Are you a busy stay at home, homeschool mom? Do you work from home too? Do you find yourself too exhausted at the end of the day to care for yourself? Apologia Educational Ministries has a book just for you mommas! Flourish: Balance for Homeschool Moms was written by Mary Jo Tate just for us moms who need some extra help and support!
What It Is:
This physical softcover book is 280+ pages of advice to help you “flourish” as a mom, wife and homemaker and work from home mom. There are 16 chapters and two appendixes. The Chapters are:
An Invitation to Flourish
Change Your Mind to Change Your Time
The FREEDOM Toolbox
Where Did My Time Go?
Aim High: Setting Goals
What Do I Do Next? Seven Essential Planning Tools
We Interrupt This Program
It’s Time for an Attitude Adjustment
Oxygen Masks and Monkey Bread Days
Training Your Children
Making Memories
Managing Your Home
All of Life is Learning
Solo Act: Flourishing as a Single Mom
Home Business
Moving Ahead
The Appendixes have the Recommended Resources and Planning Forms in them. This is not a homeschool curriculum, and is best recommended for the ages of Mom 🙂
Price:
The price of the softcover Flourish is $15.00 at the time of my publishing this post.
The Use of Flourish by me:
I dove into reading Flourish right away! I took everything to heart and actually used this as a study for me. I made myself do the exercises provided at the end of every chapter as though it were my homework. The exercises, listed as Take Action, are simple. Something like filling out your monthly calendar, experiment with new cooking skills or even remember why you decided to homeschool does not take all day or require you to struggle to get it done. I have to tell you that the first chapter (sample here), really touched close to home. I felt as though Mary Jo Tate was speaking right at me. This made it easier to continue reading the book.
I would sit down after the kids were in bed or while they were busy playing outside. Whenever I had a “mommy” moment I would grab my book of Flourish so that I could learn to “flourish”. This is a simple, read and do as it says type of book. There are no “go and buy this to make this work” items listed. Mary Jo Tate does give you a list of books that you can read and learn from as she did, but she does a wonderful job of teaching you herself!
My Opinion:
I honestly loved how simple this book was to read. It was to the point and included beautiful examples and quotes that were on the same topic as the page they were listed on. I received this book when I needed it the most and loved how simple it was to implement the ideas that were given.
I don’t have a true home based business, but I do have this blog. So I used those ideas for this and it worked! But if you didn’t have a home business or blog, you can use these ideas for your work away from home, or however you feel fit when you get to that section. I am not a single mom doing all of this at home, but I loved knowing some of the tips and especially the ways that I could encourage those single moms that I know.
My favorite chapter in the book was the one on Training Your Children. Oh, the ideas given!! I am in love with the different sample chore charts that don’t require me to purchase any additional items to make! How simple and easy to use, yet allowing me that much more freedom to do something else, while the kids learn responsibility for themselves and how to care for a house as well.
From the beautiful cover and name to wonderful content, I give this book an A++. I really did enjoy it and feel that many of you will enjoy and benefit like I did. Don’t believe me? Well check out these other reviews by clicking below!
Hi, this book sounds interesting! I was wondering though, is it based off of a Christian point of view? I’m not religious, so I prefer not to read preachy things. I hope you don’t mind me asking!
Steph,
The author is Christian and although there are some biblicial references, I don’t feel that it was a real “preachy” book. I have read others that are, but this is not that. No worries on the asking! Glad I could try to help 🙂
Thank you! I will add it to my reading list this month. 🙂
I’m not a homeschooler, but I teach in a Christian school & find that often the how-to books & curriculum for both overlap. This sounds like a good book. Have you ever read Tedd Tripp’s Shepherding a Child’s Heart? That books also has some great stuff on child training. I noticed your post on the Hearts or Home link up. Blessings!
Renee, I have not heard about that, but will be looking into that! Flourish is a book to help moms with all aspects of their life…it does have one chapter on child training, that I loved 🙂