Applying Work, Study, & Service

 Applying the study, work, and service method of home education can require that a parent-teacher think outside of the box.  Most people think of schoolwork, textbooks, copywork, and the three R’s when they think of a home-school curriculum.  But, the development of the intellectual is only one facet of education.  When combined with work and service, the academic aspects of home-schooling become one-third of a whole.  In the beginning it takes effort and concentration to figure out exactly how to apply study, work and service.  It is generally recommended that each aspect receives equal time.  Planning purposefully to achieve this goal is essential, although there is room for an ebb and flow on scheduling.   Over time it becomes easier and how it is applied becomes natural and unique to each family.

A formula that works well for any homeschool where the whole child is being developed is:


100% study
100% work
100% service

Children should be encouraged to experience life purposefully. They should be encouraged to learn and given time and freedom to explore. They are to give it their all. If they are deep in a subject and interested, they should not asked to stop learning because their time is up.  Decide early on that it is a mistake to halt or stunt a child’s learning.

The children should be encouraged to work each day. Routine chores should happen daily and occur each morning and night teach children life skills. As the children grow older, study melds its way into gainful work as they apply their education to skills that earn them money during their teens. The dividing line becomes blurred. They should always be encouraged to do their best work.

The children should be encouraged to be compassionate and to always think of others. Service can be something done as a planned event, but mostly should become a way of life — thinking of  family members, friends, neighbors, and others around the world. It can be mixed with study (writing a note to a shut-in or drawing a picture for a sick child) — or service, by keeping a continuous prayer and praise journal during family devotionals each day — or work, in a grandparents or neighbors yard in an effort to serve them because they were not able to.

Each one of these traits blends with the other and together they create a whole. One some days, more time can be spent in study, while on others more time spent on work or service. During our homeschool years, I first kept notations in my plan book (study, work, or service) but over time, as it became a part of our life learning, it became organic and just happened because of habit and inculcation into the thinking of us all. It becomes easier over time. In the initial stages of applying the formula for study,work, and service, it is important to be purposeful about implementing all three aspects of the program.

Planning each segment of the whole creates a home-school where study, work, and service becomes an integral part of learning and the creation of the whole child

John Holt, Advocate of Home Education

 

John Holt (1923 – 1985) is best known as an educator and proponent of homeschooling. His views were considered radical and progressive. He once commented that “…the things I’m supposed to know so much about I never learned in schools”. During his lifetime, he studied children of all ages and worked as a fifth grade teacher. He found that babies and toddlers were bold and adventurous, but that by the time they reached ten years of age they became self-protecting, timid, and fearful. His research led him to believe that this was caused by fear, most of which was as a result of school experiences. He believed that children feared being ridiculed by their teacher and classmates and of having wrong answers to questions asked in school. He thought this trait was made worse by children being forced to study things that they had no interest in. It was his belief that the educational process be made much friendlier for children. He authored many books. His first, published in 1964, was called How Children Fail and it was very controversial. In it he said that he believed children failed academically because of schools, not despite of them. He believed that schools actually short circuited the learning process. His ideas about the educational process got many parents thinking and after some time families started to contact him, telling him that they were schooling their children at home. This started a relationship between him and the families of a budding homeschool movement. He started a newsletter called Growing Without Schooling in 1977 which focused on homeschooling. His philosophy of education is aptly voiced in his statement that “I don’t see homeschooling as some kind of answer to badness of schools. I think that the home is the proper base for the exploration of the world which we call learning or education. Home would be the best base no matter how good the schools were.” He was an advocate for educational reform until his death.

The Blessing of Family Worship

One of the most important ingredients in a happy Christian home is faithful attendance at the family altar. The Bible shows a consistent example of daily worship, morning and evening. In addition to having individual time with God each day, many Christian families make time for family worship as well. 

This practice of family worship is heavily encouraged by the Christian community. Books have been written. Sermons have been preached. Traditions have been handed down. And it’s no wonder either when we consider the world in which we live. Taking time with our children first thing in the morning encourages a spiritual start to the day as well as ending the day with a spiritual nightcap. 

