Curriculum choices, great literature (for both the students and the teacher), co-ops, household tasks, and getting everyone where they need to be, can overwhelm us as homeschooling moms. The idea of taking the time to care for ourselves may feel frivolous, and sad to say, during the busy seasons, nurturing my marriage gets lost somewhere, too.
Throughout my years of homeschooling, I’ve heard the same wisdom time and time again:
Focus on your marriage; don’t sacrifice your family on the altar of homeschooling.
After more than a decade of homeschooling, I still get bogged down by the checklists, teacher’s manuals, and worrying if my children are learning enough or if I’m failing as a homeschooling mom. I’m also concerned I’ll take my relationship with my husband for granted.
And I hate that. I want to change it!
Are you in the same boat?
If so, here’s a collection of 100 ways and resources a homeschool mom can enrich her marriage. Even if you’re not a homeschool mom, these are perfect for any wife.
I know this list is long, so I’m offering a free guide to help you keep track of your favorites, make notes, and write down any new things that come to mind. Click the image for download info.
Books
- Team Us: Marriage Together
- 100 Prayers for Your Husband
- A Wife After God’s Own Heart
- Red Hot Romance Tips for Women
- How to be a Great Wife Even Though You Homeschool
- Have a New Husband by Friday
- 101 Simple Ways to Show Your Husband You Love Him
- The Busy Mom’s Guide to Romance
- Sex Begins In the Kitchen
- My Beloved and My Friend
- Fierce Woman: The Power of a Soft Warrior
- 100 Ways to Love Your Husband
- The 5 Love Languages
- For Better or For Best
- Love and Respect
- Letters to My Daughters: The Art of Being a Wife
- 7 Things He’ll Never Tell You…But You Need to Know
- For Women Only. What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men
- Undivided Marriage: When TWO People Become One
- The Peaceful Wife
- Messy Beautiful Love
- The Virtuous Life of a Christ-Centered Wife
- The Good Wife’s Guide
- The Ultimate Marriage Vow
- Sacred Marriage
- How to Encourage Your Husband: Ideas to Revitalize Your Marriage
- Love Dare
- Love Your Husband, Love Yourself
- 31 Prayers for My Husband
- 8 Rules of Communication for Successful Marriages
- 25 Ways to Communicate Respect To Your Husband
- For Married Women Only
- The Power of a Praying Wife
- Wife After God
- 31 Creative Ways to Love and Encourage Him
- The Excellent Wife
E-Books
- Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage
- Blessing Your Husband
- No More Headaches
- The Busy Mom’s Guide to Romance (e-book)
- Little Book of Great Dates
- The Wholehearted Wife
- First Aid for Families: Marriage
- Take the Date Night Challenge
Workshops on CD, MP3, or DVD
- The Busy Mom’s Guide to Romance (workshop that accompanies the book)
- Romance for the Exhausted
- Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage
- Respect: A Marriage Essential
- Cultivating a Kingdom Marriage
- Adding Some Spice to Your Marriage
- The Attitudes That Strengthen Your Marriage
- Giving Your Marriage a Second Chance
- Embracing the Various Seasons of Marriage
- Simple Ways to Help Your Husband Feel Loved
- God’s Blueprint for a Healthy Marriage
- Sacred Marriage: A DVD Study
- Making the Most of Marriage Video Series
- Marriage Matters
- Drive By Marriage
- 10 Ways to Enhance Your Marriage
- Drive By Marriage Short Session on YouTube/Interview
- Build a Strong Marriage and an Exciting Home
Webinars, Retreats, and Events
- How To Be Married To Your Best Friend (Without Changes Spouses) Online Marriage Retreat
- Weekend to Remember
- One Marriage Conference
- Marriage Encounter Weekend
- Courageous Hearts Marriage Retreat
Blog Posts and Articles
- 31 Days to Pray for Your Spouse Challenge
- The Eden Concept
- Make-Up Prayer for Husbands and Wives
- Sarah’s Daughters
- Marriage Testimonies
- Praying Scripture For Your Husband
- What Are We Communicating?
- Falling Out of Love?
- 7 Secrets for Wives
- 10 Secrets to Strengthen Your Marriage
- The “Good” Wife
- Traits of a Godly Wife
- 20 Ways to Love and Honor Your Husband
- Marriages That Last
Apps:
Sites:
- Focus on the Family/Marriage
- Fulfilling Your Vows
- Today’s Marriage Prayers
- The Respect Dare for Married Women
- Marriage Matters
- Above Rubies
- The Time Warp Wife
- The Unveiled Wife
- Club 31 Women
- Loveseat Marriage
- Happy Wives Club
- Calm. Healthy. Sexy.
