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Tag Archives: routine

Finding Your Summer Rhythm

6 / 15 / 206 / 15 / 20

Michelle
Michelle

That was such a crazy two and half months of crisis-schooling. I still am trying to process all of it!

Michelle
Virginia

It was! I’m still catching my breath too. 

Michelle
Michelle

I honestly have never felt led to homeschool and then all of the sudden I was forced into it. ? Ready or not!

Michelle
Virginia

I know. In the beginning I felt like I was about to fall off of a balance beam. The funny video Anna made really showed what a stressful, weird, overwhelming time it was for kids and parents. It made me feel less alone.

Michelle
Michelle

For sure. I kinda felt like my life got hijacked if I’m honest. I had to let go of all of the things I wanted to do and realize I was suddenly a “homeschool” teacher.

Michelle
Virginia

Oh, I hear you. I was used to a routine that centered around my agenda. It was hard to let go of that at first. 

Michelle
Michelle

You’re so right. The funny thing is that now that school is done and summer is finally here, I have been thinking about adding a few parts of our schooling at home into our summer routine. Is that crazy?! ?

Michelle
Virginia

Well, if it was still April, I would say, yup, you’re crazy! It is weird going 90 MPH and now immediately down to 0. I feel like I’m always thinking, “Am I forgetting something?”

Michelle
Michelle

Haha.  I agree! Although it was so much every day, I did like the structure the school schedule gave us.  I’ve been thinking about how to add a little of that in without being too much. I still want the flexibility of summer.

Michelle
Virginia

Yes! Have you seen any ideas out there?

Michelle
Michelle

I read about something right before school was out that caught my attention. It talked about creating a basket of things to do with your kids — kinda like a morning meeting of sorts.

Michelle
Virginia

That’s cool. We are our freshest in the morning, after my coffee, of course. ?

Michelle
Michelle

Yes, coffee is definitely needed first so I can wrap my head around the day! I’ve been trying some stuff out from this basket idea with my girls the past couple of weeks and so far it’s been working pretty well.

Michelle
Virginia

What have you been doing?

Michelle
Michelle

Well, I should preface this because I haven’t been too strict about it all. I mostly want to connect with my girls and also grow in the process.

Michelle
Virginia

Agreed. The last thing we need is pressure and stress.

Michelle
Michelle

Yes, so that is how I came up with these ABC verse cards that we don’t use as much as I’d like. I decided that they would be an easy way to discuss a verse with my girls when we “meet” for our basket time.  I may change it up with other devotionals I put in the basket but this at least feels like a manageable start for now.

Michelle
Virginia

I think that also helps us get into a facilitator role versus dictator-homeschooling-mom mode. Might be a nice change for everyone. ?

Michelle
Michelle

Very true!! I also have been wanting to incorporate a read-aloud book because I haven’t been great at this in the past. I pulled out my old Ramona and Beezus book the other day to read to my girls. I’ll be honest, we haven’t even read a whole chapter yet but it’s in the basket when we get to it.

Michelle
Virginia

V: Congratulations, you’re normal. ? Take a breather!

Michelle
Michelle

Ha! Last thing I want to tackle with our basket time is for my girls to do an activity for math and language. They can pick whatever activity they want as long as they do something that checks the math and reading box. ?

Michelle
Virginia

I think that’s doable. While also remembering, we’re the boss of the basket. If it’s looking like one of “those” days, skip it . No mom guilt allowed here, especially when the sun is out and they’re getting along with their siblings. ?

Michelle
Michelle

Exactly. We skipped the first three days last week! No guilt in doing it each day but I like the idea of a rhythm of connecting together and building our brains and hearts.

Michelle
Virginia

Connecting together – exactly!  At summer’s end I most want to see that I made a stronger bond with each of my kids. That doesn’t happen automatically; I am easily swept into the busyness of chores. To be honest, sometimes I would rather do chores. There’s so much to do and I feel interrupted if I “have to” attend a fake tea party in the basement. Hence, the need for being intentional, because it doesn’t come naturally.  

Michelle
Michelle

I hear ya. I kinda think part of it is that the chores give us a bit of satisfaction with completing them- whereas sometimes playing babies for the 100th time isn’t as rewarding…even if we know in our hearts that time is more important than dishes. ?

Michelle
Virginia

Thanks for the empathy – it’s not pretty to admit.

Michelle
Michelle

Yes, but the honesty is what frees us from the mom guilt of not being enough. Speaking of mom guilt…

Michelle
Virginia

Yeah?

Michelle
Michelle

I’m thinking if I told some moms friends about this  morning basket idea, they would think I was way  over the top. ?