Most families agree that having family worship is essential when children are young as this time can be an opportunity for daily lessons from the Bible as well as training them to spend time every day in prayer. But it seems that family worship sometimes begins to decrease when the children become teens. Perhaps this is because the teens have begun their own worship time, which is great! That would be evidence that the years of family worship prior to that have made a positive impact. Or maybe things just get a lot busier in the household as the children get older. Whatever the reason, I’d like to suggest that families make a special effort to hold on to family worship time for as long as their children are in the home. Here are some reasons to do that:

1. Family worship is a treasure that lasts only a few years. Even if the kids are not especially “into” it, they are still present and it is time that the family is connecting with each other. Likely, that practice is one they will continue with their children when the time comes.

2. Having family worship in the morning beats Satan to the punch! And who wants Satan punching on their teens? There is no doubt that Satan has plans for your children every day, just as he does for all of us. By meeting with God together at the family altar, you are getting a head start on Satan. Morning worship gives an opportunity to ask God’s protection from Satan as well as to ask for guidance on activities that will be happening that day in school and at work. But let’s get real. Mornings are rushed and it’s very hard to actually gather each family member at one time. Well, it doesn’t have to be lengthy at all. If you can just have breakfast together, you can use that time for a brief reading from a devotional book and a prayer. The point is not to see how much truly absorb whatever little nugget you can. Then in the evening worship, you may just want to review whatever that nugget was and if it applied to them through the day. 

3. Don’t expect every family worship time to be a spiritual high with your teens. If you do, you will probably be disappointed or discouraged. Just as with going to church, every sermon doesn’t change our lives. But if we aren’t present, the sermon that would change our lives will never be received. It’s the same with family worship. The call is to show up. The spiritual effects may not be realized until later. On the other hand, sometimes there will definitely be spiritual highs. 

4. Teens need family worship as much as younger children. We need to be careful not to assume that when our children have absorbed the stories of the Bible story books we’ve read to them through their younger years that there is no more purpose in family worship. It isn’t all about giving knowledge. During the teen years is when that knowledge has to be put into practice. So this family time can be used to discuss how the Bible stories apply to real life as they are going through some of the most difficult situations they will ever face in their lives. 

5. Try not to be a control freak when it comes to family worship. While a sense of reverence needs to be maintained, teens need to know they have a safe place to discuss honestly some questions or concerns they may be having regarding spiritual matters. So if you read one verse of the Bible and it ends up leading to a discussion that leaves no time to finish the passage, don’t worry about it. Put your family worships in God’s hands and allow the Holy Spirit to lead.

copyright@2010gwensimmons

A True Home

"A roof to keep out the rain. Four walls to keep out the wind. Floors to keep out the cold. Yes, but home is more than that. It is the laugh of a baby, the song of a mother, the strength of a father. Warmth of loving hearts, light from happy eyes, kindness, loyalty, comradeship. Home is first school...for the young ones where they learn what is right, what is good, and what is kind. Where they go for comfort when they are hurt or sick. Where joy is shared and sorrow eased. Where fathers and mothers are respected and loved. Where children are wanted. Where the simplest food is good enough for kings because it is earned. Where money is not so important as loving-kindness. Where even the teakettle sings from happiness. That is home."

Ernestine Schumann-Heink

Work as a Part of Education

It is possible for a high school student to be complete academic classwork with three or four hours a day of study.  When using a true study, work, and service method of homeschooling high school students, the same principles of time management apply as they do for elementary children.  School is life and lasts during every waking hour!

By the time children are high school students, work is an essential element of their education. Instead of applying it daily, it works best to break study, work, and service into a total amount for an entire week.  Some days work best if heavier in academics while others were weighed more on work or service.

At the high school level, it seems that when using work for a meaningful part of education, it should be meaningful to the student.  There is some work that is required simply because a student is part of the family (cleaning their room, filling the dishwasher, mowing the lawn, etc.).  It is the work that happens because they are part of a family team. Other meaningful work happens because the student sets a goal and then works as a means to achieve it.  Parents can assist with this goal setting, but the student should be the main force in this decision-making process.  Simply giving the child more chores each week so they can get their time in doesn’t seem to work too well for teenagers!  But, if they get a vision for work, and it becomes purposeful for them — they will willingly stick to it and become involved in the benefits of work.  It may be that they establish a small business of their own (bread baking, housecleaning for a neighbor, babysitting, building computers, mowing lawns) or that they become employees in the business of one of their parents (generally they are allowed by law to work at a younger age if it is a family business).  For some children it may mean taking a job in town (working at a fast food restaurant, as a grocery bag boy or girl, or a daycare worker).  Their goal may start out simply as a way to earn their own money, but over time they generally become enthusiastic and cheerful in using work as a part of their education.

