Mary Ellen Barrett on Homeschool Sanity - IHM Conference

Educating your children, keeping a home, managing outside activities, and feeding everyone in between would overwhelm any mom. Mrs. Barrett takes a lighthearted and fun look at ten basic principles that will help your homeschool run smoothly and bring peace to your days.

Live blogging conference notes...

Don't worry about what other people do.  Viewing blogs that seem to depict the perfect life probably don't.

Get up early.  Get things done before the house gets up, self care.  Dress appropriately for YOUR job, it says something to your kids, too. You and your kids deserve that.  This is a job and you want to show  that it's important.

Prayer, spend time with Our Lord and Lady everyday.  His mother is now our mother. Develop a relationship with her.  And make your work your prayer, connect yourself. Offer up. It will enhance the peace in your life.  Have visual reminders, prayer cards around the house.  When the Sacred Heart is looking at you, you are less likely to scream. Pray with your children, make it a habit so they go to prayer in their own life. Our Father, 3 Hail Marys (for intentions) and a St. Michael  prayer for purity/their future spouse. Catholic identity.

Frequent confession, as often as you can. Renewing. 

Consult your principal, your husband. Seek his perspective, insight into your children. Take him out to dinner.  Ask him about priorities, " Do you want dinner tonight or clean underwear?" (She is so funny!)

Refer to your husband, with respect, often thru the day to counteract a society that treats them like dopes. 

3 Things to Do Everyday - Laundry, Feed everyone/dinner plans, School.

Read something, do some math, and religion at least. During summer, de-clutter...especially clothes. Is it beautiful, useful...then keep it. Simplify. Make your house work for you, not the real estate agent or neighbors.  You may use a room differently than its intention.

Meaningful labor, prepare your children for real world.  Boys, too, need to know how men take care of families.  It's not too much. Involve them so they know how long things take. They need to burn energy  outside, too. Fresh air and imagination.

Stick with your homeschool program. Don't jump around.  Minimize your time outside of the house...n the spirit of  losing focus on HOMEschooling. As Mary Ellen was talking about finding peace she noted that we can rob ourselves of peace and focus when we are here, there and everywhere.

You have to have a good marriage. When he first comes home, give him peace....for a few minutes. Make him welcome.  Be affectionate! Let everyone know how much we appreciate all they do for us. Criticize gently at the right time.

ENJOY THIS TIME...it goes so fast.

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Mrs. Mary Ellen Barrett is a home educating mother of seven children. Her column, “Life in Our Domestic Church,” is regularly featured in The Long Island Catholic. She has spoken at numerous homeschooling conferences on topics such as socialization and the challenges of raising a special needs child. In her popular blog,Tales from the Bonny Blue House, Mary Ellen writes about daily life and happenings in her Catholic home. In addition, she writes about the Catholic celebration of Christmas in her blog O Night Divine. Currently, she is working on two books, a book about life as a mom of a large family and an Advent Book of Days. Besides writing and blogging, Mary Ellen enjoys cooking, sewing, photography, and studying Theology. http://www.ihmconference.org/national/speakers/