Is that kid cute or what?  He got a suit for Christmas– the perfect thing for him.  None of my other boys would have any desire to wear a suit, but this Ian of mine is all about having outfits that match and dressing up for church and doing his hair.  He was as excited about his suit as Hunter was with his Iron Man t-shirt.

It is so fun how these kids with the same parents, growing up in the same house with the same daily routines are each so different.  My goal in life is to help them really discover their own unique needs, talents, and mission.  I want them to learn how to understand their inner workings and motivations, to know how best they learn so they can each structure their lives in a way that honors who they are and what God placed them on this earth to do.

I’ve been into Carol Tuttle’s Energy Profiling the past few weeks.  It’s kind of like personality profiling, but takes into account physical features, body language, and movement as well.  The “types” are based on the 4 elements in nature– air, water, fire, and earth.  I guess maybe I’m drawn to it because it is based on ancient Indian and Chinese philosophies of energy and health.  Anyway–  I think my Ian has some type 4, carbon energy in his need for order and perfection and a black suit.

I’m a type 1/2– air/ water.  Random, buoyant, flowing.  I’ve always known that about myself, but just coming to the realization that I am most authentic and productive when I move through life in that way is pretty liberating!  I have been trying to force myself to create rigid structure for myself and my kids in our homeschool because I think that is the way for us to really accomplish things.  The first half of this school year has been a battle of schedule and structure– leaving me feeling either joyless (for sticking to the rigid schedule) or guilty (for not sticking to it).  I have legitimate needs for fun!  Scheduling the fun out of our school has actually made it feel much LESS productive because I’ve been trying to put myself into a mold that I’m not made for.  I know that there is a need for a certain amount of routine, but I need to rethink it  a bit and arrange our days and weeks in a way that honors my need for a certain amount of free flow and spontaneity.

Do you like personality tests and trying to figure yourself out?  Do you have favorite tools that have helped you understand your family members better so that you could honor their unique needs and abilities?