Tampilkan postingan dengan label kids. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label kids. Tampilkan semua postingan
Minggu, 13 Agustus 2017
Cleaning with Kids
I had big plans last week during Spring Break to finish up my 40 Bags in 40 Days project.
I figured I would get tons done because I didn't have to work & I would be able to spend at least an hour or 2 each day on my list.
{Source}
Yeah. Let's just say, my plan on getting things cleaned out was a bust.
This comic is spot on.
Guess how many bags/areas I got cleaned out last week?
Zero. Nada. Zilch.
Sigh.
Selasa, 16 Mei 2017
Moms Make it Work Cindy Stay at Home Mom to Eleven Kids
Today on the Moms Make it Work series we have Cindy writing about being a mother to eleven children (new record for this series!), staying at home with them, homeschooling, and all that a life with a large family entails. Cindy reached out to me, offering to write their story, and I knew I was intrigued to hear from this mom who has experienced so much with so many children. My favorite part of her post? "Mommies? This is a tough job. In the trenches, day in and day out…Don’t. Allow. Guilt. YOU are exactly what your child/ren need. Whether you are a SAHM or a working mommy, don’t allow guilt to steal any time or energy. " YES. No guilt. Only support. Enjoy the entire post!
What is your background story? What was your career/schooling before you became a mom? And where are you now?
I’m a Canadian but grew up in both Canada and the USA, due to my Dad’s job. I love both countries! (Does that make me a CanMerican??!?) I am married to my forever knight, John, and we have 11 children on this side of heaven, ranging from 22 years old (and his wife Kassidy!) to 8 months. I am a Labor and Delivery nurse by training; a SAHM by choice. We’re a homeschooling family and try to honor God in all that we do…(and therefore are VERY grateful for His grace!!)
our newest addition, not in pic above
What are the best parts of your situations? What are the challenges?
Although I had some reservations with becoming a SAHM initially, I wouldn’t trade it for the world now. I love being able to watch my kids grow, learn and mature day in and day out. I love being the one to tuck them in for nap, read stories, and kiss boo-boos. I am grateful to be the one that they can come to and ask profound questions. I feel as though I know my kids on a much deeper level since we made this shift to having me home as well as home educating our children. They are also more in tune with each other. One of my favorite things is watching the older ones with the little ones. Babies and toddlers keep their hearts tender. Seeing our Grade 9 daughter go from being SO STRESSED and very upset over upcoming exams melt into a puddle of lovies when her three year old brother notices her angst, shares his blankie with her and tells her “It’s OK…Don’t be sad. I wove you!” - moments we will treasure forever.
That being said, there are challenges as well. As a matter of fact, the flip side of the coin bears mentioning. We spend A LOT of time together. A LOT. Being a large family that doesn’t happen to have a 5,000 square foot house means there is precious little alone time to be had. By anyone. Ever. At least not without a 4 hour zoning meeting. Add homeschool to the mix, and you have days where only the stolen moments in your closet working through a king size O Henry bar get you through. (
Related to me, obviously
Is this how you expected it to be pre-kids?
Um…NO. If someone had told me 23 years ago that I would have 11 kids I would have laughed hysterically. We had PLANS! 5 and 10 year goals! I wanted 4 kids, John wanted 4 to 6. I always joked and said that would be complicated…because I was having four. I was surprised to realize that after the birth of my fourth child, I was grieving. Every little thing he did, my heart lurched at the thought that I would never see this stage again…John was feeling the same way. For the sake of keeping this down to a post instead of a three part series, over the next 2 years (and a surprise baby – YES! It can happen!) we mulled over the idea of letting God decide our family size. Going from, “Did you actually say that out loud??” and “This is crazy, you’re only 32 and we already have 5 kids! We’ll end up having, like, 10 kids or something!!” to the realization that:
If we claim to believe the Bible, and children are only ever referred to as a blessing or reward, why are we refusing??!?
That God opens and closes the womb…and we’d witnessed friends go through the agony and heartbreak of infertility…were we willing to be the ones to choose to close the womb artificially??
And finally, the clincher…with EVERY conception, a soul is created. An eternal soul that has a DIVINE purpose. We don’t create life, we are merely the vessels God uses to bring forth LIFE. Wow…
We realized that we weren’t wise enough, intelligent enough, divine enough at all to decide if a person should EXIST.
So, here we are, 11 kids so far. Have we always found this decision easy? No. There are seasons that are very trying: job loss, difficult pregnancies, a son born with cleft lip and palate and bilateral clubfoot, two preemies, one born at 30 weeks and spent 3 months in the hospital. But truthfully? As crazy as all this sounds? None of these trials even come closeto the incredible blessing that each child is in our lives. Also? God provides in all ways! We are actually better off financially now then we were before we made this decision! I can truthfully claim the truth of Ephesians 3:20: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…”
Is this your ideal situation? If not, what is?
Ideal: i·de·al/īˈdē(ə)l
adjective
satisfying one's conception of what is perfect; most suitable.
That would entail a 5,000 square foot house with 12 bedrooms, a vehicle with one of those soundproof tinted windows that glides up soundlessly between driver/passenger seat and the rest of the wailing wagon van. Oh, and a walk in closet with a large safe to hold a year’s supply of O Henry bars. And Lindt…but I digress…
Yes, it IS ideal for us. We are right where the Lord has led us, therefore, we are exactly where we need to be. We are extraordinarily blessed, and at times we are extraordinarily stressed. The truth is there will never be a ‘satisfying of one’s conception of what is perfect’. Not on this side of heaven. No matter what goals we achieve or status we reach, there is always the next level to attain. We must learn to look for the joys of today, or accept that today is all we have. Even during the tough times, we have lessons to learn there, lessons that will strengthen us or prepare us for the blessings or trials to come.
Do you see yourself making a career change (whatever that means) in the next 5-10 years? Or is this current set up staying put for the long haul?
As my little one is 8 months old and I’m the primary Homeschooling Parent, this is the plan for the long haul for now!
Tips on how you make your situation work for you:
Scheduling. I am a planner (organizational freak) at heart, so this comes easy for me. What used to be a personality trait is now a necessity. Much of life is scheduled in one way or another at this point, which is what keeps it all on track…most days.
How do you handle mommy guilt?
I’ve learned that guilt is destructive, defeating. I won’t allow it. As soon as I realize I’m feeling the burden of guilt I stop and examine it. God never burdens us with guilt. God will bring conviction of heart, but never the burden of guilt. We are human. We will fail. We all need grace because we will always fall short. There are many days where I lay in bed at night, thinking over my day. Was I harsh with her? OMGosh! I told him I’d help him study tonight and I got distracted…again…and on it goes. I can easily fall into a place where I could weep at all I’ve missed, or messed up. Guilt leaves me in that round-about “I’m such a bad mommy” / “I can’t handle this” cycle of lies. Instead, if I take the time to accept the nudge of conviction, it leads to grace, which leads to a chance to redeem. So, was I harsh? If so, why? Was I just venting because outside commitments/stressors were putting pressure on me? Then I was unfair to my daughter and I need to ask her for forgiveness. I then need to examine if I have taken too much on, or if I need a plan of action to deal with long-term stressors, etc. Why did I forget to help him with his studies? Because My Life in Transition posted today and she’s having contractions??? Oops…ya, dropped the ball. Need to apologize and carve out time for him tomorrow morning…and schedule my blog reading time! Because people are coming over tomorrow and I need to have fresh baked cookies? Oops…pride?? Store bought would’ve been fine too…(except then there is no batter to eat, but that is beside the point. Totally.) Because one of his little brothers got sick? Then, no need for sadness, this is a perfect lesson of deference for our older son.
There are times when a situation brings us to a place where we have no choice but to walk the path before us. Our 10thbaby was born premature and he spent 3 months in a hospital an hour away from our home. Every day I drove back and forth, sometimes twice a day. I was trying to be there for this little baby that needed me so much, but I had my other children at home that needed me just as much. My mom flew into town to help us, which was a real blessing…yet, I was often wracked with guilt that I couldn’t seem to shake. In this case, as my dear husband pointed out, my sadness and aching desire to have my family together was just part of the journey. It wasn’t my fault, and there wasn’t anything I could do to change any of it. He suggested that I try to turn my thoughts to all the blessings I could identify in the situation, and dwell on these things.
1 Thessalonians 5:18: “ In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” So, through tears, I began a list of blessings: We were blessed to live near enough to a top hospital for premature babies. The doctor assigned to our son’s care was Chief of NICU, and he was a gentle, kind, approachable man. We had a reliable vehicle. My mom was home with my kids when we couldn’t be. My little son was slowly getting stronger.
Mommies? This is a tough job. In the trenches, day in and day out…Don’t. Allow. Guilt. YOU are exactly what your child/ren need. Whether you are a SAHM or a working mommy, don’t allow guilt to steal any time or energy. Pray for revelation and clarity, examine and adjust…
Advice for new moms struggling with returning to work outside of the home? Or struggling to decide if staying at home is the right choice?
This is a TOUGH question, because it is often a heart wrenching decision to make. I’m always so careful in the way I answer these types of questions because there can be harsh judgement on both sides of the issue, which would lead me to point back to my answer to the previous question.
The only advice I would have for a couple struggling in making this decision is to pray together. Then try to take pen in hand and identify the struggle and emotions behind the issue. What are your beliefs on the raising of your children? What values do you hold dear and how will you impart them? What are you goals for this child/ren? Scrutinize both options – how do they support or help to implement your vision and goals? Is there anything that will be detrimental to them? Ask God to show you His vision for your family. Ask Him to bring His perspective into your plans. You may be surprised at the solutions that come up!
Achoo! Bless you! Too cute!
How do meals work in your family? Meal planning? How often do you grocery shop? Who is in charge of this task in your family??
We strive to make dinner a family meal. It doesn’t always work out when John is on evening shifts, or the kids are out at work or activities, but whoever is home joins the table.
Meal planning is, well… scheduled! My favorite system is the Big Cook system, (Siemens, Thomas, Smith - amazon). This is once-a-month type planning, but their meals beat the “everything tastes the same” crock pot phenomena. The system is easily adaptable to our favourite meals too. Although I’ve alluded to my stress-induced sugar habit, I really am a whole food girl at heart. This eating style does require time and planning, as I try to avoid convenience foods. The Big Cook system makes this so much easier. I LOVE the ease of having 30-40 days of meals planned and frozen, just waiting for me! So, a huge shopping trip once a month for the Big Cook (which is budgeted for during the said month) and weekly fruit/milk/staple runs. Usually this is my job, but John does weekly runs as well.
