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cornomama4
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| Posted: Aug 01 2008 at 10:05am | IP Logged
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Mornong all,
One thing we are doing for our homeschooling this year is to try and develop 1 new positive habit each month. This month is "put your things away" month. I'm making a good sized poster (with help of course  ) to hang in the playroom, but I'd like to put little reminders on colorful cards in each room, including my and dh's offices.
I'd like to include some relavent Bible versus about being a good steward, or how an orderly life bring you close to God, but I'm drawing a blank...actually I'm drawing many blanks today, but that's another story!
I'm going to reread some of Elizabeth's posts about intentional housekeeping, etc., but if anyone has something they'd use I'd love to hear some ideas.
Thanks so much, and I guess this will be the first of our "rails" this year....just hope the train doesn't crash! Thanks do much,
cm4
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domchurch3
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| Posted: Aug 01 2008 at 11:19am | IP Logged
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Great idea! I'd like to hear a follow-up on how this goes for you.
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teachingmyown
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| Posted: Aug 01 2008 at 11:23am | IP Logged
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I have been reading the New Messies Manual and now I get the emails from Messies Anonymous.
One thing she has you do to create new habits is to say things like "In our family, we push the chairs in when we get up from the table" or "In our family, we put our shoes in the closet as soon as we take them off".
I just walk around casually now, saying "In our family..." instead of "How many times do I have to ask you to....!". It sets a much nicer tone and invites cooperation.
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In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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cornomama4
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| Posted: Aug 01 2008 at 2:04pm | IP Logged
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I red that New Messies Manual, but now I've misplaced it! 
No, it had so much good advice and I'm a total messy...not slob. It's amazing the things I can find though, I almost always know which pile it's in.
I think for me my "system" is no longer working...it hasn't been working for about 4 years, but the kids have always been pretty small or new babies, so I was like "I'll wait until they're a little older"
Well, I've been following the CM book discussion about laying down rails of habits, and I thought "Wow, I wish my parents had done that somehow with me" they did a bit, but we got away with too much slacking as far as responsibility and chores, etc.
Suddenly I find myself with 8,7yo boys, (and a 2dd and 1ds, so those newborn days are way over!) and the boys are very good about doing any chore or favor we ask them, but one thing that frustrates them and me is we never know when is the day that the house should be picked up. It's so random, the mess gets too big and then people get grumpy and frustrated, then dh has a small fit and everyone vows to do better. Then we do it all again!
So this good habit/month thing is for me as well as the children. All they know is this disheveled look. We have no schedule here, except what outside commitments give us, and I think we're all ready for some predictability and conveyed expectations.
When things are too loosey-goosey, the children (and the parents) will never really feel the delicious pleasure of taking a break from a period of good hard work, the delight of sleeping in, and the freedom of an occasional "no rules night". If everyday is a little like that, with no stress and the release, pretty soon the dial-tone of life starts to make you crazy, escpecially if your dial-tone is disorganized and undisciplined.
Sorry to go on and on. I'm not sure what next month will be, but I really want to get August off to a good start. Another reason is we got the baby chicks yesterday, and I think we're reaching critical mass as far as to how much barn-like atmosphere hd can take!
Thanks, and I'm still looking for some Bible verses.....
cm4
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Erin
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| Posted: Aug 01 2008 at 3:47pm | IP Logged
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Cornomama4 wrote:
| Well, I've been following the CM book discussion about laying down rails of habits, and I thought "Wow, I wish my parents had done that somehow with me" they did a bit, but we got away with too much slacking as far as responsibility and chores, etc. |
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This is where alot of your problem stems from, its like you have to re-make yourself, I know this all too well. But the scary thing I was remembering as I read 'laying down the rails' is my children will be able to blame ME for inconsistencies. Oh I find it so hard, getting better, I truly have had to, it hit me at about child number five so you're doing better than me. I so relate though.
After reading the book I was inspired to have a Habits Chart, our first habit is teeth cleaning, I was planning on the chart hanging in the bathroom and children have to tick off as they do so. My dc like chart ticking.
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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cornomama4
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| Posted: Sept 04 2008 at 1:36am | IP Logged
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Well, for those of you who have been on pins and needles waiting to hear how my August habit went here's the unvarnished truth:
It started out pretty crummy (crumby?) until I realized that the manifesto "Put your things away" would play out better if the things went into an organized and logical space! So, I spent about a week sorting, tossing, moving and cleaning the places that were the "repeat offenders": the basement (rumpus room/ Montessori classroom for 12 come 9/17), the porch/3 season room/baby chick night home, the babies' toy room where I also store all the HS books, and the self-perpetuating "piles of despair" on several parts of my kitchen counters.
The organizing really helped me, but more importantly it helped the older boys. They basically knew where things were to be put away. And it's true that when a room or surface is a mess no one thinks of adding a little more mess to the pile, but when it's tidy family members tend to try a little harder.
I'll say that more often than not I go to bed with things pretty darn tidy. It feels unsettling now to leave a sink full of dishes or the makings of a late-night sandwich on the counter or the entire contents of my "tupperware" drawer all over the floor (thanks mr. destructo!).
Is it a habit....? Only time will tell!
September's habit will be posted tomorrow... I gotta go to bed. And no. it's not "early to bed, early to rise....."
cm4
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: August habit inspiration
