Ever wondered what it’s like to manage a large family or curious how others do it? Hoping for some help for your growing family? Flabbergasted that we aren’t checking into an asylum? Think there are some secrets that we’re not sharing?
Well every Thursday you will have the opportunity to get a glimpse into the homes of 4 moms of many. We’ll each be sharing our perspective on how we manage our larger than average families. From scheduling to laundry, homeschooling to cooking we’ll share what we’ve learned and what it’s like trying to keep up. We’ll share some of our triumphs and some of our struggles.
Meet the Moms:
Connie is a Christian homeschooling mom of 8 rowdy children, wife for 25 years of one hunky golf pro, wiper of noses, writer of stories. She blogs regularly at Smockity Frocks.
The Deputy Headmistress is shy and blogs behind a pseudonym which she intended to be amusing and somewhat self-deprecatory. She and the Headmaster locked eyes in a high school Sunday School class in 1979 when she was 17, and they have been merrily married since 1982, in spite of the fact that at 17 the DHM nearly got the HM beaten up by her other boyfriend, and at 20 she nearly got him arrested by a cop from church. Happily God helped her grow up, and He is gracious and forgiving, and so is the Headmaster. They have seven wonderful Progeny both by birth and adoption, two handsome sons-in-law, one adorable grandson, and two precious unofficial foster sons, ages 5 and 3, who live with them about half the time. They have been homeschooling since 1988. The DHM, and occasionally some of the Progeny, blog regularly about politics, family life, living in the country, books, music, cabbages, kings, and living the countercultural Christian life at The Common Room.
KimC is a Christian, a wife, big sister to 13 sibs, and the slightly-crunchy homeschooling mom of 10 children: 9 on the outside and 1 on the inside. She lives with her very large family in a very small house in south Texas and finds peace in chocolate and blogging at Life in a Shoe: the methods and madness of one family of 12. Her family shares their little house on the hill with dogs, gerbils, snakes, and tarantulas, and a 10 year old cat named Tim. The chickens stay outside. Usually.
Kimberly blogs at Raising Olives (that’d be here) and is a second generation homeschooling mom to her soon-to-be 10 children. She is married to an amazingly patient husband, who also happens to be a magnificent father. Their family’s primary goal is to glorify God and to raise children who will do the same. For that reason they attempt to examine every decision that they make in the light of God’s word. Many of their decisions may seem strange to the world and they’re good with that.
Past topics:
The Schedule – This includes a schedule from when we had four children under 4 years.
The Reality: A Live Blogging Adventure
Going Out with Lots of Littles
Kitchen
Feeding Your Family on a Budget
Menu Planning
Cooking from Scratch
Cooking for a Crowd – Recipes
Home Education
The big picture
Selecting Curriculum: Part 1 – Our Methods
Selecting Curriculum: Part 2 – Our choices for 2010
Teaching Little Ones
Teaching Big Kids
Putting it all together
Home Tour
Yard and entryway **LINKY**
Kitchen and dining area **LINKY**
Living and school area **LINKY**
Upcoming topics:
August 26 – Open house – Bedrooms **LINKY**
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Ideas that we haven’t scheduled, yet:
- Homeschooling – teaching specific subjects
- Homeschooling – How to get your children to do their work.
- Husbands and homeschooling.
- Keeping house while homeschooling
- Homeschool – Teaching multiple ages at once and keeping them all engaged.
- The Big Cook-Off – A live-blog cook day
- How to eat inexpensively while on the road
- Toy management
- Reading lists – What do we have our kids read?
- How to start home educating a large family after taking them out of traditional schools.
- Teaching your children about their bodies, sex, and modesty. Book recommendations?
- Scriptures and/or stories we rely upon for comfort, guidance, security, and peace as a homeschooling family.
- How to train children to be still and quiet during church
- How to manage squeezing in individual time w/ each child
- How to prevent sickness from spreading to the whole family
- How to keep houses clean
- How to keep our figures slim
- How to recharge Mommy’s batteries
- Difference in boys/girls
- Do different temperaments require different discipline styles?
- What is our worst poo story?
- How to handle get togethers: Do children play away from adults? Are activities planned?
- How to handle long car trips
- How to teach a work ethic to reluctant children
- How to avoid yelling
- How to prepare children to grow up and live in a smaller family (spouse + no kids at first)
- How to keep up blogs/businesses and manage the family
- How to organize/shop for/maintain ALL THAT CLOTHING
You girls rock! What an awesome idea to put all four of you together like this. Have any or all four of you ever done children’s book reviews…same book; four different takes? Let me know if you need a ‘guinea pig’
I write Christian children’s books.
[Reply]
Kimberly! Finally, I made it to your blog…I saw your mom and dad at the AV conference in Atlanta about a month ago and she was on her way to be with you (I think) and told me about your blog site. It’s great! I’ve told my FB friends about you and hope they’ll come on board. You are an amazing woman and I still love you as much as when you were an aspiring gymnast..hugs and blessings, Becky M.
[Reply]
Kimberly @ Raising Olives Reply:
August 27th, 2010 at 6:03 am
Thank you Becky. My mom gives me updates on you and your family each time she sees you. So nice to connect with you online!
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