I used to say that homeschooling was our lifestyle but now I say our lifestyle is our homeschool!
Lifestyle Homeschool is about discipling our children; about character training, about everyday life giving learning opportunities, about Bible study and practical skills. Your lifestyle will provide the experiences that will give your children a rich education.
I read the Messie’s No More some years ago and in it I learnt that I hoard information – it’s my thing.But just because I know this about myself doesn’t mean I do anything about it!Until now!I really must bring this area of my life under control!
When the internet first came into our home I would print off screeds and screeds of articles to read offline.Not only did I prefer to read off computer but you never knew when you might want to refer back to that article.Well, I have learnt to bookmark and to Google these days.
Then there’s been the idea of being a paperless society – we do our bookwork on the computer, my to-do list, my calendar – in theory it sounds great and a paperless society sounds achievable.In reality I have more paper around me than ever before!I am learning to contain my paper in systems – I have a few and they are slowly coming together to control this very paper-ful household.
At the moment we are sifting through years of buying craft and homemaking magazines.I can’t quite bring myself just to ditch them – what if there is an amazing project or idea that I may just never see some place else. Though I am the stage where I am going to sort through all the magazines and divide into three piles “Homespun” and “Better Homes and Garden” and everything else.I am going to keep the Homespun, and create a tear-file from BHG.The rest are good-bye!That in itself is a big step.
Recipe books – ahhh the bane of my life – I get so tempted with recipe books.I don’t even use them!I don’t make the time to be fancy in the kitchen any more (that was for the days when I had two kids and no homeschooling!) So buying them is simply habit and lack of self control.I would love to create a tear-file for my recipe books but I must admit since my recipe books all have a home at the moment they are a lower priority.So for now I just have to learn not to buy any more!
I am listening to an audio book “Margins” by Richard Swenson.Yesterday I listened to him talk about the role of advertising in creating our discontent society. As he talked about how advertising convinces us of our wants he made a very simple statement (I think he was quoting someone else actually) “A hungry man doesn’t need to be convinced of his need for food.”If we truly need it we don’t need to be told we need it.I made a connection here with my collecting information.Emails tell me information all the time, I have so many coming in. But if I need that information I will go and find that information. I don't need to be told it now, and I don't need to hoard it for later. This should be the motivation I need to reduce my email subscriptions.
When I need something I can go and find it,
and I don't need to be told I need it, I'll know.
This isn’t enough of a motivating thought to make me toss my recipe books, delete my email inbox backlog, or purge my craft magazine bookshelf but… it is a start.Little by little I will change my mindset.
So I'm not the only one to hoard information! What a revelation! But my question is, What to do with it all? Perhaps you answered that in a different post, but I've just discovered your blog. I'm off to read more!
AnnieKate - thanks for visiting - As for what I do with it all? It piles up!! LOL
No seriously, I am working on paper systems.
I have a file cabinet - 6 drawers
2 for homeschooling
1 for my Scrapbooking business
1 for my website
2 for family information and bits and pieces
I have a standup file on my desk which is supposed to be all my to-do bits of papers - stuff I need to deal with and I have different categories there
deskwork
computer work
phonecalls
town
think/read
money - buy
Homeschool (which includes local co-op)
Peter (dh)
Websites/online activity
I have a control journal which I have blogged about in March I think. This keeps my daily plans and reminders all in one place.
I have a very big pile that just doesn't get into the system- which is one of the photos on this post!! That is my 'working on it' pile.
I get very frustrated because in my professional life I used to keep other people organised in offices but I struggle so much in my own these days. I think it is a matter of focus. I am trying to teach myself, discipline myself to spend 1 hour a day in the office working on the bits and pieces that come across my desk. I need to do that today!
Thank you for answering my question. Keeping on top of paper and information is such a big problem for me, and I appreciate your help.
Thank you also for stopping by my blog. I hope your children had a lovely day off. Mine have a special day today because it's a birthday, but we'll still be doing some schoolwork.
A place to share the things that happen in my family. The longer I homeschool the quicker I realise that these are not just everyday family happenings - they are the experiences that are educating my children.
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In amongst the parenting, the training, the homeschooling I must remember that I am also a homemaker.
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