Large Family Logistics Annotations

So, I ordered Large Family Logistics over the summer and had it read in a little over a week. I couldn't put it down. Kim Brenneman is a mother to a large family (9 children, I'm pretty sure) and she wrote this book for her daughters so that someday, they may take her advice, learn from her life as a mother and glean what they can as they too become mothers someday. I love they way Kim shares the ups and downs of being a mother, how she remains Biblically centered, quotes Scripture and how she breaks down the book into several specific chapters on raising a family, keeping a home, homeschooling and basic managing skills. So many girls today are not being taught the simplistics of keeping up a home and running a family. It's sad, really. We're too busy! We're too busy to teach some of the most important things our little girls will need to be truly successful in life. Thanks Kim for writing this and I hope to collect one of these books for each of my own daughters and give it to them as they ready themselves to raise a family, God-willing. *Please note that this book is not for mothers who have 9 or more children. Although I have four, I found this book totally applicable and would find it applicable to any mother no matter how many children you have.

I've written down annotations for the book and this post, I'll share chapters 1-12 (scroll down if you don't want to read the chapter titles). The chapters that are covered in Kim's book are as follows:

Chapter 1 - The Wise Woman

2 - goals

3 - Systems

4 - Self-Discipline

5 - Attitude is Critical

6 - Where Does the Time Go?

7 - The Interrupted Day

8 - The Psalms-Your Spiritual Multi-Vitamin

9 - Give Your Children a Work Ethic

10 - Repeating Yourself?

11 - Teaching a New Chore

12 - Rejecting Me-Centeredness, Redeeming Time Alone

13 - Life with Littles

14 - Baby Balance

15 - The Family Dynamic

16 - Your Own Personal Spa

17 - Dress for Success

PART TWO

18 - Your Home Management Book

19 - Laundry Day

20 - Kitchen Day

21 - Office Day

22 - Town Day

23 - Cleanign DAy

24 - Deep Cleaning

25 - Gardening Day

26 - The Lord's Day

27 - Tea Party Day

28 - Morning and Evening Routines

29 - Meal Time Routines

30 - Table Time

31 - 15 Minutes of Phonics

32 - Quiet Time

33 - Read Aloud Time

34 - Afternoon Chore Time

35 - Bathroom Management

36 - Bedroom Management

37 - The Children's Hour

38 - Family Worship

39 - Home Crafts

40 - Homeschooling the Large Family

41 - Health and Wellness

42 - Teh Playroom

43 - Feast Night

44 - Meal Planning

45 - Project Day

46 - Pregnancy and Preparing for Baby

47 - The Buddy System

Appendix A - Coping While Exhausted and Overwhelmed

Appendix B - Moving Beyond Survival Mode

Chapter 1: The Wise Woman
Breaking down the Proverbs 31 woman.
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

Chapter 2: Goals
Set clearly defined goals for yourself and your family (with your husband, of coarse).
Some goals may be...learning how better to train your children, growing spiritually in the Word, goals in marriage, exercise, hospitality, etc.
Write them down. Have steps planned out for each goal. Make them monthly, focusing on one per month if you like.

Chapter 3: Systems
Kim shares on how to work through a new method while teaching a new thing:
1. Show them how to do it, demonstrate the protocol.
2. Watch them do it, giving correction.
3. Let them do it unsupervised with you checking later, and give further instruction if needed.
4. Require independent work with occasional checks; if they begin to be sloppy (they are human), then start over.
“Systems don’t work if you don’t work the system.” (Kim’s husband)

Chapter 4: Self-Discipline
“You can have wisdom on how to rightly live and have the most refined set of goals and well-tuned system in the world on how to get there, but if you don’t pursue your goals and implement your plan, your ideas are next to worthless.” Kim

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

Be like Jesus!

Chapter 5: Attitude is Critical
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23
Jeremiah 17:9, Psalm 119:10, Matthew 15:8, Numbers 14:18 (anger), James 1:20 (anger)
Obedience is a CHOICE!
“I once heard a speaker at a mother-daughter retreat tell us mothers to get in line with Jesus and that our daughters would follow our lead. If our children see us being Sunday Christians, then theywon’t take Christianity seriously, and church will just be a Sunday social club.” Kim

Chapter 6: Where Does the Time Go?
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under the heaven.”Ecclesiastes 3:1

Kim shares how to break down your day and tips for managing time wisely.

