From the moment my first child was born, I was learning how to be a mom alongside him through real-life experiences, dedication, perseverance, research, and trials & errors. That ‘mom school’ has continued through all of my mothering years and became even more important to me when I started homeschooling my children.
These are some of my favorite mom school resources. Things for growing as a mom… in parenting, homeschooling, and general mom life.
Whether it comes in the form of just a few minutes of focused mom time each day, combined with teaching my children, or a dedicated day or weekend, these are ways that I have found to grow and learn as a mom.
Mom School Resources
Conferences
There are many different conferences that take place across the country. You can find a conference for moms/parents, for homeschool parents, for marriages, etc.
Going for a day or a weekend to listen to speakers and get involved with the workshops is such a rich experience. I attend our local homeschool conference every year and always leave feeling so encouraged and excited to continue the journey.
My husband and I always make it into a weekend getaway. We get a babysitter and enjoy a couple of days together without kids. Total win.
Hands-On
Learn alongside your child(ren)! Whether it is learning a craft, gardening, homesteading, farming, foreign language, musical instrument, or something else you have been interested in, just do it!
It may (will) take longer to do now that you are a mom, but it is possible. The best part about this is that your children will see and experience you enjoying life and learning new things with them.
7 Biblical Word Studies For Homeschool Moms eBook
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Books
I love journaling and I think that has helped me learn and grow over the years. Recently, I discovered a Mom School Journal and have been using it. I enjoy the writing prompts during this busy season of life. They have several options for moms that look great.
For general character growth as a mom and woman, I highly recommend books by Elisabeth Elliot. She is very practical, to the point, and refreshing, and her life was incredible.
Nancy Leigh DeMoss also comes highly recommended by women I trust, but I have yet to read any of her books. They are on my wishlist, though!
Parenting books can be great, but I have been quite unimpressed by most I have tried to read or looked into reading. I hesitate to even recommend a “great” parenting book because the truth is that so many things factor into what is best for a family.
I can, without hesitation, recommend the Bible as the number one parenting book. The thing is, reading the Bible and intentionally applying God’s instruction to our life -in general, will by default change how we parent.
There are a few other books that I enjoyed reading and felt impacted by, especially early on in my parenting years. I can not say that everything in these books is 100% correct or without fault, but I found tidbits of conviction, truths, and inspiration in them.
Read and apply these to your family by first comparing them to God’s truths, your family dynamics, and each of your children’s needs. In other words, be careful and prayerful as you consume “man-made” parenting tools.
With that disclaimer, here are a few books that have influenced me over the years: To Train Up A Child, For Instruction In Righteousness, and most recently Knights In Training.
Blogs
Of course, I have to include blogs! There are a few blogs that I have been reading for many years… since around 2005.
The following are my old and new favorites. You might have to dig a little to get to the “mom life” type of posts on some of them, but they are worth it.
The great thing about life is that we never quit learning. Every experience teaches us something. With a little thought and planning, mom school can (and should) be a part of your life!
Continue Reading …
Charity Childs says
Great list of resources ! I need to work more on learning with my toddler. Lately I have been trying to practice drawing with her but I know there are more things I can do. I also love podcasts for when I can’t sit down and read. Learning is definately more about attitude than credentials. I still remember more from the blogs I read while in grad school than the actual content of my classes!
Clarissa says
It is so important to just embrace the learning opportunities we have!