I plan standard breakfasts and lunches on a 7 day rotation, (Mondays always oatmeal, Tuesdays always eggs, etc…) so that is easy and everyone knows the drill. I do plan out a monthly menu for dinner by simply printing (double sided) a blank 30 day calendar. I then slot in which Big Cook dinner and sides for each day of the month, and on the flip side I write in my perishables and side dish ingredients I will need for the meal in the coordinating slot. That way I have an easy go-to grocery list at my fingertips at all times.
How do you keep your house clean? Power cleaning after bedtime? Staying out of the house as much as possible? Cleaning while kids are awake? Purging often? Cleaning schedule?
How do you keep your house clean? Power cleaning after bedtime? Staying out of the house as much as possible? Cleaning while kids are awake? Purging often? Cleaning schedule?
I’m a bit of a clean-freak. When my house is cluttered, my brain is too. I seriously feel like I can’t put two coherent thoughts together in the midst of a mess! (Cue O Henry) Because we have so many people at home all day, cleaning and tidying take place all through the day. The kids each have their own chores and the younger ones have chore packs to keep track of tasks. (Managers of Their Chores by the Teri Maxwell is great because even my 4 year old can have his own chore pack reminding him to wash his face, brush his teeth and hair, and put his jammies away without needing reminded, and he is so proud with his accomplishment! If the house gets to a point where it needs a quick tidy, I call a “Tag Team”, which is 5-10 minutes of everyone picking up and sorting of toys/school books/shoes, etc. Power cleaning happens every Saturday. Purging twice a year – spring and fall cleaning. Cleaning schedule? Of course!! :0)
*What advice could you give to young moms with little kids? What can you tell us now that you have the perspective of time, and kids that have grown beyond the toddler/preschool years?
Cliché, but stark truth: Time is fleeting…
Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
…be purposeful with your time.
Often in the daily grind of the young years we lose sight of the monumental significance of the task before us. Raising our children is, by far, the most important job we will ever have. Each generation will shape the morals, values and cultures of our communities, states (provinces), and country. Ponder that for a moment… ‘The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world’ indeed.
It is so easy to get distracted and caught in a daily rat race of our own design. We soon discover it leads to a chaotic life…and time slips away. Identify personal, marital and family needs and goals and prioritize them. Write them down. The list is a great accountability partner. If a commitment opportunity arises, check your list. If it would cause an important goal to be compromised, then don’t commit.
…be purposeful with your words…and always speak life.
Edify, edify, edify! I cringe inside when I hear a parent chastise a child and they say, “Don’t be a bad boy!” THEY are not bad. Their decision or action was wrong. Don’t attack the child’s character, deal instead with the offense. There is a big difference to the heart of a child between hearing “You were a bad boy!” and, “Your choices were not fitting for an honorable little boy like you.” I love the quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow : “A torn jacket is soon mended; but hard words bruise the heart of a child.”
My husband came across this truth in his readings, I wish I knew who to credit it to because it is profound: Speak to them as if they were already like you want them to be, not as they are in the moment. My husband speaks to our sons about the chivalry of knights from a very early age. (History buffs: Yes, we know that not all knights in all eras behaved in a chivalrous/honorable manner. We have taken the Knight Code of Honor and adjusted certain points to suit the character traits we would like to see developed in our sons.) We refer to our sons as ‘Knights of The King’, the King, in this case, is Christ. Our daughters are “Princesses of the King”. Not frou-frou princesses with flowing gowns and matching gel nails, but Princesses with an understanding of spiritual warfare and well prepared for battle with armor of their own. The same character traits are at play.
Give them time to reflect on poor decisions. If you immediately mete out consequences, they dwell on the consequence. At times it can take a few hours for one of our older kids to work through emotions such as anger or bitterness over the situation and get to the heart of the issue. THAT is where conviction and change take place. Then, deal with the heart issue and apply consequences (if necessary) that will reinforce the need for truth. (Younger kids need help to go through this process. Let them go to their room to calm down, etc. then walk them through what led to their poor choice.)
As Stormie Omartian says in her book The Power of a Praying Parent, being a perfect parent isn’t possible. Being a praying parent is what matters. COVER your child/ren in prayer. Pray for the present AND their future. Pray that they will be wise and always seek God’s heart, not His hand. Pray for their career, their spouses, for courage and perseverance. Prayer is so very powerful. We have seen so many answers to prayer unfold in our lives and in the lives of our children.
When your children are little, for the most part, their problems are little and quite easily handled. When your children become young adults, you realize with dismay that their problems can be BIG problems…and you can’t “fix” them with hugs, kisses and time in their room. It is heartbreaking to see our children go through difficult times – we just want good things for them! But the truth is if we want our children to be overcomers, then they need trials to overcome. There are times where prayer is the only tool in your arsenal.
Another timeless classic:
Enjoy this time! Celebrate it!
I can speak from the perspective of a Mom whose eldest is now 22 years old. He is a MAN. He is a paramedic and a firefighter by training. He is MARRIED.
