The CDC recently released new developmental milestone markers for children. This new guidance sadly shows that our children have been developmentally delayed and emotionally hindered during the pandemic. Young children are taking longer to get to their first steps, to smile for the first time, and to wave goodbye. All of our lives have been interrupted in the last two years, but the fallout is showing up in our children.
New Developmental Milestones
Your children have likely experienced some level of isolation during this time. That might be less time with peers, not playing sports, or simply “social distancing.” Your children have experienced life in a way that it has never been experienced before. One day they were in school and the next day they were not. One day they were attending church and the next day they were not. Even homeschoolers saw changes to their schedules even if only in simple things such as shopping habits. These new CDC guidelines for developmental milestones show that our children have been harmed through these changes.
What Can I Do?
Our children are on the losing end right now. What should you do? Flood your school board? Run for an elected office? Maybe, if God’s calling you to do those types of things. The first thing you need to do is pray and ask the Lord to show you what He wants you personally to do.
How to Equip Your Children
What I do know is that God does want you to equip your kids for this season. Are you talking to them about what’s going on in the world around them? In addition to teaching right and wrong, you must teach them how to navigate that in society. As parents, we have to help our kids catch up and go beyond that to excelling in life.
These new developmental milestones guidelines show that your children need you to engage with them on a cognitive level.
Show youf full facial expressions.
Look them in the eye.
Talk with them.
Sit down on the floor and play with them.
Get outside to play with them.
Let them hear your laughter.
Get in the kitchen to cook together.
Praise them for who they are, not what they do.
Tech is Neutral
I have a strong belief that technology is neutral, but sadly our children are being lured into spending countless hours watching others instead of being creators. Children are born creative and adventurous explorers. It’s time to turn off the devices. Be together. Play together.
The Future
Give your child a vision for what life could look like for them. Your child doesn’t have to be a casualty of this experiment or remain a statistic. The goal is always to empower your children! We want them to discover who they are and where they belong. They need to know that they fit in your family and that their value and worth come from God. What will you do today to empower your kids and help them reach developmental milestones?
Yvette Hampton from Schoolhouse Rocked and her family have an incredible story of following God. God called them to sell their home, buy an RV, leave California, and create a documentary about homeschooling. Yvette shares how the perfect author of our lives does amazing work when we trust Him and allow Him to do His work. He is a faithful God!
Choosing to Follow God
In this episode, Yvette shares:
How her husband Garrett left the Hollywood film industry
How God was prompting their family to leave California in an RV
How she went from thinking homeschoolers were wierd to homeschooling her kids
How she and Garrett were led to produce Schoolhouse Rocked
How I was inolved in Schoolhouse Rocked as an associate producer
Who should watch Schoolhouse Rocked
This is a fascinating Abraham-type story that you have to hear straight from Yvette’s mouth. I hope it encourages you to follow God even when the circumstances seem impossible!
I’m so thankful for the opportunity to have been a part of Schoolhouse Rocked and hope that you’ll take the time to watch the documentary for yourself and share it with your friends.
About Yvette Hamptom
Yvette Hampton is the producer and host of the documentary, Schoolhouse Rocked: The Homeschool Revolution and TheSchoolhouse Rocked Podcast. As a mom who is concerned for the future of this generation, Yvette has a deep desire to see a culture shift by encouraging people through God’s Word. She and her husband, Garritt, have a passion for strengthening and equipping families and the homeschool community by teaching parents how to live out their convictions and point their children towards Christ. Her greatest joy is being a wife and mom.
It’s been a long road for this podcast, but I’ve stayed the course. The Equipped To Be podcast began just a few weeks before COVID hit and the world went into lockdown. I knew we were supposed to be doing this podcast. People had been asking me for a podcast for years. In February 2020, we prepared and went live at the end of that month. That was almost two years ago! And now, here we are at episode 100! Let’s take a look at these first 100 episodes and what is needed to stay the course.
I started this show for YOU, and I love your feedback. You’re always welcome to contact me directly with any comments or suggestions. Just use the contact form here to email me.
The First 100 Episodes
Let’s take a little walk down memory lane at some of the best and most downloaded episodes from these first 100 episodes.
We’ve had some amazing guests on the show. Take a look at some of these favorite guest episodes:
My goal is that with every episode of Equipped To Be, you’d come away with some nugget or point to ponder as you go about your day. That might be about your personal life, your relationship with your kids, schooling decisions, or so much more. I’m thankful that you’re here and pray that I can keep adding value to your life. I want you to succeed and be found faithful!