Chapter 7: The Interrupted Day
There will be days when things don’t go as planned. There are interruptions, but you have to make the choice whether to recover and get back in the saddle, or sulk. Attitude is everything!
(Note: I had one of those days yesterday when we had a totally fun-packed day, but we came home and the house was a MESS and I had to get dinner ready and the house cleaned in 1 HOUR. I pulled the troops together, we tidied up the house and I made a quick dinner. We also had enough time to light candles, put on some dinner music and set the table with pretty dishes. Rob never knew our day was so chaotic! I was so close to just having a “pizza night” and cleaning after the kids went to bed, but we pulled it together and we recovered. So happy we did.)

Proverbs 16:1-9…An interrupted day is God’s plan for the life of a mother!!!

Chapter 8: The Psalms – Your Spiritual Multi-Vitamin
Go to sleep with a Psalm. Wake up to a Psalm. Even if you can’t have an in-depth study to start or end the day, at least get some of the Word and some prayer time in.

The “I’m Stresses Psalm”…(131) O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.”

Chapter 9: Give Your Children a Work Ethic
“The principal cause of boredom is the hatred of work. People are trained from childhood to hate it. Parents often feel guilty about making children do anything but the merest gestures toward work. Perhaps the children are required to make their beds and, in feeble and half-hearted fashion, tidy up their rooms once a month or so. But take full responsibility to clear the table, load the dishwasher, scrub the pots, wipe the counters? How many have the courage to ask this of a ten-year-old? It would be to omuch to ask of many ten-year-olds because parents have seriously asked nothing of them when they were two or three. Children quickly pick up the parents’ negative attitudes toward work and think of it as something most sedulously to be avoided.” – Elizabeth Elliot

Kim laughs as she has read chores suggested for multiple ages from other sources. She says, “Scraping hog floors didn’t make the list?”  She touches on how farm kids work hard and have a lot of dirty work. Hard physical work builds character. Practicing character traits happens with work and provides opportunities to see the rewards. She also touches on how boys need physical work (chopping firewood, mending fences, pruning trees/bushes, digging holes, etc.), start YOUNG so it’s habit-forming and expected, don’t expect children to do the quality of work that an adult would but to encourage them to do excellent work. Study God’s Word and what it says about work. Set a goal such as going for a treat when the work is done well. Older children will help teach the younger ones attitude, character traits, and the chore. Be sure to teach the older children WELL. Teach children to be helpful when you visit others’ homes or social events. Teach them to ask the host/hostess “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Some verses on work:
Proverbs 6:6
Proverbs 10:26
Proverbs 13:4
Proverbs 14:23
Proverbs 18:9
Proverbs 20:4
Proverbs 20:13
Proverbs 21:17
Proverbs 22:29
Proverbs 24:30-34
Proverbs 26:13-16
Proverbs 27:1
I Corinthians 4:2
Philippians 4:13
Colossians 3:22-23
II Thessalonians 3:10
I Timothy 5:8

Motto: “We work before we play.”

Chapter 10: Repeating Yourself?
We fall into this habit a lot, repeating ourselves louder with each direction when children should obey the first time we ask. We are busy moms and we’re great at multi-tasking, but child discipline isn’t something that can be multi-tasked. We need to stop and focus. We need to train ourselves to hear ourselves. It’s hard, but repeating ourselves is training our children to continue in disobedience.

Train children to respond with “Yes, ma’am” when they’ve heard you give an instruction. That signals to you that they heard you. Make eye contact with them if you have to give the instruction again so that they have clearly heard you.

When men focus their attention in loving or disciplining a child, it is beautiful. We need to take a lesson from the men here!

Role play attentiveness!

Perhaps you are instructing a child and there is bickering going on the next room. Assuming there’s not a major crisis, focus and finish with the first child. Then go to the bickering children and give instruction and discipline there.

If you have a friend whose child-rearing standards are different, and who brings you down, get some space from her. Misery loves company, and you need to choose encouragers to be with, not the miserable. Don’t be the one who drags others down; be an encourager! (Prov. 13:20b) Spend limited time with that person because bad influences will undo your children’s training.

Chapter 11: Teaching a New Chore
“Inspect what you expect”

1. Tell them
2. Show them
3. Do it with them
4. Supervised practice
5. Independent practice

Do not expect a child to do a chore well when you have only done the first two steps with them. It can take a long time to get from Step One to Step Five, depending on the child and the specific chore.

