Moms nowadays are obsessed with their bodies. Modern diet trends are all about the extreme. Extreme butt-tightener. Extreme abs. Extreme consumptions of raw food. Extreme protein quantities. Extreme cutting of carbs. Extreme cutting of sugar. But here’s the thing: Extreme rules lead to extreme breaking of rules. And generally, moderation leads to health. And that’s why I won’t […]

Well. 🙂 For those of you who don’t know me personally, let me do a quick update: my husband lost his job in November. We have been seeking where God would have us apply, be, etc., over the last few months, and God has been gracious to clearly guide us in one particular direction. As […]

This question recently came in: I was thinking about what you spoke about [in this podcast episode, called “Lean In & Learn from Other Women”] and the thing that stuck out most to me was how you learn most by living life with others. While I completely agree, I am stuck wondering HOW to make […]

#1– WHAT TO DO WITH THE PRESCHOOLER WHILE HOMESCHOOLING? Q: I feel at a loss with what to do with my 2-1/2-year-old daughter while we’re homeschooling, or even just throughout the day as I’m trying to get things done. What do you do with your 2-1/2-year-old? A: Well, Theo’s my current 2-year-old, and he’s a […]

One of the things I love most about home education is this:  You can wait for understanding and move through material with MASTERY as the goal.  There is no need to “plow onward” to keep on pace with the rest of the class. You look at what your child is grasping and retaining, and assess what […]

This morning, we’re starting our 2015-16 school year. In our homeschool this year, we have 8th, 6th, 4th, and 2nd graders (and a kindergartner). Phew! Just writing that makes me tired. But let’s talk about grade levels. When people ask my kids what grades they’re in, my homeschooled kids (mostly) know what to tell them… […]

So, I just had our 8th baby. Which means… I don’t know everything, but I know some stuff.  There was this time, 14 or so years ago, when my first baby was just two months old, that I went to a birthday/blessing party for a young lady in our church. Right when it was time for each of […]

One mom posed this question after reading my article, A Child Left To Himself. Q: I have two little girls (2.5 and 10 months). I would love to hear how you manage this [keeping kids near you and watching and training them throughout the day] practically and still get things done! When you say they are near are they […]

It’s gone on long enough. MINDLESS EATING Somewhere along the way of adult womanhood, I got the sense that I deserved treats just for making it to the end of the day. Or, even to 3pm. Pistachio gelato, a bowl of cheerios, a handful of dried-out-after-dinner plain pasta, a few slices of smoked gouda with […]

It’s gone on long enough. MINDLESS EATING Somewhere along the way of adult womanhood, I got the sense that I deserved treats just for making it to the end of the day. Or, even to 3pm. Pistachio gelato, a bowl of cheerios, a handful of dried-out-after-dinner plain pasta, a few slices of smoked gouda with […]

So you want to know the truth? Not just the lovely bits, hmmm? Well, I don’t blame you. Here at JessConnell.com, I try to share from both my weaknesses and strengths… however, there’s always that niggling sense that other people are better than us, isn’t there? It shows up often in our online interactions, because these […]

Instead of having a good idea of what motherhood entails, most of us learn the ropes of motherhood while we live it out. We’re already in the role by the time we realize we’re almost entirely unprepared for it. This often leads to stress and anxiety for new moms as they not only take on the hardest, most […]

Wanna know what one thing has made the difference in becoming a better mother to my children? I made this 4-minute video to tell the answer to that question, and why I write at jessconnell.com. One of the lies moms have been fed in this past decade or so is that “you’re the expert” and that “you innately possess all the mothering […]

We’ve opened our homes to small groups for over ten years: We’ve hosted short-term groups (i.e., a single-book study that only met for that one topic, and then disbanded) For four years, when we lived in Istanbul, we were the primary host home for a house church that met, week in, week out with a […]