Staying the Course
People have asked me: How do you stay the course? It’s a little cliche, but if God calls you, He equips you. It’s so true! The thing to keep in mind is that the outcome is not as important as you getting started and staying the course, whatever that path is. Here are three things that you need to have in order to stay the course.
Internal Conviction
You have to have an internal conviction that you’re doing what you know you’re supposed to be doing. There’s a drive. You know you have to do this thing, no matter what else is going on around you. The enemy may come and try to make you question, but you know your calling. You may question, but God gives you the winks and nudges that you’re on the right path.
External Commitment
When something needs to be done, you get up and do it. This is an external commitment. Your children need you to get up and teach them, so you do it. You have a deadline to meet, so you work until it’s done. The house needs to be decluttered, the dinner needs to be made, the groceries need to be purchased, the budget needs to be balanced, so you follow through. I made an external commitment to show up here for you every Wednesday morning at 8 am. So, here I am, week after week.
Eternal Perspective
It’s not worth doing something just for an award or to have your name in the spotlight. It’s not wrong, in my opinion, to obtain these things, but they can’t be your only purpose in life. Does what you’re doing have eternal significance? At Equipped To Be, one of our goals is to strengthen families, and that makes a difference for the kingdom.
I’ll be honest. Sometimes, despite conviction, commitment, and perspective, there will be days when you’re more productive and some days when you feel like you’re grinding it out. God is simply looking for two things: your obedience and your willingness.
The Future
Thank you for sticking with us for 100 episodes. I’m excited about what’s coming in the future!
Have you thought about what your calling is and how you can reach it? Do you wonder about how you will get it all done? If you look at the Proverbs 31 woman and think that you’ll never measure up, I want to remind you that story is a picture of this woman’s whole life, not a snapshot of a 24-hour day! You can build the life, the credentials, and the tools needed to fulfill what God has called you to do. And you have to discipline your mind to get there.
Discipline Your Mind
When you’re struggling or find yourself in a rut, you have to intentionally discipline your mind. This is a moment-by-moment, daily exercise. It starts from the moment you open your eyes and doesn’t stop until your head hits the pillow at night. This practice will impact your day, your actions, your words, and your thoughts.
Take Hold of Your Thoughts
The saying goes something like this: As a man thinks, so is he. As much as you try, you’re not always going to be strong. There are actionable things like practicing gratitude and thankfulness that can help you take hold of your thoughts.
Be Careful What You Tell Yourself
Keep yourself from wallowing in self-pity! Don’t fall into the trap of telling yourself that you’re dumb or a loser or other things like that. You have strengths. You have God-given abilities and talents ready to be used.
Know Your Limits
It’s important to know what season of life you’re in. There are times to step out and away from something. Remember that balance is a myth. You can’t compare what you’re doing to someone else. That person is in a different season and has different gifts from you.
Clear Vision
You need to have a clear picture of what you want for your future. You can also paint a picture of the future for your children. Want to know how I did it all? I didn’t! I would step out when needed. I knew my limits. I lived my life in preparation for tomorrow. Doing what God has equipped you to do will only be possible when building these disciplines into your life. It’s time to discipline your mind!
I was reviewing some data recently for a project that will soon lead to another book. As I analyzed that data, it made me think about excellence. I pondered what it means to live a life of excellence. What are God’s standards? Excellence is important in education, in your parenting, and in your business. Whatever your task is today, excellence in that task is of utmost importance!
The Little Things Matter
Maybe you don’t think that all of the little tasks that you do in a day matter. There are little things that seem menial to us but which make a big impact on others. Maybe it’s something as simple as making breakfast for your kids each day. Simple to you, but a big deal to them. Without breakfast, they’d starve!
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”
Colossians 3:23-24
Do Your Best
You have a unique assignment from the Lord. You need to run that race without falling into the trap of comparing yourself to someone else and their race. Don’t measure your best against someone else’s standard! That person has a different focus and different skills from what God has given you. Run your race to the best of your ability.
Don’t Grow Weary
It’s easy at the beginning of a new year to have big goals. Maybe you’ve chosen this weighty word to define your coming year. And then just a few weeks into the year, now you may have waxed and waned. Or maybe you are just plain tired. It’s tempting to say that good is good enough. Nope. Your best effort is what’s needed.
