PRACTICAL PARENTING â—½ HOME
Slow Down
by Marcy Lytle
We’ve been listening to a beautiful song by Porter’s Gate called “Slow Me Down,” a song directed to the Good Shepherd to lead us to rest and peace. Isn’t that what all parents want? Just a bit of rest and peace, in this chaotic world, our lives of going here and there, all the laundry and the meal planning, fitting in quiet time and all the things.
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My DIL took this photo of her two kids and it just speaks calmness and peace and a slow pace…doesn’t it? But we all know that prior to the photo, and after, there were probably moments of pushing and crying and frustration and a mom that wrung her hands and shook her head!
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It really seems just quite impossible to slow down in this face-paced world in which we live. However, there are a few suggestions and ideas of how to slow down, should you need the nudge to life with a little more peace:
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Say no to every party and outing. Sometimes, the best thing on a weekend is to go to the park with your own family and chill.
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Limit extra-curricular activities if the time required takes up every night of the week. Your kids won’t suffer if they don’t sign up for everything that interests them.
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Prioritize meal time, not meal perfection. Yes, healthy is good, homemade is awesome, but sometimes the time together is the healthiest thing you can offer your kids, even if all you could scramble up was eggs and toast…or peanut butter and jelly…or fa
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Make bedtime routines just that – routines. You need the quiet time, the songs you sing, and the books you stop and read…just as much as they do.
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Have a designated place for your phones when the kids are home, and it’s family time. Actually watch the movie with them, play the game and focus, or just listen as they ramble. Breathe, and take in the beauty of your children.food.
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Realize that life is full of seasons, and you’re in the one where the storms and rains fall inside your house – at least it looks like that while the kids are little. It’s okay to have cleaning schedules, but it’s also okay if that schedule blows out the front door on any given day.
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Incorporate the kiddos in your self-care routines. When you go out walking, go as a family. When you cleanse and moisturize, give them a little bag to do their hands and feet, as well. Pray with the kids, not just for them all the time. Let them hear your gratitude and your praise.
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Sip your coffee, while they sip hot chocolate, or lemonade…and sit on the porch…and feel the breezes blow.
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Pray with friends. Gather with a group. If that’s not possible, have a couple of friends in a group text where you can ask for prayer. Don’t carry the load of life alone. You’re not meant to.
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Affirm each other. Take the time at least one night a week to spend time blessing and affirming, calming and reassuring, holding and hugging, forgiving and asking forgiveness. Instead of a show or an activity.
There are so many lists out there, ways to schedule your time, books on how to parent and raise the best children, and even this list above…all of which can stress a parent out on which list to choose and how to stay with it! You won’t! Some days will be crazy, and that’s just it. Use the next available day to corral the craziness and start fresh. After all, His mercy is new every morning…so take hold of that truth and of your kids…and hold Him, and them, close.