One Week of Homeschooling and Mastering the Art of Setting Boundaries
One Week of Homeschooling and Mastering the Art of Setting Boundaries
Vol. 5: A Weekly Love Note
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Well hello lovely reader! It’s me, your faithful messy bun wearing weekly writer, Jess. For those of you new around here - it’s my mission to slip a little note your way every Monday (or Tuesday, dang it!) filled with topics related to embracing a sober lifestyle, motherhood, wellness, homeschooling, and more!
Today I’m celebrating one whole week of homeschooling and I cannot begin to measure just how happy I am with this huge decision we made.
About a year ago, I began to feel an unusual amount of anxiety growing within me about the fact that our oldest son was nearing middle school. Middle school (in my opinion) is the absolute WORST. It’s as if kids leave elementary school and suddenly have the rug pulled out from under them. They enter this awkward and challenging phase where puberty, academic pressures and a desire for independence from parents come into play. Add in bullies, social media, the teaching of controversial topics, and a long bus ride… I wasn’t haven’t it.
Suddenly my husband and I were faced with a big decision.
Do we sit back, cross our fingers, and see what happens? Or do we explore other options?
I knew this for sure: I desperately wanted to instill a joy and love for learning in my son. I wanted to provide a comfortable, safe environment where he could thrive. I also felt strongly about preserving his childhood, to embrace the slow and steady over the fast and furious that our culture claims is the answer.
The time we have with our children is the absolute, most wonderful gift. The days we spend together have the potential to root them in values that truly matter and dreams that inspire. For our family, the answer was simple. Middle school years would be homeschool years.
Like I said before, we’re only one week in. So far it’s been great and I’m certain this was the right answer for our family. I know there will be challenging seasons, that I’ll make mistakes, and we’ll have hard days. But I can guarantee you that I’ll never once look back and regret the extra time I was able to spend with my kids. That’s for sure.
I also think it goes without saying that if I were still a member of the toxic mommy-wine-culture, this would be a totally different experience. For one, I wouldn’t be able to wake up clear-headed, energized, and present for my son. I wouldn’t have the patience or motivation to be all hands-on-deck. Living alcohol-free continues to bless me with its many benefits. I’m forever grateful for this lifestyle choice I made over 3.5 years ago.
Lastly, I’ll leave you with this…
There’s no right or wrong place to send your children to school. Whether it’s homeschool, private, public, or something else, know that there’s no perfect answer, just like there's no perfect parent. But know this… YOU are the perfect parent for your child and you’re doing a great job.
xo, Jess
Newest Episode on Decidedly Dry:
Episode #73: Friend, this episode is an absolute home run. I’m chatting with my new BFF, Jen Rogers. Jen is an inspirational speaker, the host of the #1 Christian Stepmoms Podcast, The Empowered Stepmom, has a best-selling book, and is a remarkable Certified Professional Life Coach. Jen inspires stepmoms throughout the world to remove the shackles of “should” and “shame” to experience the strength, confidence, and boldness that comes from embracing the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
In our chat, Jen and I talk about the benefits of setting healthy boundaries in early sobriety. She’ll break down 4 of possible scenarios with her 4-C’s approach; Calm, Clear, Consistent, and Christ. You’re not gonna want to miss this powerful and educational episode. Grab a paper and pen and get ready to add another tool to your toolbox.
I hope this episode blesses you.
Ways to Connect with Jen:
Email: friends@stepfamilypodcast.com
Listen to The Empowered Stepmom Podcast
Things I’m Digging:
Easy Peasy Dinner: Whole30 Tuscan Chicken Spaghetti Squash. Recipe here.
My God-Curious Journey: I’m still slowly moving through the Gospel of John and reminding myself (daily) that I’m not on any timeline when it comes to reading the Bible. It’s not a race Jessica, stay in your lane. One of my latest takeaways was the love I felt for the symbolism in John 10: The Good Shepherd and His Sheep. I found it fascinating how shepherds would lay in the opening of the sheepfold (fenced pen where sheep would spend the night) and keep them safe. The sheep knew the voice of their shepherd and follow only their own shepherd. My interpretation: Jesus is the Good Shepherd who cares, watches, and protects those who believe in Him. Lightbulb Moment: Now I know why Jesus always seems to be carrying sheep! Just like sheep, we have no direction without Him.
Currently Listening to on Repeat: How I Learned to Pray by Charlie Worsham (feat. Luke Combs)
Reading: Finished It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover in about 3 minutes. Holy smokes you guys! That book was dynamite. I’ve already scooped the second book, It Starts with Us and am cruising through that one too. What are you reading?!
This weekly newsletter and podcast is a free offering from my Substack newsletter, Decidedly Dry. There’s an option for you to purchase a subscription, which basically means you’re interested in supporting me and my work with your dollars. A paid subscription also means you’ll have access to different features beyond my weekly newsletter. Features *might* include: additional writings, bonus podcast episodes, resources, recipes, journal and doodle prompts, workout routines, etc. I’m not 100% sure yet and that’s what makes this kind of exciting. It allows me to experiment as I go and figure out how to build (what I hope to be) a long lasting, supportive, entertaining resource for you.
Why Subscribe?
There is a free subscription and a paid subscription. The paid subscriptions to Decidedly Dry are $5/month or $50/year.
Paying subscribers get:
My regular newsletter, where I talk about sobriety, motherhood, homeschooling, my ever-growing God curious journey, books, and more
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Recipes I’m digging
Workouts that make me want to cry, but I naturally end up loving
Journal and doodle prompts
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One Last Thing…
I just want to take a minute and say thank you for sticking with me. If you’re receiving this email it’s because you’ve either purchased a journal, participated in a wellness challenge of mine, loved my content, purchased coaching, etc. No matter what it was, our paths crossed at some point and you’re still here. That means so much to me and YOU, my sweet friend, are the reason I continue doing what I do. Regardless of which you choose, free or paid, we’re still bff’s.
xo,
Jess
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