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Supporting Other Mothers’ Schooling Choices & Giveaway

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Back-to-school giveaway for moms at karenehman.com.

Welcome to those who have clicked your way over after reading my Proverbs 31 Ministries devotion, Build Bridges Not Fences… (If you haven’t read it yet, click here to do so.)

Life is a voyage packed with choices. As a new school year begins, prayerfully supporting other mothers’ schooling choices is a way to show unconditional love.

Here are some tips for building bridges rather than fences in the schooling choice arena:

  • Offer verbal support. Just saying, “I hear you are homeschooling” (or sending a child to traditional school). “I’ll be praying your kids have a great year.” can be powerful.
  • Be interested. Don’t let awkward silence cause tension when the topic of school is bought up. Ask them about their kids’ teachers. Inquire about their homeschool activities. Be interested in their children’s educational lives and love them regardless of their choice.
  • Pray. Find out any prayer requests they have and then pray. Knowing my public school friends were praying for my homeschooled children was powerful. They felt the same about the reverse.
  • Praise them for working together with their husband to find a solution. Some moms who want to homeschool have husbands who do not. If you have a friend in that situation, tell them you admire their desire to honor their husband’s wishes. The same goes for the opposite situation.
  • Offer to help out. If you homeschool, can you offer to be the emergency contact for a friend who has her kids in public school? If you have kids in public school but have expertise in an academic area, can you offer to be the guest speaker at your friend’s child’s homeschool co-op? Collaborate to help each other’s kids in their educational setting.
  • Show up. Your friend’s kids have a public school science fair? Or a homeschool basketball game? Show up. Take your kids. Cheer. Applaud. Support. Your presence will be a powerful encouragement.

And now for…..

The Giveaway!

GIVEAWAY ENDED: CONGRATS RACHEL, WHO COMMENTED august 21, 2017 at 8:20 pm. PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR DETAILS.

To celebrate the back-to-school season, I’m giving away all these books for moms to one lucky mom! To enter, comment below which one of the tips above you’ll be using to support another mother’s schooling choices this year. OR we’d love to hear any tips you might add in the comments as well.

I’ll draw a winner on Monday, August 28, and update this post with the winner’s name and email you. U.S. Addresses only please.

Pressing Pause a devotional for moms by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk

Pressing Pause: 100 Quiet Moments for Moms to Meet with Jesus by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk

Hoodwinked book by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk.

Hoodwinked: Ten Myths Moms Believe and Why We All Need To Knock It Off by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk

Gospel Centered Mom by Brooke McGlothlin

Gospel Centered Mom by Brooke McGlothlin

Hope Unfolding by Becky Thompson

Hope Unfolding: Grace-Filled Truth for the Momma’s Heart by Becky Thompson

HCSB Large Print Reference Bible, LeatherTouch

HCSB Large Print Reference Bible, LeatherTouch

Ok, leave your comment to be entered to win!

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264 Comments

  1. Be interested and show verbal support. It seems when you want to homeschool and you meet public school goers you are judged and vice versa. Automatically a label is put it on you and your kids will be unsocialized and not know how to act in the world. It’s hard to communicate with others. But we are all called to something different and obeying that call is honoring God. Loving and supporting other families is also honoring to God. Need to remember this when feel attacked. Maybe showing interest will divert conversation. Thanks for awesome info.

  2. As a Sunday School teacher – my own kiddos grown – I seek to encourage the young parent at church. I know your books would be great!

  3. I love what you said about listening to each other. As moms, we can become defensive (or prideful) when it comes to discussing our parenting decisions. We can best support and encourage our friends by openly sharing and listening to each others opinions, without judgement.

  4. Such great tips! Love the thought of praying for my public schooling friends!

    I also frequently remind myself that just because our way is the best for our family doesn’t mean it’s the best for every family! Our family is fortunate enough to make homeschool work for us and it is a blessing to our whole family (my husband and I work together to educate our children, so it is something we truly do as a family!) But, just because we can make it work and be blessed by it doesn’t mean it will work that way for others. I have deep convictions regarding homeschooling, and, unfortunately, it’s easy for me to fall into a judgemental zone if I am not careful to keep this at the front of my mind.

  5. I loved the list you gave up top, definitely things to remember and do now and throughout the school year. As a former public school teacher I know how vital prayer is in a classroom. This year I sent notes with my kids on the first day of school for their teachers letting them know I’ll be praying for them this year. I also took a mommy friend, who is still teaching, dinner on the first day of school so she could come home and relax with her little kiddo.

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