Another facet of work that can benefit the home school student is for the parent to establish internships for their teen.   It can be very effective in giving children opportunities to learn new tasks and to see if they were interested in a variety of careers.  To establish an internship:  choose a place the student is interested in working, then write a letter to the business owner or supervisor, requesting an internship for your child.  Be sure to emphasize that this is a volunteer position and that your child does not expect to be paid for their work.  Outline a schedule of 40 hours of volunteer work that fits into the schedule of the employer and the student.  When the 40 hours are complete, write another letter to the employer, thanking them for the opportunity they gave your child.  Along with the letter, send a form that evaluates your child’s performance in the tasks they were assigned.  Ask them to assign a ‘letter grade’ to your child for the work they did.  If you are using this as a part of a unit study (work/academics combined), this becomes their grade unless you choose to add a written paper or some other form of evaluation to the grade.   In that case, combine the grades according to percentages you establish.  Forty hours of work-study is equivalent to 1/2 high school credit.

Providing teens opportunity to use work as a part of their school program gives them the opportunity to apply bits, facts, and facets of information learned and apply them to their daily life.  Learning to work as a teen creates adults that have a strong work ethic, a greater sense of self-worth, and have a sense of incentive.

A Child's Delight in God's Gifts

 There is no greater pleasure than bringing to the uncluttered, supple mind of a child the delight of knowing God and the many rich things He has given us to enjoy.

~ Gladys M. Hunt ~

True Education Begins on the Inside

‎

‘The popular method of filling the student’s mind with that which is not practical and hurrying him through a certain course, in order that he may obtain a diploma, is not true education. True education begins on the inside, at the core, with that which is practical.’

                                    Goodloe Harper Bell, Review December 26, 1882

The World, a Book

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”

~ Saint Augustine ~

To Be a Child

“To be a child. . . It is to believe in love, to believe in loveliness, to believe in belief; it is to be so little that the elves can reach to whisper in your ear; it is to turn pumpkins into coaches, and mice into horses, lowness into liftiness and nothing into everything, for each child has its fairy godmother in its soul.”

                                                        ~ Francis Thompson Shelly ~

Essentials to Achievement

 
 
The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.
Thomas Edison

Kids in the Kitchen

I was looking for a letter opener this morning, and found these old photos instead. What memories they bring to my mind! It looks like this was a cooking day for the boys. The eldest looks like he was busy making pin wheel biscuits. And the youngest was trying his hand at a similar recipe where raisins and brown sugar are hidden in the middle of a biscuit before it’s baked. Each bite was like a little surprise when the sweet raisins were found. It was all serious fun and good eats!  Cooking with kids in the kitchen can be a great way to apply learning.  Measuring, reading recipes, following instructions, describing foods and flavors, exploring the senses of touch, taste, and smell are all skills that can be developed with food experiences.  Math, reading, social studies, history, and even spelling can be taught to kids of all ages in a room as familiar as the kitchen.   Add a cooking activity to your lessons plans.  I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

A Confession of Character

 

People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.

From Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Worship,” The Conduct of Life, 1860

Painting with Puff!

 

When I was a child, my first grade reading book was Dick and Jane and they had a dog named Spot and a cat named Puff.  I always thought Puff was a cute name for a cat!  But this post isn’t about reading or about cats.  It’s about a fun art project that uses ingredients mixed together that creat a paint that puffs up when microwaved.  How fun is that?  Here’s the recipe.  May it keep your children happily entertained for at least an hour or two!


In a small bowl, combine:

2 Tbsp. self-raising flour
6 drops of food coloring
2 Tbsp. salt

Add enough water to make into a creamy paste.  Using a paint brush or sponge, create a design on tagboard or cardboard.  Make another ‘batch’ of puffy paint in other colors if desired.  Paint, paint, paint.  When done, microwave the design on high for  15 – 30 seconds.  The paint will puff and should dry completely.


*To make your own self-raising flour, blend 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 Tbsp. baking powder.

