I'm stealing this...well, I'm stealing part of this so you have to go visit Julie's site and simply read the rest and check out everything else while there as well. This fits so perfectly with all I've had on my heart lately with my needs here and the changes I must be making. And it isn't just the children, either. Momma can't make changes in her family without taking those changes into her own heart first!!
So, visit Julie over at Old Paths Family Farm and read, find your encouragement and get inspiration!!!
Start with this entry and this bit I've shared....then move on to the entry shared in part below...
I explained to my girls that it all started with the medicine cabinet. I knew a bit about how to clean and given the right circumstances, I could organize a closet. My most pressing problem was that I had no idea how to manage the cleanliness of my home, to manage the state of our home’s organization, to manage the budget, or to manage the pantry or menus… none. I cared for my home in spurts. I would go six months without making my bed, then have a major cleaning spurt and pull an all-nighter to get everything spic and span at once. The ‘clean’ would only last hours, as I had no idea how to keep it that way. I was disgusted with myself and sorely discouraged, but didn’t know what to do to change and had no one I could ask for help. (visit the links above for Julie's story...)
Here’s a question following up from the comments of this post:
I’ve been enjoying the dialogue on your blog about training children with managing their rooms. Once again, I’m amazed at the things I’m just now learning (b/c I was never taught), but now thankfully, I’m finding those “Titus 2″ women out there like you and others who are teaching other mommies like me.
Well, my question, is what age do you do this at? Do you never have stuff in their room until they can manage it by themselves? I have a 7 yo (girl) and 3 yo (boy) who share a room right now. Just trying to figure how to implement this. And do you box everything up and put away (except a couple items)?
I know your time is very limited, but I’d appreciate a little more insight.
My thinking is you can do it at whatever age they begin having a room to keep orderly. I would be perfectly comfortable expecting a 7 and 3 (yes, even a boy…grin) to keep their room in order. Mine always seem to like having ‘jobs’ that are just a wee bit above what they are easily able to do ~ they seem to feel ‘bigger’ about doing ‘bigger kid’ jobs.
That said, know this… this method of taking everything out of their rooms is not about punishment. It is training. Any potential weeping and wailing from them can be dealt with by a shrewd Momma marketing the thing well.
“Kids, I have a great idea! You know how messy your room always is, and how you always have to keep picking everything up all day? Well, I have an idea that will make your room waaaayyy bigger, and give you tons of space to play, AND be really easy to clean up… so you have more time for playing.”
Then, we would literally box up all but ____ and take it out of their room. (You’ll need to decide for yourself how much is the right amount to box.) If you really want this to be a positive experience, then think cold turkey… the more stuff you box up, the easier it will be for them. I know it sounds drastic… I do. Trust me when I tell you that it will help them so much! We have for a season taken the boys down to just beds and their clothes were moved into the laundry room to live…we just put their dresser in there. Once they were used to just getting up and making their beds and putting their clothes in hampers, we reintroduced an item at a time per child. We allowed them to choose the reintroduced items, to motivate them to prioritize what they have and why. We have for a season also taken our big girls down to beds and one under-the-bed sized box of whatever they chose (they are older, and weren’t having quite as much trouble).
Ok...know what? Just bookmark her blog, or set it as your browser's main page, and read one or two now and visit again to read another one or two and keep going...you won't be disappointed, I promise!
~Always Planning for Whatever May Come... Mrs Survival site
~Sewing and baking, of course
~write letters
~Pasta made, dried and stored away
~barn repairs, on-going
~bush hogging & timber clean-up, on-going
~clean & organize workshed
~DECLUTTER ONE ROOM WEEKLY!!
~build a new mailbox post
~monthly quilt blocks
No indulgences of self will can be trivial, no denial unprofitable; Heaven or Hell depends on this alone. A parent who studies to subdue it in his child works together with God in the renewing and saving of their soul. The parent who indulges it does the devil's work, makes religion impractical, salvation unattainable, and does all that in him lies to damn his child, soul and body, forever.
Susanna Wesley
At Our School Desks
We are a Christian family desiring to raise our children with the primary focus of Training their Hearts!
I have no greater joy, than to hear my children walk in truth... III John 1:4
Train up the child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it... Proverbs 22:6
Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!... Deuteronomy 5:29
Our mission in life is not to go to some far-off foreign land, but to work at home and in our churches and home communities. Our goal should not be to leave behind riches and possessions, farms and homes for our children, but a priceless heritage they will cherish enough to work fervently to pass along to their children. It has been done for generations and with God's help it can still be done. In teaching our children, we are striving toward a deep understanding of who they are In Christ. I am . . . a child of God, a gift to my parents and my country. I'm a person of great value because God made me. I can . . . do all things through Christ who strengthens me. God has made me able to do everything required of me. I ought . . . to do my duty to obey God, to submit to my parents and everyone in authority over me, to be of service to others, and to keep myself healthy with proper food and rest so my body is ready to serve. I will . . . resolve to keep a watch over my thoughts and choose what's right even if it's not what I want.
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