- To Love, Honor, and Vacuum
- Hot, Holy, and Humorous
- The Alabaster Jar
- Beautiful Womanhood
Want to find additional lists of 100 things? Click the banner below to visit the iHN site for a rich resource of everything from motherhood to blogging to homeschooling.
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Shanna Rodgers says
I follow and read bible studies by Authentic Intimacy. Don’t sweat the small stuff, we won’t remeber it in a few months anyway.
Sara Elizabeth says
So true! 🙂 Thanks for visiting,
Jessica K. says
Thanks for the giveaway and great resources!
Sara Elizabeth says
Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Pam C. says
Books are my favorite resource. My favorite reminder of my goal in marriage is found in I Peter. There we are reminded that our foremost goal is to please the Lord, thus by respecting and honoring our husband, we are being obedient to the Lord.
Sara Elizabeth says
Wonderful advice, Pam. 🙂 Thanks for visiting and for sharing. 🙂
Leah says
These are great resources! I’ve heard of the Love Dare, but I didn’t know that there is an app for it! Thank you!
Sara Elizabeth says
I didn’t either! Neat,eh? Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Jennifer says
Lots of couples homework here! 😉 I hope to give some of it a try. Thanks!
Sara Elizabeth says
Yes, many options. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Stephanie Phelps says
Great resources! I have been married 30 years and my best advise is to focus on the good times even during the trying times.
Sara Elizabeth says
30 years is great. 🙂 We’re coming up on our 18th anniversary, and yes, focusing the positive is a good thing. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Stephanie says
I think the best advice is to keep communicating and be honest no matter what. We strive to have no secrets between each other and I think that is so important. Thanks for the giveaway!
Sara Elizabeth says
Yes, very true! Communication and honesty go a long, long way.
Jarah Harris says
I actually love reading Christian blogs about homemaking and marriage (To Love Honor and Vacuum is one of my favorites) because they tend to lead me to bible verses that help support my marriage and ideas and ‘ah-ha’ moments about things i need to alter myself because I was in error.
Sara Elizabeth says
Yes! 🙂 I have a few of those ah-ha moments, too.
Sara says
Praying for my husband a regular basis has been the best thing I have done. I just started reading Love and Respect.
Sara Elizabeth says
That’s an awesome book. Thanks so much for visiting. 🙂
Ida says
I am sick of being told how to be a good wife. My Husband has not been loving to me in quite a few months. He takes me and my love for him for granted. I feel like being sucked dry. So I made a promise to myself that I will care for me first. that I will not try to fulfill my Husbands every wish but to dream for myself, to treat me and my body as the sacred things that they are.
I understand that this blog is only there to admonish women but I feel like men are not being told to care for their women. They are being validated in their negative feelings toward women.
Sara Elizabeth says
Ida, I’m sorry that you’re feeling unloved in your marriage. 🙁 My readership is mostly women, so I write to them. I’m sure men drop by now and then, but honestly, if a man is reading a faith-based women’s blog, they’re likely not the kind who need someone to remind them to love their wives. 🙂
There have been seasons in our marriage when I’ve felt taken for granted, and my husband had also felt taken for granted when I didn’t mean for him to feel that way. I was inspired to gather resources because I don’t want him to feel that I don’t appreciate or respect him. BTW, have you heard of Todd Friel? He has an excellent resource on gospel-centered marriages that especially hit home with my husband.
I receive e-mails from women who feel they and/or their children are in danger because they’re in truly abusive marriages, and this breaks my heart. Oftentimes I don’t hear from them again. I want them to know that I’m a real person reading their messages and hope that they receive help and are in a safe place.
Whether due to publishing economics or simply the fact that women tend to read more relationship books, I’ve found more resources directed to women than men, but there are some great ones out there for men: Lou Priolo’s book The Complete Husband, comes to mind and Colin Campbell’s Meat For Men. (Great, based on feedback from my husband, as I’ve never read these personally).
Julia says
I love to love honor and vacuum!!
Sara Elizabeth says
Fabulous site with real stuff. 🙂 Thanks for visiting.
Susan says
Focus on the good! Thanks for the giveaway!
Sara Elizabeth says
What a great piece of advice. I know when I focus too much on the negative, it only seems to breed more negativity. Thanks so much for stopping by.