Skip down to:
- A
non-homeschooler's thoughts (this review is on a separate page)
- A
Detailed Review, by Lori (this review
is on a separate page)
- Robin's
testimony.
- Kathleen's
review.
- Laureen's Initial
Response
- Laureen, Several
Weeks Later
- Quiverfull Digest's Moderator's Comments
- Janet's
Feedback
- What
a blessing...
- Margaret's
Comments
- "One
month behind in a single day?!?"
- Kelly's
Review
- Alana's
Feedback
- Becky's
Comments
- Robin's
Feedback
- Denise's
Feedback
- Single
Parent Testimony
Robin: "Thought it couldn't be done" (Jan 26, 2000)
Just wanted to share something
that made me smile today. I was reorganizing my hs notebook and found
a journal entry: "As I start out this 3rd year of hs'ing, a couple
of observations are worth writing down. It's impossible to keep a schedule--
to 'do school' every day at a certain time. For me to plan and prepare
every day will burn me out. I just don't have time. With young children
there are just too many distractions and interruptions."
Well, I'm happy to report
that in this 5th year of hs'ing, God, the Maxwell's and I, proved myself
wrong! I've been working on and implementing our family schedule since
December and it's been a blessing. I thought I was a night person. I am
now rising regularly at 5:30 for my quiet time! I thought a baby should
be fed on demand. My baby is now happily, with no fuss, on a schedule.
(What was I thinking???)
I thought I would be a tyrant
and drill sergeant on a schedule. I don't have to yell or force the kids
on the schedule at all. Gentle leading has been working very well. I used
to meet my dh at the door in tears of frustration because of my out of
control house, kids and life. Dh now comes home to be greeted by a happy,
"on time" wife. I honestly didn't think I could ever do it,
but with much prayer (very much prayer!) it has been working. So, another
testimony to the power of God and the schedule! Thanks so much to the
Maxwells for spending the time to put it all together and share it.
Robin in MN
Kathleen's
Review
I was one of the test mothers for this book, and I just want
to give it an extra plug here. It will revolutionize your life if you
let it. I am a beginning homeschooler with five children, the youngest
a rather fussy 2 month old. We have accomplished more since being on the
schedule, in spite of adding a baby and homeschooling, than I was ever
getting done before. I am no longer frightened of unannounced visitors,
my children are learning to work, and I feel calmer. I am also enjoying
(almost) daily time with the Lord, something that hasn't happened for
years. And I am not getting up at 5 am to do all this...that wouldn't
work for me! The schedule is a servant, made to fit YOU as an individual.
Go for it!
Laureen's
Initial Response
Dear Teri,
I'm on my third
read-through! The first was a quick dash through the whole book,
the second was to digest it all, and this third time you'd think I was back
in school--at my desk, highlighter in hand...This time I'm praying as
I read...God has touched my life greatly through this book and I'm
excited because I'm not even to the "official" schedule
yet!!
I have written out
the activity pages for myself and my older children--grades 9, 6, and 3. My
husband and I will go over them as soon as he has time--I hope this weekend--and
I'll move on from there.
Praying as I do
this is the "key"...God has opened my eyes to (at least!) two stumbling
blocks that I have in my habits--First, I gather information (articles
by Godly women, great household organizational how-to books, etc.) but
don't follow-through to implement them as I should. (On your mark, get set...get
set...get set...) With our recent move, God allowed me to see "that"
fault clearly! Your step-by-step approach is so logical.
Second, I don't
"do the next thing" naturally. I get immersed in an activity and
soon it has taken a substantial block of time--and I never thought anything
of it because it was a "productive" activity! (cooking, unpacking, laundry,
computer time, sewing, or even a school topic the children were especially
enjoying) Then I'd wonder why I had fallen behind on other chores.
Viewing my day as a series of segments has opened up so many possibilities.
There is much I'll accomplish when I've planned to work at something
for 15/30/45/60 minutes and then wait for the next day! Suddenly there
seems to be MUCH time in 24 hours! That must seem silly to you, but it's
a revelation to me!!
I can also understand
the MOMYS who say they feared a schedule would make their families
joyless and rigid. I think I was picturing a military academy...
I've tried scheduling before and failed because I greatly over planned...it
was awful and we were off almost immediately! Your approach puts
the horse before the cart. My approach was more horse--a wheel--another
horse--a few more wheels--a buggy seat...Not a pretty sight...So
I've felt more and more like a failure. But I've realized that God
has called me to this and wants me to let His grace let me succeed.
