My one SCM wish…

I listen to our church’s messages on podcast when I have to be out with a sick child. I also listen to Dave Ramsey on occasion and some adoptive parenting ones. I would definitely tune in to a monthly podcast. As Lindsey said, the benefits of it are great for busy Moms (and/or Dads).

I listen to several podcasts–Daily Audio Bible, Dave Ramsey Show, and Wretched Radio.  I would LOVE to listen to an SCM podcast!

First, I would love a list of potential topics! Post away!

Second, as to keeping a calm voice, how do you know that the voice I use for speaking at workshops is the same voice I use at home with my children?   Well, okay, yes, actually it is pretty much. I think it’s a mixture of growing up in a relatively quiet home atmosphere, my personality, and goals I have set along the way as I observe and learn. I’m not saying I never get frustrated or angry (just ask my husband or Doug and Karen; they know me). But my natural tendency is to withdraw rather than attack with noise. Neither is preferable. 

If you’re looking for a little piece of counsel in that regard, though, I would urge you to take steps to put more margin into your life. Pare down to the bare basics in your schedule, cut out most outside-the-home activities, and give yourself time to breathe. I find that the times I am most easily frustrated are the times when I am feeling time pressure. Don’t expect it to be easy to cut things out and pare things down. Our society is rushing ever faster and louder around us. But for our families’ sakes we must intentionally step off that speeding train. Then once that breathing time is in place, take the next step and make it a time of prayer too. I’m still working on that! But that is who I want to be.

Enough about me. How can I encourage you? What topics would be helpful to you in your journey, my sisters?

Ideas that come to mind:

– Not comparing our CM home to anyone else’s, being comfortable in our homsechooling skin

– Middle school: how do we encourage our children to step up to higher expectations/a bit heavier workload?

– High school – anything and everything related to high school with CM’s methods

– Balancing early years learners with the other ages. How can we keep our older ones from resenting the easy, carefree days of younger children (which they’ve already had!) as they must set play aside for a portion of the day for studies.

– Conversely, how do we not leave the little ones to their own devices if we’re schooling several older children?

– A series on some of your favorite advice from Charlotte and how to apply it to ourselves.

– A series on some of the habits from Laying Down the Rails.

I also love Inky’s post/question above about Sonya sharing HOW she keeps such a calm voice (pretty please?) Do it here in a post so we don’t have to wait…hehehe.

Good editing?  (Are you sure you wouldn’t rather have a bloopers reel instead of a podcast?)

These forums would be a good place to look for ideas for podcast topics as there are lots of questions posted. 

Narration! A talk about “how to” teach this skill to a child (espeically one who struggles with paying attention/auditory skills). Finding living books. How to sort through the overwheleming amount of homeschool materials out there and find the ones that fit your family. I’d also love to listen to some of the free e-books read aloud, in particular “The Way of the Will” and “A Thinking Love”. I’ve read them myself, but an audio verison would be wonderful!! I could hear the material again while folding laundry.  Are there topics in the “Wisdom for Moms” calendar journal that would be good?