Last week, we enjoyed our second break of the school year. It happened after I returned from a long weekend with new friends at the 2:1 Conference for women who've homeschooled and delve into social media. Like most introverts, I needed to be reenergized by interacting less upon my return. This is why last week's break was a must; although we will be back to our schedule next week, I am still recuperating.

Even in the midst of our break learning is continuously happening for this homeschool mom and her girls. Over the past week, I have been reminded of truths about all of us. For instance, I need quiet time, and not just a few minutes but some serious alone time throughout my week. My girls are learning that this is definitely a truth and not some excuse I use to get away from them. :) I am being reminded of the needs of my daughters too. I have one daughter who needs familiarity along with alone time while another who needs to hang out with friends and engage in a variety of conversations. I am learning how to make sure we all get our needs met without neglecting each other or other areas that need our time.

Oftentimes when we speak of learning there's this idea of focusing on mental intelligence, but learning our emotional needs is just as important as growing our knowledge bank which is why this upcoming week I will be intentional about reserving time for each of us to have our internal needs met.

How will I meet the needs of three people with different personalities? First off, I am not tackling this alone. I am seeking the One who created us to help and guide me on the path of restoring our inner beings.

So far our plans for the upcoming week looks like this:

For my extrovert daughter, I have a field trip planned, and I will seek out other opportunities to get out and do some things she enjoys. It is my hope to get her out at least three times this week. I know this is possible if I prepare myself for being out.
For my more detailed oriented daughter, I will make sure that I have our school plans ready for the week so she'll know exactly what she needs to get done. She appreciates knowing everything in advance. I'll make sure she has time to get in her quiet time too since she enjoys taking a nap every once in awhile.
For myself, I have scheduled a few evenings of quiet time, and I am taking a break from social media and the phone (only interacting as needed which will not be a lot). These little interactions are just as draining for me as being around people therefore being more cognitive of the time I spend engaging in the various formats will be one of my main focuses.
For all of us, we will get back to exercising and doing our bible study and daily devotionals. I know that we become more out of balance when we become idle whether physically or spiritually.

How do you balance the emotional and spiritual(not in a Savior type of way) needs of your children?

You may also enjoy: It's Okay to Start Over and Over Again

Home School Reflections: Learning Our Needs