Do you ever have trouble with your children and their electronics? Does it seem like headphones grow out of their ears? Do they listen more to the electronic voices than the people around them? You’re not alone. I think most parents have a love/hate relationship with electronics and their children. It is a way of communication when you’re apart, but it can also pull you apart. They have all these voices in their ears pulling them away from you. Voices that are sometimes more important than yours.
No Electronics at Meals
We now have in place a set of rules for electronics. I did not put meals on there because we already have a rule for no electronics at the table. There are very few exceptions. We even tell guests about our no electronic rules for meals. They have all been very gracious about it.
There are many things more important than checking up on social media. Children and even some adults need to learn to do the necessary things first in order to do the important things done for life. For children, it is chores, homework, as adults, we still have chores and work. I want them to develop habits of reading their Bible, prayer, exercise, reading and being helpful to others. Learning to prioritize is a lifelong skill that every person needs to know.
Enforcing Electronic Rules
Now that we have our checklist, we have to enforce it. Unless you have little robot children, they’ll try and push the rules. Children almost always push the rules. Have a plan in place so you know what you’ll do when you see them with their phones. We have an electronics home for them to stay in during off times. And the electronics may get taken away and left there for a day for the first offense and multiplied after that.
So what tips do you have for children and electronics? Do you have rules?
I know that there are times in life that you are not able to as active asyou would like whether due to sickness, pregnancy bed rest, chronic illness, surgery or accidents. There still are things that you can do to make the most of this time.
I had surgery a month ago and am still non-weight bearing. This eliminates a lot of things that I can do, but not all. Fortunately, there are now knee scooters that work better than crutches. B
Plan
First, if you can plan for this, such as surgery, pregnancy or any illness that you know you’ll have bad days. Plan as much as you can in advance.
Make Meals Ahead
I always try to have freezer meals made ahead. But, when I know I have surgery coming up or for pregnancy I stock up. I make as many freezer meals as I have room to store. If you don’t like to cook, you can pick them up in the store. Now you can even get your groceries delivered. Also, kids can cook. Have a list of easy recipes that they can make. They feel capable and love that they can help.
Kid Boxes
I like to keep some things that they’ve never seen to keep them occupied. Even dollar store play doh or new coloring books can keep them busy. Keep a new book you can read to them while you are lying down. Spend time with them. Kids value times one on one more than anything else. Talk to them, listen, play a game, just be with them.
Minimum Maintenence
You won’t get everything done. You’ll have to learn to be tolerant of that but things still need done. The main things are dishes and laundry. Everyone has to wear clothes and eat. But, you can make it easier. Use paper plates. Or eat finger food that you can use a napkin. Have a load of laundry done and have it brought to you to fold. Another child can sweep. It is amazing how much children can do to help but don’t hold them to your standards. Make them feel appreciated.
Depression
It’s very common for anyone to become depressed after enforced bed rest, injury, surgery, chronic illness or any time you are laid up for a while no matter the reason. It is easy to have a poor me attitude. No ones likes being laid up and a lot of time you’re in pain. I allow myself 5 minutes. to feel sorry for myself. Then I pick myself up, put on a smile and try and be optimistic. Read uplifting books, pray and talk to others. Lean on God. Don’t isolate yourself, that makes it worse. You have more to give than you think you do.
Although I am still recovering from surgery, I am trying to use the time wisely. Since I can’t put weight on my foot, I am doing a lot of seated work. Intentional is the way I want to live my life. Too often, we are going through life reacting to our circumstances instead of working toward the goals we want to achieve. So, Intentional is my word of the year and intentionally plan my goals for this year.
This post contains affiliate link in which I receive a small commission at no cost to you.
Intentional Personal Goals
I am desperately trying to give up soda. Having been a soda addict for years and knowing how bad it is for me, it is still a struggle to give it up. I have a blog post coming up with my plan on how to do it.
Every year I read the Bible all the way through and I still learn something new every time. I am looking for a new yearly devotional if anyone has one they love. Last year, I used Savor and loved it
.Intentional Health
Tacking healthy habits onto something I already do or exchange an unhealthy habit for a healthier one I’ve read is a great way to make them stick. I am drinking more water, each time I feel hungry I reach for the water first. Exercising at least 3 days per week even while healing. I have found a great many videos on Youtube to exercise with an injured foot including exercises in bed. and Sit and Be Fit were all great. Just because one part of my body is injured is no excuse for not exercising. It just has to be modified.
Intentional Marriage
It is so easy as the years go by to take your spouse for granted. I plan to be intentional in praying for my husband, showing him respect and love. We made plans for date nights bimonthly, taking time to talk beyond the surface stuff, go away for our anniversary and read/ listen to ways to improve our marriage.
Intentional Parenting
I’ve been reading Parenting Teens with Love and Logic. There is some great stuff in there. It is parenting from the offensive instead of the defensive position. Our youngest will be a teenager in 2 months. And what worked with one child might not work at all with the next child. You need to find their “hot spot.” I am working on being firmer, sometimes I can be to soft and need to be more logical.
Intentional Homemaking
I have been watching Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix lately. When we moved it was horrible. We have too much stuff! I plan on eliminating a lot of things in our home. I’m working on a plan to teach my children to cook more. and that’s something I enjoy. I’d love to try making some of the bakery items from The British Baking Show Masterclass.
Intentional with my Blog
I plan to be more intentional about posting on a regular schedule of Mondays and Thursdays. I would love to answer more questions for you for the struggles in your life. And soon there will be a free subscribers area. Freebies!
Do you have a word of the year? What is your plan to make it happen?
:This post contains affiliate links. When you click through, I receive a small commission at no cost to you.
What I Liked About Productivity Boot Camp
Jordan had so many great tips and tricks she pulled out of her “Mary Poppin’s” bag. With high energy, I now know how she pulled them out of her bag and learned how to block schedule. She has a great preview of block scheduling on YouTube.
She takes you by the hand and helps you personalize a schedule just for you, finding the pain points you need to solve to make your day, month and year run smoothly. Jordan is funny and sensitive to many issues that all moms go through. From getting everyone out the door to getting her children fed, she has some grat mom hacks.
Why You Need Producivity Boot Camp
I have gotten more done after using Jordan Page’s Productivity Boot Camp than any other method I’ve ever heard. I’ve been using Pomdoro method and it seems like just when I’m on a roll, the timer dings. As a mom of 10, I think I’ve learned a lot about getting things done but, I now know even more. I was using some of these techniques, but this puts them all together. She walks you step by step and week by week into becoming a productivity ninja.
But Is it Worth the Money?
Yes. Definitely, yes! If you have ever felt like you’re floundering and not getting enough done. If you’ve ever felt like everyone else has it more together. And if you have dreams and goals that aren’t fulfilled and now all you can dream about is getting the laundry all done. which, btw, is never all done. Then, this is for you. Jordan states repeatedly that perfection is a myth. And while every day has not gone exactly according to plan, I have still accomplished more than usually do.
I am no longer a young mom but I do remember the struggles of not knowing what to do or if I was doing it correctly. I had only one family member close by and she had Alzheimer’s. Not much help there. And I never felt like I measured up. That all the other young moms had it more together and were doing it better. I lived by my to-do list, checking off boxes to feel that I had accomplished something that day.
Living Life in God’s Grace
I now try to live every day in grace. God has so much more grace that He gives to us. Far more than I am willing to give to myself. Sound familiar? This is what I want for you. I want you, young moms, to live in God’s grace. You are the perfect mother for your child. You are enough. Whatever self doubts you have about someone else knowing more, doing it bettter, or having it all together are all lies. Even the moms who look like they have it all together usually don’t in some areas. God gave your child the best mother for them. You.
Finding a Mentor
Titus 2: 3-5 talks about the older women teaching the younger women, but it is hard to find. When I was a young mom there were a couple of older ladies in church I would ask questions. I was a mom with many young children and no family around for help. But there were 2 older ladies in the church I felt comfortable enough to ask questions after a while. I was a little fearful because I thought my questions were stupid. I should already know the answers. Or that they would find out what a failure I was by not knowing this or that. Hint for older women; don’t appear so perfect that it’s intimidating for anyone to ask you for help.
Older Women
But older women are to teach the younger women how to love their husbands and children, model behavior and become homemakers. Things that are lacking because we are not taught. So many women and men do not know how to cook. We don’t know as many homemaking skills as our grandmothers did and are becoming lost art.
As an older woman, I want to come along side you and while I can’t hold your hand physically like I’d like to and invite you in for a cup of tea and talk. I’d like you to feel free to ask questions and give some guidance from things I have learned. Some things I’ve done right and some I’ve done wrong ndlerned from them.
Questi0ns I Get Asked Most Often
Besides the number 1 and 2 questions; Are they all yours? And do you know what causes that? are some here.
How many do you have?
I have 10 children who I went through labor with; ages 35, 33, 31, 25, 24, 22, 20, 18, 15, and 12. We have 7 daughters and 3 sons. And we had 5 daughters in a row before we had our first son. And yes, !!!! Boys are way different. So cumulatively I have over 200 years of motherhood. Because I get asked that a lot too. And yes, I’m also a grandma.
Are They All the Same?
No, in a previous post I mentioned how much knowledge I will need from raising her 6 older sisters to teach my youngest daughter. I can see similarities in some things but they are so very different. And I also see things I have taught them, that they surpass me in. And it’s great.
How Many Did You Have Home at One Time?
The most we’ve had at home at once was 8 children. We have a large gap that makes that the reason. The hardest years were when we had 5 children 6 and under and 2 teens and a tween. That was hard. But, it was still good.
How Did You Get It All Done?
