Baby girl is now 8 weeks old and I had been reflecting on how would I be coping and managing still wanting to have meaniful time with each child. I had been focussing pretty hard on not turning the TV on during pregnancy and doing learning activities with the boys and I thought how is this going to happen when there is a new baby?
Now that we're two months in I've still been going strong and happy to say activities are still happening and TV is still not going to be turned on. Sometimes I feel i need to chill more with that, but I think if I get relaxed it will send the wrong message. Yesterday after the nagging for it for so long I remember how much Asher loves to be told how strong he is, all the time, he just loves hearing it. So I said to him if you watch it too much you won't be strong, you have to be moving doing things to be strong. I think it will require a bit more then just me saying that as I don't think he was buying it. It is true though so I will elaborate some more on it over time.
I decided last night I would make a list of all the things that I could remember we have done for the past week and see how I going, as I think I was pressuring myself to do more but when looking at it, I realised I'm doing just as much as before. (Not every week is like this, my house is still messy, food isn't elaborate and I don't look as top notch as I could, just saying so there's nothing to hide)
Acting out what's happening in story books
Pretend play: kitchen, daddy's headset, lawn mower, diggers
Vinegar and baking soda
Baking: brownies
Dress ups as a workman
Visit to see farm animals at expo
Visit grandparents
Playing with grandpas tools (the collection is huge!)
Walk to the construction site
Out of the box festival at south bank ( children's education through play)
Play under the house (workmen's area)
Dinner at two different friends houses
Puzzles
Reading of new library books
House chores:
vacuuming
tidying toy room
Putting away laundry
Obviously there are many more things that occur each day but these are some things that I had intentionally done this pst week and I think for myself with 3 alone doing these things is an achievement. I toot my own horn because if I don't I will continue in a spiral of negative thinking as I have in the past and it's not going to inspire me to do more.
I have also had a strong influential feeling to better incorporate gospel learning on a daily basis. I decided to google ideas as this was lacking. Sure Asher knows the first article of faith but I wanted more consistent teaching and more intentional then just a random scripture at bedtime. So I have started bringing out the children's scriptures with pictures and easier to read wording. The boys are seriously keen to see the pictures and ask questions. Now I just have to convince myself to slow down and not be pressured to a schedule to rush everything. For example Asher wanted to keep looking through the picture scripture book and kept asking questions after I had finished reading it to him, then I said "just go and brush your teeth" as it was getting close to head out the door. Even as the words came out of my mouth I realised how I had clearly got it wrong, the focus is the gospel learning, not the importance of rushing to the next thing to do. This is what I have to remember and also allow room for in my day.
3 kids in less then 4 years is hectic though. Every morning getting ready is crazy and all the while it's predominantly me alone doing it. In all the nappy changes, fights, lost shoes, wiping noses, making meals and time outs - I have to go back to the calm of stopping and thinking of the Saviour. For me it is so hard to do and I'm hoping that by making this a priority it will become a habit that will then become something that will stick in mine and my children's minds for a lifetime, therefore keeping them safe and helping me realise it is all worth.
