raising rileys

mothering is a joy

We are getting ready to head out of town, but I wanted to briefly share about the United Nations CSW (Commission on the Status of Women) conference, documents are being produced that refer to children as “burdens;” with the expressed desire to have the efforts (unpaid care and domestic work) usually performed by mothers “reduced and redistributed” to “national care systems” (the government). Please see the link here. This cannot be! I wish I were able to hug mothers everywhere who struggle, because the truth is, it's hard work! But I cannot think of a greater work that I could be doing. It makes me cringe to hear children referred to as "burdens," and I want to stand up and shout in support of home and family!

a homeschool life conversation with kimberly lowry

Hi, I feel honored that Elizabeth asked me to talk about how I homeschool. My name is Kimberly. I grew up in a little town in south-east Idaho. I have 7 children. My oldest daughter is 20 and is a sophomore in college. I then have 2 boys ages 17 and 15. Next, 3 girls ages 11, 10, and 8, and finally a boy age 3. We live in Fairbanks, Alaska and although we spend most of the year freezing, Alaska is a great place to raise kids. I homeschool all of my children, and have since my oldest was in 3rd grade.

a day at the museum and some thoughts on trust

The more comfortable I grow into my role as a homeschool mom, the richer the experience is for our family. I think it's because the I am learning to trust myself! Maybe that sounds strange, but learning to trust yourself is a huge component in successful homeschooling, When you learn to trust yourself as your child's educator, you are less concerned with measuring what you're doing against what you think someone or something else expects of you (isn't that a silly way to live anyway?). And you are more in tune--more intuitive in helping your children progress and reach his or her potential at any given time. Learning to trust yourself can't help but extend also to the child. I believe that children can feel it when we trust them--by that I mean that they can feel that we have confidence in them. We are "in tune" with where they are--and respectful of their individuality and recognize the greatness within them. And that helps them develop the confidence to soar. Pretty amazing stuff!