Every once in a while I get a moment where I feel like I might be on the right track. It isn’t often so when it happens, I sit in awe of it. Yesterday I had a few moments and I am still basking in the glow of it. You know until someone comes downstairs and reminds me of how rare it is to feel like I’m doing a good job.
I saw this great chore idea on Pinterest. It was a wheel with different chores on a big paper plate and the kids names on a smaller paper plate and you can spin the wheel to land on a chore and that is the one you have to do. Well, I love that idea but didn’t have the stuff to make that so I just wrote the kids names and chores on ticket-looking paper.
When they got home I nonchalantly said, “Oh, I have your tickets” and I passed them out. There was confusion and a little shock and then…shock on my part because they dove right in. Well, Belle complained that she had too much on her list until she saw that Tommy had the exact same amount. I mean…I gave them chores and the chores got done. I even snuck in a 30 minute workout while they were working and reading. Thank God for Rolie Polie Olie.
I spent about a week and a half looking for books for my kids to work on some religious education stuff. I finally decided on God and Me Devotionals for Girls by Linda Washington and Jeanette Dall for Isabella, Gotta Have God 3 by Michael Brewer, Janet Brewer and Dave Carleson / Brie Spangler for Tommy and The One Year Book of Devotions for Boys by Tyndale House Publishers and Children’s Bible Hour Staff for Nico. My thought was to start off light and move to heavier.
My kids proved me right when I thought that they were craving some religious guidance. Just craving it. I know this because I told them to do 2 pages and they jumped in and did 8 each. Tommy kept saying it was “so cool” and Belle kept thanking me. Belle has about a million questions she can’t wait to hear the answers for and Tommy, Tommy was the biggest surprise. He is just an old soul that really gets it. Some of his answers to why bad things happen (what we might think is bad for us might be good for someone else or good for us later) or why God doesn’t always answer prayers (if we got everything we prayed for, we’d never learn anything) blew me away. I swear these pictures were candid and not posed:
Of course this was before Nico got home. When he did, there was a little bit of arguing. I am not sure why that kid doesn’t think he has to help out around here. He had a ton of homework since he was absent on Monday so he did half of his chores and instead of reading out of his book and discussing, he joined the discussion with the twins. I still think that is success.
The best part was that when I checked his phone, I saw a text from one of his friends about going to a Christian teen group on Monday nights. He was sick this Monday but just knowing he is asking about going makes my heart burst a little (thank you, thank you, thank you L.B.).
I don’t know what today will bring (Tommy went to bed feeling sick) but yesterday…yesterday was an answered prayer and it feels amazing.
Linking up with Shell for
I am a stay at home mom, married to my college sweetheart, Leo. We have four kids, Nico, Tommy, Isabella and Gia. We have a son, Rocco that is an angel in Heaven.
Love this post! It gives me hope and great ideas to try. I’ll have to pick up that book for my boys and find one for G.
Thanks, my friend! They have one for G that is the same series as Belle but younger ages.
Yay for things working out!
Alison recently posted..Digging Deep
It’s about time, right?
Great post! I am so glad the kids responded well to the chore list AND the religious books! I would definitely mark that day down as a clear WIN!
-Ashley
thedoseofreality recently posted..A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words
Thanks! I’ll refrain from telling you how today went and just let you use your imagination. It was good that yesterday was a win.
Hurray for your new design! I’ve been awful and haven’t visited you in forever! Beautiful. And I’m so happy yesterday was such a good day. We live for those, don’t we?
Missy | The Literal Mom recently posted..What’s Your Safe Place?
You’re not awful. Life gets crazy. I haven’t been able to visit a lot of the blogs that I love so I get it. And yes…we live for those days when we can say, “Yes! It was a good day!”
Yay! Way to go! It’s nice to have a few successes especially when your family life is so hectic.
Hi, Peg! Yes, it is nice and we hang on for dear life to them, don’t we?
Oh how WONDERFUL!!!! I am so excited for you because that has got to be THE BEST feeling EVER to know your kids had a need, and you are providing for them! Especially the need of learning their Faith. SO critical and so impactful with any child. Of course the chores are up for CONGRATULATIONS too!!
Chris Carter recently posted..Do you have MomJerk Moments?
It was the best feeling! When those moments happen, we hang onto them with all our might, don’t we?
Sounds like it was a great day!
Shell recently posted..Pour Your Heart Out: Learning Experience or Being Competitive
It was. Definitely an “up” part of this roller coaster we are constantly on.
I love it when things happen and it’s more than you expected. It’s great when the kids pitch in and help out without too much fussing.
Susi recently posted..Recipe Thursdays { Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes}
Yes, it is and very rare around here. I need to make sure this keeps happening because then the house runs much more smoothly.
I’m so going to try that trick with the chores. Matthew doesn’t think that he needs to do anything around here either. It drives me nuts.
Kimberly recently posted..Essence Of Now: Rainy Days
What is with that??? Oldest child syndrome? I often think I must have done EVERYTHING for Nico and now he thinks he can do NOTHING. Total mom fail.
How wonderful to see the fruits of your labor. You have some great ideas, I have been working on a chore chart for years now and never get around to it maybe I’ll just try lists. I have also been working on possibly getting back to church but my children do not want to go, they enjoy talking about it but do not want to be in the chirch setting. Maybe this would be a good way to slowly work our way around to it. Thanks for sharing!