It seems like only yesterday that this young man skipped at my side holding my hand, openly chatting about his thoughts. I’ve often asked myself if I savored those moments enough. If I had realized that the last time he held my hand before he realized that he was too cool/too big to do that, would I have made more of an effort to freeze that moment of time in my mind? It passed and I never realized it…
Mommies…it seems like an eternity before you will see the other side of the little years. It’s a mirage…it’s just around the corner. Take the extra minute to get down to eye level. Set your smartphone down when they are talking to you. Smile often. Hug them, listen to them, take many pictures. Keep their hearts. Be in the moment…
(The nicest family shot we actually got from our son’s wedding…yup. The best one. Just keepin’ it real here. Note Mr. PhotoBomber up front. He has a different face on every. single. shot. Anyone else remember a classic Calvin and Hobbes strip? He is NOTORIOUS for this! It cracks me up!)
Braden (left) 19. Zach 22. Knights of the King
Last, but not least, don’t allow Date Night to be negotiable! Our children need to witness a strong, committed marriage at work. A loving, connected, unified couple gives the gift of security to our children. As my Mother-in-Law always says, “There will come a season where the children will be gone living their own lives, and you are left where you started. As a couple. Make sure you still know each other!”
We are all on a journey… Do I achieve these parenting goals every day, during every season? No. I aspire to be this Mommy every day. When I make it happen, I am so grateful at the end of the night. I throw away my wrappers and triple brush my teeth, and kiss my sleeping angels. When I don’t, I try to remember Lamentations 3:22-23: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
Grace for the day, Mommies. If God gives it to us every morning, then extend the same gentleness to yourselves!
May you all be richly blessed on this journey of parenthood!
{Thanks, Cindy! Find the rest of the MMIW series here}
{Thanks, Cindy! Find the rest of the MMIW series here}
Kamis, 30 Maret 2017
Help your kids eat veggies plant a garden!
My son is a picky eater.
But he loves veggies!
I think it's because of our vegetable garden.
Our kids enjoy watching the plants grow and then eating veggies right from the bush.
Hence this picture:
and this picture
I realized I don't have pictures of our daughter attacking the broccoli plants. But between the two of them, all four broccoli plants were constant nubs. Each time they'd play outside they would take a bite here and there.
(FYI - we don't use any harmful sprays on our veggie garden, so they can't ingest something dangerous.)
If you have space for a small garden in your backyard, I recommend planting a garden! My favorite veggies from the garden are corn, peas, and tomatoes. They taste different/better being so fresh. Last year I took a handful of carrots to church for the teenage girls in my class.
One sweet girl commented, "Wow, so this is what carrots are supposed to taste like!"
If you have picky eaters, let them help you plant, grow, and pick the veggies.
Hopefully they'll learn to love them too.
Selasa, 21 Maret 2017
Gifts for Hyper Kids
With four kids ages 5 and under, we know about the wiggles.
Kids wiggle and squirm and poke and play - which is great if the family is chilling at home, but not so great in quiet places like church, the doctor's office, or assemblies. Sometimes a little extra quiet time at home can be appreciated too! So, if you need gift ideas for hyper kids that keep their hands busy (and off each other) I have two suggestions for you from UnCommonGoods: one for home and one for outings.
For wiggly kids at home, check out this amazing homemade butter churner. Simply churning your own butter in less than 20 minutes is cool enough, but this device works with hyper kids too! Our three oldest kids kept taking turns churning the butter because they loved it so much. We had to supervise the 2 year old closely so she didn't tip the jar over, but the older kids could use it just fine. Plus, they get wiggles out cranking the gears! The churner is well made, with sturdy handles and seals. The device is super easy to clean and fits nicely in the cupboard for storage.
On our first attempt to make butter, we tried standard whipping cream, which sadly turned into whipped cream. Fail. But we were successful on the second try using heavy whipping cream. How delicious! Our homemade butter tasted exactly like our store-bought butter, but with the self-pride of having done it ourselves. I hope to make butter churning a regular activity to get the wiggles out for our kiddos. The butter churner also comes with recipes for flavored butters. Yum!
For wiggly kids out and about, UnCommonGoods also sells Thinking Putty. My older brother introduced me to Thinking Putty this summer. This special putty is perfect for fidgety kid hands (and adult hands). You can squish it, tear it, mold it, do practically anything with it, and then put it back into the carton when you're done. It'll melt back into putty. Our kids have played with Thinking Putty during church the last two weeks, and it has been so helpful in maintaining quiet reverence. Instead of getting bored and poking each other, the kids can tear and poke the putty! One carton was enough to keep the hands of three hyper kids busy, plus it is clearly colored so I didn't have to worry about stains on clothes or furniture. This amazing putty doesn't lose its stick, and it doesn't leave goo all over your hands. I don't have to worry about the kids touching me and gooing me up after play time. It's a perfect gift for hyper kids and their parents.
If you haven't browsed their website before, it's definitely worth your time. UnCommonGoods picks their merchandise from skilled and creative artisans, with a flair for innovative and sustainable products. You can view their Christmas gift guide here and choose the perfect artisan gift for your loved one. They even have categories to help you narrow your search, such as unique learning toys for kids and customizable baby items. There are so many cute items to choose from!