Make it a fun event…the teaching of a new chore. Celebrate with a treat!

You should never treat your children like slaves or your personal minions. The goal is to raise a godly seed.
Don’t complain…Philippians 2:14
Do your work unto the Lord…Colossians 3:23
A cheerful heart is good medicine…Prov. 15:13
Do more than the minimum required…Colossians 1:10

Remember that attitude is everything and little eyes are always watching you and how your attitude is towards work.

Chapter 12: Rejecting Me-Centeredness, Redeeming Time Alone
Motherhood is a life of sacrifice; it is a life poured out for our children. So what are we to do to get some space from it all? When we are honest with ourselves, we know that it is not “Me Time” we need or a “Girl’s Night Out”. Children are not a burden to escape or endure; they are a blessing that drives us to Christ because we are incapable of parenting well without Him. God is who we need. While there are helpful strategies we can employ in order to have a more peaceful day with our children, the number one thing we must do is to deny Self and cling to the cross.

Early morning silence can be a balm to the soul. Sit by the fire with a coffee/tea and Bible in hand. God doesn’t always give us a beautiful start to every day though. If kiddos are up early, read the Bible to them. Deuteronomy 6 (the Sh’ma) is always great for the whole family to appreciate God’s gift of beauty and quiet in the morning.

Naptime is also another good time to have quiet time to yourself to read the Bible, do a quiet craft or take a nap yourself. Keep your focus right by honoring God with your Quiet Time. Yet don’t let Quiet Time itself become an idol.

Evening…your bedside table is a good place to keep those most important things to rejuvenate your life. Your Bible and a prayer journal should always be there awaiting you.

Relationships – Make Jesus your best friend! A stay-at-home mom can easily miss the interaction of friends and it can be a lonely job at times. It can also be the best job in the world.

Friendships – There are good ones and bad ones. The Bible is chocked full of examples.

I love how Kim breaks down relationships/friendships…God first, then husband, then nurturing our children. Don’t let friends take over these relationships. There’s a reason God has set family relationships as priority. If friendships with other mothers are taking over our relationships to our God and immediate family, then we need to prioritize. However, if you’re never leaving home to fellowship with other like-minded ladies as well as older sisters in Christ, then you won’t have a chance to grow such as Titus 2 says. If you find that your friends are not making godly decisions, you may want to rethink that friendship. (Romans 14:19; I Corinthians 14:26)

*I'll be sharing remaining chapter annotations in the future so stay tuned! ;)

Newborn Scheduling

As most of you know, we just recently had a new baby added to our family. While there have been some stressful moments as I seem to not have enough hands at certain times of the day, having a schedule can make you or break you as a mother of multiple little ones. I'm serious. I have definitely seen the difference this summer as opposed to the school year. This summer, we have been very casual around here...watching more TV than I'd like, many more outings and hardly any schoolwork (I know, I know, I thought we might get more done, but that didn't happen and somehow I knew that deep down...ha!). When we slack more on our older children, I've seen a difference in not only behavior, but they have definitely been more bored (not that that's a bad thing...boredom sparks creativity and ownership over self-created projects) and they don't always know what's next. There's uncertainty.

Well, it's the same with a new baby. They're born into this strange world, new sights, new smells, new sounds, not knowing what time of day it is or that time even exists. As parents, it's our job to "show them the ropes" and get them worked into the family schedule. I've seen first-hand families who don't believe in scheduling. Children napping at whatever time of day they feel like it, napping in whatever area they wish, going to bed when they feel like it, wherever they feel like it. No structure. This not only makes life unpredictable for the kiddos, but parents as well. When can you schedule a time of no interruption each day that you can depend on to make phone calls, do laundry or dig into the Word and pray? This can bring about a lot of frustration on the parents.

Hence why I (just Kelli's opinion...to each his own) advise a schedule for every child at every age and stage of life. This includes a newborn baby. My pediatrician recommended this book The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer and I've been a different mother ever since. My newborns have also been a "different breed" as well. :) I've been able to successfully get them on a flexible schedule (I say flexible because it's not down to the same minute everyday, obviously) by around a month old. I'm seeing it in Isaac now and that's encouraging. He's 5 weeks and for the most part, on a loose schedule that I can depend on as a mother.

I'd love to share some of the major highlights from this book and hopefully, be a blessing to any other moms of new babies. (Please note that I am not a pediatrician and this is simply advice from one mom to the next.)

