Last week Renee from NextGen Homeschool linked up a post about how to choose educational apps for your kids. Her post is timely and extremely detailed. If this is a topic that affects you, be sure to check out her post - and Renee, please visit our Inspired Wednesday page and take the "I was featured on
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If you have a post about an encouraging activity, project, or trip that you've taken, please link up below and add a link back to this post. Either way, please read on to find out more about a fun activity that we enjoy here in our nest, and be sure to hop over to Where He Leads, We Follow to check out Stephanie's Inspiring Wednesday post, too. :-)
I was totally ready to grab some chocolate and a good book and go stick my head in the sand somewhere.
And then I heard the kids laughing.
Afraid that there was some other disaster in the making, I hurried to the laundry room, where they had laid old towels down on the few remaining drops of water, stood on them, and were skating around the small space, drying everything up and having a ball.
I realized that what was a huge interruption to my "well-planned" day was an opportunity to have fun for my kids. Sure, they knew that they carpet was going to smell the next day, and they knew they would see less of Daddy that night since he had to fix the problem instead of hang out with them, but they are still wearing their rose colored glasses. They still see the good in so many things. Even in clean-up.
I've been thinking about that this week, and while most of us probably know this, I think my mid-week stress just needs a healthy dose of rose-colored perspective.
That mountain of laundry that must be washed, dried and folded? We are well dressed.
The dishes that never seem to end? We have plenty to eat, several times each day.
The kids that are noisily leaving K'Nex all over the house? Our kids are happy, healthy, and creative. They envision what I cannot and do not let the small stuff stop them.
So sometimes when the flood waters rise or the crumbs threaten to take over, we need not shout about who made yet another sandwich, but to praise the one with the initiative and the knowledge to make it - and then gently show them how to clean up the mess.
Personally, I think all of this is easier when a few hugs are thrown into the mix, and usually we all feel most stressed when we haven't taken the time for that. So, know that the crumbs will probably be there later and snuggle into the couch for story time. Take some time to remind yourself why you're on this parenting journey, anyway - and don't forget to don your rosy glasses.
What's stressing you today, and how can you see it in a rosy light?
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WOW Amy!!! I love this post. I about teared up. I too often take life very seriously and do not enjoy this little messes with my kiddos. I need to borrow your rosie glasses! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is indeed all about perspectives. I have a relative who is so obsessed with having a "clean" house that visits there don't really involve much visiting....everything must be cleaned up, put in place, etc.....by the time they stop bustling around, it is time to go home. I try to help with dishes, etc....but this same relative is very particular, and typically other people don't do things the "right" way. However, using my rosy colored glasses, I will say that her house is indeed always clean, and I do appreciate visiting a house that is so unlike my own! : )
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated the part where you mentioned teaching the kids to clean up.....I don't think that always looking on the positive side means you have to let people walk all over you, or that you never hold them accountable/responsible for their actions. It is perfectly fine to ask a child to clean up the crumbs they left on the counter....I think it isn't OK to react to that situation at crisis/emergency levels of volume/hysteria. Not every thing that goes wrong is of equal importance. Having said all that - I appreciate that some people are just by nature more bothered by messes than others, and what my tolerance level of "messy" is doesn't work for them - rightly or wrongly, I tend to choose reduced stress levels/tiredness over cleanliness/tidiness.....if I am exhausted, and there are still dishes in the sink, my bed is going to win every time. Different strokes for different folks, eh?
I'm with you, Lynne! I'd much rather play a game with the kids or spend time with my husband than do dishes or dust, and sometimes I get out of balance. I'm still working hard to find it, but ... rosy glasses are good. :-)
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