Answering Some Questions

The most often question that I am asked is "How do you do it?"

It's simple...

ROFLMBO....

Nothing is simple...

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" ~ Philippians 4:13

THAT is how I do it...because believe me...If I was on my own...I could NOT do it.

I believe that He has given me a talent for organization. I am by far from organized in every area of my life. But when it comes to scheduling and making things happen...I able to do it. I get ideas. I like ideas.

One thing I have learned though is that having a collaboration of individuals gives you the opportunity to have BETTER ideas! That old saying "two heads are better than one."...it's TRUE!

The best idea or philosophy of raising children is teaching a child. God tells us: "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he shall not depart from it." ~Proverbs 22:6

I strongly believe in this. I have personal experience with this verse.

So I got to thinking...what should I be training my child? Of course Spiritual training is #1.

# 2 is Practical Training.

If I want my child to be able to handle the real world, they need to "LIVE" in the REAL world. In the real world, you have to work to get what you want. If you want a car...you get a job and buy a car. If you want clothes...you work and buy your clothes.

Another thing...I don't get paid to do my household chores...so you better bet that I am not paying my kids to do their chores. (There is a whole other post for allowances).

Everybody who is old enough to work...works in our house. Even Baby Girl has a chore or two.

This is our breakdown.

Each kid has an assigned Laundry day. They are responsible for washing, drying, folding and putting away their own clothing.

Each kid is assigned a chore as follows:

• Kitchen...kitchen responsibilities are washing dishes, counters, stove, table, high chair and washing out the sink after dishes. On the weekends and holidays they are allowed to use the dish washer.
• Sweeping...responsibilities are sweeping the upstairs, main floor and downstairs (basement) carpet. (I sweep and mop tiled floors).
• Picking up and Dusting...responsibilities are picking up toys and whatever is laying around the downstairs living room and dining room (this is where the junk collects) and putting them in their correct rooms. Then dusting whatever surfaces that needs it downstairs.
• Bath rooms...wiping down the sinks, counter tops and toilet seat and top, along with taking the trash to the main trash can.
• Yard Work...mowing and trimming ground...(trees and bushes are separate).

Chores are done daily. While the kids think I do "nothing"...and it would seem that I don't since most of the chores seem to be covered...what they don't see is all the clean up and running I do around them! This just keeps things manageable.

On top of this, everything has a "designated area". Each child has a "cubby" to which their coats, shoes, hats, gloves, and book bags are to remain when not in use.

I built this myself.

There are 5 cubbies with 8 hooks, plus the 2 on each outside.

In the bath room, each child has their own drawer to keep their own hair brushes/combs, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and all that other junk they seem to need to beautify themselves...LOL.

All toys are to stay in their rooms. The younger ones have toys downstairs because of supervision...but the older children keeps their stuff in their rooms. Some have tried to get away with bringing stuff down...but when they find it chucked out the back door (after leaving it laying) they learn quickly to follow the rule!

Mealtimes...I am not a smorgess board. You eat what I fix or you go hungry. Simple...and if you are old enough to get a job...they realize they can "quietly" make their way to a fast food joint and buy their own dinner...as long as they don't tell me...LOL!

So how to I do it?

Lots of whining to God "why me?" or "help me please!" and rules and organization. That is how we manage....LOL!