlining our possessions to what is best needed and used well and beautiful.

We’re certainly on screens a lot – social media, Netflix, games, etc. But the kids decide to play board and card games or D&D or draw or paint or bake cakes or skate quite often. They have natural cycles and their own needs and desires and balance their time pretty well. They have no schedules.

We’re continuing our regular studies, relaxed and unhurried. We read lots of books and research our interests.

I had surgery – laparoscopic myomectomy. I’ve working hard on myself – healing and growing.

My eldest daughter decided not to return to college this year. Online school was difficult for her last semester and she didn’t feel she could continue for this whole year. She wanted to explore other options. She is focusing on her mental health.

Then she decided to move out the first week in November. At first I was heartbroken and hurt. I felt betrayed. Why would she do this when she has freedom and security and no worries? At least it’s not with a toxic, abusive boyfriend. Then after two weeks, she was laid off from her new job. She went on numerous interviews and has a few offers.

Parenting young adults is hard but I’m learning.

What blessings will these sudden changes bring?

So, even though we’re existing in a liminal space, an in-between, unknown realm of possibilities…we are learning to recognize what is important right now.

Maybe we can use this time for rediscovery. We can reconnect.

We could examine ourselves and our values. What do we want our future to be? What do we want our society and our country and government to look like? What will we tell our children and grandchildren about this year and how we changed for the better?

It sometimes feels that we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. There are moments and days of darkness when we’re sad and angry and just feel hopeless. I know I’m tired.

These are the times when we shed a few needed tears, hug our families close, snuggle our pets, water our houseplants, make a warm cuppa, look out the window, and dream of a better tomorrow.

We must stop telling ourselves that we’re lost.

We might be on a road with no discernable destination. We’re just rolling along with hope that we might find a place we like, to stay.

I’m not lost. I’m on my way.

You might also like:

Linking up: Suburbia, Random Musings, Anita Ojeda, Marilyn’s Treats, April Harris, Little Cottage, Mostly Blogging, InstaEncouragements, LouLou Girls, Welcome Heart, Our Three Peas, Anchored Abode, Grandma’s Ideas, Soaring with Him, Ridge Haven Homestead, Ducks in a Row, Girlish Whims, Fluster Buster, Ginger Snap Crafts, Katherine’s Corner, Penny’s Passion, Debbie Kitterman, Creative Kids, Imparting Grace, Being a Wordsmith, Answer is Choco, Momfessionals, Simply Sweet Home, Grammy’s Grid, Embracing Unexpected, CWJ, Slices of Life, OMHG, Life Beyond the Kitchen, Everyday Farmhouse, Create with Joy,

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Quarantine Schooling

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August 10, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 6 Comments

I taught school for about ten years, and always homeschooled my four kids, so I have a bit of a different philosophy towards education than many.

Around March 2020, may families found themselves in awkward situations. Many parents worked from home while children completed their school year online. Teachers scrambled to prepare online lessons for hundreds of students. It was stressful.

Many families and the media call this homeschooling.

Narrator: “This was not, in fact, homeschooling.”

Now the word “homeschooling” has evolved over the years and used to have different connotations than it now does. It’s not such a weighted or negative word as it used to be.

The word often conjured images of denim jumper dress-wearing evangelical fundamentalist Christian families. And that certainly is still a subculture within homeschooling communities.

While it is still difficult to find secular and liberal homeschoolers in many areas, it is becoming more widely acceptable for many families to home educate their children in different ways.

Homeschool choices are almost limitless. Many states and school districts provide online or video lessons. There are secular and Christian curriculum options. Parents can create an eclectic mix of academics and hobbies for kids to explore.

Many families are concerned about safety, continuity, and consistency for this next school year.

Some schools are closed, some offer part time or staggered attendance, some are going completely online. I am not here to judge parents whose choices are impossible during these circumstances. I realize many parents must work outside the home and need childcare. Our society expects schools to provide education and care during working hours.

Teachers are facing impossible situations. Required to teach in person or prepare and teach engaging lessons online, risking their health or their careers. I can’t imagine making these hard choice if I were still a classroom teacher.

I understand that it’s overwhelming to suddenly homeschool kids who expect to attend school. It’s a completely different lifestyle for many families and the unknown is scary.

It took me a few years to adjust as a reluctant homeschooler.

For first time homeschoolers, pandemic/quarantine/crisis homeschoolers, reluctant homeschoolers, even veteran homeschoolers:

Some things to think about school at home:

What is your focus?

Search your heart for what you want this school year to look like for your family. Use this time to learn about your children – their hopes, dreams, preferences. Don’t just think this is about academics. This is about relationship. This is about making memories. What do you want your family to look back on during this time and remember fondly?

Ease into it.

It’s often best to start with the bare bones. Fun, fun, fun. Outside time. Hiking. Nature exploration. Learn about your backyard nature. Fall in love with learning. Maybe just begin with reading, writing, arithmetic. Have story time and talk about the book afterwards or make art. Do kitchen math with delicious recipes. You don’t have to recreate a classroom school environment in your kitchen, dining room, living room, or basement. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on curriculum, books, computer programs.

Keep records.

Records, portfolio, book lists, field trips are handy to have if you plan to send kids back into public or private school attendance at any point. It’s also nice to look back over what was accomplished on the days when you feel like nothing ever got done. I often enlist the kids to help make their notebooks or portfolios. It’s a great family project! Many homeschoolers must submit curriculum lists at the beginning of each school year with their intent letter and provide a portfolio or test score at the end of the year. Keeping records as you go makes this easier than scrambling last minute. It’s good to have a scrapbook or journals for kids to look back on too.

Take it slow.

You will have bad days. Keep your cool as the adult when things fall apart. Don’t think of it as a failure. Think of the unpleasant moments as opportunities to learn how to do better. No one is falling behind. You’re not competing with anyone. You don’t need a strict color-coded schedule for every minute of every day. You don’t have to know how to do everything, teach every subject, or complete every lesson. There is a plethora of resources out there to help. Screentime is ok. Sleeping in is ok. Meal times are arbitrary. Later bedtimes are ok. I realize this is a stressful time for everyone, even veteran homeschoolers who usually participate in lots of activities with others.

