Friday, May 9, 2008 5:25 PM CDT
Mattoon woman says God deserves all the credit for 10 children
By DAWN SCHABBING, Features Writer
dschabbing@jg-tc.com
When it comes to Mother’s Day, Laura Barnett has at least 10 reasons to be grateful.
Adam, 21; Alexis, 18; Austin, 16; Adina, 14; Andrew, 12; Allen, 9; Alex, 7; Alyssa, 5; Amber, 3; and Aric, 8 months, are some reasons to celebrate.
“The day our second child was born, I took a sharp turn, careerwise, and decided to be a stay-at-home mom. I’ve never regretted this decision,” Mrs. Barnett said.
Tall and slender, and wearing a bright smile, the love she has for her career is evident. But, she’s more than a mother to her children — she is their teacher, their minister, their chauffeur, their mentor and more.
And, she’s a wife to their father.
Her start
“We’ve consistently had a child in diapers for 21 years,” Mrs. Barnett said, still smiling. “God has called us to have a large family and He’s been faithful. He has provided us what we need.”
Myron Barnett, 42, and his wife, 43, of Mattoon met while they were both students at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, where each earned engineering degrees.
Myron majored in mechanical engineering, while Laura majored in electrical engineering. She worked for about two years with AT&T Network Systems until Alexis, their second-born, came into the world.
Home schooling became a priority in their lives.
“There were a lot of reasons why we decided to home school our children. We wanted to share our faith with them. We wanted to teach them about the Bible, and we wanted to build a strong family bond,” Mrs. Barnett said.
Through Myron Barnett’s career moves — from engineering, to sales, to quality control — to his current position as human resources manager at International Paper in Shelbyville, the family has lived in Tennessee, Florida and Georgia.
They’ve called Mattoon their home for almost five years.
“We are both from the Chicago area, and being here gives our kids more time with most of their grandparents,” Mrs. Barnett said.
The Barnetts attend the First Christian Church of Charleston and put their faith in God first in their family.
Her children
Only her eldest child, Adam, has seen the public school system, first as a preschooler and then as a college student. He attended Lake Land College before he transferred to Pensacola Christian College, Pensacola, Fla.
She has home schooled each one through the elementary and high school years, preparing them for college.
While some of the Barnetts’ desires could have been achieved in a private Christian school, the couple said home schooling each child also allows for them to build strong sibling relationships, and build on each one’s specific strengths, interests and weaknesses.
Allen, Alex, Austin and Adina play musical instruments and take lessons outside the home. Both Alexis and Adina participate in the Symphonic Honors Initiative Program at Eastern Illinois University.
The children have certain chores to do each day, and participate in extracurriculars in the evenings or weekends.
Andrew has an interest in cooking.
“He has a vision to go to culinary school. So, we are working to help him learn the fundamentals of cooking and we keep our eyes open to opportunities, books, videos to teach him things about that area of interest.”
Austin has a strong interest in sports and helps referee sporting events at the Mattoon Area Family YMCA.
Her typical day
The day begins with breakfast and Bible study.
Throughout the day, Mrs. Barnett teaches each child his grade level topics, such as reading, literature, science, music and history, based on the requirements set by the State of Illinois.
She cleverly finds resources and networks with other home-schooled families.
“All of this was due to how God was leading us as a family,” Mrs. Barnett said. “We needed to have a vision. God impressed upon us the importance of mothering and modeling godly behavior.”
She said she keeps a clear head about the hectic schedule, as much as possible.
“It is so easy to get lost in the details of day-to-day things. But if I keep my vision on the lives of these children, my life becomes richer,” she said.
“But, we are real people with real challenges, and conflicts. But one difference is, we want to honor God in how we respond to them.”
Mrs. Barnett said having 10 busy children active in music, sports through the park districts, Mattoon YMCA programs, plus church and school, means it takes some organization and some flexibility.
It also takes cooperation from everyone in the house to help out, as they are able.
“We teach them that if they want us to invest in their extracurricular activities, (the children) need to invest in household chores,” she said. Chores are given based on the age and ability of the child, and there’s a schedule made up each week.
She also makes sure each child has one-on-one time to talk with her, if they are needing guidance or someone to listen to their frustrations.
She believes children deserve both “quantity and quality” time with their parents.
What her children say
Daughter Alexis, 18, said her mom sacrifices a lot for her children.
“She’s industrious, and she’s wise. She’s friendly and she’s sensitive. She’s a good listener and she’s willing to stay up late at night to talk to me, if I need her to.”
But, in addition, her mother holds her children to high standards, both academically and in character, she said. Alexis plans to study cello performance at Eastern Illinois University this fall.
“My mom doesn’t worry. She spends time making sure we grow in our faith and become independent. She’s a good teacher.”
Austin, 16, said his mom is creative and forgiving.
“Home schooling can be boring, but she makes it fun with field trips,” he said. “She’s also very forgiving when I make silly mistakes. She’s very caring and makes it possible for us to stay connected to our grandparents.”
Adina, 14, said her parents are a loving couple and she credits God for many things in their family.
“Mom will take time out for each one of us. She could go off and be with other moms, but she’s here with us and to help us, because she wants to. God has a big part in all of our lives.”
And it isn’t about being perfect, she said.
“It’s not that we don’t argue, but we have been taught to talk and listen to both sides.”
Allen, 9, said his mom cooks, and takes the children to soccer practices and games, and she teaches them well. “She’s very patient. We can have friends over.”
Alex, 7, focused on the time his mom spends playing games with him.
“She plays games like Trouble, Connect Four and Monopoly. We have movie Friday and family time is set aside on Friday.”
What she believes
Wearing a bright smile, speaking eloquently and softly, Mrs. Barnett said a part of her day is teaching her children to be responsible for their actions and be respectful to others.
“I try to link everything we do to the real world. The children must be faithful to their school work and their chores and take some initiative around the house. I tell them that Dad doesn’t earn a paycheck because he’s chummy and friendly. He earns a paycheck because he works hard and accomplishes what is required of him.”
She stressed that they are a real family with issues.
“We are just like a lot of other people. We are real people and sometimes there’s conflict. But, my life is richer for my relationship with my husband and my children that have been given to us by God.”
Her husband
Myron Barnett gives high marks to his wife, Laura.
“She’s very diligent and has to juggle a lot. She’s the hardest working mom I know,” he said.
Barnett said the career of taking care of the home and the children isn’t easy, but it actually once was more difficult.
“She learned a lot along the way. At first, even with only two children and being a young mom, it was hard. It got a little easier after four or five.”
He said his wife is, “without a doubt,” his best friend.
Barnett said one of his wife’s best qualities is her “service heart.”
“When she thinks about her family, she sacrifices a lot in order to make this work. She continually makes personal sacrifices, one after another,” he said.
He said there were a few years that vacations were not possible, due to the expense, but his wife never complained.
“Our first few years of marriage were difficult. We aren’t perfect, but we’re thankful for what we have. And anything that is seen as good or positive, we give all the credit to the Lord,” he said.
Her future plans
Mrs. Barnett said she has no plans to re-enter the engineering field that she left to be a stay-at-home career mom.
Possible future plans could include public speaking engagements and encouraging other families, especially those interested in home schooling.
“The Lord will take all of these experiences we’ve had and guide us to where we should be,” she said.
Contact Dawn Schabbing at dschabbing@jg-tc.com or 238-6864.
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