RAR #127: More Calm, Less Guilt, and Quiet Joy: Introverting (and Extroverting) as a Mom

Jamie Martin (00:00): It just wasn't a big deal to get that alone time, really, so I never really thought about it until motherhood. Sarah Mackenzie (00:09): You don't know what you got till it's gone, baby. Jamie Martin (00:11): That's right. Speaker 3 (00:25): You're listening to the Read-Aloud Revival Podcast. This is the podcast that helps you make meaningful and lasting connections with your kids through books. Sarah Mackenzie (00:42): Hello, hello. Sarah Mackenzie here. I've got Episode 127 for you today. I have been really looking forward to this episode. One of my favorite people to talk with is Jamie Martin. She's from SimpleHomeschool.net. You may know her. She's been on the show before. She's also authored a wonderful book that we've talked about here. Today we're talking about introverted and extroverted motherhood. As you can probably imagine, she's the introvert and I'm the extrovert, and we're going to talk about the things that we both struggle with, what we struggle with that's similar, and what we struggle with that's a little different based on our personalities. So, it's really a fun conversation. (01:18): Before we get to that, of course, I want to let you know something important about Read-Aloud Revival Premium. That's our online premium community that really inspires kids to read and draws families together. If you haven't checked out Read-Aloud Revival Premium yet, you want to do it. We only open doors three times a year. Once in the fall, once in the winter, and once for summer. So, it is about time, very, very soon, for us to open the membership for summer enrollment. If you want to connect with your kids this summer, to share some really wonderful book club experiences with your kids, and get on the same page, share some wonderful memories, I think you want to check out Read-Aloud Revival Premium. (02:01): We've got a fantastic lineup of family book clubs, and these we do every single month. They are a way that you can share a book with your kids, discuss it, have a wonderful shared experience together, and then at the end of the month every month we have the author-illustrator come and do a live, online video where they answer your kids' questions. We've also got some really great masterclasses for moms to help you lead your kids with confidence and really mother from rest. We have, let's see, a drawing workshop coming up, and lots of good stuff. (02:30): I'm not going to get into it all right now, but if you want a sneak peek at what's coming around the bend in Read-Aloud Revival Premium, go to RARMembership.com. That's where you can see everything we've got coming up, and we're opening doors there May 6th, so you don't want to miss that, because we're only open for five days for the summer enrollment. So if you go to RARMembership.com and you think, "Hmm, yeah, this looks like it's something that might be for me," go ahead and just request an invitation on that page, so you don't miss it. Okay. I'm going to answer a question from a listener, Mary Ellen. Mary Ellen (03:03): Hi, Sarah. My name is Mary Ellen and I live in Virginia. I would like to know your book recommendations for children who are very sensitive readers. My daughter is 10 years old and she loves to read, but there just seems to be a lot of books out there that are dealing with pretty heavy topics, now that she's halfway through fifth grade and about to enter middle school. She just really can't handle difficult, really sad topics at her age, just with her personality. (03:42): So, I was just curious as to what you would recommend. I really appreciate your show and I love your books, and I just really appreciate your work. Thanks so much, Sarah. Sarah Mackenzie (03:52): Mary Ellen, kudos to you as a momma, of knowing what your child needs, and then seeking out the kinds of books that are going to feed her in the stage she's in. This is just me fist-bumping you over the podcast. Okay, so the first recommendation I have for you is to get your hands on Honey For A Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt, and then look at the book recommendations in Chapter 15. This is a chapter full of book recommendations that are classic children's novels, and the reason that I'm suggesting these is because I know what you're talking about with a lot of of books as your daughter's getting older. (04:27): You said she's 10. A lot of books start taking on heavier themes, and I would say this is a more common phenomenon with today's books that are being published. So, if you have a child who's sensitive, reading classics can be a really good way to read around that. (04:41): So, what you'll find in Chapter 15, Honey For A Child's Heart, are classic children's novel recommendations for ages nine through 12. And as I'm skimming through this list, I see things like Mr. Popper's Penguins, The Secret Garden, The Twenty-One Balloons, books by Elizabeth Enright, and Dorothy Canfield Fisher, and Eleanor