Keep in touch.

It’s important to allow kids to keep in touch with friends until it’s safer for in person meetups and play dates and group activities. We live in a brave new world with so much technology allowing us to communicate any time, anywhere, with almost anyone. My kids have iPads and/or smartphones with Discord, messenger apps, social media. We find it difficult to find other kids whose parents trust them to use these services. It makes it more difficult for my kids to keep in touch with their friends.

Start a new tradition.

Breakfast announcements. Morning message before beginning seatwork. Weekly tea time (it doesn’t even have to include tea!) with fun snacks and music or poetry. Friday free days (or afternoons) for playing outside. Friday pizza nights with movies. Saturday dance parties. Sunday hiking.

Resources:

What does this school year look like for your family?

Linking up: Random Musings, April Harris, Marilyn’s Treats, Little Cottage, Kippi at Home, Create with Joy, Mostly Blogging, OMHG, Home Stories, Purposeful Faith, InstaEncouragements, LouLou Girls, Grandma’s Ideas, Welcome Heart, Ducks in a Row, Girlish Whims, Fluster Buster Ginger Snap Crafts, Katherine’s Corner, Penny’s Passion, Debbie Kitterman, Slices of Life, CKK, Imparting Grace, Life Beyond the Kitchen, Ridge Haven Homestead, Simply Sweet Home, Momfessionals, Answer is Choco, Embracing Unexpected, CWJ, Serenity and Harmony, Grammy’s Grid, Anita Ojeda,

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Not Back to School

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August 3, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 24 Comments

Homeschoolers often celebrate “back to school” with fun and different traditions than other families whose children attend school.

Homeschoolers also do many of the same things as school families. We buy new supplies and clothes with all the sales, tax-free days, and coupons. We like the first day photos.

Homeschoolers look forward to the day when school kids go back to classrooms and all the fun places we love to frequent aren’t busy with summer crowds anymore. But even homeschoolers aren’t gathering or doing co-ops or meeting up this fall.

My kids used to wave goodbye to their neighborhood friends who rode the bus to school while we began our homeschool day. They often waited for their bus at the end of the day to greet their friends again.

This school year looks very different for many families. Some school districts are offering options for in person full or part time attendance, or online remote classes.

No matter what kind of school year our kids are beginning, making the first day of the new school year a special day may help ease jitters or disappointments. We need to make great memories with our kids.

Celebrating Not Back to School

Night before school party
Special breakfast or dinner night before
Pictures to commemorate the new year (preferably with their consent to post online)
Memory board or interview page
Gifts or treats
Look through new school materials and books together to get familiar.
Set up a work area for each child to complete assignments.
Special back to school books. It’s hard to find books celebrating homeschool.
New clothes fashion show. It could be new loungewear or pajamas!
Schultüte – traditional school cones for 1st graders in Germany. Another Schul üte DIY idea here. DIY auf Deutsch hier.
Ice cream!!!
Chalk drawings in the driveway or sidewalk
Fresh flowers, especially roses for new schoolers! I love the Waldorf rose ceremony.
Discuss plans, desires, and dreams for the year
Make calm jars with glitter, oil, food coloring, and water.
Make tie-dye shirts or bags.
Go hiking or do a nature scavenger hunt.
Picnic lunch
Bowling
Pool or lake party
Parties with a fun theme, even if it’s just immediate family
Movie night

My kids are older now and we still try to do fun things, but we don’t even really have one single official back to school day. We just kind of ease into it sometime the end of August, transferring from one history cycle to the next and new math books and maybe new science and foreign language.

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How do you make the first day of school special?

Linking up: Grammys Grid, Pinch of Joy, Eclectic Red Barn, House on Silverado, Jenerally Informed, Stroll Thru Life, OMHG, CWJ, Shelbee on Edge, LouLou Girls, April Harris, Suburbia, Random Musings, Anita Ojeda, Jeanne Takenaka, InstaEncouragements, Blue Sky at Home, Soaring with Him, Anchored Abode, Ducks in a Row, Fluster Buster, Ridge Haven, Ginger Snap, Try it Like it, Artful Mom, Penny’s Passion, Slices of Life, Simply Beautiful, Modern on Monticello, Everything, Create with Joy, Books and More, Simply Sweet Home, Answer is Choco, Being a Wordsmith, Cottage Market, Oak Hill,

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Take Care of Your Kids and Yourself This School Year

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July 21, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 4 Comments

We all know that this is no ordinary school year. Now, more than ever, mental health and wellness need to take the forefront of our attention. Everyone from kids to college students to parents and teachers could use some inspiration and encouragement.

Flip through pages on how to keep your head up, stay true to yourself, and appreciate your weird side. Learn the history of inspiring women and Black Americans to motivate you this upcoming school year. Encourage kids to laugh, build their confidence, and learn important skills in coping with anxiety, showing empathy, and more!

For Teachers and Parents:

Parenting the New Teen in The Age of Anxiety: Raising Happy, Healthy Humans Ages 8 to 24 by Dr. John Duffy

Kids are growing up with nearly unlimited access to social media and the world wide web. Starting as early as eight years old, children are exposed to information, thought, and emotion that they are developmentally unprepared to process. Because of the exposure they face, kids are emotionally overwhelmed at a young age, and they are often continuing to search for a sense of self well into their twenties. Dr. John Duffy’s parenting book is a new and necessary guide that addresses this hidden phenomenon of the changing teenage brain. Dr. Duffy, a nationally recognized expert in parenting for nearly twenty-five years, seeks to be a guide for parents raising children who are growing up quickly and, as a result, dealing with unresolved adolescent issues that can lead to anxiety and depression. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

How to Survive Change . . . You Didn’t Ask For: Bounce Back, Find Calm in Chaos, and Reinvent Yourself by M.J. Ryan