NOTES:

*During the day, don't let baby sleep longer than 3 hours as this may allow them to get their days and nights mixed up.

*Night time...By the time baby is 6 weeks old, feed him/her every 2 hours before bedtime (for us, this is 6:30ish and 8:30ish). Then "dream feed" (meaning no diaper change, burping, clothing change...don't even wake them up, just feed them in their sleep to fill their tummy one last time before bed.) This allows their bodies enough calories to sleep for a good 5-6 hours. This also makes for a great Daddy job. Then baby can successfully go to bed at 10:30/11:00, about when we go to bed.

*How Much Should Baby Be Eating?

4-8 weeks...nurse up to 40 minutes. This can vary with each child. My girls took longer to feed than my hungry boys who could eat in 10 minutes flat! (formula, 2-5 ounces)

8-12 weeks...nurse up to 30 minutes (formula, 4-6 ounces)

3-6 months...nurse up to 20 minutes (formula, 5-8 ounces)

*Growth spurts usually happen every 3-4 weeks and last around 48 hours. Baby will eat about every hour and after the growth spurt, sleep a lot. ;)

Sleep Needed Per Day:

Newborn - 16-20 hours...nap 1 hour in every 3 hours; sleep 5-6 hours at night

1-3 months - 15-18 hours until 18 months...nap 3 times a day, 1 1/2 hrs. each nap, 8 hours at night

4-6 months - nap twice a day, 2-3 hours each nap, 10-12 hours nightly

6-8 months - nap twice a day, 1-2 hours each nap, 12 hours nightly

8-18 months - nap twice a day, 1-2 hours each or one 3 hour nap, 12 hours nightly

E.A.S.Y. Schedule

E stands for Eat

A stands for Awake

S stands for Sleep

and Y stands for Yourself

This is the schedule you can keep throughout the day with your new baby...he/she should Eat, then be Awake for a while (45 mins. to an hour), as baby starts showing you signs of being sleepy (yawns, eyelids becoming red and drowsy, cranky crying) place baby in a safe environment (crib, bassinet, etc.) with no loose blankets or stuffed animals (suffocation) with dimmed lights and we always use a fan for white noise and drowning out the noise of other siblings. ;) Then you have time for Yourself to sleep, get a few things done or just relax with a glass of sweet tea and a book. Ahh!

*Remember to read your baby!!! He/she will show you signs of what kind of mood he/she is in. Sometimes, they just want to be talked to and paid attention to. Isaac is very much this way. He LOVES attention and can often be soothed with a conversation with Mommy or a song from big brother or sister.

*Remember that a bad habit takes 3 days per habit to break, so don't give up when breaking a habit you want to change.Don't try one strategy one day and a different one the next. You'll end up encouraging the very behavior you're trying to change!

Finally, a peek into our newborn schedule:

7:30 - Isaac wakes up...I'll usually sing to him, change his diaper, feed him and dress him. He then hangs out with us until he starts showing signs of being tired. Often, we're going on an outing just in time for his nap, so he will sleep in the car.

When he wakes up, diaper change and eats. (Remember the EASY schedule.) He hangs out until we all go down for quiet time/naps in the afternoon in which I'll try to keep him awake until then. One thing that I found very helpful (brownie points to my sister-in-law for sharing this with me when we had Norah) was that it's okay to let your baby cry for a few minutes when you put him/her down for nap. Think about it, they're changing positions from a nice warm, comforting embrace of your body to a (probably) cold blanket/sheet in their crib and the motion of putting them down mimics a falling type movement. It usually always wakes them up. We tried letting Norah cry for 3-5 minutes with each nap time when she reached about a month old and although it was hard hearing her cry, after about a week, she went down without a problem and it was so nice to know that it was her nap time and she would just go down for nap! Easier on her and me. It's also okay to go in every so often, rub baby's tummy (my babies always like their foreheads stroked and a light "shh" sound) letting them know that you're still there and they're not alone. A pacifier can also help soothe. Stay patient with this as it can be harder on mom and dad than your actual baby.

Isaac usually takes a long afternoon nap and then wakes for a feed, diaper change and plays until a short evening nap around dinner time. Wakes, eats, diaper change and then a bath around 9:00ish. I'll feed him again after the bath and then a "dream feed" right before bed as he's still sleeping.

