I had to wait to share these with y’all because Tyson didn’t want me to share his picture until just this morning. It’s picture day at school and he came out IN LOVE with his outfit so when I asked if he’d reconsider letting me share his benediction binder, he said “sure mom!”

So, today I get to share with you our Benediction Binders! A new twist on our back to school benedictions.

As y’all know on the first day of school, I pray a personal benediction over each kid where I call out the good I’ve seen in them in the past year and bless them to share that goodness at school. For example,  in the past, we’ve blessed one kid to be a bridge-builder because he’s my little peacemaker, or I’ve dubbed a kid affable and encouraged her to be kind at school because she does it so well at home.  Well, this year, we did something different. We have had some disorganization at home with school papers AND the kids have been wanting to journal their feelings/ideas and then share them with me.  So, I combined both desires into a Benediction Binder.

Inside are four parts divided by tabs:

 

Random Awesome (for random awesome thoughts)
Mom, I Need, (for things that need to be signed, bought, or planned)
Mom I Want, (for gift ideas, room decor planning, social planning, etc.)
Mom I Feel. (for all the touchy feely things they can’t or won’t say out loud because it embarrasses them)

Each binder’s cover represents their benediction that I wrote for them and put inside on the first day of school.

 

Trinity wants wants to feel connected to her African-Ameircan identity, so I blessed her to explore and own her black girl magic.
TJ is the sweetest, most thoughtful kid and he’s been playing with opening doors for me, helping me out around the house, and grooming, so I blessed him to be a gentleman this school year
 
Tyson is totally into steampunk and starting high school this year so, I blessed him to bless splendid and choose adventure.
The cool thing is we’ve actually used the binders since school started. I put the notes that would have been lunchbox notes in there for them, I answer questions, and we even have a contract to get back screen use written and signed in one of the binders.
I hope we keep it up!