These are challenging times. Chances are, at this moment, you’re confronting some change you never asked for—perhaps a life crisis, like a loss of a job or the failure of a dream. Maybe you have to learn to work in new ways or find a new place to live. Bestselling author, thought leader, and change expert M.J. Ryan is here to help. Within the pages of How to Survive Change…You Didn’t Ask For, you’ll find the support and practices you need to adapt successfully and ride the wave of this change, whatever it may be. In this book, the New York Times bestselling author of Attitudes of Gratitude provides strategies to retrain your brain and optimize your response to life change, step-by-step. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

The Gift of Crisis: How I Used Meditation to Go From Financial Failure to a Life of Purpose by Bridgitte Jackson Buckley

During the 2008 Recession, Bridgitte Jackson Buckley was one of the millions affected by job loss and foreclosure. In The Gift of Crisis, Bridgitte shows you how to explore crisis as a tool for courageous change, regaining your self-esteem with self-love and self-compassion. It was through experiences of prolonged financial crisis that Bridgitte realized she subconsciously co-created experiences that felt so bad that the only place she could go was within―exactly where she needed to go. In The Gift of Crisis, you will discover how helpful going within and retaking control can be for you, too. For those who are sincerely interested in spiritual growth, yet find it difficult to make “mental room” to dedicate to such growth due to personal distractions, this inspirational book will demonstrate the practical manner in which meditation and prayer can assist during any type of crisis as a means of reaching for a calmer, clearer, more courageous and purposeful life. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

This Is Not the Life I Ordered: 60 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down by Deborah Collins Stephens, Michealene Cristini Risley, Jan Yanehiro, and Jackie Speier

Overcome adversity, embrace change, and discover your power―together. With this book, you can learn how to turn any unfortunate event into a joy-filled opportunity. In addition to stories and advice, This Is Not the Life I Ordered will teach you how to put together your own gathering of kitchen-table friends. At the end of each section, you will find tools that you can work with as a group to help each other grow, learn, and thrive. Part autobiography, part self-help book, and all useful and actionable content, the authors and friends pulled from their experiences supporting one another to help you do the same. If you are struggling with work, family, love, or just life in general, This Is Not the Life I Ordered is for you. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

The Sudden Loss Survival Guide: Seven Essential Practices for Healing Grief by Chelsea Hanson

When a loved one passes unexpectedly, the person left behind can lose their bearings. After the sudden loss of her mother, Chelsea Hanson, a nationally-recognized grief educator and founder of With Sympathy Gifts and Keepsakes, didn’t know where to turn for help, what to do next, or how to put the pieces of her life back together. Hanson’s The Sudden Loss Survival Guide gathers everything that she learned during her own recovery process and provides an indispensable road map to aid those who’ve experienced a life-changing loss. Through the application of simple, proactive practices, The Sudden Loss Survival Guide will empower you to overcome the darkness and anxiety of grief with heart-lifting prompts and action steps that guide you towards re-engaging in life and discovering deeper meaning. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

Positive Thoughts for Troubling Times: A Renew-Your-Spirit Guide by Allen Klein

Rarely before in history has the United States―and the world at large―been so divided. With each new Tweet, falsehood, or upsetting news headline, the things we once took for granted and believed in have become upended and, in the process, have crushed our spirit. The inspired ideas and power thoughts in Positive Thoughts for Troubling Times will provide you with hope, a renewed spirit, and a new perspective for viewing our worrisome times. Author Allen Klein, the world’s only Jollytologist, knows how the right thought at the right time can change your day for the better. In this incredible book, he offers a lifetime of positive change. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

Little Indulgences: More Than 400 Ways to Be Good to Yourself by Cynthia MacGregor

In Little Indulgences, Cynthia MacGregor has gathered a bouquet of ways to treat yourself every day. Included in this arrangement are “Instant Indulgences,” indulgences that can be done in less than five minutes; “All-Day Indulgences;” and “Rewards Over Time.” Some are simple, free, and spontaneous. Others include decadent suggestions for spoiling yourself rotten. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

Everyday Energy Boosters: 365 Tips and Tricks to Help You Feel Like a Million Bucks by Sondra Kornblatt, Susannah Seton

Need an energy boost to get through that long afternoon meeting? Put down that cup of caffeine and pick up Everyday Energy Boosters with 365 quick and easy tips to feel more energized all day every day! Bestselling health writers Sondra Kornblatt and Susannah Seton offer energy-boosting tips that can be used anytime or anywhere: Deep breathing techniques, how to track your natural energy cycles, tips for getting more sleep, and more. This daily guide helps readers boost their energy and create a calmer, more positive, and energized life. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

For Teens:

Be True to Yourself: A Daily Guide for Teenage Girls By Amanda Ford

In this book of short daily meditations and essays, Amanda Ford, a young adult herself, offers stories, information, and advice on all the important issues facing young women today: boys, dating, drinking, self-respect, self-love, fights with friends, dealing with parents, and more. When Amanda Ford emerged from her tumultuous teenage years, she saw the need for a guide to help girls learn to listen to their inner voices and think for themselves. Your daughter, granddaughter, niece, or young friend will learn to listen to her heart with this coming-of-age guide. Girls will find comfort, encouragement, and insight in these pages, along with suggestions for articulating and confiding their feelings, fears, and frustrations. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

Badass Black Girl: Questions, Quotes, and Affirmations for Teens By M.J. Fievre

MJ Fievre tackles topics such as family and friends, school and careers, body image, and stereotypes in this journal designed for teenage girls. By reflecting on these topics, readers confront the issues that can hold them back from living their lives. Finding the courage to live as you are is not easy, so here’s a journal designed to help readers nurture their creativity, self-motivation, and positive self-awareness. This journal celebrates girl power and honors the strength and spirit of Black girls. This journal provides words of encouragement that seek not just to inspire, but to ignite discussion and debate about the world. Girls, especially, are growing up in a world that tries to tell them how to look and act. MJ Fievre encourages readers to fight the flow and determine for themselves who they want to be. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

The Book of Awesome Women Writers: Medieval Mystics, Pioneering Poets, Fierce Feminists and First Ladies of Literature by Becca Anderson

