Simplifying Our Family Lives...Day 2

Good Morning~ Today is day two of the list of ideas I have to start making our homes more simple, comforting, peaceful, and enjoyable.
Remember the lists that I share, are not for you to bite all of the ideas off at once, and try to conquer them all, just take one or two of the ideas and try to work with them. Let me know how it comes out~
OK here we go!

3. Self-sufficiency. This one tip could simplify your life greatly, over time. However, it will make things more complicated in the short term. The idea is to teach your kids to do things for themselves as they get older and more capable. Teaching them to do something themselves instead of just doing it yourself takes time and can be a little frustrating at first, but it will pay off for years to come. My kids, for example, can make themselves breakfast, shower and dress themselves, brush their teeth, and generally get themselves ready in the morning with only minimal prompting from us. They can clean their rooms, wash dishes, sweep, mop, dust, wash the car. The older ones can cook basic dishes and babysit the younger ones. This type of self-sufficiency has saved my wife and me tons of time and trouble over the years.

4. Prep the night before. Mornings can be a hectic time for parents and kids alike, but they don’t have to be. Instead, prep as much as possible the night before, and have your mornings be a little more relaxed. I like to prep lunches, get their clothes ready (and mine as well), and have them shower, get their homework and school bags ready. Then the morning is simply eating breakfast, a little grooming, getting dressed, and gathering everything together before you head out the door. It’s a great way to start your day.
This is has been one of the main reasons I am able to keep my sanity each morning ~getting the kids ready and out the door for school at 8am.

5. Let things go sometimes. I’m not always good at this, but it’s something I work on constantly: don’t always be so strict. Let things go. They’re kids — let them live. I have a tendency to be very strict about things, but I remind myself constantly that it’s not worth all the hassle to get on their cases about things. Instead, let things go, and just relax. They’ll turn out just fine in the end, as long as you love and support them. Ask yourself if you will remember, while laying on your death bed, the stuff you let go or the time you took for your family/children?


There you have Day 2 .......I'm going to work on all 3 of these things ~ I've not been practicing the letting things go. I do notice when I let things go, sometimes, I am less angry, less stressed, and I enjoy life and family 100% more.

Make today a great one!!!
Love,
~T

Simplify Your Family Life

As a mother of 7 children under the age of 16~ I'm always looking for ways to save money, spend less, and live a less stressful life ~ all in order to have harmony in the home.

I've created a list of things that has worked wonderfully in our home and created peacefulness and comforts in the midst of the busyness of life with 7 kids.

For the next few days, I'd like to share my list with you ~ and ask you to share your ideas, and take my challenge to try out these things in your home.....to see if it creates the peace you are longing for. The list might seem complicated to some, but don't try to tackle everything on the list at once, take one bite at a time...and chew on it. You won't be disappointed!

OK here we go!

1. Dedicate a specific day and or time for Family Time. Try to find regular times in your schedule when you do nothing else but spend time together as a family. For some people, dinner time works well — everyone sits down to dinner together as a family, and no other activities are planned at that time. For others, weekends, or maybe just one day of the weekend, work better. We used to use Sundays as family day~ now we are switching it to Friday nights. We try not to schedule anything else on that night into Saturday morning except time for our family. It’s something we look forward to.

2. Create weekly routines. Aside from regular family times (mentioned above), it’s good to have a weekly routine that’s written out and posted somewhere everyone can see it. A weekly routine might include regular practice times, house cleaning day, washing the car, yard work day, errands day, recurring appointments, etc. This makes the schedule more predictable for everyone, and eliminates a lot of surprises. If you think about going to school, and why large amounts of children are able to function in a classroom....it's because there is a posted schedule. This helps alleviate the 'unknown' and their is lack of boredom. This works really well especially for children with disabilities, but I believe it works for EVERYONE.

3. Focus on doing, not on spending. Too often we send messages to our kids about how to live life, based on what we do: we like to go shopping, and eat out, and go to the movies, and so our kids learn that having fun means spending money. We focus on material things, and therefore so do they. Instead, teach them (by talking but also by your actions) that what’s important is doing stuff, not buying stuff. Go for walks in the park, play outdoors, play board games, read, tell stories, play charades, cook and clean, go to the beach or lake, build stuff, wash the car. Spend quality time together, doing stuff that doesn't cost money.


OK there are 3 things to get you started on simplifying your life!! I challenge you to pick one right now..and put it into action. Once you pick the act, write me, and tell me which one you chose, and how you are going to put it to action. Then keep me updated.

I look forward to creating a simple life and a peaceful family with you!

Making Today A Great Day,
~T