 |
| Enough & More to Spare by Frederick Morgan |
Advice to a Young Mother
Having children is a huge responsibility that never ends just like the work never ends. Please allow me to share a few thoughts.
One ~ Try to get to bed at a decent hour, so that you can try to get some good sleep.
Two ~ Require everyone to lie down for one hour each afternoon.
They may not nap, but they must lie down. Older ones need an hour of reading each day anyway. During this time, you can rest, read, pray, or do a load of laundry, whatever will help you gear up for the second half of the day.
Three ~ Make sure you’re eating fruits and vegetables, dairy and meats, not just high carbohydrate foods. You need nutrients.
Four ~ If possible, get some time away from the children once in awhile, even if it's only to go to the grocery store by yourself.
Five ~ Arrange a date time with your hubby, even if you stay home and put the kids to bed early.
Six ~ Invest time in Godly child training.
You might look at Above Rubies. They have free magazines and lots of articles on-line.
Seven ~ Don't give up!
It does pay off even though we can’t always see results day to day. Look for the good and seize it daily.
Eight ~ Most of all, pray pray pray pray. You can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens you.
Nine ~ Really, this should be first, spend time with God in the Bible.
Note: If you feel depressed for an extended period, consider speaking with your husband, an older mother, or your doctor about whether you need herbal supplements or medication to help for awhile.
Blessings from Harvest Lane Cottage,
Mrs. Lane
An Older Woman
~smile~
P.S. See the comments below for some more great advice. Staying home is one thing that one of my readers reminded me about. It really helps to build routine.
~~~~~
May I suggest...
#090914
Another piece of advice that I give to younger women is to say "no" to too many outside activities. When my children were little, there wasn't a single older woman who encouraged me to be about the serious business of raising my kids and taking care of my family. In fact, the older women in my church encouraged me to take on more and more church ministries. I lived on that hamster wheel of constant activity for several years, and was stressed, tired, and depressed as a result.
ReplyDeleteI love this quote by minimalist Joshua Becker:
"Successful people are adamant about saying "no" to things that do not align with their mission."
We stay-at-home moms choose to say "no" to careers outside the home, in order that we might fully focus on our families. Then we get side-tracked from that mission, as we take on one church ministry or social outing after another.
Sorry for the long-winded comment. This is a soapbox issue for me---so much so that I wrote an article about it for Above Rubies.
Blessings,
Patti
Great points! Having afternoon quiet time has been a sanity saver for me many times. I agree completely about saying no to outside activities. There is so much pressure for stay at home wives/mothers to be involved in this and that. When your home is a disaster and you are on the run all the time there is no way you are giving your family your best.
ReplyDeleteGreat advice. I admit I don't do all of these things like I should, even though I know better... And I love that quote from the above poster!
ReplyDeleteI'll keep this in mind when the day comes. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGod bless you, SuperLux!
ReplyDeleteI LOVED every one of these wonderfully sound points of advice. I also appreciated Patti's comment above...isn't it the truth? We are pushed to stretch ourselves beyond our limits, when all along our main mission field is right within the walls of our own home. So thankful for those, like you and Patti, who tell the truth and encourage the younger women to follow God's lead. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right Cheryl. Have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteHello Laura, We all need to be reminded of these words of wisdom! Raising our children is so important! Yet, being in tack after the job is done, because now we have another generation for our inheritance! Also, Happy Sweet Birthday to your sweet daughter, she sure is a lovely girl!
ReplyDeleteAlways, Roxy
Thank you, Roxy. It's hard to believe one day I'll have grands. Someday. ~smile~
ReplyDeleteRight now, I just love that all of my children were around the table celebrating Emily's birthday last night. Tonight Emily and Amy are having a Christmas party to celebrate Emily's birthday. Yes, my house is decorated for Christmas on a small scale. I told the girls it all comes down Sunday so that we can begin our fall decorating.
Have a wonderful Son day!
God bless you,
Laura
Great advice Laura! I really think having the hour of reading and/or resting time for children and mother was key in our home (that should be preached more!). Every day that hour was like a restorative :) I also agree with Cheryl's comment above! Have a lovely weekend and thank you for linking up with the Art of Home-Making Mondays this week!
ReplyDeleteAnd Patti's advice I meant to add :)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely charming! I do appreciate you sharing with A Return to Loveliness,
ReplyDeleteKathy
You're welcome, Kathy.
ReplyDeleteYes, that hour was sometimes my goal for the day when my kids were all very little!
ReplyDeleteI'll be over for a visit soon.
Blessings,
Laura
I greatly appreciated this post, Laura. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom. And thank you for sharing at ROI. Have a blessed evening!
ReplyDeleteI'm honored Stephanie.
ReplyDeleteThank you for these tips! The post is almost a year old, but as our little man is due in 9 weeks, they were right on time for me! :)
ReplyDeleteSuch great advice Laura! You hit the nail on the head and any young mother could learn a lot from your wisdom. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
ReplyDeletehugs,
Jann
Some great reminders. Often, it's the simple things every day that are sometimes the hardest to implement but that make the most difference in the long run. I'll admit that I've struggled to take care of myself the past couple years---somehow, the kids get fed nutritious meals and lots of produce, but I usually get the high carb quick hits to tide me over as I rush from one thing to the next. Thanks for the gentle reminders :)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Torrie. I wish I had taken better care of myself when I had young kids at home. It would have made such a difference in how I felt and how I handled four littles.
Delete