From the first recorded writer to current bestsellers, Becca Anderson, author of The Book of Awesome Women and Badass Affirmations, takes us through time and highlights women who have left their mark on the literary world. This expansive compilation of women writers is a chance to delve deeper into the lives and works of renowned authors and learn about some lesser-known greats, as well. Some of the many women writers you will love learning about include Maya Angelou, Jane Austen, Judy Blume, Rachel Carson, Nadine Gordimer, Margaret Mead, Joyce Carol Oates, and many, many more. With the help of writers, editors, librarians, booksellers, and more, Anderson has crafted a must-read book for women everywhere. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

The Book of Awesome Black Americans: Scientific Pioneers, Trailblazing Entrepreneurs, Barrier-Breaking Activists and Afro-Futurists by Monique Jones

We are familiar with a handful of African Americans who are mentioned in American history books, but there are also countless others who do not get recognized in mainstream media. The achievements of the Black Americans included in this book range from athletic to artistic, literary to scientific. Their biographies vary greatly, but each one contributes to the course of Black history and its influence on the greater world. Their stories encourage readers, especially teenage boys and girls, to find their own path to change. Monique L. Jones’s The Book of Awesome Black Americans is more than a Black history book. It’s a celebration of Black people. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

The Book of Awesome Women by Becca Anderson

Women hold up half the sky and, most days, do even more of the heavy lifting including childbearing and child-rearing. All after a long day at the office. Women have always been strong, true heroes ─ sheroes, oftentimes unacknowledged. As we shake off the last traces of a major patriarchal hangover, women are coming into their own. From the foremothers who blazed trails and broke barriers, to today’s women warriors from sports, science, cyberspace, city hall, the lecture hall, and the silver screen, The Book of Awesome Women paints 200 portraits of powerful and inspiring role models for women and girls poised to become super women of the future. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

Victory For the Vote: The Fight for Women’s Suffrage and the Century That Followed by Doris Weatherford

In her book Victory for the Vote, Women’s history expert Doris Weatherford offers an engaging and detailed narrative history of women’s seven-decade fight for the vote—and the continuing current-day struggle for human rights and equality. Victory for the Vote puts the fight for suffrage into a contemporary context, discussing key challenges and issues for women in the decades that followed 1920, such as reproductive rights, the Equal Rights Amendment, and political power. It will also help readers to take pride in the struggles and accomplishments of strong women, celebrate feminism, and recognize the challenges that still remain on the road to human rights for all. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

The College Bound Organizer: The Ultimate Guide to Successful College Applications by Anna Costaras and Gail Liss

The College Bound Organizer is your step-by-step comprehensive guide to organize every step of the college application process from college search through college admission. The College Bound Organizer helps students understand what admission officers are looking for in an applicant, build a personal profile, plan an individualized testing schedule, and research colleges to identify a balanced list of schools. After preparing for their application, students learn how to secure letters of recommendation, develop the college application essay, prevent common mistakes students make on their applications, apply for financial aid and scholarships, and ace interviews. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

For Kids:

Squeaky Clean Super Funny Jokes for Kidz by Craig Yoe

Squeaky Clean Super Funny Jokes for Kidz is from Craig Yoe, the former Creative Director, Vice President, and General Manager of Jim Henson’s Muppets─and former Creative Director at Nickelodeon and Disney. Craig, a retired pastor, believes that there is nothing better in life than making kids laugh and feel happy. He has been collecting jokes for years, and now he is releasing his hand-picked jokes for kids in the “Squeaky Clean” series. It’s packed with wholesome, edifying, LOL funny jokes to encourage reading and entertain children for hours. No boogers, ghosts, witches, scary monsters, insults, or put-downs─all giggle-filled good clean fun for young and old alike. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

Dino Dana: Dino Field Guide by J.J. Johnson, Colleen Russo Johnson, and Christin Simms

Did you know that the brachiosaurus was the tallest dinosaur that we know of today? That the kosmoceratops had fifteen horns and hooks on its head? That the spinosaurus is the only known dinosaur to spend most of its time swimming? Discover this and much more in Dino Dana: Dino Field Guide. Fans of the Amazon Prime TV show Dino Dana will be so excited to have a Dino Field Guide of their own, put together by the incredible show’s creator and executive producer, J. J. Johnson. Full of colorful illustrations and fascinating science facts, this dinosaur book is sure to amaze any young dino enthusiast. This book for children is perfect for any kid who likes history and science. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

She’s Building a Robot by Mick Liubinskas

AZ is a young girl who finds herself in a robot building competition. Can she use girl power to overcome crashes, explosions, and hackers to beat school bully and three-time champ? In this funny, action-packed story about STEM for kids, the talented AZ fights gender stereotypes and learns tough lessons on leadership. With the help of her quirky friends, Li and 10, the team builds a feisty robot named Ada. Together, they work hard, solve puzzles, grow in confidence, and learn the importance of friendship and collaboration. Written to raise awareness about the challenges faced by women in science and engineering, She’s Building a Robot celebrates voices from diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. More importantly, it gives girls in science the opportunity to relate to strong, brave, smart characters. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

I Do Not Like Living with Brothers: The Ups and Downs of Growing Up with Siblings by Daniel Baxter

Learn about the importance of family with I Do Not Like Living With Brothers, aimed to teach young siblings to see the value and goodness in each other. Exploring the family dynamic of a sister living with two brothers, in this children’s book, our young narrator discovers that while her brothers are dirty, smelly, and sometimes selfish, they are also kind, funny, and helpful. Author and father Daniel Baxter, cohost of the popular YouTube channel How It Should Have Ended, shows kids that perhaps living with your siblings is not all bad. With creative examples and fun illustrations, it will teach young girls and boys how to be more generous, why we should appreciate the people we live with, and that even though living with siblings can be hard work, it’s worth it! View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

Chicken Little, Come Out! The Sky is Not Falling!: Helping Children Express and Cope with Their Anxiety by Michele Winchester Vega D.S.W. LCSW-R, Sharen Casazza M.D., Katie Helpley LMRT RPT, and Corrine Varnavides LCSW SBL-SDL

