Family Life | Heart of the Matter

Helping Your Children Listen in Church

As Christians, our main goal in homeschooling should be to disciple our children in the ways of the Lord. As they grow, we should begin to expect our children to listen quietly during a church service and other meetings where...

The Hidden Value of Chores

When I started telling people that I’d decided to homeschool my boys, I got a lot of skeptical comments. I think my favorite has been, “You know you’re going to have to cut the cord eventually right?” If you heard the...

Life Skills Learned Through Chores

Invaluable Life Skills Learned Through Chores Learning household tasks is an outstanding foundation for children. They learn early-on what it takes to run a family, home, and daily life. Our boys will grow to be men who provide...

Making More of Easter

For years now, I have wished and wished for a way to lead my family to truly engage in the Easter season. My evangelical roots never mentioned Lent, only Easter. It was about resurrection, yes, but it was also about new clothes...

What Do You Like Most About Homeschool?

I often ponder this question to myself. I wondered if you would take a moment to answer it too? There are so many things I like about homeschool and I think it is good to remember these good things at all times. However, I do...

Communicating with Tweens and Teens Through a Shared Journal

When our children go through adolescence, they seem to change dramatically. Even very close parent-child relationships are tested during the tween and teen years as children push their boundaries and grapple with conflicting...

Clearing Space

My daughter and her Daddy are out learning about magnets or some such thing, so I’m taking advantage of the quiet moment by going on a cleaning binge. Everywhere except my daughter’s room. I’m having a hard time there. You...

What Really IS The Heart of the Matter?

When Amy Stults first started Heart of the Matter, I was immediately drawn to her new endeavor because of its name: Heart of the Matter! Why? Well, I have spent the last 19 years of my life home educating my 4 boys. When first...

Every Stage Is My Favorite

I snuggled with my five-year-old son today while leading him through another reading lesson. Snuggling is the only way to keep his little body still while he does the hard work of decoding. But it also gives me a chance to enjoy...

Family Favorites: An Annotated Booklist

We all know the benefits of reading out loud to our children… increased attention spans; increased listening skills, vocabulary, and memory; positive associations with books; exposure to new concepts and ideas; and greater...