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Maryan
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| Posted: April 12 2007 at 2:19pm | IP Logged
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I've been an admirer of Cheryl's organized methods on her blog:
My Thoughtful Spot
You can see on her sidebar that she has a habit that she is working on and a habit that she's instilling in her kids. This month she just moved to Table Manners.
I have a lot of good intentions of working on good habits and myself and in the kids, but sometimes things get lost in the shuffle. As a teacher, I used to have a "virtue of the month," but I haven't used that idea as a Mom. I have themes for projects or "rabbit trails" -- but not themes in good habits!!
I don't know if there are any older posts about this..., but do any of you try to do this too?? And Cheryl, can you comment on how it's been helpful to focus on one habit each month??
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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Bridget
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| Posted: April 12 2007 at 3:46pm | IP Logged
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I agree. Just copy her habit of the month.
I asked her to post each specific table thing as they do it.
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God Bless,
Bridget, happily married to Kevin, mom to 8 on earth and a small army in heaven
Our Magnum Opus
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Cheryl
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| Posted: April 12 2007 at 8:03pm | IP Logged
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Thanks Maryan and Bridget. 
I like the idea of a habit a month. I was actually choosing a habit to work on and doing it until it was working well. I probably got this idea from Charlotte Mason.  It just happened that we worked on the bedtime routine for March and I chose table manners in April.
Before that I think I was going back and forth between morning routines and obedience. We're doing well with the morning routines for the most part.
I like the Ben Franklin quote: "Let the child's first lesson be obedience, and the second will be what thou wilt." It's so logical, but maybe not so realistic. The 'first time' obedience doesn't seem to be becoming a habit, at least for one of my dc. So I've decided to work on whatever seems most bothersome first - right now it's table manners.
I think I will try it for a month and then move on to another habit. Willa talked about doing this with homeschooling (notebooking, narration, etc.) I bet it will help me to be more focused, and the change will be refreshing.
I will post on how it's going for us.
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Cheryl
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Mom to Matthew 13, Joseph 11, Sarah 10, Rachel 6, Hannah almost 4 and Mary 1
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: April 12 2007 at 11:02pm | IP Logged
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Yeah....I've been COPYING you too, Cheryl! It's great.....you do my thinking for me!
I've checked that 365 manners book out from the library. Maybe I should get it again.......
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Suzanne in ID
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 11:24am | IP Logged
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Since the habit of the month is "early rising" I thought I'd bore everyone with one of my favorite paragraphs from Charlotte's Web.....first chapter, after Avery is informed that Fern has a pet-pig:
"Can I have a pig, too, Pop?" asked Avery
"No, I only distribute pigs to early risers," said Mr. Arable. "Fern was up at daylight, trying to rid the world of injustice. As a result, she now has a pig. It just shows what can happen if a person gets out of bed promptly. Let's eat!"
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Suzanne in ID
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Maria B.
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 11:34am | IP Logged
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Suzanne, I love it! What a great entry for the kids copywork next week!
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Maria in VA
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Cheryl
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 12:24pm | IP Logged
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Suzanne, that is one of my favorite lines from the book!
The early rising is my habit to work on, not the dc's. They rise early enough for my taste. I'm struggling with making it a habit because I'm such a night owl and I wake in the night with dd 1. (and dd 4)
I receive the Mom's corner emails from Teri Maxwell. This month she wrote one called From Night Owl to Morning Lark. She makes very good points in it. I really need to commit to going to bed earlier. What's happening to me is I'll get up at 6:30 am from Mon-Wed, then I'll sleep in on Thursday and Friday because I'm so tired.
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Cheryl
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JennGM
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 12:26pm | IP Logged
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Whoa, talk about getting discouraged from the get-go. Getting up is one of my hardest things. I don't sleep well at night. Ds sleeps late, and so do I.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Maryan
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 12:42pm | IP Logged
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Neat link Cheryl! And the title is a riot! I wonder if there is such a thing as a mid-morning dove? That's me!!
I struggle with the morning due to nightly wake-ups, and then there are the times that I get up to get things done... and my oldest always hears me!!
So I think I need to change my point of view... not to get up to do chores, but to tip-toe out of bed after nursing 6 mo to pray. But I am soooo weak willed! Especially since it's hard to go to bed early since dh has late games, etc. and is often late to bed, and then little guy wakes up several times... I'm really good at excuses!!
My boys memorized a poem by R.L. Stevenson "Time to Rise" -- which cracked us up -- but the only sleepy-head in our house is Mommy! If they slept late, I wouldn't feel so bad!
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Maryan
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 12:43pm | IP Logged
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Jenn - In each situation, "rising early" means different things. Maybe "getting up on time" sums it up!
I interpret "rising early" to mean that you get up in time to accomplish what needs to be done for your "morning routine" (or whatever you call it) without everything falling behind b/c you feel like you're in scramble-mode for the remainder of the day. For some that may mean 5 am...for others 10.
Cheryl.....I hear ya........my girls get up WAY early enough.
I'm using "early rising" basically to refine our morning routines....mine especially...which HINGES on me rising at the appointed time!
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Suzanne in ID
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 12:49pm | IP Logged
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Maryan wrote:
I struggle with the morning due to nightly wake-ups, and then there are the times that I get up to get things done... and my oldest always hears me!!
So I think I need to change my point of view... not to get up to do chores, but to tip-toe out of bed after nursing 6 mo to pray. |
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I have changed my point of view too. I am definitely a morning person, but if I get up at the crack of dawn....so do they  . I've started doing most of the chores i used to do upon rising, AT NIGHT  .....which makes me be up later....but then I just sleep in and get up when they do and just DIVE into getting them going, and getting a quick shower with everyone barricaded in one room. Not exactly perfect, but for now...we're not striving for perfection
ETA: I've also given up on praying in the morning....I pray at night/other times during the day and do a quick morning offering in the AM. Morning just isn't in the cards right now....
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Suzanne in ID
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Maryan
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 1:02pm | IP Logged
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Oh Suzanne, this is making me laugh.. since I imagine that we are living the same lives (except that you are in pink and I am in blue) -- just looking at our name signatures says it all!!
I definitely use barricading -- except I take the youngest with me on the floor of the bathroom for protection from his "loving" brothers!
I probably should bag "early" for now and just work on "on time!" Baby steps...good idea.
AND my dh is so helpful in the morning that I use that as an excuse too! "It's the daddy and boys bonding time!! I should keep sleeping, so I don't interrupt it"
Now that I'm really revealing why I am inspired by Cheryl's habit of the month -- I'm badly in need of them!! 
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 1:10pm | IP Logged
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Maryan wrote:
| Oh Suzanne, this is making me laugh.. since I imagine that we are living the same lives (except that you are in pink and I am in blue) -- just looking at our name signatures says it all!! |
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Yep....you do the obligatory load of blues and greens...i do the obligatory load of pinks and reds!
Maryan wrote:
| AND my dh is so helpful in the morning that I use that as an excuse too! "It's the daddy and boys bonding time!! I should keep sleeping, so I don't interrupt it" |
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yep....since we're in 'confession mode'.....uhhhhh....me too! Oh, the tragedies of having wonderful hubbies! 
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Suzanne in ID
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Cheryl
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 3:21pm | IP Logged
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I didn't notice the 4 girls and 4 boys between '01 and '06. That's really neat.
I wanted to add that early rising for me means getting up a half hour earlier than the dc do. I like about 10-15 minutes of prayer and meditation and 15-20 minutes of swaying in the shower. My dh tells me that's what weekends are for.
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Cheryl
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Topic: Cheryl's Blog & Habit of the month
