I've been avoiding the blogs lately. The computer eats up too much of my time. There are just WAY too many things that I'm supposed to be doing, and it's stressing me out lately. I don't know what the answer is, but I feel guilty most of the time, which is stupid. No matter what I do, there are 100 things that I didn't get done. I kind of feel like my "to do" list is ruling me right now, and I don't like it. I don't have time for anything that I actually want to do, and I feel like I've totally forgotten how to play. Where is the balance? My kids need to see me as someone who loves them and takes time for them, not as a mean ogress obsessed by getting things done.
Completely worn out the other day, (on one of my 4:30 a.m. running days) I took Bruce's advice and took a nap while J & C were taking theirs. I wasn't going to make it one more step anyhow. I was so tired, I actually dreamed about sleeping. I dreamed I was driving along and was so tired that I stopped at our old house, went inside and took a nap. When I woke up (in my dream) the new owner of the house came home and flipped out because I was in her house. I tried to explain that I just wanted a nap, and that I thought it would be okay because I used to live there, but she called the cops on me. I woke up (for real) in a panic because the cops were chasing me down the street.
Anyway, I'll shut my complaining up now. Hopefully next time I'll have found my fun side again. Right now, I'm going to spend some time with my piano.
3 days ago
5 comments:
you better have dinner ready on time tonight or your gonna get it.
ugh, i feel your pain, i got through these phases as well. usually, i just let everything go, lol! for awhile anyway. hugs for you!
It's pretty bad when you get in trouble for sleeping in a dream... I think you were feeling pretty guilty about taking a nap. Bless your heart!
Fall is such a monumentally busy, stressful time. I really don't enjoy autumn at all because life is lived in a frenzied state during this time of year.
There's a book that several of my friends in Utah read about managing a household that provides a wealth of information about how to divide chores, at what ages kids become ready to do certain chores, and teaches mom how to manage the house while the kids actually begin to do truly help mom keep their home running smoothly. For instance it suggests that kids begin dishes at six and laundry at eight which is much younger than I might have thought but the book talks about how kids at those ages have the innate desire to help because God designed families to work together in that way. (The lady who wrote the books has 10 or 11 kids) I have many, many friends following the guidelines and doing so has brought so much peace to their homes and the kids are really proud of themselves.
I remember that it also offers guidelines about how to "downsize" and organize chore lists.
For instance each family member only gets ten full outfits of clothes total (school, play, church) so that laundry stays within managable levels.
Another one I remember is packing away all extra dishes. One spoon,knife, fork, plate, bowl, glass per family member with extras for company put away in a separate tote that can be brought out when needed but the "guest" dishes go straight back into the tote and under the bed (or wherever) after they're washed.
Then there was chore charts like Monday: dusting & mopping
Tuesday: bedrooms
Wednesday: Laundry
Thursday: Bathrooms
Friday: misc
Saturday: yardwork as a family
Sunday: rest
Maybe ya could look into finding a book written by a seasoned moms and try out what worked for them.
I feel like that time in my life is going to coming upon me and I'm reading tons of books about how to have family devotional time, teaching kids how to study the scripture, managing a household, budgeting/investing, home schooling, interpersonal communication, etc...
I've found insight, inspiration, and hope reading the stories of other women
p.s. the comment above was me. dang cat! :)
p.s.
I remember the author saying that the first month of teaching a child a new chore is a struggle but after that it alleviates so much stress that the initial effort infinitely paid off.
She didn't implement these strategies with her first five kids but she did with the last six and she said that there was such a difference between her two groups of kids. She said that the second group took on the responsiblity of seminary, college, and jobs with more confidence and security than the first five. That really stuck with me.
You're a great mom and I know that your kids adore you!! You're also a great friend and beloved daugther of God. I know He's proud of you!!
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