There’s a barn full of Chicken Little characters, but they don’t want to come out. It’s scary out there and they fear that the sky is falling! However, with a lot of teamwork and a little help from Chicken Little, together they can calm their fears and phobias. Using beautifully illustrated, relatable farm animals from the classic Chicken Little story, Psychiatric Social Worker Dr. Winchester-Vega offers ways to manage and normalize children’s mental health and foster conversation and understanding. Children will learn how to identify and normalize their worries, fears, and anxieties while increasing their mental health awareness and learning new strategies for improved coping. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

Kids’ Random Acts of Kindness by The Editors of the Conari Press

When the adult version of Random Acts of Kindness was first published, hundreds of teachers across the country gave assignments to their students to write about unsolicited acts that they had experienced or initiated. Teachers sent the results to Conari Press which then put out a call for similar stories in a teacher’s magazine. Stories poured in and the result was Kid’s Random Acts of Kindness. Whimsical and funny to moving and thoughtful, this book helps restore your belief in the potential for goodness in man. In Kid’s Random Acts of Kindness, you will see how children are the truest examples of open-hearted giving. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

For College Students:

Love The Sh*t Out Of Yourself by Zoey Arielle Poulsen

Wise words and positive affirmations have the power to touch our hearts, make us laugh, alleviate our stress–while realizing the vast potential life has to offer. Grouped together, these quips, quotes, and “power thoughts” can help you deal with everything life throws at you. Build your self-esteem with daily affirmations, and you can rule the world. Like a muscle, the more you do it, the stronger your confidence and sense of self will be. More importantly, you can live a life filled with love, joy, fulfillment, and satisfaction thanks to your own positive self-regard. Simply put, you’ll be too blessed to be stressed! Love the Sh*t Out of Yourself is the ultimate motivating, encouraging, and uplifting book to enjoy and share. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

You Can Do All Things: Drawings, Affirmations and Mindfulness to Help With Anxiety and Depression by Kate Allan

When you have anxiety or depression, you can feel deeply alone. You can feel like you’re the only person on the planet who’s struggling with weird worries (which won’t go away), who can’t go grocery shopping without getting sweaty and panicked, who fears everything. When we feel this way, one of the greatest gifts we can receive is knowing that there’s someone out there walking a similar path, someone who understands the sorrow, the struggles, the symptoms, the hardships. Someone we can relate to, someone who shares their story, with vulnerability and without filters. With You Can Do All Things, Kate Allan has given us such a gift. In You Can Do All Things, Kate shares her struggles with anxiety and depression, which started when she was just a child. Through her honest words, uplifting illustrations, and actionable suggestions, Kate also encourages us to keep trying and to keep going. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

It’s Your Weirdness that Makes You Wonderful by Kate Allan

Depression and anxiety are topics that can be uncomfortable to talk about, but that doesn’t mean they should be avoided. If anything, it means we need to be more aware and have more conversations about them. With the help of her adorable illustrations, art blogger Kate Allan (known through her remarkably popular Tumblr blog as “The Latest Kate”) urges us to be mindful of our mentality. Allan, who suffers from anxiety and depression herself, understands what it’s like to deal with feelings that are difficult to fight through. In this book, she provides the personal kind of encouragement that she herself needs to hear. These encouraging words, along with writing prompts, can help readers sort through and express their feelings. Kate Allan’s creative journal meets us where we are―in the midst of the feelings that say we’re not enough, we can’t handle this life, we won’t make it. Her whimsical art and simple words lift trampled spirits and combat thoughts that lead us to believe our weirdness makes us weak. Young and old, we are encouraged to love ourselves exactly as we are. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

You’re Strong, Smart, and You Got This: Drawings, Affirmations, and Comfort to Help with Anxiety and Depression by Kate Allan

It’s not easy to discuss mental health, even though it affects everyone. We want to believe we can handle anything that comes at us, but the reality is we all have good days and bad days. Through guided illustrations, author Kate Allan opens the door to discussion about mental health in an approachable and unassuming manner. Whether you deal with social anxiety, depression, or are simply going through a rough patch, Allan is here with her friendly animals to help. The focus of this book is personal growth, both the reader’s and the author’s. With her beautiful illustrations, Allan guides us through how she went from rock bottom to managing her mental health quite well. By zooming in on mindfulness and prioritizing self-care, Allan expresses how we can get through the hardships we face and come out stronger. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

Thera-pets: 64 Emotional Support Animal Cards by Kate Allan

Thera-pets is a deck of 64 cute doodles that comes from the bestselling author of You Can Do All Things. Each card of positive affirmations offers you a daily moment of joy to escape from the problems so many of us face in this hectic, modern world. Inside, you’ll find cute animal drawings to calm your mind, uplifting quotes to help you through bad days, and words of wisdom and ways to find mindfulness. Kate Allan draws from her own experiences with anxiety and depression to create therapeutic and soothing works of art for all. Think of this card deck as a menagerie of emotional support animals to take with you anywhere―an airplane, a trip to the dentist, your first day at a new job, or anytime you need a little boost of cheer and encouragement. View this book on Bookshop and Amazon!

How are you coping with all the hard decisions this school year?

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Quarantine with Kids

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May 5, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 9 Comments

Why are so many of the neighborhood kids playing together like it’s a holiday?

Why is that child down the street having a lemonade stand?

Why is this neighbor’s sister’s family visiting them?

Why is that neighbor’s out of state family here celebrating his birthday?

Why are the pet owners, walkers, and runners at the neighborhood park not wearing masks or social distancing?

Too many people believe the government and news media, instead of medical professionals. Or maybe they just don’t care?

While there are low-contact activities like tennis, biking, or hide and seek for children to play together, it’s unreasonable to expect children to self-regulate during play time with others outside their household.

Parks and playgrounds and schools are closed. This isn’t to say that kids can just play together in each other’s yards and houses. Many experts in health care warn families to keep their kids safe by not allowing play dates with others outside the household.

