This is a helpful read on what makes a close-knit family. Come On Home – A Grace-Filled Guide to Raising a Family Who Loves (and Likes) Each Other by Jessica Smartt provided lots of great examples, information, tips, suggestions, and encouragement.

No matter if your kids are babies or teenagers, this book is for you! I have read various different parenting type books over the years, I will say this is one of my favorite ones. She is a Christian and homeschooling mom, so I relate to a lot of what she shared. She writes on some of the concerns our current culture is dealing with today, such as anxiety, technology, dropping out of life… Which I found helpful. I also found her encouraging in my current journey. Here are some highlights:

Godly self-care is what helps you do that job well.
You have limited capacity. Spend your time on the things that only you can do.
Ask your kids what you do best as a mom.
We can not assume that children will know what our priorities are: we must live our priorities.
It’s not about where you are; it’s about where you are pointed.
Someone who has her eye fixed on the fruit ten years down the road makes different decisions than someone who simply wants today to be easy.
It’s essential to keep the long view when you’re building a strong family, because it is exhausting work that doesn’t always reward in the moment.
God gave me the job of raising you to love and follow Him, and I am trying to do the job He gave me to do.
He reminds me that love without consequences or boundaries isn’t really love.
Just as God chose you specially to be your kids’ mom, He chose each member of the family, with purpose and kindness. Which means – He has a reason!
When we face a parenting conundrum with our own kids, I wonder what would happen if we prayed before…
We can not bark someone into the Kingdom. We won’t badger, berate, or guilt them off the wrong path and onto the right one.
Homeschooling gives us the invaluable gift of more time for all of it.