It Won't Be Forever...
Mar 23 '00 (Updated Mar 26 '00)
"How do you do it with all those kids? I only have xxx amount of kids and I am sooo busy!" Oh! If I only had a nickel for every time someone has said that out of kindness!
"WELL!", I respond, "You should see my kitchen right now-you might just change your mind!" Ha! And it is so true! It took me a long time to learn that there are perpetual laundry and dishes in our household of nine people. I also have a stack of school papers and art a mile high on one of our counters~they are precious achievements that can't be discarded! (at least not while someone is looking)! I have a huge basket of unmatched socks that most of the time seems to stay in our living room and every one digs through it daily to find there own socks! Please, don't even ask about my hall closet! While my house is clean and pleasant, it definitely has that "lived in" look!
Yes, each of the children have their own responsibilities that they are expected to accomplish daily. We have a job jar and Saturday morning is "cleaning day" where we really dig in for a short time. Every morning and evening I clean, sweep and pick up. The house looks really nice for about 15 minutes daily! LOL! I could spend all day cleaning and scrubbing~but in my own opinion as a SAHM (Stay At Home Mom), there are many more important jobs to be done.
The biggest of these jobs is making each of our children feel unique, special and loved. We spend quality time with each child daily, whether it is helping them with their play puzzles to letting them help with a meal. We try to make this time one on one, even with a busy, full house. For a small example, each child has a designated night to help with dinner preparation. They all love it, including our teens.
Bedtime for our younger ones is also a very important time. Each child chooses a book and we will lay with them in their bed, read together with just them and sing a song that they choose. In our home we say prayers together and give a lot of hugs and kisses. Yep-sometimes bedtime takes over an hour and a half to finish, but I hope the children will always remember their special times. It is so worth the effort.
As far as someone saying they "ONLY have xxx amount of kids," I just shake my head! It is just as IMPORTANT to have one child as it is to have 7! I can honestly say, I don't remember being any less busy with my first child as I did with my last. Don't ever underestimate ones self! Parenting is a HUGE and INCREDIBLE job~no matter how one looks at it!
Is getting those dust bunnies more important than when you hear, "Mommy, Mommy play with me!"? No way! That time is simply too invaluable. I have a favorite plaque on my wall with a poem that reads...
Cleaning and scrubbing
Can wait till tomorrow...
For babies grow up~
We've learned to our sorrow...
So quiet down cobwebs...
Dust go to sleep...
I'm loving my babies
And babies don't keep!
(Author Unknown)
My children know how to clean and that having a clean home is important. But what is even more important is our individual and family relationships. There will be many years to come that I will have raising my children. But there will be many more that I won't. One day, all of our children will be grown and gone. Do I want them to remember me being too busy for them for simply a polished shine to my woodwork?
Not for a million bottles of Clorox! :)
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Epinions.com ID:
TAMA102861
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Member: *~Tamara~*
Location: Ohio
Reviews written: 30
Trusted by: 95 members
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