Exhibiting no symptoms doesn’t mean we aren’t carries who can potentially infect others. We don’t know where you’ve been and who you have interacted with, potentially spreading the virus exponentially.

I realize America and most of Western society is very individualistic, but maybe we could look to more collectivism and expand our views to care for others as a whole rather than just think about ourselves.

Many families did these last few weeks of school at home, online or by distance learning. This is not homeschooling! Homeschoolers don’t isolate ourselves in our homes and we’re suffering too with cancellations of activities, park closures, and libraries closed.

It’s true I don’t know everyone’s situation. It’s also true that it’s very hard for many be shut up together in a house all the time when they’re not at all used to that schedule.

Yes, I know it must be hard. This is not normal for anybody.

What narrative are we telling our children about this virus and quarantine? What can we do?

We can be honest with our children.

It seems that lots of parents just aren’t even telling their kids what’s going on.

Trust me, they can handle it. They want Truth. They want Respect.

We need to give kids more credit for their natural intelligence and empathy.

We don’t have to give them more info than they can handle for their age and mental capability, but we shouldn’t just pretend they shouldn’t know what’s going on in the world. We don’t have to incite fear.

They surely have noticed things are different. Schools are closed and activities are canceled. Parents are out of work or working from home. Restaurants are closed or takeout/delivery only. Schedules are surely different.

Tell the children why. Discuss. Listen to what they have to say. Answer their questions. What are the lessons we can learn?

We can model appropriate social distancing when we leave the house.

Social distancing means

not going out unless it is necessary. Necessary reasons to go out include buying food, getting medical care, or going for a walk or a bike ride alone or with members of the household.
closing schools, restaurants, shops, movie theaters, and other places where people gather
not getting together in person with friends
working from home if possible
not taking public transportation, including buses, subways, taxis, and rideshares

My children have not visited a store since our Ohio stay-at-home order the end of March.

My husband and daughter are essential workers and their work hours haven’t changed.

I do grocery shopping weekly alone or with my husband. My husband occasionally grabs something we need or forgot on his way home from work.

We can practice safe practices like hand washing and mask wearing.

Better safe than sorry:

Keep your family home and away from others as much as possible. Don’t have friends and extended family over, and don’t go to their homes. People who look healthy still can be infected and can spread the virus. That’s why it’s important to stay away from everyone, even if they don’t seem sick.
If you have to go out, make sure you are at least 6 feet (2 meters) away from other people. Viruses can spread when someone sneezes or coughs out tiny droplets. They may even spread when people talk. These droplets don’t usually travel more than 6 feet before falling to the ground. Also, follow the CDC’s advice on wearing a cloth face covering (or a face mask, if you have one).
If you’re caring for someone who is sick, take all recommended precautions. It’s important to keep that person away from others.

We wash our hands regularly and especially after returning home from the store.

My husband wears a mask at work and when he shops. The kids remind him to wash his hands when he enters the house at the end of every day.

My teen daughter wears a mask at work. She washes her hands when she returns home.

I wear and mask when I shop. I wash my hands when I return home.

We also have moved our shoe bench into the garage and remove our shoes there.

We wash work clothes more frequently.

We can limit our exposure to others by staying home or in our own backyards.

Yes, it’s really hard to have all extracurricular activities canceled. My kids miss it very much. It’s normal to be sad about this and I sit with them in their disappointment.

It’s hard when the neighborhood kids ask my son to play and we have to say no. It’s not my place to explain why to those kids. My children ask me why they’re all playing together when they shouldn’t. It’s a hard circumstance.

I know we all miss our friends and family members. Trips, events, celebrations have been canceled. Grandparents are cooped up and miss their grandkids.

Kids who are used to having their schedules and activities dictated and planned for them need some adjustment time.

Parents can provide a list of appropriate and safe activities that kids can do alone, with siblings, pets, or parents. Set aside blocks of time for kids to do independent work, chores, play and other time blocks for sibling or parent time.

Scavenger hunts are fun activities to keep friends connected without touching and exposing each other. Lots of groups, cities, neighborhoods have planned fun hunts.

Write letters. This is an important, almost lost skill. It’s fun to send and receive mail!

Online games, facetime, and video activities are great ways to keep in touch and interact.

Have movie night each week and read together.

Play board games, do puzzles, draw or crafts.

Spend time outdoors as a family, safely distancing from others. Go fishing, biking, fly kites, skate or roller blade, hike the woods where spaces are open to the public.

I am saddened by so many kids who have never experienced these activities because families never had the time or interest.

Invite fun new hobbies into your lives: like bird watching or gardening.

Get to know your kids and spend time more wisely.

Live more simply.

We can monitor the media we view and believe.

We have media overload.

We may need to turn off the TV, radio, social media.

This includes family and friends who think this virus is a hoax or protest stay-at-home orders.

We may want to set boundaries with those friends and family members.

Human lives are more important than a haircut or restaurant food.

I’m tired of the “What if…” games.

I’m tired of people thinking they’re the exception.

I’m tired of everyone not helping to flatten the curve.

Restaurants, stores, specialist medical offices, personal care shops reopen amidst protests to save the economy…is it worth it to get our hair cut and munch on fresh eggrolls and go to bars for live music? Even schools are reopen, risking the health of so many children.

It is right to risk the lives of a few hundred or thousand individuals? Are they expendable for the economy? Is it right to sacrifice a few for the many to be more comfortable?

I pray for all of us who are affected (or seemingly unaffected) by the virus. We are all connected.

Our children are watching us and how we react to this crisis. What do we want them to remember?

Privilege is when you think something is not a problem because you’re aren’t affected personally.
L.R. Knost

Linking up: Random Musings, April Harris, Marilyn’s Treats, Create with Joy, Anita Ojeda, Grammy’s Grid, Little Cottage, Mostly Blogging, Home Stories, Mary Geisen, InstaEncouragements, Purposeful Faith, Our Home, LouLou Girls, Suburbia, Our Three Peas, Ginger Snap Crafts, Grandma’s Ideas, My Life Abundant, Welcome Heart, Soaring with Him, Worth Beyond Rubies, Anchored Abode, Penny’s Passion, Crystal Storms, Debbie Kitterman, Slices of Life, Life Beyond the Kitchen, Answer is Choco, Momfessionals, Simply Sweet Home, Katherine’s Corner, Embracing Unexpected, Lyli Dunbar, CWJ, CKK, OMHGW, Kippi at Home,

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Homeschooling During Quarantine

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April 27, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 6 Comments

Ohio has been in quarantine lockdown since April 1.

