Create with Contentment

This inspired me when we lived in a 250 sq foot apartment in the city, and still does today:⁠

“It seems to me that whether it is recognized or not, there is a terrific frustration which increases in intensity and harmfulness as time goes on, when people are always daydreaming of the kind of place in which they would like to live, yet never making the place where they do live into anything artistically satisfying to them. Always to dream of a cottage by a brook while never doing anything to the stuffy house in the city is to waste creativity in this very basic area, and to hinder future creativity by not allowing it to grow and develop through use." ⁠

― Edith Schaeffer, The Hidden Art of Homemaking

A Mother’s Day Prayer

The Liturgy for Unseen Labors began taking shape on the living room floor early in motherhood. I sat there with two small babies in a dated rental house in a new town, far from the job I’d just left in New York City. I was grateful but exhausted, and beginning to understand that all the exhaustion-producing work would not earn any recognition in a staff meeting or annual review. 

But then, right there on the floor, something hit me. God, if in your presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11), then JOY can be here, even in this. True, deep, exhilarating joy! Joy was not dependent on circumstances but on the Lord’s presence.

Suddenly, any job, whether it was over a kitchen sink or a computer keyboard, could be offered as worship. I prayed to see things differently– to be more captivated by His work all around me than captive to others’ approval or validation. 
In the end, we all just want true joy, and that’s found in His presence.

Prayer excerpts from Every Moment Holy III, available HERE.

How to Enjoy Individual Time with Each Child

We started this several years ago in the summers and it’s still part of our rhythm. Moms at home with a houseful of young children might enjoy it too.

On weekdays, one child and I take 30 minutes away from everyone else, still at the house, to do something together. The name started out as a joke, “Moments with Mom,” said in a sing-songy way like a radio jingle, and it stuck.

When there are many children in a family vying for one mom’s attention, all parties benefit from some one-on-one time. 

Here are a few activities that we’ve done over the years, most several times. Sometimes I give the child suggestions, but often they have our time already planned out.

Lego-building 

Magna-tile building

Paint a picture 

Bake a treat

Playdough 

Draw digital art 

Tea Party

Origami

Learn animated drawing on my iPad

Handstands and cartwheels in the front yard

Jump on the trampoline (a frequent request)

Play basketball

Read a book aloud

Sketch

Learn a song on the piano

Play a board game

Paint nails

Play Dolls

Play Store

Create a comic strip

Listen to an audiobook

Play soccer

Create a stop-motion video

In the past, I’ve tried to make this a screen-free time, mainly because I fear if watching something was an option that’s all they would choose! I’ve adjusted this for the older ones now as they might want to look up certain videos they are interested in and we have fun watching a short something together.

A few practical thoughts on making this sustainable:

Typically, I only do one Moments with Mom per day, total. So ideally, in our family each child gets one time per week. 

I set a timer for 30 minutes. This might seem insensitive at first, but I’ve found it’s a good thing. When I’ve gone over, things in other parts of the house can start getting out of hand. Also, if I subconsciously feel like this is a major hours-long undertaking, it’s harder to mentally fit it into the day. You might even need to start with 15 minutes instead of 30. This will largely depend on the capacity of the other children in the house to occupy themselves. (Also, when the timer signals that Moments with Mom is over, it’s the bad guy, not me!)

When we used to do this with four much younger ones, it was HARD to manage, but we stumbled through and I continually saw how it was worth it. I tried to set the others up for success by having them all play in a room with the oldest “in charge” or having them all play in the backyard while I watched from the window as I had time with the fourth. If sitting everyone else in front of the TV to keep them in one place feels like the only option, I’ve utilized shows that are maybe a little less enticing, like a nature show or something educational. Easier for the fourth child to pass on, but still captivates a young, otherwise into-everything audience.

This is not meant to be a stressful burden, but a blessing! When days are missed, as they often are, we just pick back up again in a few days with the next person in line. Rather than constantly feeling I’m struggling to fit everything in for everyone, I know there’s an upcoming time slot for it, which relieves an emotional burden. 

Moments with Mom will be one of those memories I will really cherish from my children’s childhoods. Just the other day one of them asked when we were going to start back up again for the summer, so I think they will too!