Mom, I'm Not a Morning Person

     I have always been the kind of person who wakes up early.  I find that I can get so much done in the early morning hours, before my kiddos get up to start their day. So I guess you can say I am a morning person.  

     My children are not morning people.  They do not hop out of bed, ready to face the day.  As a matter of fact, they would sleep until noon if I let them.  There are days I feel like a tornado could tear through their bedrooms and they wouldn't budge.  

     Being real here.....With my older three kids, I wasn't very kind or patient when waking them up. I would yell at them until they got out of their beds. I thought they needed to get up at 6 am in order for our days to be productive.  Boy was I wrong.  I learned that was not a good approach.  Starting your day out on a sour note only causes issues later in the day. They needed me to give grace.  Just because I could wake up before the sun, didn't mean they needed to.  I don't enjoy sharing my shortcomings as a young and inexperienced mom, but if I can help one mom out there who is struggling then my embarrassment is worth it.

  As I aged, I was blessed with more patience. With age also comes wisdom.  I have learned that kids respond better to a calm mama instead of one that is screaming. I have also learned that it is better to work with your kids' time clock instead of against it.

     My younger three are still not happy about getting up in the mornings, but they still get up within a few minutes of hearing mama's voice calmly asking them to get out of bed.  They know that we have things to do and if we stay in bed too long we won't be able to have our free time in the afternoons.  I am using logic instead of anger to get them up, and guess what?  IT WORKS!!!!

     Sometimes I sing a little song to wake up my kids.  It gives us all a good laugh and reminds us that God has given us another day to enjoy.  

     Our morning routine is quite simple. I usually wake them by 8 am.  They eat their breakfast as we talk about our day, then they are off to do their morning checklists.  The checklists include: 

•  Making their beds
•  Tidying up their bedrooms
•  Feeding the pets
•  Getting dressed
•  Brushing their teeth and hair
•  Gathering their schoolbooks together for the day.

     This system is working really well for us.  They are not as cranky and mom gets her quiet time without having to wake up before 6 am.  I am happy that we can enjoy our mornings together now.  It makes the days more peaceful, and I no longer dread the morning wake up calls.

     How do you handle your mornings?  I would love to hear from you!!!!

      

Family Rules

    

     

     Every now and then our kiddos get out of sorts. They forget every single ounce of character training and they rebel against our rules. It's never a pretty site let me tell ya. 

     As parents it is our job to train and correct them.  When they choose to forget what we have taught them about godly character, good manners, and acceptable behaviors, we have to correct them. I am not going to tell you how you should correct your child, I am just going to share what we do in our home.  

     We have a behavior chart hanging in our pantry.  This chart helps remind our children to get back on track when their conduct is unacceptable.  Each morning they begin on start.  They get one warning before they begin losing privileges or if they just refuse to turn things around they may receive an early bedtime. 

     We do not have many household rules.  They are quite easy to understand and follow even from a young age.  Our rules are: 

• Respect Others
• Obey Authority
• Ask Permission
• Be Kind & Peaceful
• Be a Helper

     Our children are also taught Bible verses that go along with our rules, so they know it's not just mom and dad who expect them to have godly conduct. Our Father in Heaven wants us to follow the statutes that He has set before us. These rules that we have asked them to adhere to are not made up, they are in God's Word. 

     In addition to our behavior chart, we have a blackboard where we remind our children of a different character quality each week. This is not just for them.  It helps us to remember that we are also expected to follow God's Word, and that our children will follow our example. 

     This week we are working on obedience.  It really is the foundation for all the other rules.  We make it clear in our home, that even as parents, God requires that we obey Him. We need to pursue a life that is pleasing to Him.  

     Another great way to reinforce the godly behavior is to find Biblical studies that go deeper into the Word.  These studies will last a few weeks, but will have a lasting effect.  

       The study above is from an awesome family over at Not Consumed. It is about obedience.  It gives our kids Biblical reasons to obey. By the end of the study, they will want to be obedient.  We have also finished another study of theirs called A Content Heart.  It touched our hearts and taught our children to be thankful for what they have and not to take anything for granted. Diving into God's word is always a great way to develop a godly attitude and behavior. 

       The number one thing to remember as we correct our kiddos, is to do it out of love and not anger.   They need to feel we are disciplining them because we care for them and we want them to grow into godly adults.  Never allow your emotions to get the best of you when your child is showing his sinful side.  Stop, pray and ask God to guide you before you say or do something you may regret later. We get much better results use self-control when correcting our kids. When they see us exercising godly character, they will be more willing to listen to our admonishment.  

       Along with correcting, we must be using words of affirmation when they are caught exhibiting godly character traits. We need to be quick to encourage them. It lets them know what behaviors are acceptable and good.   

     I don't know about you, but I have to work really hard at this concept.  I have to remind myself to encourage my kids on a daily basis.  It is just not built in my personality.  In my head you are just suppose to do what you are told to do and you shouldn't need a cheerleader, but all personalities are different and some kids thrive on words of encouragement.  Some children feel unloved if they are not given words of affirmation everyday.

     Some great examples of words of affirmation are:  Well done.  Great job.  Excellent work!

      We need to really set out to show our children that we see what they are doing and we are proud of them when they make the right decisions.

Do what is right and good in the Lord's sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land the LORD promised on oath to your ancestors.
 ~ Deuteronomy 6:18

      I would love to hear how you go about correcting and encouraging your children.  We can all learn from one another.