Many parents are working from home and school are closed so life looks a little different.

But many families are in crisis, wondering how they will pay their bills. Those stimulus checks won’t last long.

The families forced into quarantine when the schools closed are not homeschooling.

It’s crisis schooling. It wasn’t a decision. It was forced. Most are miserable, confused, scared.

My parents live in Georgia and they were only on lockdown for a couple weeks and it’s worrisome.

Stores and services are reopening, but not schools. Maybe next fall. And it’s probably too soon. Many families are planning to keep their kids home and accept the offer for online options from the public schools. They may find that successful, preferable, or they may realize there are other ways to learn.

I know our friend down the street loved completing his lessons super fast online and having free time.

Being a homeschool family doesn’t mean this isn’t hard.

Being introverted doesn’t mean this isn’t hard.

Even though our lifestyles don’t look that much different at this time, it’s still stressful.

We’re used to having the freedom to do what we want, when we want. We used to go where we want, not relying on traditional school schedules. We like to avoid crowds.

Libraries are closed and we miss it.

Local parks and playgrounds are closed and we miss it.

Sports and extra activities are canceled and we miss it.

We missed Easter. We had just started attending a new church.

My college daughter’s classes all went online. It’s hard because the professors aren’t used to that so they simplified the assignments and made grades easier. She misses her friends and freedom. We worry about fall semester and are noticing some small colleges are closing forever. She works part time at a bank and only their drive-thru is open. She realizes she is fortunate to be an essential employee.

The lovely spring weather beckons and we play in the yard and driveway. We explore our backyard woods and creek. My son rides his bike or scooter. The girls rollerblade and skate.

We’ve quietly celebrated four birthdays – mine and three of the kids. Homemade cake, favorite breakfasts and dinners, presents and movies. We don’t do big parties, so this is just our normal.

We’re finishing up our books and regular curriculum and we are getting bored.

There’s nothing to look forward to.

If it were winter, we probably wouldn’t do much different. Since we’re finishing up our formal lessons for the year and heading towards summer, we have to find creative ways to occupy our time. We used to do formal school year-round, but the kids like to have a month or so of a break these last few years. It’s becoming very hard with everything canceling through summer now.

I’ve never liked the word “homeschooling” because how we learn and live looks so little like school.

We just live life, learn what’s interesting, focus on fun activities and skills. We can do and learn the things we’ve only talked about and never found the time.

Academics are not as important as relationship.

We’re disappointed with all the neighborhood kids playing together like they’re on holiday. We wonder what their family’s narrative is for why school and work are canceled, stores are closed, people wearing masks. Do they think this is a hoax? Those public and private school kids and parents are exposing all those families while we the homeschoolers are following the rules and social distancing from everyone who doesn’t live in our house. It’s very frustrating.

My kids haven’t been out since March. I see lots of children in stores with their parents and while I realize child care is often an issue, I worry they’re being exposed or exposing others to illness.

Homeschooling during Quarantine

Learning new recipes
Playing games – online, board and card, video. We have a Wii and Switch.
Watching movies and shows on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu.
Arts and crafts
Deep cleaning each room
Painting or refinishing furniture
Organizing and minimizing – although we can’t donate anything right now.
Getting outside as much as possible while keeping social distance from other families and individuals
Nature study
Gardening
Yard work
Exercise
Online classes
Bible study
Literature unit
Foreign language study
Electives
Read, READ, read

Is there a lesson in quarantine? What is the lesson in all this?

Also, we’re bingeing apocalyptic media. Because that’s our style of humor and memes are therapy.

How is your schedule or lifestyle different during quarantine?

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Prayer for Quarantine

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April 26, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

For all those who think they’re unaffected by a virus.

Insulated in a bubble of wealth without reason.

Dark hair roots show when they remove their red hats.

We can all see who you really are now.

Thinking the economy is more important than a soul.

Confused by authority, leadership, contradictions.

Crying over puppy videos while calling the police on black and brown people.

Who are you to deny that we are all connected?

Medical professionals who cry in the hallways like hysterical Cassandra and her unheard prophecies.

Giving birth alone, hearing ecstatic or dire medical news alone, attending medical appointments and procedures alone.

Being too scared to go to the ER with heart attack or stroke symptoms or an injury.

Immunocompromised or disabled and invisible.

The individuals who die alone in silence, forgotten, mere statistics.

Who is essential?

The lack of paper products and cleaning supplies.

Crying over restaurant closures and having to make food for oneself.

The leavening disappeared from store shelves and now swamps the news.

Scarcity doesn’t affect everyone equally.

What is necessary?

The celebrations passed over.

Coming together with online streaming.

Dates that were looked forward to, milestones that meant so much.

The teens crying over missed prom, sports, graduation, college orientation.

The parents whose hopes are locked away in their bedrooms playing video games.

The kids watching their friends from windows, online, social media.

Abusers locked away with their victims.

Who are the helpers?

The privileged ones who fight for their right to party while starving beggars sit at the grocery store door palms up.

They had a secure job a month ago. They were living the American dream with all their expensive toys and debt, keeping up with the Joneses.

Sheep led to the slaughter with jeers and cheers.

Maskless protesters demand rights, but not for all.

We need more than a hug and a Snickers bar.

Who is expendable?

Even those who long to just go back to normal know in the corner of their minds that it wasn’t a good normal.

Desire to create a better simpler normal, including all, loving all, welcoming all, protecting all.

Let us pray.

Let us act.

Let us love.

Let us change.

Let us heal.

