You’ve got kids going in seven directions, groceries to buy, laundry and dishes to do, a workout schedule to keep, a job to maintain and stuff to sell on eBay…so how will you be able to do it all?
In the last blog, we talked about finding strength in this “back-to-school, back-to-a busy-life” season by doing “shots of joy!”
Ok, well I trust you’ve been shouting and tapping into the joy of the Lord as your strength; so now let’s talk about some practical strategies for keeping up with the pace.
1. Get Organized. I remember one day, when our boys were preschoolers, I asked them to clean their rooms. Twenty minutes later, they were still sitting in the middle of Legos, Matchbox cars, socks, Tinker Toys and shoes – crying! They had gotten overwhelmed with all the stuff. So, together we began to categories all the items in the middle of the room. We made little piles - a pile of Legos here, a pile of socks there and pretty soon we had systematically categorized the whole room. After that, it was easy to put things away.
Are you feeling overwhelmed by all the “stuff” at this time of year? Rather than bursting into tears, begin to categorize all the things you have to do. Think categorically! Make little piles of your tasks, responsibilities, duties and check lists – a pile of appointments here, a stack of phone calls there, a bunch of errands over there – it won’t take long and you’ll feel like you’re making progress in organizing your life and time.
2. Have Cleaning Parties. I know our kids think they were born so we could serve them 24/7. Perhaps it’s time to have an epiphany in your home? Introduce “Cleaning Parties!” Our kids love to hate “cleaning parties.” When things are too cluttered, just call a party and get all the little darlings in motion hauling shoes back to closets, wiping down walls, putting away laundry and unloading the dishwasher. It’s not against the law to put your kids to work. They might as well learn now that sleeping in ‘til noon, staying up late watching movies and being on Facebook all day are not a part of the real world.
3. Open Daddy’s Bistro. Now…you’ll have to get your husband to go along with this one…but it’s worth begging…even bribing! Daddy’s Bistro evolved in our home about 8 years ago when our oldest daughter was 12 years old. My husband is a morning person, so he decided to get up with the kids to make them breakfast, have some dad-chat and devotion time with the kids, before everyone goes to school. It’s great for the kids…great for him and super-great for me! If you can convince your husband on the value of Daddy’s Bistro, this is when mom has a chance to shower, get dressed, do the hair and make-up thing before she takes a few kids to school, starts her day or goes to work. When the Bistro closes and mom and the kids have left the building, dad hits the road for work and everyone is fat and happy!
4. Get A Massage. Need I say more? It’s worth every penny. Better yet, find some alone time – no kids, no phones, and no interruptions – to spend with your husband!
Girls, you can survive the busy pace this fall…and when all else fails…there’s Calgon!
Beth