I didn’t and that’s okay. I know that now. I still don’t. But it’s ok to let some things go and other things you learn to be efficient. There’s a lot of talk on batch tasking and I did that and didn’t know what it was called them. I did a lot of meal prep ahead and once a month cooking. When I sewed, I did a lot at one time and then not again for a while. There are a lot of tasks that can be done this way.
How Do You Afford It
That’s the question I get asked the most; that’s not so obvious. I have a lot of posts on saving money and will be adding more. The biggest expense for a large family and that’s where the biggest savings come too. I buy in bulk, use discount stores, batch cook, only buy on sale and a lot more I’ll be sharing.
The Last Thing You Need to Know is That I’m Committed to Helping You
I’ve been absent this year a while but am working ahead now to be a help to all of you young moms out there who want a mentor. I’ve had several trials this year, we’ve moved twice. Our children have been in 3 different schools, we cleaned out and worked on my in-laws place thinking if living there. Only to find out it wouldn’t work. One child graduated. We’ve had 3 surgeries and my last one was a doozy. I had my entire foot rebuilt. And that’s just the big stuff.
But, I want to help. There’s a young mom in our church, I’ve been so blessed to be able to help. And I’ve gotten the privilege of holding this sweet baby.
Enjoy Today
Too often, we’ve wished the days would go by and be in the next stage. It’ll be here sooner than you think. And it doesn’t slow down, it’s just different. Embrace today. Play a game, laugh at a joke, hug someone. make a memory.
Leave a comment below on questions or how I can be helping you.
We have spent our summer living in an Rv. We are putting up a modular home and our lease was up so we bought a 32-foot camper and have been in it the last 2 1/2 months. I looked all over Pinterest before we started, or even bought the RV, I thought I was prepared. Maybe we wouldn’t even have to build. One of my daughters even suggested living in it full time and instead of a house payment putting the money into retirement. It sounded great. How hard could it be? Everywhere you look you hear about tiny homes. There is even a series on tiny living. And don’t even ask about Youtube. I won’t say every single one talks about how great it is. (Although most of them did.) But you do have to look pretty hard.
So here is my list of the pros and cons of living in an RV.
Pros
Low Cost
This is what I see over and over as one of the main reasons for living in an RV. It cost way less than a house payment. But there are still costs. If you live in a campground you have the nightly or monthly fees. You also have to fill the LP tanks. And you still have insurance and gas when you travel. So while it is low cost it still costs more than you think.
More Exercise
You might become a little more fit living in an RV. Walks give your alone time. You have a very small space inside so you don’t want to stay inside all the time. And if you stay at a campground or travel there are things to do.
Family Bonding
We used to go camping a lot when my children were little. It was the only vacation we could afford. My favorite part of camping is the bonfires. Not because of the s’mores or any other food but because that was the time we all got together and just talked. Sometimes we sang songs or told stories but mostly we just talked. They loved to reminisce about when they were younger. The stories about them. We have stories that came about because of these camping trips too. One camping trip they gave everyone had Indian names. Running Baft, Step in Barf; you get the picture. At the time this was not a very fun camping trip but they love the memories. Also, never use shampoo if you run out of dish soap. It results in vomiting or diarrhea.
Not as Much Stuff
If you ever wanted to try minimalism, this would be the time. We really packed up everything that wasn’t essential. I have a 6-inch closet. The kids each have 2 shelves. This also makes it easy to clean. I love having clean up only take 10 minutes. I do know I’m going to have less stuff in a home when we move in.
Cons
Hidden Costs
While I spoke of the low cost above, there are still hidden costs you don’t think of. Everything is specially made-read high cost. Anything specially made costs more. Hoses, filters and all the little things can add up. Insurance is very high for an Rv. And you can find all sorts of articles on the top 10 things you need to live full time in an RV.
Privacy
THERE IS NO PRIVACY IN AN RV. NONE! I watched many YouTube vlogs on how parents got alone time. By the way, the sound machine only makes it so you can’t hear your children, not that they can’t hear you. You can plan around it but it’s hard. And can take a toll on your relationship. There is also no privacy for your children. Very little alone time. We have set up a small tent for them to have a little time by themselves. They also take long walks alone.
Lack of Amenities
I have a daughter who loves baths. I mean really loves them. When she gets out she looks like a prune. Besides the privacy, that is the one thing she misses the most. We do not have the internet now. When we first moved we thought we could get it but need to wait now for our house to be put up. My children had culture shock without it. The librarians know my son by name as he spends so much time there. Fortunately, he stays on his best behavior. I’m sure for different people there will be different things you miss.
Storage
While per square foot an RV has great storage, in its everyday life I am always missing something. I can’t craft or sew. All that is packed up. I don’t have a great choice in wardrobe and neither do the kids. I can’t stock up on a great deal because I have no room. I have a very tiny refrigerator so I have to shop more often.
So have you ever thought of living in an RV? Do you have any tips for RV living?
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