Each day is different. Some days harder than others. Some days Isaac throws me totally off (especially last week during his growth spurt). Just be in tune with your baby and read their cues...sucking on hands and a "Whaa" type cry can mean they're hungry, a more cringed-type cry can mean they have gas bubbles they need to get rid of.

Having a newborn can be such a sweet experience. Pray every morning for God's guidance and wisdom as you parent your new little bundle. Be patient, be patient, be patient! Blessings to all you new mommies!

Distractions and Interruptions Throughout the Day

You know, it's funny. Every year I think, "Okay, I'll just type up a new list of things that I need to get done in a day. A schedule. I'm going to stick to this schedule if it kills me!"

Do you want to know a secret?

IT'S DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK!!!!!

Maybe in my post yesterday, I failed to mention the fact that we DON'T get everything done in a day. There are GOOD DAYS and BAD DAYS and that's just how it goes. There are interruptions and distractions that can be positive or negative. Sometimes, there are just really hairy days (like yeserday) where I feel as though no matter how many times I say it or how stern my voice is, sometimes it feels as though there's some type of wired connection gone bad in the brains of my little blessings. Well, do you know what friends? We can either let it bother us, or we can move on knowing that it is Satan trying to attack our meek and quiet spirits...

I Peter 3:4 says...

"Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."

Did you hear that? It is considered GREAT WORTH to have this so called "Meek and Quiet Spirit"! So it should definately be something we strive for minute by minute. Are we going to struggle with it? YES. We do everytime one of our little ones...

spills flour all over himself and the kitchen floor while attempting to make cookies

doesn't make it to the potty in time

whines

complains

doesn't obey the FIRST time you ask with a CHEERFUL attitude

does something deliberately when you just asked him/her not to

isn't gentle with the baby

pouts

doesn't leave park nicely

God tells us that He created us in His own image (Genesis 1:27), but Adam and Eve messed things up when partaking in forbidden fruit from the garden. They sinned. As everyone of us on this earth does. But what's so great is this:

I John 1:9 says...
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

God will forgive our sins and we are cleansed from unrighteousness!!! Praise the Lord.

This is so important in the lives of our children. Teaching them to repent their sins and asking God to forgive them. Something we work on everyday and at prayertime.

Anyway, after typing up my detailed schedule yesterday, I was reading in Luke chapter 11 and when I hit verses 27 and 28 it read...

"As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you." He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

Wowsers!

Jesus just finished driving out demons, speaking to crowds about driving away evil spirits and this random woman in the crowd decides to shout out in the middle of Christ's speaking.

DISTRACTION and INTERRUPTION

See? Even Jesus had distractions and interruptions. The thing to remember though is that He was able to have self-control and because He was perfect, was able to address these distractions/interruptions correctly.

Satan is at work. I pray over our household and the members in it everyday. I pray that the blood of Jesus would protect against Satan's evil. Evil is REAL. Evil is out there. Evil thrives more and more as we continue to wipe away the Holy Spirit and shew Him out of our schools, our homes and our lives. It is prophesied that the Holy Spirit will be 100% removed from this earth.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 says...

"For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he (the Holy Spirit) is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one (Antichrist) will be in the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing."

(Many believe that 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 refers to when the church is raptured before the tribulation, that the Holy Spirit will be removed as well. It's an ongoing debate and amongst many. I still ponder on it myself. The important part is that I know where I'm going!)

In conclusion, God does call us to use our time wisely...

Proverbs 31:15, Psalm 90:12, Proverbs 27:1, Ephesians 5:16, Psalm 90:10,

Psalm 103:14-16, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8,

but remember that God is in control. He has already orchestrated your day before it even began. He knew what distractions and interruptions would occurr and how you would work with them. Acknowledge that Satan is working in the moments of difficulty as you parent. He wants you to give in, yell at your children, spank them out of anger/self-control and create frustration amongst family members.

Remember to keep your meek and quiet spirit as you parent, discipline, educate and train your children.

Proverbs 10;1, 19:18, 22:6, 22:15, 29:15, 29:17, John 7:24, Deuteronomy 6:7, 11:18-21, I Kings 3:9, Zechariah 8:16, Hebrews 12:11

"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness." Prov. 31:26 (This can apply to guys too, by the way!)