Family Traditions

Family traditions are important.  They provide cohesiveness and a sense of place for each family member.  Even teenagers enjoy routines that become simple family traditions.  A weekly walk in nature, time spent chatting while driving to and from a weekly appointment, dinner served as a family affair each evening, or working on a project together at a scheduled, appointed time all create traditions.  Some think of traditions as birthday celebrations or holidays, and these are traditions as well.  But, the simple routines of daily life also become traditions that will become more valuable as time goes by.  Spending time together, talking and sharing the events of the week, gives opportunity for conversation and the development of a family friendship and closeness that will last a lifetime.   There’s always some task to do, but just for the moment, take time.   Time for a routine activity or time for a walk help bring life into focus.  The purposeful use of time for togetherness reaps great rewards.

Service, the Rent

 

Service is the rent that we pay for living.

 

Malaak Compton-Rock

A Time

Well, they were right. All of those middle-aged ladies who gazed at my newborn babies, smiling knowingly, and saying with one eyebrow gently raised, “Enjoy them, dear. They grow up fast.”

I remember returning a smile, but not a knowing one. Just a friendly “thanks for caring” kind of smile. After all, how could I know what they knew? How could I know that eighteen years truly would fly by like a short weekend? Still, I did sense that they were right, and I dreaded the time when I would be in their place, caressing the silky cheeks of some younger woman’s babies and saying the words that had been spoken to me.

Well, that time has come. Yes, those ladies were absolutely right. And, yes, I am now passing on that strange but true wisdom of time to young mothers. At least, that’s what I hear myself saying.

Still, in the echo of my own voice, I doubt my own words. How can it be true? How can our daughter be getting married in four months when I can still see her seated on our piano bench with her legs swinging freely a foot above the floor? How can she be setting up her own library when I can still see her sprawled across our couch reading the Pickwick Papers? How can our son be leaving for college when I’m sure I just saw him shooting hoops into a homemade indoor rim? How can I be watching him pack his shaving lotion when I can still smell baby lotion on his skin?

King Solomon said, “To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV This season feels a bit like winter right now, but I know that Solomon was right. Change isn’t easy, but I’m holding on to the Master of the seasons who has all of time secure in His hands.

copyright@gwensimmons2010

Early Learning

 

Brain development starts at birth and continues on throughout the life of the child. The most accelerated rate of brain growth occurs during a child’s preschool and early primary years. Although children of this age should not be put in a situation where learning is forced or rote, experiences for learning at a natural pace with proper stimulation are important. Consideration should be placed upon the abilities of the individual child, for they all mature and develop at a different pace.
 
Preschool children are experiencing some of the most accelerated growth and development (between birth and seven). Although they can experience burnout and difficulties if rushed to learn in the traditional “school” mode, it does them a great disservice to withhold appropriate learning experiences from them. Their environment and the people they are around all day long should be providing them with experiences and resources to learn. Essentially, everything in real life is a learning experience. Through interactions that allow them to use all their senses, to taste, touch, feel, hear, and smell, the wiring of the brain connects through neuron development and structure. It is important to capitalize upon the things that interest the child as they interact with you and adults. Providing resources for them to create, and limiting their involvement with peers for the purpose of entertainment purposes also facilitates brain development. The more purposeful activities and moments a child experiences during the day, the greater the potential for creating a child with a well-developed brain and superior intelligence. 

Daily life provides many opportunities for children. They can be taught to write using a stick in the sand or chalk on a sidewalk. Counting trees in a park and categorizing them into different types develops math skills. Cooking with them, even at the tender age of four, teaches them math concepts and how things work from cause to effect. Growing a container garden is a great science experiment. And going on a field trip to a historic park or museum can establish the foundation for history and learning about the roots of the country in which they live.

Learning is extremely important — and so is how learning is facilitated. Pushing a preschool child with workbooks, pencil, and paper is not best for a child’s young nervous system, but guided and purposeful learning in other ways is priceless. In the same way, passive entertainment like television or movies lulls the child into complacency and is not equivalent to learning experiences offered in real life. 

Teaching young children through their senses, through movement, and by doing things that help them gain motor skills can be done purposefully, yet at a pace that does not push the child beyond his or her natural abilities. Make every moment and opportunity in a child’s life one that is purposeful and useful to brain development. Allow them to experience life to the fullest! Along the way, take a moment to thank God for the opportunity you’ve been given to teach your children about life!

A Home School

The tutorial system has never been excelled in education.  And the home has been its coziest nest.  Many of the great geniuses of the ages were largely schooled at home.  In fact, no one has ever improved on the reasonably well-managed home school.