Including the comments,
letters, and schedules from your test MOMYS has been wonderful!!
I can't think of many people whose schedules I've had glimpses of,
and only one has a family larger than ours. Count me in as your newest
convert! Please pray that I don't rush this prayerful preparation
phase.
Well, I'm wearing
out my exclamation mark key...Thank you again for this wonderful
book!
Blessings,
Laureen
Laureen,
Several Weeks Later
Dear Teri,
To be brief about
the scheduling, your book has been one of the biggest blessings I've ever
had. We have developed our schedule and are concentrating on perfecting
the morning segment. It is a month of daily play practice for my two olders,
grandparents visiting, and lots more--so it is a trial by fire!
There is so much
more time in my day!!! I was wasting so much time before by being undirected--and
I can see back clearly now that I know better! I now have the luxury of
finishing what I start and my home is beginning to reflect that. My children
and husband are proud of me and I LOVE it! We are a more peaceful family
now.
God bless you,
Laureen
Quiverfull
Digests' Moderator: Beth
I
just got Teri's book last week and it's wonderful! It's the only book
I've read that really applies to a large, homeschooling family. So many
of the books out there are written to the typical 1.7 child family and
do nothing but frustrate me.
Although we've had
informal scheduling in our home (regular routines and habits) for some
time, I still found nuggets of wisdom to spur us on to do a better job.
For me the best part was the kit for the "hands-on" planning
of your schedule. Truly ingenious! :) I highly recommend the book/kit
for all moms with growing quivers. As Teri says in the book, even though
couples may be committed to allowing God to plan their family, at times
they may feel overwhelmed at the thought of a new baby. Some couples even
chose to reject God's blessings because they feel they can't "handle"
another. The guidance Teri gives in this book could be life-changing for
some families, restoring their hope and vision for their "quivers."
Give it a try!!!
Beth - Quiverfull Digest Moderator
Janet's
Feedback
Hi
Teri! I bought your book a couple of weeks ago, and I'm just about ready
to get our schedule off the paper and into our lives. Meanwhile I've been
experimenting with your ideas regarding crowd control and baby scheduling,
so far so good! I've been gradually adding more schedule to our lives--we
have the morning routine down and the supper to bed routine. It's great--looking
forward to getting the whole plan implemented next week. Anyway, just
wanted to let you know how pleased I am, and thanking God for His provision
of this book (and inspiring you to write it!).
Also, wanted to
send you a copy of an email I'm sending several of my friends who have
small kids at home, or know other folks who do.
Blessings,
Janet
Hi Dear Friends,
I've found buried treasure and I wanted to share it with you! The treasure?
More time to do the things I want to do! No, I didn't send anyone off
to boarding school (although if they had one for 3 year-olds I might consider
it! ) The secret is scheduling! This book is a wonderful guide to setting
up a workable schedule that WILL work for you and your family. It has
great ideas for bringing more order and peace to your home even if you
have a 3 year old. It is well worth its $25 price tag.
If you feel like
your household is slipping out of control, you NEED this book! Here's
an address if you don't have web access:
Managers of Their Homes
2416 South 15th Street
Leavenworth KS 66048
Feel free to pass
this info along to anyone whom you might think could use it. I'm part
of an email group (Mothers of Many Young Siblings--MOMYS) and one of the
women (a homeschooling mom of 8) of the group wrote this book. Everyone
who has tried her system is raving about it--free spirits and all. It
works, and now I'm adding my raves.
May God bless you
today and give you peace!
Joyfully,
Janet
What
a blessing...
Teri & Steve,
I wanted to express to you what a blessing your book has been to me these
past two weeks.
I am the mother of 8 children,
ages 2 1/2 months to 13 years. I have tried all different kinds of scheduling
methods through the years with varying degrees of success. Several years
ago, I even made a chart in my computer very similar to yours. But I had
too many missing pieces to make it work (or so I thought) and instead
of continuing to work with it, I "threw the baby out with the bath
water" and have been barely treading water ever since.
Two friends, living in different
cities, told me about your book. I received it about 2 1/2 weeks ago and
read it immediately. Since I had been messing around with schedules for
so long, once I knew what to do, it didn't take long to implement. I simplified
my breakfast and lunch menus. Since I plan dinner menus and grocery shop
only once each month, that was already taken care of for a few weeks.
A few days after receiving
Managers of Their Homes, I received a phone call telling me that a good
friend and sister in the Lord was very close to dying after a year and
a half battle with breast cancer. Because of the practical simplicity
of this method of time stewardship, our schedule was already up and running,
and my 13-year old daughter was willing and able to keep it on track.
This meant that, during the last week of her life, I was able to spend
time with Sharon and not come home to a family in chaos. We were able
to do school most days during this time, services (chores) were getting
done, and when I was with Sharon, I wasn't distracted from her, wondering
what could be happening at home.
We have been scheduling our
babies for seven years now, but because Melody is sleeping through the
night, I was able to take a night shift to help care for Sharon. The Lord
blessed me with a precious last night with my friend.
Because I'm not squandering
my mental and emotional energy making constant decisions about which child
was supposed to to what, when, and with whom, I have the emotional energy
to deal with this loss. Most importantly, I've had time to draw strength
from my Heavenly Father.
I didn't mean for this to
be so long. I just wanted you to know how the Lord is using you in the
lives of His people.
Thank you and God bless you,
Lynne
I ordered
your book in December and implemented the scheduled when we started school
again 1/3/00. What a difference the schedule has made! I am still tweaking
things a bit but I almost feel like a new person, much less frustrated
and actually enjoying home and school more. I had gotten to a bad place,
feeling very discouraged and lonely.I had been asking God for a "Titus
2", someone to guide me and counsel me with my home and family and
school.
He led me to Crosswalk.Com
and imagine my excitement when I saw a link to Titus2.com! I was even
more excited when I went to your website and started reading. Oh thank-you
, Lord! I knew this was from Him in an answer to my prayers. Your book
has been so helpful to me and it was a joy to read. It was very encouraging
to read the test MOMYS comments as well as your teaching.
The biggest help to me was
the idea of breaking my day up into 1/2 hour "chunks". You are
so right about not making decisions all day long. Once I read that I realized
I had that problem. By the end of the day I didn't want anyone to ask
me anything else! That stress is gone now. My three year old daughter
loves the schedule and looks forward to Mondays so we can be back on it.
My two older sons have adjusted very well and even the baby seems to be
more calm. Your book has been an answer to my prayers and I thank God
for you, your family and your ministry.
Margaret
Kristen
I have tried and failed many
times when it comes to organizing my home. Babies came one after another
and I just seemed to fall farther and farther behind. I can indentify
with the mom who said, "It takes great talent to become a whole month
behind in only one day!" Sadly, I have that talent.
Your book, MOTH, has literally
been a God-send. After praying for help, the Lord sent information about
MOTH through a digest to which I had just subscribed. Implementing the
schedule was not as difficult as I thought it would be. My children are
clothed and in their right minds. My laundry no longer resembles Mt. Everest.
And, most importantly, I have time scheduled for devotions and prayer.
Thank you so much for the great amount of time and effort you gave to
bring us this resource. God bless you and your family.
Kristen S.
Kelly's
Review
From:
Kelly
To: "Charlotte Mason's home schooling method"
Subject: [c-mason] Re: scheduling and getting it all done
Well, just my .02
worth on scheduling. I found a wonderful book that addresses the area
of scheduling for homeschooling families. It's the first I've seen specifically
for homeschoolers. Managers of Their Homes by Steve and Teri Maxwell (parents
of 8 children) teaches the importance of scheduling and walks you through
the steps of developing and implementing a schedule in your home.
In doing this you
can be as rigid or as flexible as you want (having a 2 hour "school
time" or changing activities every 30 minutes). The reason I think
it is so great is because of how easily I can get caught up in the "tyranny
of the urgent" and do only the things that COME UP during the day,
rather than the priorities in my life. So often I spend my day thinking,
"As soon as I change this load of laundry I'll read with Josh,"
or "As soon as I wash these dishes I'll play with Melissa,"
or "I'll turn off the TV tomorrow." Before I know it the whole
day is gone and I haven't done anything I really wanted to do. By scheduling
my days I can plan times to do the important things (reading, math, play
time with babies, etc.) and also schedule in the "have- tos"
(chore time, organizing, planning, etc.) The book is so clear and helpful.
It also includes a scheduling kit which walks you through everything the
book has described. For more info. check out http://www.titus2.com.
Sorry this is so
long!! :)
:), Kelly
p.s. The cost of the book is $25 plus $5 s&h--and it's worth EVERY
penny!!