I'll close with this verse:

"Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith?" Hebrews 12:1b-2a

May you be BLESSED today as you train your child in the way he/she should go! (Prov. 22:6)

Here is a book that I have fully read, annotated and reccommend. It is a book written by real parents of multiple children and who love the Lord. Even if you're not a homeschooler, you will GAIN from this book! There's also a study guide that is a few dollars extra, but well worth it. I read through both the book and study guide every year before we begin school.

A Day In the Life of Me!

I had wanted to make a fancy video and maybe someday I will, but until I figure out how to do that, this will have to do. Enjoy!

Wake Up
Get Dressed/hair/makeup/brush teeth
Make Rob’s breakfast, water glasses prepared, lunch packed
Kids start chore charts
Make breakfast
Eat breakfast/morning devotions
Clear table
Kids wipe down table/sweep
Do dishes (kids help)
Start laundry
Kids…chore charts: get dressed, brush teeth/hair, make beds, feed dog
Norah down for nap
Kids to school room for circle time
Start Lincoln’s short video
Avonlea and I: morning board, math, phonics, reading
Avonlea picks out her short video
Lincoln and I: math, phonics, learning games
TV = off
Snack time
Clean up snack
Norah up from nap/diaper change/snack/dressed
Change over laundry
Water in travel cups
Possible outing/errands
Home
Kids have playtime in their rooms-they don't come out until I call them for lunch
I make lunch
Eat lunch
Kids wipe down table/sweep
Dishes to sink and rinsed
Kids: go potty, pick out books to read with Mommy
I put Norah down for nap/diaper change
Read books with Lincoln (alone)
Lincoln naps
Read books with Avonlea (alone)
Avonlea naps
Me Time: turn over laundry, prep dinner, check e-mail, Bible time/quiet time, blog, house chores, get kids’ snack ready, get Avonlea’s handwriting/copywork ready
Kids wake up, turn off fans and change clothing
Snack time and Avonlea’s handwriting/copywork done
Outside: feed chickens and collect eggs, water garden, play on playground
Come inside and have clean up time…bedrooms, living room and school room...we use a special

green basket used only for this purpose everyday.
Kids watch short video while I finish up dinner (sometimes kids help with dinner)
Kids set table
Daddy home
Eat dinner
Clean up dinner: kids wipe down table/sweep floor, we all help with dishes and clean up kitchen
Turn over laundry
Family time/walk/play outside/games
Check for any schoolwork/chores that didn't get done

Baths/jammies/brush teeth
Norah to bed
Devotions/stories with older two kiddos-anyone know any good young children's devotionals?

We're just now starting this and have been using simple books.
Allowance given out and put into banks
Kids to bed
Rob’s and my time…chatting, watching tv, folding leftover laundry, reading
I shower/brush teeth
I prep school work for next day and re-set chore charts for next day
To bed!

What's YOUR day like? Post on your blog and send me the link and we can share! ;)

Speaking Notes...DAY 2

Hope you enjoyed Day 1 from yesterday. Here's Day 2...


Scheduling

Quiet Time for you…

Best to schedule when little ones are sleeping, having quiet time or when big kiddos are having quiet time or if they are at school.

Devotions: spend 10 minutes reading a chapter of the Bible, pick a verse which is meaningful to you, copy it into a notebook and write a short prayer concerning it. Then take a few minutes to memorize scripture. Finally, go before the Father in prayer.

Better to consistently, each day, spend a half-hour with the Lord, finding it adds up to three and one-half hours a week, than to always look for the hour or two that never happen.

The foundation for everything you do, in and out of your home, grows from your relationship with Jesus.


Assigned Playtime…

Have an assigned playtime for one sibling with another as part of your schedule. Keep it to 20-30 minutes tops. Keep the children’s ages in mind.

Neighborhood playmates – have this time scheduled as well, makes it easier so kids don’t come knocking at dinnertime or other inappropriate times.

Schedule in independent art time. Make sure you train child how to clean up his/her mess.

Independent play should be scheduled at the same time everyday in the same place. Little ones can have their playtime in their crib stocked with fun, safe toys.

Work Habits…

Schedule time in your day to train your child. Continue training until he/she has mastered this job. (chore charts)

Quiet Time…

Daddy Tapes - Daddy can record himself reading books or singing songs so that little ones can listen to him during quiet time when he's gone.
Afternoon naps/quiet time – have one child per room
Quiet time box/tray table – let the kids decorate it and stuff it with fun Dollar Store things that they play with only at this time during the day.