Depending on the activity and wiggly level of your kids, you're bound to find something amazing from UnCommonGoods. Plus, by supporting small business artisans, you're ensuring a future for quality and creative items, many of which are made here in the USA. Go you! Not only does UnCommonGoods support artisans, but they donate to multiple charities, including Reach Out & Read. You can feel confident that your gifts help spread cheer around the world.
Disclaimer: I received my choice of items from UnCommonGoods at no cost in exchange for this review, but all opinions are my own and were not influenced by the company.
Kids wiggle and squirm and poke and play - which is great if the family is chilling at home, but not so great in quiet places like church, the doctor's office, or assemblies. Sometimes a little extra quiet time at home can be appreciated too! So, if you need gift ideas for hyper kids that keep their hands busy (and off each other) I have two suggestions for you from UnCommonGoods: one for home and one for outings.
For wiggly kids at home, check out this amazing homemade butter churner. Simply churning your own butter in less than 20 minutes is cool enough, but this device works with hyper kids too! Our three oldest kids kept taking turns churning the butter because they loved it so much. We had to supervise the 2 year old closely so she didn't tip the jar over, but the older kids could use it just fine. Plus, they get wiggles out cranking the gears! The churner is well made, with sturdy handles and seals. The device is super easy to clean and fits nicely in the cupboard for storage.
On our first attempt to make butter, we tried standard whipping cream, which sadly turned into whipped cream. Fail. But we were successful on the second try using heavy whipping cream. How delicious! Our homemade butter tasted exactly like our store-bought butter, but with the self-pride of having done it ourselves. I hope to make butter churning a regular activity to get the wiggles out for our kiddos. The butter churner also comes with recipes for flavored butters. Yum!
For wiggly kids out and about, UnCommonGoods also sells Thinking Putty. My older brother introduced me to Thinking Putty this summer. This special putty is perfect for fidgety kid hands (and adult hands). You can squish it, tear it, mold it, do practically anything with it, and then put it back into the carton when you're done. It'll melt back into putty. Our kids have played with Thinking Putty during church the last two weeks, and it has been so helpful in maintaining quiet reverence. Instead of getting bored and poking each other, the kids can tear and poke the putty! One carton was enough to keep the hands of three hyper kids busy, plus it is clearly colored so I didn't have to worry about stains on clothes or furniture. This amazing putty doesn't lose its stick, and it doesn't leave goo all over your hands. I don't have to worry about the kids touching me and gooing me up after play time. It's a perfect gift for hyper kids and their parents.
If you haven't browsed their website before, it's definitely worth your time. UnCommonGoods picks their merchandise from skilled and creative artisans, with a flair for innovative and sustainable products. You can view their Christmas gift guide here and choose the perfect artisan gift for your loved one. They even have categories to help you narrow your search, such as unique learning toys for kids and customizable baby items. There are so many cute items to choose from!
Depending on the activity and wiggly level of your kids, you're bound to find something amazing from UnCommonGoods. Plus, by supporting small business artisans, you're ensuring a future for quality and creative items, many of which are made here in the USA. Go you! Not only does UnCommonGoods support artisans, but they donate to multiple charities, including Reach Out & Read. You can feel confident that your gifts help spread cheer around the world.
Disclaimer: I received my choice of items from UnCommonGoods at no cost in exchange for this review, but all opinions are my own and were not influenced by the company.
Rabu, 08 Maret 2017
Large Family Practical How To’s Professional Photos Meals Errands Bathing Kids
We personally love to network with other large families for ideas that enable us to be more organized or more time efficient. It’s encouraging, and it helps give vision for what large families can be like. If some people are reading our blog only because they’re curious about what large families are like, then by sharing what our family is like we hope to dispense wrong assumptions, and give a beautiful inside view. *smile* Welcome to our family!
In “Large Family How-To’s, part 1”, I shared how our family of 11 does five practical processes: laundry, transportation, one-on-one time with kids, birthdays, and hair cuts. In part 2, I’ll share how we do:
- Bathing kids
- Errands
- Meals
- Professional photos
“How do you go about bathing so many kids?”
The oldest children of course shower themselves daily. When we had a lot of "littles", I bathed them two kids at a time when possible, and we did showers rather than baths for children 3-years-old and older. With so many kids to bathe, and to preserve my energy to get them all done in one morning, I consider it an on-task time, not a play time.
We do encourage the old-enough children to have “Play baths” during the week, during a time of day that they can just enjoy playing in the water for 30-60 minutes independently. When they have play baths it’s always one child at a time, and in the upstairs bathroom near the family room and kitchen areas so that I can be close by to easily monitor them. With only one child playing in the tub at a time I can make sure the water stays in the tub (a requirement if they’re going to be allowed to have play baths). They also have room to lie down in the warm water, they can have bubbles, and have all the toys to themselves. It’s a very soothing, quiet time, our children really love doing this as an activity, and it’s easy for me to set them up with.
During shower time I bathed a couple of our boys together, and I bathed our middle daughter by herself (for modesty). A small space heater is used during the colder months so that kids are cozy warm, which always adds extra smiles throughout showers and baths. I reach my arms into the shower and one person at a time, wash their hair thoroughly, then wash their ears & face with a wash cloth. I use Johnson’s baby wash on the boy’s hair and bodies because I then don’t need to worry about shampoo getting in their eyes and stinging them. Then they can just stand underneath the shower water to rinse freely – I’m keeping it as simple as possible.