Estes. Oh, those are so good, the Moffats. (05:05): So, a lot of these will be good fits. There are a few in here that are still going to be kind of heavy, but the great thing about this is that there is a sentence or two about each book. So if you get your hands on this, skim the descriptions and get a good feel for books that are going to be a better fit than others. (05:22): Then I want to give you three book recommendations that are not in Honey For A Child's Heart, because Honey For A Child's Heart was published before any of these were, and I want to recommend three that I think could be a really good fit for a 10-year-old girl who you don't want to hand books that have too heavy a themes. The first is The Rise And Fall of Mount Majestic by Jennifer Trafton, which is an imaginative, whimsical tale of a girl and the zany people and creatures that she encounters in a fantastical world. It is probably one of my favorite read-alouds because it's so much fun to read aloud, but I would bet that your 10-year-old would also enjoy reading it on her own. (06:03): Another is ... Actually, two series I want to recommend. The first is The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. There are five books in the series, and it starts with The Penderwicks, so you can just find the first one. You'll be definitely able to find that one at your local library, because it was a National Book Award Winner, and so your library will have it. That is a series, like I said, of five books that could keep her busy for a little while. (06:26): In the same spirit of The Penderwicks, The Vanderbeekers by Karina Yan Glaser. There's a first book called The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street. There's also The Vanderbeekers In The Hidden Garden. That's the second in the series, and that one is out. Another third one called The Vanderbeekers To The Rescue is coming out this coming fall, and I got a sneak read of it, and it's really good. It's just as good as the first two. So, I would recommend any of those books as well. (06:56): So, The Rise And Fall of Mount Majestic, by Jennifer Trafton, The Penderwicks books by Jeanne Birdsall, and The Vanderbeekers books by Karina Yan Glaser. And then, do get your hands on Honey For A Child's Heart if you don't already have it, and look in Chapter 15, at the classics she recommends there for ages nine to 12, and I think you will be in good shape. Thanks so much for your question. (07:18): If you have a question you'd like to ask on the podcast, go to ReadAloudRevival.com, scroll to the bottom of the page, and you'll see where you can leave me a voicemail. (07:37): Today we're going to talk about motherhood. Introverted motherhood and extroverted motherhood, because our guest, Jamie Martin, is an introverted mom. In fact, she's got a new book out on just that called Introverted Mom: Your Guide to More Calm, Less Guilt, and Quiet Joy. And I, as I'm sure a lot of you listeners know, I'm an extroverted mom. I will tell you, when I read this book, I thought ... I expected when I first picked it that I was going to be reading a book that would help me understand my introverted mom friends better. But, oh boy, I was in for a delightful surprise. (08:16): Today, Jamie Martin and I are going to talk about what it means to be an extrovert, or an introvert, and because most of our listeners here at Read-Aloud Revival are mothers who share books with their kids, we're going to talk about all of those things. Motherhood, books, and the joys and struggles of both. And how to take hold of what the subtitle of this book promises. That's more calm, less guilt, and quiet joy, which is something I have a hunch every single one of us longs for. (08:45): Now, a little about Jamie. She is the amazing lady behind SimpleHomeschool.net. She's the author of several wonderful books. One is a wonderful book of [Booklist 00:08:55] called Give Your Child The World. She is mom to three kids who are born on three different continents, and she's spent more than a decade navigating how to raise kids as an introverted mom. She's been on the Read-Aloud Revival Podcast before and I am pleased as punch to have her back. (09:12): Let's start with a basic definition about what an introvert or an extrovert is, before we start talking about how that looks in motherhood. Jamie Martin (09:21): Okay. So, introvert and extrovert, then, really has to do with where you tend to get your energy from. Introverts tend to get their energy from time alone, and extroverts tend to get their energy from time with others. This doesn't mean that introverts don't like people, which is a common stereotype and misunderstanding. Introverts love people, but time with people, even their close relationships in terms of family relationships, the people that they love most, over time, that will still eventually drain them and they'll need to unplug in order to recharge and be ready for more people time. (10:04): Whereas, extroverts need that time spent with others, especially the relationships that really fuel