Michelle
Virginia

Ha. Well, the name is intimidating. It reminds me of my teaching days and the struggle of keeping 25 first graders in a quiet circle! Yikes… But isn’t this idea is much more low-key though?

Michelle
Michelle

Definitely. I’m just trying to find something that works for me and my girls and gives us somewhat of a balance of structure and connection. This may not work for everyone but maybe you could tweak it to work for you?

Michelle
Virginia

I think that’s something all moms can agree on. We want what’s best for our families. Whether that’s a morning basket or a nighttime tickle session or a weekly family movie night, it’s about building memories that add up to a stronger relationship. No one regrets that.

Michelle
Michelle

Yes and amen to that!

 

Michelle

Soaking in the Truth

 

Scripture to encourage you:

  • “Whatever you do, work at it with all your  heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24, NIV)
  • “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”  (Psalm 90:12, NIV)

Music to inspire you:

  • “Slow Down” by Nichole Nordeman
  • “Becoming Me” by Matthew West feat. Lulu West 
  • “I Get To Be the One” by JJ Heller

Readings and Resources to come alongside of you:

  • Summer Checklist by Fresh Mommy Blog
  • Summer Schedule by The Happy Flammily
  • Morning Basket Printable by The Littles and Me

Related Posts on Texting The Truth:

  • Summer is Coming: New Routines, Renewed Attitudes
  • Summer Strong: Finding Balance

Living Out the Truth 

Ideas to try:

  • What does your family need? More structure? Less structure? Do what your family needs and not what someone else suggests. ?
  • What I currently have in my morning basket for my almost kindergartener and second grader: ABC verse cards, sight word cards, dominos, math games, math flash cards, weather chart, and dry erase ABC pages. We haven’t used all of these but they’re here as options. ~Michelle
  • For my morning basket, I am using some workbooks. My preschooler is working on phonics and my first grader is practicing some writing (because that was our biggest struggle in the spring) and some math practice. It’s mainly review and each child gets my undivided attention which also allows for some bonding. Win-win. (Each child’s work is only about 20 minutes total because that’s what momma thinks they need. I know friends who are doing more and that’s just fine for them.) ~Virginia

Treasured Products we love: 

  • ABC Cards 
  • Ramona Quimby Books 
  • Summer Bridge Books – if you’re looking for something like that! 

{These suggestions are ideas from novice moms. Sometimes our life situations need more. In that case, seeking out professional help is the right call.}

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Morning Madness and Bedtime Blues

10 / 16 / 1710 / 18 / 17

Anna
Anna

Hey, Michelle, got any magical advice on how to make the morning and bedtime routine less crazy???

Anna
Michelle
Michelle

Hahaha. I don’t exactly feel like I should be the person you should ask. ? There is not a lot of magic around here during our morning and bedtime routines!!

Michelle
Anna
Anna

Well, not here either. ? In fact, it usually ends in frustration… I just keep wondering if I’m missing something. I don’t want the beginning and end of the day to be so stressful.

Anna
Michelle
Michelle

I’m so glad you said that because I often feel like – what is wrong with me that I can’t get this to go more smoothly?!

Michelle
Anna
Anna

I know… I usually end up mad at the kids for being the king and queen of procrastination, and mad at myself for getting mad at them.

Anna
Michelle
Michelle

I hear ya and I’m right there with you. But you know what I’ve been doing recently? I’ve been asking God to help me understand what is underneath my frustration. Like why am I so annoyed that we are late out the door again? Or why am I annoyed that she is asking for one more drink of water??

Michelle
Anna
Anna

That’s a really good question. I always thought that I was so annoyed because I have already gotten them THREE drinks in the past 10 minutes. Each. So that’s a total of NINE drinks????????? and toss in FOUR back rubs and FIVE random math questions. Can I just confess that last night I ended the night with Benjamin asking me for something and me yelling “NO!” from the hallway??? I don’t even know what he was asking for at that point.

Anna
Michelle
Michelle

Haha. I know every mom can relate to that! ?

Michelle
Anna
Anna

Well thanks. Truthfully, I think by 9 pm I just want some space. I want to go do something adult.

Anna
Michelle
Michelle

ME TOO. I tell my hubby I just want to clock out! The morning and the nighttime routine require a lot of hands-on parenting and corralling and it can be exhausting. And when my girls don’t operate like robots, it can be annoying! ?

Michelle
Anna
Anna

LOL! #truth

Anna
Michelle
Michelle

Ha, I’m kinda laughing that I wrote that, but really, it’s good for me to think about because – am I really crouching down and seeing what they each need during these frenzied moments or just expecting them to efficiently carry out my orders?

