A Gracious Space: Fall: Daily Reflections to Sustain Your Homeschooling Commitment

by Julie Bogart

Homeschooling parents looking for support in this daunting commitment will find it in A Gracious Space. This volume provides daily readings that offer insights into the home education experience, as well as supplies encouragement, inspiration, and companionship on the journey. The entries are honest reflections drawn from Julie's life and her interaction with the thousands of homeschoolers that are members of the Brave Writer community. Each entry is accompanied by a "quote of the day" written by a parent like you, or a notable individual. The day's entry is concluded with a "sustaining thought" to take with you. If you are looking for a safe space to reflect on your homeschooling life, free of buzz words, rigid application of ideology, and excessive cheeriness, this little volume may be just the right reading. Sink into your real lived experience, and read an entry a day to find strength and resources to keep going. May your home be a reflection of who you are, and a gracious space for growth and learning.

Genres: Parenting, Education, Nonfiction

180 pages, Paperback

First published June 29, 2015

About the author

Julie Bogart is the popular voice of common sense and compassion for home educators. Her online coaching community, The Homeschool Alliance, her podcast A Brave Writer's Life in Brief, and her YouTube channel are lifelines for tens of thousands of weary homeschoolers all over the world.

Julie’s the creator of the award-winning, innovative online writing program called Brave Writer and the fast-growing weekly habit called Poetry Teatime. She home educated her five children who are now globe-trotting adults.

Her newest book, The Brave Learner tackles the conundrum of parents who want their children to have academic success, and children who want to be happy.

Can’t we get these two desires together: learning that develops skill and creates joy? Creating a love of learning in your family is as easy as lighting a fire. You just need a book of matches. The Brave Learner is that book.

Today, Julie lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and can be found sipping a cup of tea, planning her next visit to one of her lifelong-learning kids.

Reviews

[Natalie]

"What makes their education unique isn't how well you systemize all the subjects into a schedule. It's how well you share your enthusiasm for life, learning, art, literature, the power of math equations to create quilts or build forts or sell cookies, the excitement of an election year to convey the importance of politics, volunteering in your free time so that your kids learn about sharing themselves with others, and finally, your enthusiasm for them - these human beings entrusted to you that you admire, respect, and for whom you hold an enormous imagination about how well they will contribute to the world as adults."

[Rachel Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. This was not a fluffy feel good devotion, but packed with wise gems that have transformed my thinking about homeschool.

[Jennifer Buczynski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love almost all of Julie's advice and encouragement! I love how she gives homeschooling moms permission to love their kids and work with their kids strengths and weaknesses to create a warm, loving home where kids feel safe to express themselves and grow into who they are. I hope that I can remember some of this for the everyday haha. I get so encouraged every time I read some of her words of wisdom.

[Luann Habecker]

Homeschool is not "done" to anyone. It's a journey of shared learning that ought to include all the members in a cooperative search for harmony and growth.

When you wonder how to handle that crisis with your child, stop. Remember: how would ou have liked your parent to react to you, in a similar situation? What did you want from them? What tone you wished they had taken, or the help they could contribute to alleviate pressure or danger or lost opportunities.
Carry on an imagined dialog of how your parent might have handled a crisis that would have helped you. The caring conversation they could've had with you. Imagine how you might me the "parent-you-wished-you-had" for your child now, in her crisis.

remember how most kids use hardness as a posture to ward off a parent's intensity. remember who you were, what you wanted, how you felt in crisis, and how you hoped your parent would respond to you. go and do likewise.

[Marissa | storiesinthemeadow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great encouragement designed to be read daily during the typical school/work week (Mon-Fri). I appreciated her insight as a parent and know that it will continue to be beneficial in the years to come in our homeschool journey.

Much of the content is applicable for all parents, not just those who are home educating.

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you just need some encouraging words that ring true. Loved the part about how you can't inoculate yourself against life, and bad things sometimes just happen. Comfort read for homeschool moms.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these daily encouragements that we are doing what it is we are called to do as we homeschool our children.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! I love anything from Julie Bogart. She’s such an inspiration to me as a homeschool mom. I will definitely be buying the winter and spring books too.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an encouraging book!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

These short but powerful essays are a balm to a homeschool mother's soul. They are so often exactly what I need to hear to refresh, renew, and re-energize me for this monumental task.

[Stephanie Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really appreciate the nuggets of encouragement I get each time I read this book!

[Danielle Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book packed with down to earth encouragement and reminders.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This entire series is like a daily warm hug and my favorite way to start off the homeschool day. Each morning before school, I make a cup of tea and read the days entry. I have been doing this routine for YEARS and Julie has a way of building me up, keeping me centered and ready to start the day. I highly recommend the A Gracious Space series for all homeschooling parents.

[Amy Hervey · Rating 1 out of 5]

So so good to read each day. I highly suggest this book to ALL homeschooling moms.