them, like close friendships or maybe for you, Sarah, speaking at conferences, or environments where they feel inspired, and that will recharge them instead of drain them. Sarah Mackenzie (10:24): Yeah. And I think another common misunderstanding, from an extrovert's point of view, is that idea that extroverts don't need time to themselves, when, of course, every human being needs time to themselves, right? Jamie Martin (10:34): Right. Sarah Mackenzie (10:34): So, introversion and extroversion is a spectrum, because we all are kind of introverted and kind of extroverted. We all have to do both. We all have to both introvert and extrovert. But I was reminded of it at the very beginning, because in the introduction, you have a section called You Might Be An Introvert If, and you list 20 possible scenarios, and I identified strongly with 13 of them. (10:56): But then, as I continued to read I kept thinking, motherhood in particular has a way of taxing us in all of our introverted places, in our introverted tendencies, because it's a very extrovert exercise. So, I feel like as mothers, whether we're primarily introverts or extroverts, the introverted parts of us end up needing some TLC. That's the part that feels like it's gasping for air, maybe a little anemic, you know? Just needs a little bit of love. (11:24): So, I know in the subtitle of your book, Your Guide to More Calm, Less Guilt, and Quiet Joy, man that resonates with me as an extrovert, too, so much. Jamie Martin (11:33): Wow. Sarah Mackenzie (11:33): That's a part of my life that I feel like, oh, yeah, this is the part that needs a little TLC. Jamie Martin (11:38): I think for a lot of moms they have that experience of, let's say that they are actually introverts, for myself, I feel like probably if I look back on my childhood and adolescence and early adult years and early marriage years, I can see that yes, I was probably an introvert in terms of the way that I liked to spend my time and the types of activities I enjoyed. But it just wasn't a big deal to get that alone time, really, so I never really thought about it, until motherhood. Sarah Mackenzie (12:13): You don't know what you got till it's gone, baby. Jamie Martin (12:20): That's right. And then it was like a sudden people overload in terms of constantly being around little people each day, the volume, uncontrollable, and no guaranteed downtime. So, I think that that's what I keep hearing from other moms, even ones who might have thought of themselves as extroverts and then motherhood helps them realize they are actually introverts, or like what you're saying, Sarah, that you know that you are an extrovert, but just the extroverting constantly around your children still drains you. Sarah Mackenzie (12:50): Yeah, and it's a different kind of extroverting. So, I have six kids that are now ... 17 is the oldest, ranging down to five-year-old twins. But when the first three were little, they were maybe five, three and one, and I didn't know anything about the idea of being an extrovert or introvert at the time, but I did know I felt poured out. Really, you're doing that relationship, people thing all day with your little kids, but it didn't energize me. (13:16): So, I think more than I craved a quiet evening with a book and a bath, I probably craved adult interaction more. And so I remember getting a job couple nights a week. My husband and I would tag team. He'd come home from work and I would go work in the evening at the school supply store. And then, I did that for a year, and then I got the best job ever, which was at the library. (13:40): Of course, people go, "You're an extrovert and you worked at the library?" I had the best job, because I was a circulation desk clerk, and so I got to talk to all the patrons, and I also was a floater. I would go to any of the 14 branches that needed somebody, like someone was out sick so I would fill in, and so I got to meet all the people all over and talk with them, and talk about books. It was the best. (13:59): But what I realized, for the first time, was that I needed a kind of interaction that actually wasn't with my children. Being with my children didn't meet that. Now, in retrospect, I can say didn't meet that energizing part of my extroverted personality. Jamie Martin (14:15): Right. Sarah Mackenzie (14:16): Yeah. Jamie Martin (14:16): Yeah. And talking about your library job, that sounds like a dream to me, until you reach the floater bit where you're having to go [inaudible 00:14:23] paid for you. Sarah Mackenzie (14:28): I would love to talk for a minute about the particular challenges of motherhood and our personalities. So as an introverted mom, what would you say are some of the biggest struggles of motherhood? Jamie Martin (14:38): Well, I think we've already found it, because when it comes down to it, it's just that lack of time to recharge alone, or because most introverts tend to be internal processors. We really need to think through, that's how we make sense of our days and our lives, is having time to