Michelle
Anna
Anna

Oh, I know. That’s me for sure in the morning – Drill Sergeant Mom! And how have I been waking them up lately? Well the alarm goes off, and they don’t get up. So then I’m flipping on all lights, pulling off covers, barking, “TIME TO GET UP! C’MON! YOU’RE LATE!” And I’m annoyed (and honestly, how awful would it be to wake up like that?).?

Anna
Michelle
Michelle

Guilty too. I read this really enlightening article recently that encouraged some connecting time with your kids for a couple of moments before the routine begins. It’s been amazing how helpful that’s been for us when I stop to do it.

Michelle
Anna
Anna

Yeah… I know that there is some hurrying to life that we just can’t escape, but I’d really like to start and end the day with connecting for a moment. And they just know that I love them. I’d rather start and end that way… if it is possible. #isitpossible?

Anna
Michelle
Michelle

Well, I think it’s challenging. I’ll be honest, sometimes I’m so focused on getting through the routine that I forget to SEE them along the way.  But I know God wants us to connect with Him like this so I can only imagine He wants this for us with our kiddos too…

Michelle
Anna
Anna

Yep. What if we stop and see them? Just for a minute… Bookend the day by seeing them (sigh). It might take an extra minute, but then again, it might fill them up with what they really need — which is not one more drink — it’s me.

Anna

Soaking in the Truth

Scripture to encourage you:

  • “You’ve had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God’s pure kindness. Then you’ll grow up mature and whole in God.”  (1 Peter 2:2)

Music to inspire you:

  • “Spirit of the Living God” by Meredith Andrews 
  • “Good Morning” by Mandisa 

Readings and Resources to come alongside of you:

  • “How to Establish a Morning Routine for Kids That Actually Works” by Bryn Huntpalmer

  • We love this excerpt from this parenting.com article: “Get Connected: For kids going to sleep at night means they are on their own,” says Betsy Brown Braun, child development and behavioral specialist, and author of You’re Not The Boss Of Me. “I look at the morning as the oasis after the drought.” In other words, kids can be especially needy for Mommy time in the morning, which may not exactly mesh with your desire to rush everyone out the door. Taking a moment first thing to reconnect with a snuggle and a little conversation can go a long way toward quelling attention-getting behavior later. If they start acting up as the morning goes on, see what you can do to re-establish a connection. Maybe getting dressed in Mommy and Daddy’s room will be just what he needs to get his pants on. “

Related Posts on Texting The Truth:

  • Decluttering Our Spiritual Closets
  • Known and Loved
  • Time To Relinquish the Rush 

Living Out the Truth

Ideas to try:

  • We don’t want to minimize the stress of routine for a second. It really can be a crazy time and before we know it, we’re all losing our minds. Obviously, this isn’t the goal so what can we do? As we were writing this, we were struck by pausing in the routine to really see our children takes some real dependence on God to help us. But pausing and ask God to fill us with His peace, strength, patience, self-control is what’s going to shift the morning and nighttime routines.
  • When the day doesn’t go like you hoped, when the morning blows up and the night time ends in tears for everyone, our prayer is that instead of being plagued with a spirit of guilt with our frenzied routines, we would breathe in grace. Grace for ourselves to not be perfect mamas and grace for our kids to not be perfect robots.
  • When anxiety and frustration start taking over, try to pray out loud and ask God for help to take a deep breath and bring some peace to the situation. If nothing else, your kids may stop what they’re doing because they’re trying to figure out what you’re doing! ha!
  • A mentor mom encouraged us to pray over her kids at night and call out the good things they did that day. Praying and encouraging your kids at the same time.
  • Morning and nighttime routines are filled with a lot of “HAVE TOs” — have to brush teeth, have to say prayers, have to do this and that. It becomes monotonous. For both kids and parents. Look for ways to change up the routines to make it lighter and more meaningful.

Treasured Products we love:

  • Christy Nockels’s brand new album ~  Be Held: Lullabies for the Beloved 

{These suggestions are ideas from novice moms. Sometimes our life situations need more. In that case, seeking out professional help is the right call.}

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We don’t claim to have motherhood figured out. Actually quite the opposite. We’re a group of women who first and foremost love the Lord and want to honor Him with our lives and talents. And we decided that what better way for us to sort out this beautiful and messy thing called motherhood but to process it together in text messages? Our prayer is that as we share our real-life stories and honest experiences, every mom who visits our blog will receive tangible truth and experience real grace.

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