Proverbs 31:17
"She sets about her work vigorously."
After the birth of my second child, I
became a stay-at-home mom. Prior to that I naively thought that once I stayed
home I would never again be at a loss for time. I soon realized how wrong I
was! With a new baby and an active three year old, the work never seemed to be
done and I was not the happy homemaker and mom that I had dreamed of being. I
even began fantasizing about going back to teaching where I could feel a daily
sense of accomplishment. Last January after much prayer I began reading books
on homemaking and taking notes. Here are some simple, practical tips I have
continued to use throughout the year that have made a huge difference in my day.
1. Set a positive
tone for the day by praying, reading the Bible, listening to Christian music, or
by reading a devotion book. Even a few minutes can make a big difference! I
love the devotion Out of the Spin Cycle: Devotions to Lighten Your Mother
Load by Jen
Hatmaker. It's funny, packed with Biblical truth, and a MOPS book.
2.
For
stay-at-home moms with young children, take a shower right after you get up to
make sure that you get to take one! Splurge on a favorite shower gel to make it
more special.
3.
Start
a load of laundry each day after getting up or after you get home from work.
This will allow you to get that washing machine working for you as you tackle
other tasks. Hearing the sound of the washer always makes me feel productive!
4.
Do
as much as you can to prep for the next day by getting things ready the night
before. Get the diaper bag packed and put in a convenient location. Get lunches
for the school age kids ready or snacks for younger kids prepared to pull out during
errands. Don't forget to pack a healthy snack for yourself as well as water!
5.
Always have a book to read while you wait.
I love to have devotionals on hand to
encourage me while I wait in the carpool line.
6.
Have a spot designated for each toy so your
kids can easily put things away without becoming overwhelmed. Post a picture in
their room that shows them how their clean room looks so they can see where
things go as well. Then there are no excuses!
7.
Have
your kids put their clothes away. I make a stack for underwear, shirts, and
pants and there is a drawer for each type of item which makes it easy for my
four year old.
8.
Keep
track of what you do in a day by using a log. You will find areas where you are
wasting time, and you might even find that you are trying to tackle too much in
a day so you can adjust your expectations to be more reasonable. Stop setting
yourself up for failure!
9.
Make
a list of all the meals that your family enjoys and beside the meal list all
the ingredients. This helped me to quickly see what items I needed to have on
hand in the pantry so meal preparation would be easier. It also helped me to
see what coupons I should be looking out for to save on our grocery budget. I
went a step further and put together a meal planning binder which has all the
recipes for those family meals in one place. This saves me tons of time in
hunting the recipes from different books and sources.
10. Schedule time
for hobbies that you love. I make it a point every Friday afternoon during my
toddler's nap to work on my scrapbook projects despite what I have left to do
for the day. The dishes in the sink can wait! I also have an art desk for my
four year old who doesn't nap set up in the corner with her own supplies. She
can do her activities and still get help from me. She loves spending this time
with me and I know it will become treasured memories for us both.
Some days are going to get crazy regardless,
but if we will focus on making our time with God a priority, then we will have
done everything we could to make it a productive day. He already knows what we
need to make it through that day because He already knows what that day holds. In
His presence we can find true peace and the strength to keep going.
