By Marilyn Rockett
www.marilynrockett.com
PO Box 2162
Cypress, TX 77410-2162
281-213-9147
Organizational "how-to" books--I have shelves full of them. You name it, I've read it! You suggest a system, and I've probably tried it! But even after eighteen years of marriage, I still find myself struggling in the area of organization from time to time. Let's face it--it's hard! And while I know it's a well-known fact that no system will work without commitment and implementation, I've found that most organizational books are geared towards families with just a few children who go to a regular school every single day. That's not my scenario at all.
But thanks to Marilyn Rockett, I now have a whole arsenal of new ideas to try out in our homeschooling home. And I also have a different perspective of what the term "organization" actually means to a homeschooling family!
Mrs. Rockett's book is aptly named Homeschooling At the Speed of Life, but the subtitle, "Balancing Home, School, and Family in the Real World," really caught my attention. This is my kind of book, and one that comes closer to addressing my situation as a pastor's wife and mom to the six children whom I've educated at home for over ten years. As a busy wife and former homeschool mom herself to four (now grown) sons, Mrs. Rockett has been in my shoes. She knows her stuff, and she enthusiastically shares her hard-earned knowledge with all of us who are following in her footsteps. She understands the nuances and special concerns of homeschool families and offers wonderful suggestions and practical advice on how to balance all those important facets of our lives.
The book is divided into ten chapters:
- Chapter 1: Foundation for Organization
- Chapter 2: Real-life Home Management
- Chapter 3: Clutter, Clutter Everywhere and Not a Spot to Think
- Chapter 4: Teaching Children Life Skills
- Chapter 5: Paper by the Pile
- Chapter 6: Record-keeping Made Easy
- Chapter 7: Real Live Around the House
- Chapter 8: A Family-Not a School
- Chapter 9: A Hospitable Home
- Chapter 10: Finishing Well
There are also four appendices:
- Appendix A: Resources
- Appendix B: File-a-Plan Category List
- Appendix C: File-a-Plan Archive Category List
- Appendix D: File-a-Plan Form List: Descriptions
Another neat thing is that most of the appendices are keyed to a bonus CD-ROM, called The File-a-Plan System, that is included at the back of the book. The disc contains over 18 categories and 32 blank forms to aid in the organization process, running the gamut from personal and household helps to homeschool planning sheets. All the bases are covered!
When I first started reading the book, I picked up my yellow highlighter to mark ideas and phrases that really impressed me. When I noticed that I was highlighting almost every paragraph on every page, I knew I had found a prize! Mrs. Rockett's writing style is engaging, candid, and fresh. This book is easy to read, and I especially liked all of the wonderful quotes pertaining to homemaking, family, and homeschooling that are interspersed throughout the pages. There is something here for everyone--from the veteran homeschooler to the one who is just beginning! And Mrs. Rockett's personal definition of organization can apply to every household:
Organization is making your life work for you by bringing the dailiness of life under control through yielding to the Holy Spirit concerning the wise use of your time.
Therefore, there is no "one-size-fits-all" organizational plan for every homeschooling family. Rather, Mrs. Rockett emphasizes prayer and asking the Lord for guidance to figure out what will work for your own family and lifestyle. What works for my family might not work for your family! But she also presents basic organizing principles that are foundational for a well-run home(school). She includes relevant Scriptures, and basically she gives encouragement and hope that peace and order in the home are attainable goals! And at the end of each chapter, there is a "Stop, Look, and Think" section. These sections include questions to get the reader thinking, as well as a devotion that is relevant to the material that has been covered. She is a mentor in the finest sense of the word.
The paperback book has over 175 pages and is a veritable treasure trove of great ideas. You can find out more about Mrs. Rockett at her website www.marilynrockett.com. The book is $12.23 (on her website), and I definitely think that's a bargain price for all you get--the book and the CD-ROM. In my opinion, this book deserves a spot on every homeschool bookshelf. It's a resource you'll use again and again!
Product review by Amy M. O'Quinn, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC, September 2007
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