Recently a dear friend of mine commented on how much we seem to be able to achieve as a family, within a day.
She mentioned how we seem to have 8 days instead of 7, and 36 hours instead of 24. Although she is far too kind with her praise and way too generous with her encouragement, time management with a young family, is one area that I am continuously improving in.
Learning to take control of my time is one sphere I am truly passionate about. I am always tweaking our family routine, just like an engineer would to his construction plan, to ensure that the household thrives as the season changes.
Many times we want to build tall, without going deep. But family building teaches us to go in and dig deep by mastering the basics well.
The old adage that says “until we can manage time, we can manage nothing else” is true, and it is so imperative to learn how to take control of the commodity called TIME.
This is especially true when you have little ones in the home, and when your world is anything but predictable.
What is the most effective way to achieve a strong family life?
In total honesty, the reason why we could achieve and produce more is because we are learning to tap into the overflow. We are learning everyday how to find our source of fruitfulness in God alone. We are learning to take holy pauses and to make time for worship.
We are learning the virtue of quietness and we teach that to our children. We learn to convey ideas and communicate what we learn about God, about ourselves and about our world, and these I found, have gone a long way towards the making of our children’s inner life.
When our children learn cultivate their sense of identity apart from their peers’ approval or even their own performance, they learn to perpetuate a radiant life independent of their outward appearance and outer circumstance, and I think that’s one thing that has given us so much joy.
How to make time for other things with a busy household
The other big factor to being productive with a busy household is far more simpler. It is in well managing your home life.
When the home is under control (and yes, I am talking about the cooking, the laundering, the cleaning, the daily/monthly/yearly maintenance of a physical house) and the children’s days are structured, you can really move on to other pursuits of interest.
Proverbs 24:3-4 says: “By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches”.
One of the most important tools a parent has to have in their arsenal is an effective structure and a flexible routine for everyone in the family.
If the family unit is likened to a moving wheel, a flexible routine is like the spokes that hold the hub together and keep the wheel moving.
A routine provides the structure needed to maintain the inner workings of the family life while meeting the needs of the rest of the family, and by the inner workings I mean, everything we have to do to keep life going.
A routine will provide the foundation that enables the further creative expressions of the home.
When you have a routine for yourself and your kids, you will soon reap the benefits of having free time with which you can nourish your soul and enhance your creativity, because all the basic needs of the family are being met consistently.
For example, a routine provides the framework for you to teach character and virtue training in the life of your children.
One of my best daily highlights is to look forward to my personal hour with God in the morning, my free reading, writing and studying hour in the afternoon everyday, and my quiet moment alone or with my husband at night. With our children, I look forward to our bible and breakfast moment in the morning, our circle time in the evening and our heart-to-heart chat in the night. I also know that the way their days at home are structured are meeting the training goals that are age appropriate and to the higher standard of the Bible, which gives me immense satisfaction.
When you are well and truly established in creating flexible routines, you will soon notice a flow and a rhythm that meets both the needs of parents and children alike, and your days at home will be one that bring ultimate fulfilment.
The truth about raising children and what you can do about it
Having children would invariably make you very busy and unless you learn to take control of your time daily, and know what it is that you are trying to achieve, you will find yourself exhausted, frustrated, and confused at the end of the day. Raising children and running a household forces you to learn organisation skill to a new level.
Periods of rest, replenishment and recreation are necessary so that you as a giving parent can last for the long haul.
You also need a calm oasis for continuous learning and reflection so that you are perpetually growing in your various roles.
But how practically would you do this when you have multiple children with multiple (UNENDING) needs, different timetables and education requirements, schools runs, after school activities, community life while keeping the home well cared for and the food continuously flowing?
The secret in ensuring that your family life thrives is in being faithful to keep a simple, flexible structure.
Structure and routine are basics that we need to be brilliant at, and even though they may seem insignificant, you will notice a marked difference when they are done well.
Benefits of effectively structuring your family life
Structuring your day is much more than just doing a timetable.
It is about creating rhythm and routine that will bring harmony and meet the goals for every member of the family.
It will reduce conflict, satisfy needs, give individualised attention, reduce attention-seeking problems, remove overwhelm, and make time for other parenting priorities.
It trains your children to be self-controlled, to be accountable with their time, to not squander their day, and to be internally self-regulated.
It also gives us parents time to be in the thinking zone, which means you are able to reflect and take control of your life instead of allowing life drive you around.
Most importantly, structuring your family life allows you to stay focussed on the big picture things; such as discipling your children, moral and character training, and the cultivation of their own inner life.
Hey, Friends, I’m so privileged to walk this sacred journey of life with you. Interested to get a free daily planner where you can set your priorities right? Here below: