A friend dropped in today to discuss life. A busy life indeed.  MANY small children under 7 years old.

She wondered if I had any words of wisdom  to help her  maintain her sanity.

Motherhood is a high calling. It is honorable, rewarding and wonderful. It can also be physically exhausting, and emotionally draining.

When I was a mom of many small children, I had to learn NOT to feel guilty when I made decisions to make my life easier. I did not make them at the expense of my children. They were made to benefit them, by giving them a mother who was refreshed and ready to mother again.

If I didn’t create some breathing room, creative fun, and some  ’free time’ for me,  I can’t imagine who  else would.

Here are some ideas that worked for me. They worked the best for children under 8-ish.

-I am a morning person, so by evening I was EXHAUSTED and grouchy. I put the children to bed EARLY!  By 7:30 they were all in bed.

-Naps and quiet time for the non-nappers, were from 2-3:00  PM.  I took that hour and did things that I LOVED.  Not things that were screaming at me to be done. Those things could wait.

-Paper plates often came in handy, and one dish casseroles were my favorite,  (less cleanup  :(  )

-Nightly devotions were usually in the morning before lunch when I was at my best.

-I would have designated times when I sat down with the children to play games. Usually around 9:00  AM, 3:00  PM, and  6:00 PM. By having definite times, the children didn’t seem to whine as much and beg me to play with them throughout the day.

-I decided to homeschool my children 4 days a week instead of 5, and on the day that we did not homeschool, Wednesday,  I attended a weekly Mom’s group at a local church. They provided child care for a small fee, and my children LOVED it. I loved it even more!

-Once a month I gathered with 5 or 6 other moms for a quick breakfast at a local restaurant. From the time that we left our homes until we returned was one hour. During the hour, we gulped down our food as we shared prayer requests and praise reports. I bartered baby sitting with a neighbor. When I returned home from the restaurant, I would babysit her children for one hour.  It has turned into a treasured tradition. None of us need babysitters anymore, and sometimes we stretch the time to actually chew our food.  :)

I’ll share more ideas tomorrow! What are some things that you do to ‘spice up’ your life?