process things that have happened. (14:59): So, not to have that time is a big issue and concern, and then even [inaudible 00:15:05] you've managed to structure your days in ways to have pauses and things, you're guaranteed, still, that interruptions are going to come, something might happen to mean that you don't get that time at all. So, yeah, I think that's the biggest challenge right there. Sarah Mackenzie (15:23): There's a part in your book where you offer a distinction between self-care and self-improvement. So, maybe we should start there. Jamie Martin (15:31): The overall concept of self-care, I ... how ... take time to care for ourselves. But at the same time, I find that often when I get this elusive, recharging, alone time that I need, I will spend it in ways that aren't really caring for myself, but they're more like trying to improve myself. But I'll find that often I'll have this time alone, and I haven't had it for a while, maybe something stressful's going on at home. Instead of just enjoying and refueling during that time, with maybe a fun fiction book or just a fun podcast or a fun audiobook, I will feel the need to solve this problem. (16:15): How am I going to help this kid through this issue? How am I going to ... And I will Google myself to death, and I will end up coming home just as drained as when I left, if not more so, because instead of just refueling so that I can continue to handle the issue of the day, I'm trying to solve it, and that's not the same as self-care. (16:43): So, I really wanted to make that distinction for the readers of this book so that they will feel that permission to just care for themselves in the unique ways that refuel them, which will be different for all of us, because God did wire us all differently. Sarah Mackenzie (16:57): One of the questions that you asked, and you put some responses from different mothers in your book, was how did your life and your family's life change for the better once you understood and accepted yourself as an introvert? I think this is a really interesting question to ask, because there is one thing to identify, "Oh, that's me, and I feel seen and understood now. I feel like, ah, somebody gets me," right, when you realize which one you are more predominantly, but there's also, then, the follow-up question of what are we going to do with that? So, how, Jamie, has it helped you and your family to know that you're an introvert? Jamie Martin (17:34): I feel like there tends to be the stereotypes of, "Oh, you're shy," or that it had been seen as a weakness and I didn't see the strengths of it. And I think that once I really began to understand those, then I could really lean into it and say, "Okay, this isn't a deficiency, this is how I was made, and when I get what I need, then I'm really able to offer my best to my family, and they get what they need, and then it all works." (18:04): But when I'm trying to be something that I'm not, then it's all going to fall apart. So, I think that was really the key for me of accepting, and I saw that in the introvert moms responses, because at the end of every chapter I ask other introverted moms around the world the questions that we can kind of learn from them, too. And I saw that reflected in a lot of their answers, that it was really the key was just accepting who you are, and accepting that it's a strength, not a weakness, and that there's nothing wrong with you. Then that was the turning point for people. Sarah Mackenzie (18:38): Understanding ourselves is so important, but then understanding that the other people, especially in our families, who are different than us aren't being different from us to drive us crazy, right? Jamie Martin (18:46): Yeah. Sarah Mackenzie (18:47): That's just who they are. So, I'm thinking in particular, every December my husband and I go to a couples' Christmas party with some of our friends. This is going to shock you, Jamie, I'm sure, but I'm the person who wants to get there first and who wants to stay and help clean up after. And my husband is not, because he's an introvert. So, he'll go with me, but what would happen is we'd come home after the Christmas party and he would fall on the couch and need to veg out with a TV show or whatever, and I would be like, "Okay, I'm ready to reorganize the closets." You know? Jamie Martin (19:25): Oh, my gosh. Sarah Mackenzie (19:26): And it was so interesting to me. It finally dawned on me when I was reading about introversion, extroversion, that here we go to a Christmas party and we come home, and his thought is, "Now I need a break," and my thought is, "What was the last three hours? That was all break." Right? Because I just got all filled up. And so even just realizing that the reason he wants to leave the party before I do isn't because he's trying to drive me crazy, it's because he's empty. And the reason I want to stay after church to have coffee and donuts and vacuum my way out is not because I'm trying to drive him crazy, it's because I'm getting filled up, and it's just bringing