Author name: amy

Meal times should be a time of peace and not chaos.  We have had to work many times over the years to train our children in the “fine art of table manners.”  This is  a time that we consistently help them work at being able to sit at a table for a long period of time and be considerate of those around them.

I have a lot of little ones and it gets loud.  Sometimes too loud to want to even eat.  They are constantly all wanting to talk and interrupt each other, so it is a daily reminder to wait their turn.  Things we work towards achieving at each meal:

1. The loudness factor. Lowering our voices while talking and waiting our turns as to not interrupt.
2. Chewing with their mouths closed and not talking with food in their mouths.
3. Not asking for more unless all of their food is eaten on their plate.
4. Not getting up and getting their own food, asking first.
5. Taking drinks while eating—they could go a whole meal and not drink.
6. Asking the host, if they may be excused before leaving the table—we are working on this 🙂

Now that the second group of children are getting older, we like to work at having conversations around the table.  This is something that  maybe everyone does already, but in our home, it is more of eat and keep moving kind of time.  When the older set was younger we did conversational starters.  You place them in a jar and during meal time, reach in and grab a “starter” and everyone gets a chance to respond.

As a family, we have gone through our starters many times and now we have new questions to ask each other.

I have two separate question groups, one for the younger and one for the older children.  Print them off and cut them into strips.  Fold them up, and place in a decorative container near your table.  Let someone choose a ‘starter” to get the conversation going for dinner.

This is something that my children look forward to doing at every meal.

Conversation mealtime starters download

Have a blessed day today!

If you notice that typically four times during the year we have an extra week in our month.  The 5^th week.  Hmmmm, what can we tackle on that day  For myself, that is when I would do my extra annual cleaning.  I don’t like to have to take a week out of the year for my “spring” cleaning.  When springtime rolls around, I want to be outside enjoying the sunshine.  These are the chores that we have under our annual list:

• vacuum under and behind refrigerator
• wipe all walls from ceiling to floor
• clean out heater and cooling vents
• defrost freezer and wipe out
• clean behind washer and dryer
• carpet clean floors
• clean out basement
• clean out garage
• sort through and donate clothing
• sort through toys and donate
• sort through household things and donate
• clean off videos and bookshelves and donate
• clean out dryer vent
• clean out fireplace
• clean inside and outside of windows and sills
• flip mattresses
• test fire alarms/smoke detectors

I would divide up the number of chores that you have by four times per year.  Every time that extra week comes around, aim to get that set number of chores done.  If this list is on the wall along with your others, mark off the chores that are completed so that you don’t do them again in the coming months. If you keep it in your household binder, you can just check it off.

Maybe you just want to have that extra week to NOT have to do extra chores, that is fine.  You have to find whatever works for you.  The key is to have a list so that you know what you have to do each year.

Here is a free printable to help you with this task.

Annual jobs completed

Wow can you believe that you have organized all of your cleaning tasks into something tangible that you can actually use?  I know it may seem like a lot, but all you have to do is implement it into your life.  It will be okay if you forget to dust one day during the week.  Know that the following week you will get to it again.

This method or systematization takes time.  It takes time to sit and write everything out.  It takes time to learn to implement and see what works and doesn’t work. As with everything in life, time spent doing things that are important are well worth it in the end.  You want to be able to sit back and relax and enjoy your home don’t you? You want a smooth running home where your husband comes home and can sit at the table and have dinner with his family without all the clutter.  A home where you won’t be afraid if your friend just drops in for lunch. A home you won’t be embarrassed to entertain others in.  A place where your children know what is expected of them and they help contribute to it.  A place that they value and love because they work together to keep it nice.  All this starts with us and our willingness to make our homes a place of peace for our families.

She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness

Proverbs 31:27

It is our job to see how our household ways are run.  Why not make it a place that everyone enjoys being part of.

Have a blessed day!