Leading Your Kids
When I decided to homeschool my kids, there were still some remnants of the myth going around that you couldn’t teach your own kids without a formal degree in education. Well, that’s been thoroughly debunked now. What you really need are conviction and passion. After that, you just have to do the work. Learn and figure it out along the way. But, you’re selling your kids short if you don’t teach them to strive for excellence. I’m not talking about perfection. Perfection isn’t achievable or attainable. That’s unrealistic. Excellence on the other hand is attainable because it’s about doing your best with what God has given to you.
Persevere
Sometimes life is hard. Caregiving for an elderly family member. Living with a difficult diagnosis or illness. Dealing with a wayward child. You have to get up each day and do the best you can. Tomorrow might be different. You might be able to do more or you might have to do less. Either way, you’re going to do your best. Rinse, repeat. Do your best again. The results of this perseverance are hard to see when you’re in the messy middle. I can look back now and see how things that were started years ago have turned into something put together by God. Press on, doing your best.
“What God calls you to, he’s going to equip you for it.”
Connie Albers
Stop Making Excuses
Your goal in life is to be able to stand before the Lord and have him say, “Well done good and faithful servant.” Your life does not need to be a hot mess. Sure, life is messy, but you don’t have to be a hot mess! No one can know it all or be it all. Run your race in your lane. There are reasons and there are excuses for not doing your best. Are you making excuses? Are you afraid to fail? Afraid to succeed? Take some time to examine the reasons why you make excuses for not doing your best.
Living with Excellence
You can do what God has called you to do. It is possible to live equipped. Work on gaining knowledge and skill for your tasks. Listen to the Lord’s leading. Learn when to say yes and when to say no. Be wise and discerning.
When I decided to homeschool my kids, it wasn’t because I was running away from something. No, I was actually running towards something better. I was aiming for excellence for my kids’ education. There was a lot I didn’t know, but I put in the work and showed up every day to do my best for them. This is how we should live in all areas of our lives. Strive to live a life of excellence in everything that you do!
What’s in a name? You could call it leaving a legacy or building a heritage, but are you casting a vision to your kids for what you want your family to be? Are you building a family name that has lasting meaning to your kids? What do you want your kids to say about your family after they’ve left the nest? You can start making changes now and cast that vision to your kids of who you want your family to be.
When you think of the name of Jesus, what comes to mind? Some things that come to my mind are:
Hope
Salvation
Comfort
Truth
Refuge
Guide
Provider
Protector
There’s a lot in a name!
What’s in a Family Name?
What about your family name? I thought about this a lot before we started having children. Some people now refer to this as your legacy or heritage. My husband and I wanted to break some generational dysfunction and be a witness to our extended families. What did we want the Albers name to mean? We knew our family name didn’t mean perfection. We knew we didn’t have it all together. A kid can throw you a curveball at any second and shatter that perception!
Building Your Family Name
You and your children represent your family. It’s not the way a brand would build its reputation with a tagline. Sure, maybe you’ll get labeled from time to time, but this is not about what others have to say about your family. This is about what your kids say about your family.
What does your family name mean to your children?
Have you communicated that to your kids?
When my kids were younger I’d say things like: “We are the Albers. This is how we live life. We’re honest. We don’t steal. We help people. We care for others. We serve each other. We walk with the Lord. We pray for one another. We take care of each other.”
I’d regularly made lists of these things. The beginning of a new year is a great time to think through this and make your own list. Start by writing down your family name. What are the things you want your kids to know or say about your family when they no longer live with you any longer? Think about things like:
What does your family name represent?
What does your family name represent to your kids?
Who do you stand for?
What do you stand for?
What do you believe?
What character traits do you want your family to have and display?
Who are The Albers?
I talk more about family identity in Parenting Beyond the Rules, but to help you with an example, here are the three things that were important to our family name:
We wanted our children to love the Lord and understand the difference between relationship and religion.
We wanted our kids to do life with us when they didn’t have to any longer.
We wanted our kids as siblings to know they could lean on and count on each other.
Cast the Vision
I encourage you to cast a vision of what your family is and stands for to your kids. Talk about it often. Let your kids see where they fit in your family. They are in your family by design and not by accident. God uniquely placed them right where they are on purpose. They are valued, loved, and celebrated! Through this, you are building a family name that your children will be proud to be a part of as they grow into adulthood.