Dr. Raymond Moore ~ Home Grown Kids, p. 20

To Pay Attention

 

“No use to shout at them to pay attention. If the situations, the materials, the problems before the child do not interest him, his attention will slip off to what does interest him, and no amount of exhortation of threats will bring it back.”

John Holt

The Eyes of a Child

“The most successful parents are those who have the skill to get behind the eyes of the child, seeing what he sees, thinking what he thinks, feeling what he feels.”

Dr. Dobson in Dare to Discipline

 

Photo: Kaden, age 3, enjoys time playing with a stuffed bunny

The Future, a Child

“For this child I prayed.”  1 Samuel 1:27

Although this child is not mine, he is much loved by our family. A little cousin, he was a much prayed for little boy.  Not only was he prayed for, but he is still prayed for each day as he grows his way through life.  His energy and enthusiasm for life are contagious and he brings everyone around him much joy!

I am reminded of the responsibility that raising a child brings upon a family when I read this quote from the book, The Strong-Willed Child:

“Our children are not casual guests in our home. They have been loaned to us temporarily for the purpose of loving them and instilling a foundation of values on which their future lives will be built. We will be accountable through eternity for the way we discharge that responsibility.”

May we as mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and godparents accept this responsibility with vigor and determination! The future is in the hands of the little child.

Free to Go Slow

“There is absolutely no reason for being rushed along with the rush. Everybody should be free to go slow.”

Robert Frost

Creating Books with Children

Young children love to imitate and create.  Writing or illustrating a book is something that can help them acquire many skills.  Language arts skills are acquired.  Vocabulary is enhanced when a child dictates or writes words.  Spelling is learned as they practice sounds and sequences.  Math skills are developed as they number pages in the book.  And artistic competence and motor skills are fostered as children cut, paste, color, print, and draw.  An entire unit study can be fabricated from an activity as simple as writing and illustrating a book!

When a young age, our children enjoyed books making books.  Here are ideas for several that we made:

1) Use a large scrapbook filled with blank pages to make an alphabet book. Have the child write the first letter of the alphabet on the back flanking sheet on the left-hand side. On the right-hand side of the open page, have the child select a picture from a magazine or catalog showing objects that start with that letter sound.  Glue pictures that start with that letter sound on the right-hand page.  Continue through the alphabet (one letter a day) until each letter of the alphabet has been illustrated.  

2) Use a magnetic photo album (sticky pages with clear plastic overlay) to make a book of verses. Place a picture from a magazine or that the child draws to illustrate a verse on one page. Write the verse on lined paper and attach on the opposite page.  This is a great way to help children memorize Scripture verses.

3) Use a notebook to create a nature notebook. Fill it with dividers, one for each month. Use 12 gallon-sized zip-lock bags that have been punched so they can be fit into the notebook as pages. Place one after each divider. Place clear paper and lined paper in each section. Have the child ‘write’ the book by collecting things from nature and placing them in the zip-lock bags (flowers can be pressed, leaves dried, bugs dried, etc.). Give child opportunity to write poems about what they can see in nature; write stories; find vocabulary words; draw a sketch; paint a picture; etc. Find nature magazine photos that illustrate the seasons or take photos.

Something as simple as a making a book can provide a plethora of learning experiences for the young child!  Take time to enjoy the process and savor learning with the child!

Children Are. . .

Amazing, acknowledge them.
Believable, trust them.
Childlike, allow them.
Delightful, honor them.
Energetic, nourish them.
Fallible, forgive them.
Gifts, treasure them.
Helpful, allow them.
Innocent, delight in them.
Joyful, have fun with them.
Kindhearted, learn from them.
Lovable, cherish them.
Magnificent, appreciate them.
Noble, esteem them.
Open-minded, respect them.
Precious, value them.
Questioners, encourage them.
Resourceful, believe in them.
Spontaneous, enjoy them.
Talented, nurture them.
Unique, affirm them.
Vulnerable, protect them.
Whole, recognize them.
Xtra-special, celebrate them.
Yummy, be affectionate with them.
Zany, listen to and love them.

Author unknown

The First Crucial Years

"During the first crucial eight years, home should be the child’s only nest and parents the teachers for their children.  These are the early years when the child requires affection and emotional security more than learning skills, when he should be able to get ready for life unfettered by school rules."