me life. (20:02): So, I think when we can realize that about the people in our home, our children, our spouses, our neighbors, our friends, this can change the way we interact with people, because it gives us a little more empathy. Right? It helps us understand, "This is the way you are made." Jamie Martin (20:17): Yes. It's a ... feature. Especially, I think, with our kids, when we learn ... and start to pinpoint whether they're extroverts or introverts. It helps us to really parent them in a better way, too. Sarah Mackenzie (20:29): Okay. So you mention four introverted authors, and you kind of weave them into the narrative of your story. These four authors, Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, L.M. Montgomery and Laura Ingalls Wilder, all introverts, and you bring them into the book all throughout. Let's talk about that, because I just ... I mean, you know me, I was so delighted. So delighted when I got to those sections. Jamie Martin (20:56): I thought you might say that. [inaudible 00:20:59] say that. So, I knew I was going to write a book about introverted moms. I was trying to figure out, "How am I going to structure the book? What's it going to look like? How am I going to frame it?" And when I was falling asleep, and it was one of those half-conscious moments where all of a sudden it was like, "Ding," and I just saw, "Oh my goodness, I could use introverted authors, these authors that I personally love and adore who are also introverts, to frame the story, and then we could visit it through their eyes too and bring in quotes from them, bring in essays about their lives, and then that would ... [inaudible 00:21:39] for the whole concept." And from then on I just ... I couldn't get enough of it. Sarah Mackenzie (21:44): Well, I think you even, the chapter titles of the book come right from their work, right? Yeah. Jamie Martin (21:48): They do. [inaudible 00:21:52] capable of writing a book without book recommendations because ... Sarah Mackenzie (21:58): You have some book recommendations from each of those four introvert authors, Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, L.M. Montgomery and Laura Ingalls Wilder, and even some recommendations less well-known, not their most famous works. So, could we talk about those? Jamie Martin (22:13): I would love to. One of my favorite things to talk about. I have so much ... to mention here on the podcast that maybe your readers, who are very well-read, and probably know a lot about these authors and their most famous works, but maybe haven't experienced some of these other titles. So, let me start with Louisa May Alcott. She wrote a book before she wrote Little Women, but it was never published in her lifetime because it was seen as too sensational, and that book is called A Long Fatal Love Chase. (22:45): It was only published in 1996 when it shot onto the New York Times bestseller list at that time, and even people like ... and other authors of completely different genres than what you picture Louisa and Little Women praised it and were talking about how well-crafted it is. That is a psychological thriller. Isn't that amazing? Sarah Mackenzie (23:12): I had no idea. Jamie Martin (23:14): So, that would be a great one to check out if you're interested in that, or if you just want to see a different side of the same author. Then for Maud, L.M. Montgomery, the title The Blythes Are Quoted, and that's another one with an interesting story, because that manuscript because turned up in her publisher's office on the day Maud passed away. Sarah Mackenzie (23:37): Oh my goodness. Jamie Martin (23:38): Yes. But for several reasons, it was never published in its entirety until 2009. There were these excerpts taken out of it, and they were published in a collection that was called The Road To Yesterday, which, some avid Anne fans might recognize that title. But that was just snippets of it. So, the entire thing from The Blythes Are Quoted was published in 2009. (24:03): Okay. And when it comes to Jane Austen, I would suggest check out Lady Susan. That is a novella, so it's short, and it's written as a series of letters. Now, that would be something I would suggest if you're an avid Jane Austen fan, and you've already devoured other, well-known books. If you're just getting started with Jane Austen, I'd recommend that you check out Pride And Prejudice, or Sense And Sensibility, but Lady Susan would be for a more avid ... fans who want to try something a little bit different. Sarah Mackenzie (24:35): Okay. Jamie Martin (24:35): And then I also had to mention just because I recently finished it, there is this modern spinning of Sense And Sensibility that I really enjoyed, and I think other Austen fans might like it too. It's called Jane of Austin. A-U-S-T-I-N, as in Austin, Texas. Have you heard of that at all, Sarah? Sarah Mackenzie (24:54): You know, it sounds familiar. Who wrote that? Jamie Martin (24:57): Hillary Manton Lodge wrote it. Sarah Mackenzie (24:59): Okay. Jamie Martin (25:00): Which, I had never read anything by her, but it's fairly recent. Jane of Austin. So, it's a modern twist of the Sense And Sensibility storyline, but I thought it was very well written, and also very sweet. I loved it because I love tea, and the Jane in the story runs a tea shop. It was just a delightful experience for me. Sarah Mackenzie (25:22): Okay. That sounds so good. I'm going to have to get my hands on that one. Jamie Martin (25:26): Yes. I listened to it on audio. The audio is really good. Sarah Mackenzie (25:28): Okay. Jamie Martin (25:28): And then, for Laura Ingalls Wilder, I would definitely recommend, for people who have already explored the Little House series fully, to try Pioneer Girl which is her annotated autobiography. It was only just published in 2004. Sarah Mackenzie (25:43): Okay. Jamie Martin (25:44): Even though it was written in 1929- Sarah Mackenzie (25:49): Amazing. Jamie Martin (25:50): [crosstalk 00:25:50] Little House novels. I know. Have you read that, Sarah? Sarah Mackenzie (25:52): I have not read it. Uh-uh (negative. Jamie Martin (25:55): Oh my God. Sarah Mackenzie (25:55): Okay. Okay. The gasp is all I needed, Jamie. Jamie Martin (25:58): Yes. Yes. If you're a Little House fan, and have read them to your kids and everything, it's just a different ... It's a more adult version of the story, because she then took the excerpts and the historical notes that she had jotted down, used those to create the children's books. Sarah Mackenzie (26:21): Well, okay, so in your book you reference the trip your family took to see the different places in Laura Ingalls Wilder's life, and we will link to ... You have some blog posts about that, right? And so, we'll link to those in the show notes, because yeah, that's something I really want to do with my kids. Jamie Martin (26:40): Yeah. I even read a post for people who are thinking of doing the Little House road trip about here's where to stop, here's where to eat. Sarah Mackenzie (26:47): I didn't know that. Okay. Jamie Martin (26:50): [crosstalk 00:26:50] and I thought that would have been so helpful to have when we did it. Yeah. So that's definitely something you can link to. Sarah Mackenzie (26:57): Okay. Awesome. And what I want to do, sometime on a future show, is literary trips, because my teen daughters and I went to Boston last year. We actually went to visit Tomie dePaola, but we did a lot of other literary things while we were there, like visiting the Eric Carle Picture Book Museum and going to the Emily Dickinson Museum and things like that. So, I just think it would be so much fun to collect a list of literary trips, because I cannot think of a better vacation. Jamie Martin (27:25): Yes. Definitely. Oh my gosh. I know. And did you go to somewhere where Louisa May Alcott had lived when you were there? Sarah Mackenzie (27:32): Yes. Yeah. We weren't able to make it to Orchard House in Concord, which is the museum home of Louisa May Alcott, but we were in Boston. There was a couple of places in Boston that Louisa May Alcott lived in, and so we were able to track those down ... I mean, people live in those. They live in those houses, and so we just sat on the front steps and just took some quick pictures. I'm sure it happens all the time. Jamie Martin (27:57): Totally ... [crosstalk 00:27:57] Sarah Mackenzie (27:57): Yeah. Yeah. Was so funny. Jamie Martin (28:02): [inaudible 00:28:02] you had read sometimes she would rent places to stay in Boston just so she could write, get away from her house in Concord, where often there were more interruptions and things, especially when she became [inaudible 00:28:16] she was trying to adjust to that, personally, as an introvert, [inaudible 00:28:20] people would come knocking on the door and says [inaudible 00:28:25] Sarah Mackenzie (28:25): I can't imagine having people just knocking on your door. Oh my. Jamie Martin (28:32): Yeah. [inaudible 00:28:33] sometimes she would answer and pretend to be the maid just so that she wouldn't have to talk to people. Sarah Mackenzie (28:40): That is the best. So, we're just about out of time, but I want to make sure our listeners know where they can get your pre-order bonuses. Your new book, Introverted Mom: Your Guide To More Calm, Less Guilt, And Quiet Joy, isn't out yet. It releases May 7th. But for anybody who orders the book before that release date, you have a special gift, right? Jamie Martin (29:02): I do, and I'm so excited that this episode is going to air early, because that way people can get those pre-order bonuses. Zondervan, who is publishing the book, and I, we came up with the idea of offering Introverted Mom something for everything season. So, we've called it a Year of Introverted Mom inspiration, and then I broke it down into spring, summer, fall and winter. So, for spring, which is when the book is coming out, and when you're listening to it now, if you're listening to it when it first airs, I have created something I'm calling Spring Break For The Introverted Mom. I'm so excited about it, because I thought of the idea