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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. Thanks for sharing this. I am always in need of reminder to pray over every situation. What an encouragement that we could be to those around us!

  2. Thank you Karen for sharing your devotion, found it extremely encouraging!! Advise for a homeschool Mom and Dad, we admire to hard work and determination you give each day. May you be given the wisdom as you teach your children the foundational build blocks they need for this life. Blessings!

  3. We started our 3rd year of homeschool this week and it has been specially rough going with my 9 almost 10 year old daughter. Just reading these titles souns so encouraging and refreshing — just what this Momma’s heart needs!!

    Thank you!! ??

  4. I will definitely be encouraging moms I know through words and deeds. I once thought home schooling would be the best solution for my guys, but it seemed every time I asked a mom who home schooled any details how they were able to do it (I was a single mom at the time), it would be a vague answer, or they worked at home (which I couldn’t do). It was heartbreaking for me to finally give up on making it happen. So sometimes it’s not only a matter of choice, but a matter that isn’t a choice at all.

  5. I was homeschooled growing up but we were also involved with a Christian school that we went to for a day every couple of weeks. We were able to be with other kids yet still learn in our home. I agree with the show up tip as I experienced it personally!!

  6. For me personally the decision to homeschool was not an easy one. My husband was homeschooled and I went to public school as a kid. I honestly preferred to send them to a public school but my husband wanted me to homeschool. It was a tough decision to make but in the end I decided to homeschool but I plan on taking it step by step. So far it is going well but it started off with people including some family members making unnecessary comments. I so understand that what parents need especially new parents is lots of encouragement. We shouldn’t be made to feel wrong with how we parent. We are all made uniquely different by our God and that is a beautiful thing. Bless all you mamas who are confidently making the best choices for your family.

  7. Pray! I’ll be praying for all the students, teachers, parents, homeschoolers, etc. Schooling is a big part of early life, no matter what kind of school you participate in!

  8. Being interested and asking questions. Hearing how other families are doing it is a great way to foster support no matter what choice is made.

  9. I’m a homeschooling and work at home mom. I have reached out to my friends who work and have children in public school. Since my schedule is usually more flexible I’ve offered to watch kids or pick up sick kids from school when their mom has to work.

  10. I will be praying for friends who are facing these tough decisions. We all want to do what is best for our children, and where and how to educate them is so important! Thank you for sharing these words of wisdom!

  11. These days it is so hard to find good uplifting books and blogs that are truly out to help other moms and our the children we are raising.

    Great work. Love to read your stuff!

  12. We had homeschooled for 3 years and now we are going into our 3rd year of public school. We keep praying over our choices each year and I miss homeschooling. I will try to reach out to support mamas and kids throughout the school year and definitely pray for friends whatever the school choice. Pray that God would open up my eyes to be more intentional in loving and encouraging others.

  13. I offer verbal support to all my friends for their varied choices. I also pass along any and all information and resources I see that might pertain to a specific school or homeschool subject.

  14. I think verbal support is so important. So many moms hear discouraging opinions of everything they do. Cheering for their choices, even if they aren’t the same as yours, matters. I’m a coordinator of my MOPS group, and we have many women who need the support of other moms because they don’t get it elsewhere.

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