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Lessons from Quarantine

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March 22, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 12 Comments

I didn’t even realize my normal introverted stay-at-home-homeschooling lifestyle was called “quarantine” until people started having real meltdowns on social media about being forced to stay home, work from home, not eat out, not socializing with friends at bars, restaurants, parties, etc.

People seem to really not like their kids, cooking at home, staying home, or walking in nature.

For years, everyone has underestimated my desire to stay home. I’m an introvert and I’m tired of apologizing for my simple lifestyle.

Schools are canceled. College classes are canceled. Churches are closed. Restaurants and stores are closed. Sports are canceled. Libraries and other fun places we would occasionally go to are closed. The kids’ gymnastics and ice skating lessons are canceled.

Very little of this really affects me but I’m trying so hard to empathize with people who are upset about it all. I am amazed at how well my kids handle disappointment and I’m sometimes struggling.

While I understand these times are hard for extroverts like my teen daughter, we can adjust and help each other through this.

What can we learn from quarantine?

Let us live in hope of a better day.

Lessons from Quarantine

Love Your Neighbor.

I’m very concerned by people who are living in denial that this virus is dangerous and deadly. I’m concerned about people who are still traveling and vacationing.

I’m worried about the people who can’t get their needs met – the people laid off, unable to work, immunocompromised, starving children, abusive families, those with mental illness.

The economy is surely hurting and will take a while to recover. Perhaps this is the time our leaders can rethink how wealth is distributed and what programs should be in place as societal safety nets.

I love seeing people offering to help others – by picking up groceries or however people need help. All the online threads with GoFundMe and payment apps to help pay bills. As long as it’s not caremongering – posturing and flashy “look at me and all the good I’m doing!” Performance-based-Christianity is a virus itself.

But it’s sad we weren’t more prepared as a nation and world. May we come out on the other side of this with new perspective in how to serve others.

Many church leaders are posting mini services and prayer chains on social media. They offer hope and connection to those who are anxious and scared.

We’re all learning how to love and it’s so, so sad to still see hate, exclusion, blame, and negativity out there.

Boundaries.

While I’m used to being at home with my kids all day, every day…the mental load of realizing that we shouldn’t go out and all our extracurricular courses are cancelled and no one can play or socialize with friends is still very hard.

I’m not really much of a rule maker, but I have to institute some boundaries to make sure we don’t regress into chaos since weekends aren’t anything anymore. I’ve never really stressed about screentime, but I will not have disrespectful attitudes.

My almost twenty year old daughter is struggling with having her freedom sucked away. I do get it. It’s difficult for a fledgling adult to have her wings clipped and it’s not her fault. Her anxiety is running rampant. Her college classes were canceled for the whole semester and everything is online and she doesn’t do well with that education model. She has a part-time job at a local bank and she’s at least able to work a few days a week at their drive-thru (the inside bank is closed) when many cannot work. It hurts me that she would prefer greasy fast food instead of our home cooked meals. I will not have her treating her young siblings like her peers, showing them inappropriate Tik Tok videos, Instagram, or Snapchat, and wanting to watch unsuitable films and shows with them.

There have been lectures, slamming doors, angry texts, and rolling eyes. It’s really hard to be a gentle parent sometimes. I’m not sure what to do or say since it all seems wrong.

My husband works from home most evenings and weekends while still going to work Monday-Friday 7-5. He’s a military medical lab manager and it’s stressful everywhere in the medical communities right now. I’m feeling sometimes like I did when he was deployed. He’s here, but he’s not really here.

Sometimes, I really just want to be alone for an hour – in my home office, on the deck, in the bathroom. In silence.

Simplicity.

I like the simple life.

We cook all our meals at home. Restaurant closures don’t affect us at all since we rarely dine out and rarely get takeout and never delivery. I’ve never used a meal delivery service and I don’t plan to start. I’m concerned for food service industry and their jobs and well-being more than my lack of ability to get prepared or precooked food.

We’ve been striving to get debt-free for years and we are getting pretty close. Our investments took a hit as I’m sure many others have noticed. We’re not especially worried since we’re in that for the long haul.

I’m not much of a shopper. I mean I order tons of things online for our homeschool and when the kids ask for something (and they rarely ask for anything!). But I really loathe going inside stores. I don’t care about fashion or accessories or jewelry or makeup. I love seeing the beautiful regular people using this time to show us their tutorials online though.

Of course it’s easier not to spend money and pay off debts when there’s nowhere to go and no one to visit. There’s no point in buying anything.

We read Deuteronomy 15 along with history read aloud of the 2008-09 housing crash and that really was interesting in light of current events. Perhaps we really need a Jubilee?

We’ve been cleaning and purging for spring. Making much needed updates and repairs that have been on our list for ages. We just bought our house!

We read lots. That doesn’t change. We’re bingeing dystopian film and books too!

We do lots of creative things like art, crafts, jewelry…

We play Legos, board games, Switch and Wii, iPads…

We evaluate our priorities and lifestyle all the time and continue to simplify.

Going Outside.

I’m seeing so many more people outside – walking, running, skating, biking, with dogs. They mostly keep a good distance and wave or call hello. It’s pleasant and I hope it continues.

The outdoors aren’t closed or canceled except when they’re getting swamped with people not following the distancing rules.

We love nature and the outdoors and we still do our almost daily walks around our pond and hike off in the woods in our backyard. We play in our driveway and yard.

We love seeing the blossoms and buds that are new each day as the seasons change. We watch the birds and squirrels. We await the new babies.

The warmer weather and sunshine are very welcome.

Making Memories.

We’re pretty doing the same things we’ve always done.

Our life is mostly unchanged.

I wonder what memories we will have of this time in the years to come… What will our kids tell their children? What will history say of us?

We baked brownies and breads, learned how to perfect homemade pasta, had more meals with our families, bought bidets during the great tissue shortage, and shared more of our lives online with our neighbors, friends, and family.

Sometimes, we have to go offline and protect our anxious minds. Perhaps we can grow from this time of rest.

Maybe we’re understanding what community means.

We’re learning what love means in a time of crisis.

How are you passing the time?

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