Is it just me or does anyone else out there have a problem getting things done? I have a hard time saying no to things so I know that my plate is too full of things outside my house. The problem is I am letting down my "first ministry" (that's from my Bible study workbook) which is my family.
I am thankfully married to a wonderful man who likes to do things around the house. He is always working on something. Unfortunately he can't put the cereal box back, but that's ok when he can re-tile my bathroom. I like to keep things organized, but deep cleaning is not my favorite. I am easily sidetracked by something else I deem more important.
For example...today it took me an hour and half to clean two bathrooms. Mainly because the phone rang, it was nap time and I had to get everyone to go to sleep and then I finally finished cleaning. I have actually put off the bathrooms all week. They were on my list to do Monday. :)
Now my perfectionist husband notices that I haven't cleaned bathrooms all week and he wonders (aloud) "what have you been doing all week?" Well...I feel like I've done a ton, but at the same time I don't feel like I've done much at all.
Facebook has become a bad thing for me. I don't think I spend too much time on there, but what happens is I see what all these other moms are doing. Then I think I am accomplishing nothing. I don't see how anyone has time to get together with friends, sew, cook, scrapbook, clean, play with kids, do Bible study etc...all in one week. Ok so one person is not doing all those things, but I am barely doing 2 of them.
I get upset with myself for pushing Taylor away so I can get something done. He wants to play with me all the time. So I stop and start stuff all the time which makes me feel like nothing is getting accomplished. I like to have a few hours to just sit and do something til it's finished. Lilly luckily plays well by herself or is entertained by Taylor but I don't know how many times a day I have to remind him that he has toys and needs to play with them. He's always right under me it seems. Unless daddy is home and then he's under him or actually playing by himself?
So now that I've wasted part of nap time spilling my guts I should go get something done. Any suggestions on how you get through your day? I was given a book awhile back that was pretty helpful if I would just follow all of their advise. It's called "Sidetracked Home Executives" (S.H.E.)
On a less negative note. Check out how we spent the evening in the drive way last night...
I got a pretty good workout pushing Lilly up and down the driveway on that tricycle. She just kept kicking all the way.
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5 comments:
Amanda -
Please don't compare yourself to other moms! That puts way too much pressure on you, and it's just another the way the devil can undermine your self-confidence!
Now, having said that, let me tell you what I do. Please keep in mind that my house is always in a state of chaos and I have been working on cleaning ONE (granted, it's HUGE) bathroom ALL WEEK!
I just don't worry about it. If it needs to get done, I'll get it done but my time with my kids (including homeschooling) is too precious and too FINITE to worry about other things. I just accept the fact that I will not ever live in a magazine perfect house.
I know I'm not telling you what you wanted to here. I have a FB friend that just exhausts me when I hear her day - and she has 5 kids! BUT - that's her life, not mine. If she can do it all, more power to her, but I am not giving her power over me by letting what she is able to accomplish affect how I feel about myself!
So...balance. Balance is different for everyone. Figure out what works for your family and forget about the rest!
Should I be a better housekeeper? Probably. Will I start today? Probably not. Will I lose sleep over it? Absolutely not. Will I one day regret the time I spent cleaning over time spent with Andrew and Will? I hope not.
I have this cross-stitch piece hanging in my kitchen. My Mom gave it to me when I had our first child and it used to hang in her house. It says "I hope my children look back on today and see a parent who had time to play. There will be years for cleaning & cooking, but children grow up when we aren't looking." It is a constant reminder to me that I am not in a "rat race" to be what all my friends are or to do everything they are or to have the best social life & most-filled calendar. What matters is the impact I making on the lives of my children, how I am raising them, and the spiritual impact I am making in their life and the life of my husband. I am focusing on God & family and whatever else happens to fall into place in between those is simply a blessing!
Just wanted to say that I feel this way on many,many days. I don't know how to explain the always busy but rarely anything tangible to show for it phenomenon, and I don't have any great advice, just wanted to say that I know how you feel! (:
Whoa! Stop for just a secnd my sweet sister. The most dangerous thing you can do for yourself is to make comparisons to others! Comparing ourselves, our children, our husbands, etc to anyone else is both futile and discouraging. I believe it is the enemy that shows us those differences that always look like something better. You are in a season of life where playing with your little ones IS your ministry! I made the mistake with mary katherine of thinking that because I was a stay-at-home mom, my house had to be a certian way and meals had to be fabulous and I often had to push her away ("go play lovie") so I could get it all done...BIG MISTAKE! I missed out on some really sweet times and it is my one regret this very moment. Now she is almost 14 and I do have more time to do other things, but all I really want to do is sit and spend time with her. Of course, now she has her own agenda and the opportunities to sit with her are few and far between.
Dust bunnies will not hurt anyone and your real friends will not care if your house isn't the picture of perfection. I can't tell you how to manage your perfectionist spouse...only the Lord can do that...but I can tell you that this season will pass into another, and another, and another! Enjoy them all--drink them in--savor each drop! You can have a clean house when they are gone!
I love you with the love of Jesus my dear, dear sister!
If you ever figure out how to do it all, let me know!!! I am in the same boat!! I will be so happy with what all I have done and Danny will ask what i did all day! When our children get older, it will be easier!
Love Ya!
April
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