remembering spring breaks when I was a kid, and you look forward to it, and you don't accomplish a lot during spring break, really. And I thought this is perfect for introverted moms, so I created a self-care program for a week-long experience, combined with audio devotionals that I've recorded for each day. (30:00): Then, for summer, I ... Introverted Mom Summer Survival Guide, and that's going to help introverted moms fill some of those unstructured hours with kids, whether you homeschool or your kids go to regular school, we still tend to have a more leisurely flow to the summer. And that can be really fun at the beginning of summer, and then by the end of summer it's ... Summer Survival Guide is going to blend my Read The World Summer Book Club, that I've done with kids in the past, with a book club experience for introverted moms, too. And those who pre-order Introverted Mom will be the first to receive this when it's all ready to go. So, I'm so excited about that. (30:39): Then, for fall, I'm giving people the eBook of my first book I ever wrote, which is called Steady Days, along with a series of printables we made to go with it, and that's perfect for fall because it's very back to school, back to homeschool season. It's all about creating routines and rhythms that work for your home. Then, for winter, you'll get my Introverted Moms Advent Calendar, which is something I've done the past couple of years that has been a special way to build in those short, restorative pauses we were talking about during the busy advent season. So it's just a great package that I'm so excited to offer and say thank you to people who pre-order. Sarah Mackenzie (31:19): Yeah. I love it, and I love that there's something all year long to carry you through the distinct challenges and joys of every season. So good. Jamie Martin (31:27): Yes. And so, to get all of those you just need to pre-order Introverted Mom before the release date of May 7th. Wherever, it doesn't matter where you choose to order it from. And then if you just head to SimpleHomeschool.net/Bonus, that's where you can find out where to fill out the form with your order number, and then you'll just get everything sent to you. Sarah Mackenzie (31:47): Okay. And once you get your hands on the book, there's a couple of parts I want to make sure you listeners don't miss, because ... Well, I want to tell you about my two favorite chapters, basically. The section ... We touched on it a little earlier. The section on the difference between self-care and self-improvement is really, really good, and I also really love the section, it's in that same chapter, Chapter Three, the section's called The Freedom Of Discovering What's Yours. And that's where Jamie talks about just doing what is yours to do, and also giving yourself the grace to figure out what that is, because it takes a little time to figure out what is yours to do. (32:20): Another favorite was Chapter 11, called Your Own Happiness. It's all about fun and covering joy. I love Jamie's call to stop trying to be happy so you can just be happier, and then she tells you how to do that. And I love the daily checklist. There is a part ... Hold on, I'm flipping through it so I can read it. Okay. So, this is ... I'm just going to read this paragraph. (32:41): "I have a tool that's helped me which I call my Daily Checklist. It's a to-do list and a happiness list all in one, and it's completely customizable. It keeps my focus on the aspects of life I can control, allowing me to let go of the rest. It also helps me give myself credit for what I do." I underlined that part twice. "To see in black and white all that I contribute to my family, even the tasks I usually disregard, because I do them so often. And it helps me remember the ways I can add to my health and happiness. The most freeing part? The goal is not to check off all the boxes in any given day." And next to that I wrote, "I love this." (33:22): It's really about racking up your wins, I think, and I think it could really break you of the habit of needing to check all the boxes on your list, and realize every time you check a box on the list, means you're doing something that matters. (33:34): The other piece of the book that I really think is just so unique and so well-done, are there's these reflections that you wrote, Jamie, of the end of each chapter, and so many of them I think are frameable. They're so good. I would love it if we could read the reflection at the end of Chapter Seven, which is all about books as companions, together for our listeners. Jamie Martin (33:57): Yes. Please. I would love that. Thank you. "Books have been my counselors. They keep me company through late nights, never too tired to answer my call, giving helpful guidance right when I need it. They overflow with wisdom and experience." Sarah Mackenzie (34:13): "They've infused joy into mundane hours, hard seasons when I didn't know if I could go on, helped me forget and overcome at the same time, taught lessons without ever scolding me." Jamie Martin (34:27): "Laura saw me through elementary school. Maud through the fun of seventh grade. Louisa through the sad tumults of eighth. Jane through the crazy of early motherhood." Sarah Mackenzie (34:39): "They inspired me to dream of writing, to dare imagine someone to love. Books showed value in being different, understood me when no one else could." Jamie Martin (34:51): "When I left home, married, crossed oceans, I packed two suitcases to take along, filling one with treasured paperbacks, I brought friends by my side into great unknowns." Sarah Mackenzie (35:04): "Today I see them on the shelf still, a welcome, a reminder, a coming home. They have a life all their own, of course, but reveal something of mine as well." Jamie Martin (35:16): "On other shelves, stacked upright or shoved in, the mountain of titles I've read to the children, a tapestry of words woven over and around to keep them warm, no matter where they roam." Sarah Mackenzie (35:29): "They'll carry them on the inside, narratives and memories deep within. I take comfort that even when I can't go along, books will be their counselors too." Jamie Martin (35:40): "Page. Its own story, yet forever part of ours." Sarah Mackenzie (35:52): Now, it's time for Let The Kids Speak. This is my favorite part of the podcast, where kids tell us about their favorite stories that have been read aloud to them. Millie (36:05): Hi, my name is Millie. I'm seven and I'm from Virginia. My favorite book is Harry Potter because it's magical. Sarah Mackenzie (36:13): What's your name? Marrick (36:14): My name is [Marrick 00:36:15]. Sarah Mackenzie (36:15): How old are you? Marrick (36:17): Three and so I like reading about dinosaurs because T-Rexes have teeth. Sarah Mackenzie (36:24): They have big teeth? Marrick (36:25): Yeah. Big teeth. Logan (36:29): Hi, my name's Logan. My favorite book is Harry Potter. I'm five years old and I live in [inaudible 00:36:39] Sarah Mackenzie (36:40): Virginia. Logan (36:41): Virginia. Sarah Mackenzie (36:41): Why do you like when Mommy reads you Harry Potter? Logan (36:44): Because I like the sound of it. Sarah Mackenzie (36:48): You like the sound of it. Logan (36:48): Uh-huh (affirmative). Max (36:48): Hi. My name is Max. I am seven years old. I am from Virginia. I like reading Trumpet of the Swan because it is a fun book, but I like Harry Potter better. Bye. Madison (37:02): My name is Madison. I'm nine years old. I'm from Virginia. My favorite book that my mom read aloud to us was The Boxcar Children because they have a lot of siblings and I have a lot of siblings. Speaker 10 (37:10): I am [inaudible 00:37:15] and I live in Cairo, Texas. My favorite book is the Four Little Kittens because it's so great and I love it so much. And Kathleen Daly made that golden book, and it's about four little kittens, and I am five years old. Ellie Harris (37:36): Hello. My name is Ellie Harris, and I'm nine years old. I am recommending Freddy Plays Football by Walter R. Brooks, and this book is great for kids who like fantasy mixed with the real world, like mysteries mixed in with football, and this book is about football. And there are more books in this series such as Freddy Goes To Florida and Freddy Goes To the North Pole and Freddy Goes Camping, and I recommend this book, good for five and up. Sophia (38:16): My name is Sophia. I'm six years old. I'm from Minneapolis. My favorite book is The Hobbit. I like it when Bard — I think his name's Bard — kills the dragon. Sarah Mackenzie (38:35): What's your name? Olive (38:36): Olive. Sarah Mackenzie (38:37): Olive. How old are you? Olive (38:39): Four. Sarah Mackenzie (38:40): You're four years old? And what's your favorite book to hear read aloud to you? Olive (38:44): The Billy Goats Gruff. Sarah Mackenzie (38:47): And what's your favorite part of The Three Billy Goats Gruff? Olive (38:50): That they say, "Who's coming up on my bridge?" Sarah Mackenzie (38:53): Well, that's it for today. Thanks for tuning in for another episode of the Read-Aloud Revival Podcast. Don't forget to go get a sneak peek at what's coming in Read-Aloud Revival Premium this summer by going to RARMembership.com and request an invitation, and that way I can send you one when our doors are open. We're just opening for enrollment for five days, so it's not something you want to miss, if you think you might be interested. (39:22): Also, remember that you can pre-order Jamie's new book, Introverted Mom, anywhere books are sold. Doesn't matter where you pre-order it. Once you've pre-ordered it, you want to go to SimpleHomeschool.net/Bonus, and that's where you can get the fun bonuses that Jamie was telling us about, that will help your introverted soul all year long. And once again, I recommend this book for introverts and extroverts alike. I was really nourished by reading it, and I'm definitely an extrovert, so. (39:50): I appreciate you listening. I'll be back in another couple of weeks with another episode of the podcast. Until then, go make meaningful and lasting connections with your kids through books.