Littles Learning Link Up: Guest Post- Parent the Child You Have (Not the Child You Wish You Had)

 Each month you will find:

• A seasonal round-up (toward the beginning of the month)
• A guest post featuring crafts, activities, tips, snack ideas or other early childhood topics. (toward the end of the month)
• Posts where I share what I have been up to with my preschoolers and/or early elementary children.

Each week, I will host a link up, where you can share either what you have been up to recently, or old posts that may go with the theme.  Feel free to link up more than one post.

Each week I will continue to feature a couple of posts from those that have been linked up. 

I hope you will continue to share your wonderful posts, and I hope you will find something new to try with your child.

It would be great for everyone to stop by and visit the other linked-up posts as well. Check them out, leave some comments, pin those that interest you. Let's make this a real party and socialize with each other.

Today I would like to introduce you to Jennifer from A Peace of Mind.

Jennifer is . . . 

 ….a homeschool mother. Homeschooling means so much to me and is truly an extension of our life together. 

….a mother of three wonderful, sweet and very busy, very loud children. My oldest son Tyler is 8, my middle son Alex is 4 and our darling little lady Cora Jane is now 2 years old and counting. It’s busy in our home – its loud – kind of messy – and very crazy. But we live and love all we can! These little ones, they are all so very different. Uniquely created by out Creator. Precious and fun to share my moments with.

…a daughter of Christ! I am a born again believer, baptized in the precious name of Jesus Christ, and filled with His Holy Spirit. I believe in power of His name – to heal,  to cast out demons, to protect, to raise the dead to life and to save and sanctify all those He has chosen. Let us pray and journey…together with Him.

...a wife – learning so very much – growing – with my wonderful husband. Learning the joys of submission, and being the help meet I was designed to be. Striving to live a life as a meek and gentle spirit. Learning to make a home, to have a content spirit, to serve joyfully as our Lord served and continues to serve. 

You can find Jennifer writing at A Peace of Mind, and she is also on Facebook, Twitter, G+ and Pinterest.

Today she is going to share: 

The other day it occurred to me that I am my son's biggest problem. You see he and I are very different. Though I can acknowledge that we are very different, I don't allow for those differences as much as I should.  

We homeschool. Initially it was because of the struggles of my oldest son, but then it became a calling from the Lord and now, it's something we do to instill a love of learning and grow our family closer together.

But we all learn differently right? I love to read. My oldest son loves the screens. My younger son is a doer, very hands-on. My daughter is a combination of all of those things. And my other daughter,only six months old, I think will be a very active learner as well.

In the beginning I was convinced that to Homeschool we had to have a very specific order. We had to have a plan and we had to stick to the plan. No excuses. My oldest son especially really struggles with that kind of mindset. Between struggling with attention and focus, and his need to constantly be moving, sitting at a table just isn't a realistic goal for us. There are learning challenges., There are also great abilities and I want to be able to encourage those things that are a part of him. Because God doesn't make mistakes right?

I read this amazing line recently that said, "Parent the child you have". It really opened my eyes because if I can be honest, I think more often than not, I parent the child I imagine having.  

Especially when it comes to my oldest son who is in nothing like me. Even the things we like are completely different. And I admit it, I always imagine my firstborn as being just like me. So I am finding that I have to work a bit harder, be a bit more intentional, when it comes to him so I am parenting a child that God made and not trying to "better" what God created him to be. 

I am learning, slowly, to embrace the creative side. To take joy in his happiness and how loud and rambunctious he may be. In fact the other day when he was loudly celebrating, clapping hooting and hollering, excited about his upcoming visit with his grandparents, I reminded myself that the Bible says we ought to make a joyful noise. And he certainly knows how to do that.

I was talking with another mom about the power of homeschooling, especially kids who have special learning needs, this is the walk of faith. Because we can't always see the fruit. So often with my oldest son I don't see any fruit. Yet I have to remember that seeds are still being planted and much like our apple trees outside, we have to be patient. The fruit will come, but it takes time and a lot of faith in God.

So if anyone else is struggling with a child who just doesn't seem to get it, or is reluctant to learn about anything in the way we think they ought to be learning, be of good cheer. Choose to be joyful. Endure to the end. It will all be worth it,  you will see. Homeschooling, it's not for the faint of heart. It is never really easy but it is always worth it.

We have gone from being a "by the book and taking tests, checking things off of the list and making sure we know everything that the professionals say we have to know for our year" homeschool, to a "relaxed, living and loving learning, child led" homeschool. 

It's not perfect but what is? I mean truth be told if we are enjoying the time we have with our children, what does it matter? If they see mom dreading the start of every day and being angry and frustrated about the work there is to do, what are we teaching them? Because we are always teaching them something. 

If you would like to guest post on Littles Learning Link Up, please contact me via email. My email address can be found on my About Me page. I am scheduling posts for the next several months and would love to include yours. I ask that the guest posts focus on subjects relevant for young children (toddler through early elementary). This could be crafts, activities, recipes, or various tips and advice. I am always open to suggestions. Details will be emailed to those who are interested.

Now Onto:

Littles Learning Link Up Features

On my last Littles Learning Link Up post, there were 16 wonderful posts linked up. I will be picking one randomly selected post to share, plus the top clicked-on post.  

Don't forget to stop by other posts that are linked up. See what catches your eye, stop by, pin the post to a relevant board, and perhaps leave a comment to let the author of the blog know you have been by for a visit. I know I appreciate others commenting and letting me know they have read my posts, so I am sure others do too.

This week's randomly selected post is:

Homeschool Adventures shared What Has Motivated Parents to Home School Their Children?.

And here is this week's most clicked on post:

Eva from Kid Minds shared Lego Man Goes Skiing: Fun With Magnets.

Join the Party!

I would love to have you join in this week! What sort of activities do you do with your young children? Do you have some favorite activities you would like to share? I invite you to link up below. I will be pinning posts on my Toddler Ideas or other relevant board, and I would love to feature some of the activities each week from what is linked up.

Please know I may share a picture from your post and link back to it, along with sharing how we used your idea in our school time. By linking up you are giving me permission to use a picture from your post. I will ALWAYS give credit and link back. Additionally, if you choose to try out any of the ideas with your child, please make sure you give credit where credit is due.

Linky will be open through Sunday night, to give me time to check out all the posts and get the Features organized. Please take the time to visit some of the other wonderful posts linked up.

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An InLinkz Link-up