If you homeschool (or on weekends for traditionally schooled children), older children can have quiet time in other spaces of the house (Mom and Dad’s room in a cozy corner next to a bookshelf stocked with books he/she can read, etc.).


Scheduling and Babies…(Remember that I am not a doctor, just a mommy with some experience)

When a baby is part of the master family schedule, the family is able to plan the rest of the day around the baby’s needs. You can schedule appointments, meals, your hobby time around baby’s feedings and naps.

You can try the E.A.S.Y method: Eat, Awake, Sleep, Your time (Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, written by a Brittish Nanny, suggested by pediatricians for new parents) OR Babywise. E.A.S.Y is typically a 3-hour rotating schedule.

Scheduling helps new baby sleep through the night. Have a routine such as bath, lotion, jammies on, book, bottle with a lullaby, then lay baby down. Put baby to sleep AWAKE (It’s hard at first, but keep yourself occupied or go outside for a bit, checking on baby every few minutes or so) so baby learns to soothe him/herself to sleep. Having the same blanket or lovey (one that’s small enough to be transferred to grandma’s house or care giver) can help.

Nursing moms - Scheduling a time for a bottle once a day (we always do one before bed) once baby has successfully mastered nursing, ensures that you can have a babysitter and escape on a date with your hubby.

If newborn baby awakes during the night…keep lights off, noises quieted, no talking with baby. Simply feed, burp and put back down. Change a diaper only if really needed. Keep stimulation to a minimum. Do not stay up with baby even if he/she wants to be awake.

Scheduling Chores…

Have a training week or two for teaching children their chores. You can’t expect them to know how to do the dishes on the first day you tell them to.

Times –
1.) Early in the morning (get dressed, make bed, tidy room, bringing laundry to the laundry area, emptying trash, helping a younger brother or sister, etc.)
2.) Table chores - @ mealtimes (setting the table, putting food away, dirty dishes in sink/dishwasher, washing down the table, sweeping up crumbs under and around table)
3.) Mealtime – having a meal helper for preparing meals once or twice a week. Helps child learn cooking/baking skills and helps you out once child is trained.
4.) Before Bed – pick up toys (you can also do this before Daddy comes home), bath, jammies, brush teeth, put clothes in hamper.

Put your laundry on a schedule…need I say more? It’s just easier. Even two-year-olds can help you toss in some socks or fold towels.

Develop a master chore list on paper! Daily, weekly and monthly. You can rotate if you like, just remember that each child will need training when introducing a new chore. There should be consequences for not doing chores or doing a poor job. Have those set in writing as well so the child knows what to expect.

Interruptions to Your Schedule…

James 1:2 – “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

If we know interruptions come from the Lord, then we do not need to be frustrated or impatient over them. Treat your interruption with a quiet and gentle spirit. “Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” I Peter 3:4

Little eyes and ears are always watching and listening to how I am going to react to interruptions.

Your Master Schedule…

Try a few different schedules to see what works for your family. Rearrange things. You may not accomplish everything every day, but remember that at least there’s a goal.

You can use a block schedule, an every hour schedule or an every half-hour schedule. I would suggest a block schedule until the children get older. Then you could do an every hour or every half hour schedule. I tried all three and the block works best for us. Less pressure to get everything done.

Start gradually when implementing your master schedule. Take one week and do the morning routine. Once that is mastered, try the evening routine and so on.

Is a Schedule Right for Me?...

Families with one or two children may not need a tight-knit schedule. Have a general time for waking, breakfast, lunch, naptime, outside play, homework/school time, dinner and bedtime.

Larger families or families that school their children at home will benefit more from more tight-knit scheduling.

That's a wrap! Stay tuned for the last day on "Organization" tomorrow! =)

Chore Charts and Schedules

Avonlea's New Chore Chart...she can't read so they're displayed as pictures. She pulls one

off when it's completed and puts it in the bag on her doorknob.

We have different rewards for completing chores (I was going to make it allowance, but I think we're going to wait a bit longer for this). This time around, the reward is a trip to Chuck E. Cheese (you can drop some cash on this trip, so we only make it a reward, that way it's a big deal when she gets to go). I'm in the process of thinking of other little rewards when she finishes this chart: getting nails painted with mom (just the two of us), icecream treat at McDonald's with Daddy, she loves sticker books (the kind where you place stickers on the correct page and then color it...which not too many people carry anymore), etc. Still thinking. I don't want her to think that she's always going to be rewarded for her work, but the more I thought about it, isn't that what allowance is? A reward for your work. She just hasn't quite grasped the value of what money does yet, so we're using these incentives until she does. Then she can start saving for things she'd like to buy.