With our daughters I used Panteen shampoo on her hair because it’s longer and I like it to be shiny and silky and smooth. After I’ve washed their hair and head, I put soap on a pouf ball, and they wash their whole body with that. The whole shower for two kiddos takes about 7 minutes. For our toddlers I would put 2 of them into the bath together and wash them both; one gets to play in the water with a few toys while I bathe the other. And I bathed our infants one at a time on a bath sponge in the tub (no large bath tub to store).
Our downstairs bathroom has a door to the laundry room adjacent to it, so on the back of the bathroom door and the laundry room door I have hanging towel racks where 4 towels can dry. The oldest girls use a separate bathroom upstairs so their towels dry there. Bathing the 7 youngest kids took about an hour and a half at the very most.
With our daughters I used Panteen shampoo on her hair because it’s longer and I like it to be shiny and silky and smooth. After I’ve washed their hair and head, I put soap on a pouf ball, and they wash their whole body with that. The whole shower for two kiddos takes about 7 minutes. For our toddlers I would put 2 of them into the bath together and wash them both; one gets to play in the water with a few toys while I bathe the other. And I bathed our infants one at a time on a bath sponge in the tub (no large bath tub to store).
Our downstairs bathroom has a door to the laundry room adjacent to it, so on the back of the bathroom door and the laundry room door I have hanging towel racks where 4 towels can dry. The oldest girls use a separate bathroom upstairs so their towels dry there. Bathing the 7 youngest kids took about an hour and a half at the very most.
Here’s a valuable hair cleaning tip for older kids! We found that when our two oldest girls began puberty, all of a sudden they were not able to get their hair clean! They would scrub their hair, I would scrub their hair – we could not get the thick oil off their scalp! *cringe!* I was totally mystified and frustrated. I finally called a friend of ours who owns his own hair salon and who was knowledgeable about these things. He told me how to get the hair clean and then keep it clean! Hallelujah!
Here's how we did it. When our daughter’s hair was dry I mixed on to the top of her scalp where it was oily Paul Mitchel’s “Cleanse - Shampoo Three" (meant to strip chlorine or heavy oil out). I then sprinkled a lot of baking soda on to her hair and scalp and massaged them in thoroughly. She let it sit for 20 minutes and then washed it out. And ta-da! It was CLEAN!!! Now at first we had to do this 3 times a week to keep it clean – ugh – what a hassle. After a few weeks of this I called the same friend back and asked how long we might have to do this process. He told me that all grocery store shampoos contain wax, which for our girls locked-in the hair oil. We had to switch to a salon-quality shampoo and conditioner (we chose Paul Mitchel for the quality, but also because it goes on sale 50% off a couple of times a year for the large liter sizes), and although more expensive, we have had clean scalps ever since. Looks nice; smells nice, shiny and fluffy. *smile* Aahh. We’ve just had to consider it a necessary expense.
Here's how we did it. When our daughter’s hair was dry I mixed on to the top of her scalp where it was oily Paul Mitchel’s “Cleanse - Shampoo Three" (meant to strip chlorine or heavy oil out). I then sprinkled a lot of baking soda on to her hair and scalp and massaged them in thoroughly. She let it sit for 20 minutes and then washed it out. And ta-da! It was CLEAN!!! Now at first we had to do this 3 times a week to keep it clean – ugh – what a hassle. After a few weeks of this I called the same friend back and asked how long we might have to do this process. He told me that all grocery store shampoos contain wax, which for our girls locked-in the hair oil. We had to switch to a salon-quality shampoo and conditioner (we chose Paul Mitchel for the quality, but also because it goes on sale 50% off a couple of times a year for the large liter sizes), and although more expensive, we have had clean scalps ever since. Looks nice; smells nice, shiny and fluffy. *smile* Aahh. We’ve just had to consider it a necessary expense.
“How do you get errands done?”
I always used to do the weekly shopping while having the children with me because I desired to get it done during the week, leaving the weekend then free of “have-to’s.” I did this with up to 5 kids. And I always kept them with me, never utilizing the “child care” center offered at some stores. This was for safety reasons, but also to avoid sickness spread there, and to be able to train the children’s behavior enabling them to be enjoyable while shopping with me. When I was expecting our 6th baby, and the older ones were all younger than 10-years-old, I could no longer lift little ones in and out of the cart or in and out of the car easily. At this point I began doing the shopping with just one of the children at a time, and during a weekday evening or on a weekend when Daddy would be home with the others. This also became a special one-on-one time for whichever child's turn it was and also a for me. (One on One Time) If you would like much more detail on how I do this you can read my post, "Large Family Meal Planning & Grocery Shopping."
“What are meals like at your house?”
For years we had an average-sized table that seated 6, until we had folding chairs crowded around that and simply no longer fit. So eventually we purchased a large dining room table that seats 10, which is a huge blessing to our family. We do meals there, homeschooling, and table activities (More information about table activities).
