Tips for Parents

This tip comes from Albert. I wish I could remember exactly how he said it, though I'm sure you'll get a good laugh anyway!

If your child can pronounce the "B" sound, but cannot pronounce the "BR" sound it is not a good idea to use the word "britches" for pants. It is safer to refer to them as pants, shorts, or bottoms. Your child is certain to think "britches" is a fun word to say and will repeat it several times while leaving out the "r" all the while. This does result in a little laugh, but would not be appropriate anywhere outside of the home.

Managing Little People- Cont.

So, after a good deal of thought, I have decided that you need to just read LoraLynn's blog. She is a very smart lady and has some wonderful and funny things to share. I have just started working on "sit time" with Canon. We will work on it again today and for the next couple of weeks daily, then I might spread it out a little. He did pretty well in church this morning. He actually whispered instead of speaking in his loud normal tone! 

Anyway, I can't remember what all I wrote before or where I left off, but I read this series by LoraLynn thinking, "Why didn't I think of that?" I hope she sparks some thoughts for you too!

Managing Little People

A while ago I found a blog, Vitafamilia, and just love reading it. This lady has 5 children 4 years old or younger and a full head of hair along with her sanity! I just had to ask her how she is doing it and what little tips she's found to not only survive, but live during this special time in her little one's lives. I asked her this through facebook and she is responding on her blog. She has already shared a great deal of wisdom and I hope you can glean something from her as well.

I am quite excited about our little Ducky 3's arrival and am realizing some changes that I need to make. These thoughts coupled with Lora Lynn's tips will hopefully lead to a bit of peace with Ducky3's arrival. So, I thought I'd write about my response to Lora Lynn's tips and share some of the things I am trying to do in preparation and just daily living, to help my home run smoothly. Please add any of your own sanity tips in my comments, I'd LOVE! to hear them!

One of the first tips LL mentions is having a plan. I recently read through "Managers Of Their Homes" and set up a beautiful plan for our day. We have not ever rolled through every aspect, but it does give me some direction. Canon still has more free time than he should, and this will be re-evaluated upon returning home. I do enjoy having some focus though and think a written out/loose schedule is VERY important for us! LL even talks about mental plans before attacking any endeavour. I found this to be especially mandatory when I weaned Boaz. Several times I was half way down the street before remembering that I needed formula for him! We have also managed to make it to church without a single book or snack. Poor planning can ruin a day!

Managing Your Expectations: This is something that I still struggle with and have made great strides in. Obviously I was at a very unhealthy state of daily expectations when I started this journey. I have learned and am still learning that I can not commit to very much each week. Right now I have a commitment two mornings a week along with church and it is a bit much. It is not a matter of not enjoying our activities. I think both mornings are great for both of the boys, myself and others. But, getting ready and out of the house by 8:30 two mornings in a row and staying gone until lunch time is a bit rough. Once the baby is born both of these events will end and we will only have church on Sundays. This should be more manageable. 

I have also realized that I can not commit to things that meet once a month or once a week. When Albert is at home, I want to be at home. I end up thinking about these events for a week or more in advance and dread their arrival. We socialize best with last minute plans and follow through with them more often as well. We just can't commit to very much right now.

Simplify, simplify, simplify: This chunk overlaps expectations some, but is very good. One thing that I have done is create my own menu book. Instead of daily or weekly planning what we will eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I wrote it all out at once. Over the course of a couple of days I flipped through my cookbooks that I use the most and planned 8 weeks worth of meals. This book is more fall/winter focused with casseroles and more use of the oven. One tip that I got, I think from "Managers of their Homes", is to have the same thing for lunch every Monday. Then, on Tuesday have something different, but the same thing every Tuesday. This has been wonderful for me! I don't have to think about meals all day! I make a batch of muffins on Monday morning and that lasts us half the week. We eat the same thing for lunch each weekday, and dinner is planned out for two months. I've also written every ingredient needed for each week in a list. They are either on the grocery list or the Pantry list. It has made grocery shopping a breeze as well. Several of my fall/winter meals have been large enough to freeze half or more making the next time even easier. I am hoping to have my spring/summer book complete before Ducky3 arrives.

OK, I've not been feeling well all day today, so I'm going to get some sleep. But, I'll commentate more tomorrow. Hope to hear from ya!