 

Dr. Raymond Moore

Better Late Than Early, page 3

Joy of Service

 

When considering love as the basis of true education, we can reflect upon the two great commandments of the new covenant. The first is God’s desire that we love the Lord with our entire heart, soul, strength, and mind [Luke 10:27] and the second is that we love our neighbor as our self [Matthew 22:39]. By doing this, we find that His power and strength recreates us into His image. God is love, and when we align ourselves to Him, this love reflects back into our hearts and is shown by the love we express to everyone around us. God does this not only for us, but for every being on the planet. You have probably heard it said that to our children, we represent God and His character. So, it is vital that we keep connected to divine love on a daily basis as we exemplify and reflect His character. By serving those in our homes we show God’s love. By modeling loving behaviors to those in our neighborhood, church, and to others around the world we teach our children the joy of service. Too often it is easy to get caught up in simple daily tasks, forgetting that God commissions us to serve not only in our family circle, but to those in need all around us. And what a joy and pleasure it is to be given the opportunity to home educate so that we can incorporate principles of service into our children’s hearts and minds as they inculcate the principle of love for themselves. Go, reach out, and touch someone today. And take your children with you.

Simplify: What Matter's Most

Although it is usually easier said than done, simplifying our lives can be a real stress-buster.  And who doesn’t need to bust a little stress?  Perhaps I’ve watched too many episodes of The Waltons, but it appears that in past times, life was a lot simpler.  Not necessarily easier, but simpler.  I sometimes wonder how it could have been that way, considering more manual labor was required for daily duties due to a lack of our modern tools and conveniences.  You’d think the stress level would have been higher and that the work would never end.  Yet they’d often still have time for simple recreation at the end of the day.  I’ve heard my own parents and grandparents tell about this very thing, calling those days gone by “the good ole days.”

So, if people who have lived in both eras verify that we have left behind the simpler life and replaced it with a more hectic existence, then why do we continue in it?  Well, it would appear that we don’t have much choice.  After all, we don’t live in John Boy’s world.  We work for busy people, we worship with busy people, and we live with busy people. Still, there are ways that we can simplify our lives and maybe even resurrect some of the elements of the “good ole days” without living on an island.

•    Commit to family mealtime.  You already know it’s a good idea. So make at least one meal in your day be a family meal, no matter what.  You may not be popular at first because habits are hard to break.  But stick to it.  You can be as simple or creative as you like, but make a couple of steadfast rules.  First, no television.  Second, no phones.  Contrary to popular belief, the world will not cease to turn if you exercise the power button on these gadgets.  What will happen, though, is an increase of ability to focus on one topic at a time.  The dinner table is one place that multi-tasking is not necessary and should not even be welcome. So take advantage of this chance to simplify.

•    Don’t be afraid of silence.   Our daily lives are full of so much static that it is almost awkward to sit in silence, even with those we are closest to.  Recognize that silence is not a sign of distance.  Silence is simply a lack of noise.  And that’s a good thing!  Try doing your tasks around the house without having to have the TV or radio on “for noise.”  Where did we ever get the crazy idea that we need “noise” in the background in order to get our work done?  Or music in order to do homework?  By now, our brains are actually conditioned to this practice, and like other addictions, it does seem that we need it.  But that habit can be changed and silence can become golden once again.

•    Try non-electronic recreation.  Play some games that actually involve conversation and interaction.  My family claims to not enjoy table games, but I find that whenever I persuade them to play with me, they end up enjoying it.  You might even be so bold as to take a technology fast for a while when it comes to recreation.  Once again, the withdrawal symptoms may rear their ugly heads.  But that is validation that the need to simplify is evident.  The more withdrawal, the more the need to simplify.

•    Get organized.  Okay, this is definitely easier said than done, especially for some personality types.  Still, everyone can improve.  I find that making a list of what I need to get accomplished in a certain amount of time is very helpful to me.  One might expect that making a “to do” list might actually be causing more stress by having to try to get everything accomplished.  But I find that it has the opposite effect.  It keeps me on task and focused, which ends up giving me time to spare.  With that time, I can then do something relaxing or uplifting.

Once you have a mindset of how to simplify your life, you will come up with your own ideas.  Perhaps you even have some relationships that need to be simplified.  Pray about it and ask God for guidance in leading you to a productive, but simpler existence.

copyright@gwensimmons2010