When we have another family over for dinner it still works well with a little forethought and a plan. We serve all of the youngest children at the table first while the adults and older children have hors d'oeuvres, then the younger children are cleaned up and the adults and older children eat next. During the summer months when it is warm and dry outside, we serve all of the children out in the yard or on the deck on picnic blankets, and the adults eat either outside with lap trays or inside at the table. One day we hope to have a larger house and another table this size to put end-to-end and seat 18 people all together, making better space for company.
When we had toddlers and babies we did not use highchairs as we did not have room for them in our tiny house. Instead we strapped booster seats (Space Savers), which we purchased used through craigslist.com, to already-existing dining room chairs. This worked beautifully for us, and it enabled all of the children to be included at the table together. We could also easily remove the booster seats and have more seating for adults when we desired.
We serve three plentiful meals at our house and two snack times: breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, dinner, and a mid-afternoon snack (no sugar snacks such as fruit chews, or white-flour such as Ritz crackers which do not help children feel their best and behave their best all afternoon until dinner).
We do not prepare different foods for children who say they don’t care for what is served; everyone eats the same meal. They learn to eat whatever is prepared for them, and to be thankful for it. *smile* It also enables us to prepare one meal, serve it and clean it up, and then we all leave the kitchen together to move on to the next thing in our day. I do not spend all day in the kitchen preparing foods according to who ever is hungry, whenever they feel like eating.
We serve fruit with breakfast, and everyone eats the same type of fruit otherwise we would be spending a lot of time preparing several different kinds, catering to different people’s preferences. We would also have to shop for many different types of fruit each week, rather than purchasing 2-3 types of fruit in large quantities and at low prices from Costco. Instead we vary the type of fruit we purchase each week. We also used a "Food Mill" to puree the same foods that every else is eating for babies who were not yet able to eat table foods. So food preparation is done in larger quantities, but actually pretty simply.
It is unnecessary to live and work in a kitchen that is a mess with food and dishes all day long, but I also cannot easily manage children’s behavior while cleaning-up. Therefore all of the children stay at the table during a meal and during the clean-up of that meal for breakfast and lunch, especially when there was only one adult in the house, and therefore only one “manager” of everyone. Much of the clean up, however, happens after everyone has been served and is eating, so it does not take very long to clean up the rest at the end. We also utilize older-child booster seats (Cooshee Booster), too, to enable those children to stay on their bottoms during the meal or during homeschooling. We’ve found that this greatly minimizes the amount of spilled food, it keeps children off of the table, and encourages good manners.
We do not prepare different foods for children who say they don’t care for what is served; everyone eats the same meal. They learn to eat whatever is prepared for them, and to be thankful for it. *smile* It also enables us to prepare one meal, serve it and clean it up, and then we all leave the kitchen together to move on to the next thing in our day. I do not spend all day in the kitchen preparing foods according to who ever is hungry, whenever they feel like eating.
We serve fruit with breakfast, and everyone eats the same type of fruit otherwise we would be spending a lot of time preparing several different kinds, catering to different people’s preferences. We would also have to shop for many different types of fruit each week, rather than purchasing 2-3 types of fruit in large quantities and at low prices from Costco. Instead we vary the type of fruit we purchase each week. We also used a "Food Mill" to puree the same foods that every else is eating for babies who were not yet able to eat table foods. So food preparation is done in larger quantities, but actually pretty simply.
It is unnecessary to live and work in a kitchen that is a mess with food and dishes all day long, but I also cannot easily manage children’s behavior while cleaning-up. Therefore all of the children stay at the table during a meal and during the clean-up of that meal for breakfast and lunch, especially when there was only one adult in the house, and therefore only one “manager” of everyone. Much of the clean up, however, happens after everyone has been served and is eating, so it does not take very long to clean up the rest at the end. We also utilize older-child booster seats (Cooshee Booster), too, to enable those children to stay on their bottoms during the meal or during homeschooling. We’ve found that this greatly minimizes the amount of spilled food, it keeps children off of the table, and encourages good manners.
Before we had children old enough to help with food preparation and the serving of meals, I would plan time to prepare food for and feed the baby first at each meal, while other children were occupied with something specific (I could not gracefully manage children’s behavior and activities while feeding babies). Then I would prepare food for all of the older children, and clean up the kitchen while they were all eating. This took longer, but worked very smoothly. *smile*
“How do you get such beautiful professional photos results with so many kids?”
This is a two-day process *smile*, but we have a successful plan that works for our family. I first go online to The Picture People website to find what kind of coupons they have available, usually they have one for a FREE 10x13 or 8x10 (with no sitting fee)! So once-a-year or so we would have free professional photos taken! Yay! (The Lord was adding children to our family at least once a year, sometimes twice, so our group is changing drastically all the time and we like a current photo on the wall.)
If that coupon is not available then I’ve used their $30 coupon for a nice-size photo package, and we share the cost with grandparents who share in the package. The Picture People have always done an excellent job for us, and they have very reasonable prices, however I do still always utilize one of their coupons. The day before our appointment I make sure every one has clean clothes that match well (sometimes I make a trip to Value Village to pick up a denim shirt for one of the boys, so they’d all match), and clothes get ironed. Everyone has baths, bang trims where appropriate, and boys have hair cuts if necessary. Since the nearest Picture People location is 60 minutes away, on the day of the appointment we have just enough time to get everyone dressed, lunch & diaper bags packed when we used them, and travel down and back between baby feedings and naps when children were younger. So everything else needed to be done in advance the day before.
