We have for sure found ourselves in an unexpected time with all the school closings and mass hysteria surrounding the Coronavirus. It's easy to panic when you read the news or dwell on any of the unknowns, yet God has promised us that we can live a life with joy! So, how do we do this in the midst of chaos?
Here are 10 practical things you can do to thrive during these uncertain times!
When we can set our alarm and wake up before our kids wake up, we will be able to start the day fresh! Think of what would renew you and encourage you in the morning. Take a shower, have a quiet time, get a cup of coffee, get dressed ... whatever you need to refresh yourself!
I don't necessarily think this needs to be first thing in the morning, but find a time that works best for you and read your Bible! If you don't have a plan that you are doing, just start in any book of the Bible and read for 5 minutes with no interruptions. I've also have been loving this Join the Journey plan and my Daily Joy. Romans 12:2 reminds us of the importance of renewing our mind. Let's turn off the news and stop scrolling Instagram. There's no better way to refresh our hearts than by getting into the Word of God!
By changing our perspective, we can see that we have been given a gift of TIME with our families. Take this opportunity to be intentional with your kids. Think of the things that you would want to do with your kids "if you had more time." I always want to read more with my kids, cook, and go on family walks, and now I have the opportunity to do that! There are so many amazing ideas and activities being circulated right now, and while that is awesome, this can also lead to us feeling like we are not doing enough. It's okay to simplify. It really is. A happy and encouraging home is a gift we can give our kids.
It's rare that we have this amount of quiet and downtime - let's embrace it. Instead of picking up our phones or turning on the TV, let's just have time of stillness. Stillness before the Lord. Stillness with our kids. Stillness in nature. I'm praying through this that we can learn how to "BE PRESENT" without the constant need for busyness.
For those of us that are now homeschooling our kids, create a daily routine with "loose" times. After you have made your list of most important things to you - fill in the time slots! If you notice, my times almost all end in an "ish" because this is just a guide. If something takes longer/shorter, no sweat! If I have the opportunity to interact with a neighbor on a walk, we may scrap something on our list. The key to this is being FLEXIBLE. We have the beauty of time!
I'm going to share our example, but make sure you do what works for YOUR family!
7:00ish - Alarm set (I may be up before this, but I want to make sure that I am awake by at least this time so I can have my time with the Lord before the kids wake up)
7:45 - Wake up. (Usually, my kids are up by this time, but if not, I am going to wake them up by then).
8:00ish - Family Walk (or ride bikes or scooter)
8:30ish - Breakfast
9:00ish - Family Meeting (this consists of a praise song together, a quick overview of what the day looks like, and a prayer time)
9:15ish - Homeschool begins
12:00ish - Lunch
12:30ish - Recess (back outside to run around)
1:00ish - Catch Up (finish any work from the morning; chores)
2:30ish - Special Time (may be baking, gardening, reading a book together, Perlor beads, making cards for a neighbor, extra free time... my goal is to pick one thing each day)
4:00ish - Free Time /Outside
5:30ish - Dinner/Cleaning/Baths
7:00ish - Family Read Aloud (snuggle up on couch and read a book together and do family devotion)
7:45ish - Read in rooms until lights out
I just touched on this a little, but I think this is a great opportunity to find ways to worship as a family. We can read the Bible together, do prayer cards, or read a devotional. We have been enjoying the Kingdom Family Devotional on the Scrib'd app. Let's be intentional in realigning our lives to what really matters.
During this time of required physical distancing, let's make it a point to reach out to those you love. Call your friends. Visit with neighbors. Find alternative ways to connect like Zoom Calls, Facetime, or Microsoft Teams. Be real with your loved ones and let them know your struggles. We all need encouragement!!
It's easy to get overwhelmed with all that we have to do as moms. While your kiddos are all at home, teach them how to help! We created a Chore Door and every time I think of something that needs to be done, I am putting it on a notecard and with sticky tape, hanging them on the door. When one of my children is complaining, they can take a trip to the Chore Door and pull off something to do to help our family. Also, I may just call "Chore Door" time and everyone goes to pick out a way to serve our family!
I don't know about you, but I didn't plan to become a homeschooling mom overnight. All of these sudden transitions and worldly chaos are stressful! Let's pray that God will help us give grace to ourselves and our loved ones when we don't get it right the first time.
The Bible reminds us over and over again to rejoice always and pray with thanksgiving. One of the best ways to turn our suffering into joy is to turn our hearts to the Lord in praise and thanksgiving. We can choose to let go of the hard moments of our day, and instead, focus our hearts and minds on all the ways we are blessed!
He's got this!™