Alana's
Feedback
Hi,
We just completed
our first day with our new schedule and it went really well! I was pleasantly
surprised to find that my boys felt very encouraged by seeing their day
in "living color." <G> They felt motivated to get their
work accomplished--maybe the structure helped them even though I have
tried similar schedules in the past. I think they like seeing how they
fit in with the whole of what is going on in the home; and the younger
ones in particular liked knowing exactly when to do what. Again, I've
tried that before but I think having the colorful, centrally-located,
LARGE schedule made a difference for them.
Alana
Love the book! I am a changed woman! We've been
doing the schedule now for two weeks. My home is cleaner, I have more
time to do "my own things" ie, scrapbooking, in the evening
because the children are in bed at the same time. My husband is so impressed
with the changes we've made around here. Thank you for this book!
Becky
Robin's
Feedback
Teri
and Steve,
Had so much free
time this afternoon after being on schedule until 2pm that I had to visit
your website and send you my encouragement! This is such a marvelous ministry.
I came to the CHEL meeting and was inspired by your workshop to start
making some changes in our routine. The first week we all had breakfast
at the same time. This may not sound like a big deal, especially for a
family with only 3 children, but not 'wasting' time fixing three separate
breakfasts plus my own meant school could start promptly. That tiny good
beginning had a very positive 'domino' effect on the rest of the morning!
The second week
I made a schedule for each of the children and myself up to 10am Bible
time (seems a popular time for Bible study :>). Last week (after purchasing
the book!) I scheduled through 12 noon lunch. I cannot believe how much
more we are getting done in less time! Little Hannah (3) just beams when
I tell her it is time to be with her sister/read with Mommy/play on the
computer, etc. Grace (8) enjoys breaking up her school work with a play
time with Hannah. Thomas (12) who was skeptical when I first began talking
about scheduling (something about the mention of daily chore times), is
now finishing his school and piano practice a couple of hours earlier
than before and told me today in his best Jimmy Stewart voice, "It's
a wonderful life!"
I guess I never
realized how much emotional and physical energy was going into making
constant decisions about what the four of us should each be doing! Mom's
stress level is way down as well as bickering between the older two. I
don't find myself at the end of the day feeling guilty over having ignored
the preschooler. The house is cleaner and I am starting to work on possible
afternoon/dinner prep schedules. Do I even have to say that Rob is thrilled
to be coming home to a happier family in a better managed home? What husband
wouldn't be! We have reaped so many benefits already that I am anxious
to sit down and work on a full-blown master schedule. I finished reading
the book a couple of days ago and have been sharing pieces with Rob (he
has read the first chapter and the one for dads).
I have thanked God
in my prayer time for inspiring you to write this book. You have blessed
our family and so many more with your wise and godly counsel. Our 'old'
Bethel teachers (you know who) would say that you are 'Blessed to be a
blessing' ! With love and appreciation in Christ Jesus, Robin
Denise's
Feedback
Hi
Mrs. Maxwell,
I wanted to thank
you for your book, Managers of Their Homes. It has been a
God-send for me. We have been using our schedule for a couple of days
now and it is great. Now my ten year old son doesn't need to ask me anymore
" When is school going to be done?". I was really tired of hearing
that. But it wasn't my son's fault. It was mine. I had the schedule in
my mind. But he needed to know it too.
Plus, I was able
to figure out a time when my son could work independently so I could spend
time with my five year old daughter doing her speech therapy and physical
therapy. That tended to get left until the afternoon or evening and then
I was so tired sometimes it just didn't get done and I would feel guilty
about it. Now it is done in the morning when we are both fresh.
My son was looking
over the schedule and was excited about spending special "fun"
time with me every week. He also liked the idea of being a "dinner
helper" so he could learn how to cook. He even said he wants to cook
all by himself one night a week! I've been wanting to teach him how to
cook and now with the schedule it will get done.
I had to laugh when
my son was looking at my personal schedule and exclaimed, "Mom, you
do chores?" I don't know what he thought I did all day. But I know
it made him feel better to know he wasn't the only one doing them. From
looking at other mom's schedules I got some more ideas for chores that
my five year old daughter could do. My son liked that too.
I have told my homeschooling
friends about your book. I hope they get it. I know it would help them
as much as it has helped me.
God bless you,
Denise
Single
Parent Testimonial
Teri,
I told you I would mail you
how the schedule went for me (I'm a single parent), also have behaviorally
challenged kids (2 with fetal alcohol syndrome). It works great, they need
the structure to stay in control, I need the structure to know there is
an end in sight from activity (I don't finish something if we're out of
time).
Cathy |