The morning of our photo appointment we have breakfast with everyone still in their pj’s so that no food spills on their selected outfits. *chuckle* *smile* One of our oldest children packs a picnic of healthy but clean-to-eat foods for lunch at the mall (The Picture People location) just after our photo appointment, so everyone is full and feeling their best before driving home. With young children we packed string cheese, crackers, and apples (which satisfy thirst, but doesn’t cause lots of people to have to use the bathroom often); with older ones we pack protein bars (that are full of great protein and good fats), still apples and whole grain crackers, and a treat such as licorice. I and our oldest children would stay in their pj's in the morning to feed the twin babies their bottles, so that if they spit up it won’t ruin our outfits, either. *laugh* Worked great. No stress.
When we had a 2-year-old we made sure they had a “onesie” undershirt on so that he could not access his diaper with his hands (not a good day to deal with that!). While children were waiting to go to the car we have one of the older children read them stories on the couch (sitting for this has been trained on every other day of the week, so it’s enjoyable, and a regular occurrence which is easy to implement at other times as well.) This way the children do not get out tons of toys just before we leave the house, which takes time to clean up or leaves a mess to come home to, and during stories they all stay quite and avoid getting wound-up. If anyone has a cold we give them a decongestant so that they’re not goopy during the photo. We grab an audio book to take with us on the long drive in the van (helps make sure everyone is still in a friendly mood when we arrive at the appointment, and not mad at a sibling for some reason), then everyone heads down to the mud room in the garage to get on shoes and coats.
With babies I would have the 2 little baby’s hats in my purse so they don’t get lost. I would put two diapers for our 1-year-old and 2-year-old in to the 3-mo-old twins diaper bag so that I don’t have to bring in more than one diaper bag.
In the van ride down south I write on a post-it note to myself things we need to remember to do just before the photo: have people take their glasses off, put the baby’s hats on them, make sure the boys shirts are tucked in, wash anyone’s face who needs it with a baby wipe, and put chap stick on anyone who has white-dry lips. Every day we strive to help the children learn self-control, following directions, sitting still some times, etc., so they have the skills to do things like have a family photo taken.
If any of the real little children were having a hard time this day – being uncooperative or crying – and they were not responding to verbal directions as they usually would do pretty well, then I did have Tic-Tacs in my purse so they can suck on one, which brings a smile. (Shhh *wink*). This is one of my all-time favorite secrets for getting a great photo! *laugh* We train for obedience all the time, of course, but it is such a big deal to prepare all 11 of us to get a family photo taken, and is such a long drive to get there, this is not the day to be doing additional training during the photo shoot or have the photo ruined because a teething toddler is not feeling his best. And our photo shoots are taken only once a year or every two years, so the littlest kids won’t remember that they were once given a tiny piece of candy to help them behave well. *chuckle*
In the van ride down south I write on a post-it note to myself things we need to remember to do just before the photo: have people take their glasses off, put the baby’s hats on them, make sure the boys shirts are tucked in, wash anyone’s face who needs it with a baby wipe, and put chap stick on anyone who has white-dry lips. Every day we strive to help the children learn self-control, following directions, sitting still some times, etc., so they have the skills to do things like have a family photo taken.
If any of the real little children were having a hard time this day – being uncooperative or crying – and they were not responding to verbal directions as they usually would do pretty well, then I did have Tic-Tacs in my purse so they can suck on one, which brings a smile. (Shhh *wink*). This is one of my all-time favorite secrets for getting a great photo! *laugh* We train for obedience all the time, of course, but it is such a big deal to prepare all 11 of us to get a family photo taken, and is such a long drive to get there, this is not the day to be doing additional training during the photo shoot or have the photo ruined because a teething toddler is not feeling his best. And our photo shoots are taken only once a year or every two years, so the littlest kids won’t remember that they were once given a tiny piece of candy to help them behave well. *chuckle*
After the photo shoot, we have our picnic lunch in the mall while awaiting the development of the photos we just had taken. The Picture People produce the finished results of our photo shoot while we wait! Instant gratification – so fun – and we don’t have to make another trip to pick the photos up. *chuckle*
Then we head home, relieved, and pleased to be bringing home a wonderful family photo. And the Picture People are usually so amazed that such a large group of children could have such a great photo shoot, that they usually ask us to sign a release to be able to use our family photo for advertising or in-store posters. *smile* We’re honored to comply. (click on photo below to enlarge and see closer up)
We’re not “super parents”, and we have normal, rambunctious children. We just implement a good plan for how to prepare the family in advance and for how to enable the children to be successful and pleasant. Because of homeschooling we have the time and opportunity to be training their character every day, and the fruit of that effort carries into every day life. We do family photos, just like all other areas of life, on purpose. *smile*
Blessings on your efforts!
Other “how-to” posts I’ve written that might interest you:
- Large Family How-To’s, part 1
- How we plan our daily routine
- How I manage my time, parts 1 & 2 (to-do lists, bills, calendar, charts for the kids…)
- How I capture photograph memories
- How we get by with such a small kitchen
- How we occupy young children during the day
- How we manage chores
- How I organizing recipes
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