I know what you're thinking..."Why would a one-year-old need a chore chart? Is this woman crazy? She works her kids too hard!" Okay, hold on. No, Lincoln has a routine, but not chores just yet. He likes to help put dishes away, clean up his room as we're all helping, but he's not responsible for anything in particular yet. Avonlea didn't start consistently until she was 2 1/2, almost 3. This chart was made for two reasons...

1. He wants to do everything his big sister does, so instead of him ripping off her chore cards on his chart, I made him one so he could do his own.

2. He will eventually be doing chores with Avonlea, so this is for the future mainly. I was making her one, so I did them both at the same time. Heck, I might have made the baby one if we knew what the gender was! When I'm making a big project for the kids, I like to have them all done at once. Why not?!

We've had a chore chart for Avonlea in the past, but it got pretty mangled and torn, so I think I finally tossed it. When we did toss it, she was in the habbit of doing them, but we've been slacking because there's no visual representation of them (it's just easier with a chart or something they can see, especially at an early age). I've also wanted our mornings to be a little more structured, making sure to implement our morning devotions (which are going well so far) and having chores, devotions and breakfast completed before playtime or any tv and I'm SO glad we've gotten back on track! =)

Last week was when we started our more defined morning routine and here's how our day usually goes (or the goal that is)...

1. Rise and Shine!

2. Eat breakfast together at the dining room table (Lincoln sits with us in his high chair-the boy has to stay buckled down or it's disaster!)

3. Read a story from our Bibles (we all have one, even Lincoln has a baby one that's cardboard and baby friendly)...still at the table

4. Pray together (at the table)

5. Clean up breakfast

6. Turn on music...usually something upbeat (we like to dance as we clean!)

7. Start morning chores (see chore charts above...they only do certain ones in the morning)

8. When morning chores are finished, the kids are allowed to watch one to two 20-minute tv shows while I get ready, finish up chores and get Avonlea's schoolwork ready.

9. TV goes off after shows and we sit down together and do our schoolwork. Lincoln likes to join in the fun on most days. If he's with us at the table, he does puzzles, coloring, reads books, etc. while Avonlea does her work.

10. By this time, they're ready for a snack/drink so we break for that after cleaning up schoolwork.

11. Sometimes we have an outing

12. Back home for lunch and naps

*During naptime is when I get in my own personal devotions/prayer, I might update the blog, I finish up any other chores that haven't been done (like mopping...can't do that with kids running around..he he!), or I work on scrapbooking, sewing or a project I've been working on. The tv is never on during the day. I only watch with Rob at night, if I don't have something else I'm working on. I think tv wastes too much time to be honest! Too much junk on tv these days anyway.

13. Snacktime after naps

14. Outside play/gardening/crafts/baking/fun activities that tie into what we're learning that week

15. Clean up time (living room, kids' rooms, back porch...basically, whatever they've gotten out that day)

16. Movie time or independant play while I make dinner. We usually start a movie, but Avonlea most times winds up helping me cook or just plays and Lincoln goes off to play in his room.

17. Dinner time/clean up

18. Family time

19. Baths/brush teeth/jammies

20. Read books, say prayers, sing, bedtime

21. Rob's and my time together

22. Me-shower and ready for bed

23. Lights out

I got the idea of detailed scheduling from one of my favorite books Managers of Their Homes by Steve and Teri Maxwell. After reading it, my eyes were so much more open to the time we waste in the day and how much better my kids could function when on a more detailed schedule. Stuff gets done!!!! I highly reccomend this book, even if you're not homeschooling. It's for all parents to read and soak in. Makes you feel more accomplished after the day. The also have other books such as Managers of Their Schools and Managers of Their Chores (we have all three and I'm still reading the second one). I highly reccomend all three.

The above photo is of the schedule we made for our family. I have it posted so that any babysitter or someone else coming to jump into our schedule can join in without questions as to what's being done. I have to update it slightly since we've begun a few changes to our morning routine, but this is the gest of it. I remember being so grateful to a friend that introduced me to this book, so I hope that this entry can help someone else. I remember what it was like post-schedule and I'm so glad I was able to make some better changes for our family. =)