House Rules

I hung two items up in my home this week. At first glace you might think they are quite contradictory. I have been trying to reach some balance between the up keep of my home and enjoying the kids. I literally could spend each and every hour of my day cleaning up after my kids. The house in itself can be all consuming. Between meal times and the kids changing clothes all day long from dress up to swim wear to Ballet Leos and back to clothes again and then their favorite Jammies. Although I have never been a stickler on rules, I have to maintain some control, so my first rule is to allow them to have Fun!! Thus the first sign: “Please excuse the noise and mess the children are making happy memories!”
The second one is a poster board we made at family home evening last week. The idea was that the kids are getting old enough to help mommy out ( also learning responsibility and teamwork as a family). Since mommy is going on 6 months pregnant with the Baby she needs a little help around the house. We let the kids come up with things that they can do to help out. Each one took turns coming up with things. I will admit I helped encourage a few. We then took a picture of them doing each chore. The “only mommy cuts hair” was Lindsay’s idea. She had gotten in trouble recently for cutting her own hair. It was so adorable to hear her blurt out the rule, and relies she was really catching on.
We are going on two weeks and the kids are doing great. They even will make their beds before coming and waking me up….We will see how long that lasts without reminders. But all in all they are good helpers. Maybe this why the Lord blessed me with girls first. Now mommy just has to help enforce the rules and keep the momentum as well. It can certainly be tempting to let them eat in the living room for connivance on occasion. But I have to remind myself this is what we decided and it will truly help on clean up if I remember to enforce it. But then when the new baby comes it might change the dynamics of everything. We will see.