Movie...

If you love the classics like me,

and haven't seen The Thin Man series,

they are hilarious!

thought I'd share...

God Bless,

Mandy

Clarification...

Just so we're all clear here.

Yes, I have some good parenting ideas.

Yes, I think I try to do what I am supposed to as a mom.

Overall I think I'm fairly good at it.

But don't you go thinking that just because I post advise or ideas that I have those kids that sit quietly.

Or answer 'yes ma'am'.

Or who like me.

I am blessed with challenging kids.

My oldest in particular.

He is tough.

Like,  I'm near crying everyday to deal with this kid tough.

You know the book The Strong Willed Child??

They were talking about him.

He challenges me on every parenting point I've ever had.

He tends to bring out the worst in me.

He is a smart, funny, sweet, little boy, but he doesn't realize it yet.

He's down on himself about nearly everything.

I knew he was going to go toe to toe with me from his entrance into this world.

He never slept more than 2 hrs (rarely that) at a time, then I'd nurse him for 2 more.

The boy NEVER took a nap.

Not kidding, NEVER.

He has a temper I don't understand,( his dad's).

He is naturally smart  in many ways.

But school does not come easy for him.

He spends more time worrying about how how he's not going to do as well as others that he just gives up.

It kinda makes me hate myself for being that kid back in school that breezed out 4 page papers when the teacher required a paragraph.

My heart hurts for that boy that must have sat next to me struggling like my son, all the while thinking he wasn't up to par just because I was a show off.

As many times as I catch myself worrying over his future, what choices he'll make, how he'll control his temper, etc...I know there is a reason for it.

God gave him a passion.

That passion just hasn't found it's voice yet.

I pray God puts a HUGE dream in his heart.

Because he's just the kid to take it on.

I tell him, when he struggles, that he is someone in which Jesus can use in big ways.

The enemy knows that, and attacks the strongest, trying to render them unfit for the battle.

That it's because he is so amazing that he feels so much emotion and intensity.

I have no doubt that God is going to do amazing works in my oldest son,

but there are times my heart cries out for mercy.

Just once to have him obedient and respectful without an all out battle.

I feel like I'm treading water half the time,

being pulled under in this daily battle of wills.

And people he's stronger than me.

My nature is to please.

To back down,

to ease up.

But that's not what God has called me to do.

He has called me to walk that very thin line between conquering this boys will while protecting his spirit.

Letting him have independence while keeping him safe.

Teaching him obedience while showing him God's power unleashed within him.

Parenting is harder than anyone could ever explain,

particularly when you have kids with strong wills.

I wanted to share my struggles so that it was understood that my kids and I aren't anywhere near perfect.

But our God is, and where my husband and I fall short He will fill the gap.

Praise Him, because I surely couldn't do this on my own.

God Bless,

Mandy

Mom's Shop and House Rules

PREFACE:

I must preface this post by warning you all that the pictures you will see are extremely cluttered and may be harmful to the eyes.

We live in a small house with 6 people.

The dining room is our biggest room, so it gets used as a scrapbooking/family center/ dining area.

The table is hideous I know.

I have big plans during hunting season for that guy along with his chair harem.

Anyhow,

A long while ago someone asked me to share our House Rules.

I am finally getting around to it!

Here they are:

House Rules

1. Love the Lord your God!

Duet. 6:5

2. Honor your Father and Mother

Eph 6:1-3

3. Be Kind

Eph.4:32

4. Respect Yourself and others

1st Peter 2:17

5. Respect our home and property

1st Tim. 6:20

6. Be safe

Eph. 5:15

7. Tell the Truth

Prov. 12:22

8. Treat others how you want to be treated

Matt. 7:12

9. Clean up after yourself and help around house

1st Tim. 6:20

10. Always do your best

2 Cor. 13:11

 

 

Our House Rules binder is the green one, and this is where I keep many of our activity/ devotions books as well.

 

These are hanging up in our house to be referenced,

but I must say summer came and with it a total slacking on all things such as this.

I am going to start doing a review every Friday night.

This is generally our family movie night, but now that the kids are getting bigger it is going to become just Family Night.

We'll play games, do a Homebuilder's Study, go over rules,

and then watch our movie.

 

 

 

 

Another thing I wanted to share is Mom's Shop.

I'm the kind of mom that starts things and then lets them go very quickly.

I've had all sorts of fancy ideas over the years, but one thing that has been successful in our family is this rewards system.

 

 

The kids each have a bucket with their name on it  including mom.

can you see those 4 galvanized bins squeezed in there?

Ya, that's our ticket buckets.

Ignore the rest of please, I've been meaning to reorganize but it has yet to happen.

 

 

So what we do is this:

 

 

For every 'good deed', the child receives a ticket.

You can purchase a huge roll of tickets at wal-mart for about $4.00 (and have enough left to run a carnival...)

 

I will give them a ticket for a multitude of things, everything from going to bed without arguing or getting back up,  extra chores,  a kind deed, getting ready to go somewhere on time, keeping their rooms clean, etc.

 

They get ONE ticket per deed (on rare occasions a huge job will earn more than one), and they can't ask me for one for by simply doing something nice.

They may remind me to put one in their bucket however , seems how mom isn't actually mentally with it half the time and I forget .  And they can always ask me if there is a job to be done so they can earn one.

 

On Sundays after church and lunch, I open Mom's Shop.

 

These galvanized bins and wire basket here hold the goods:

 

 

 

Each basket has a desiganted 'price'.

The white basket holds 1 ticket items, generally penny-type candy, stickers, etc.

We also have a 3 ticket, 5 ticket and 7 ticket bucket.

Ever so often I'll buy an item that costs 10 or more but that's only happened a few times.

For 3 tickets they can buy a better piece of candy, but I have also included in this bucket 4 slips of paper.

One is good for making the desert of your choice, one is for staying up as late as you want on Friday family night ( I don't worry about this yet since they can only make it till about 10), and then there is one that is good for a date with mom, and one for dad.  The dates cost a lot more than the other goods, but it is nice to have a reason for one on one time with a child!

 

The 5 ticket buckets hold the tiny soda cans ( a real treat in our house since my kids aren't normally allowed soda), ceramics to paint, books, candy bars etc.

 

7 Tickets can usually buy them a movie ( I often buy the $5.00 movies in the walmart bins when I run across good ones), or bigger toy items I've bought on a clearance sale or something.

 

 

The kids are allowed to buy items from Mom's Shop only one day a week, and cannot try to earn all their tickets at the last minute.  So far this has been very successful, and we've done it for about 4 years.

 

 

I hope that someone can adopt one of these ideas for their family.

It often takes a good plan, but then a lot of jostling things around to see what works for your family.

Like I've said I'm the queen of starting charts/ systems and then forgetting to implement them.

So when you find one that works for you stick with it!

 

 

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

linking up with:

if you are interested in the art of homemaking I highly suggest you visit this sight and spend time exploring the links of others as well!

Multitude Mondays...



27. good Christian music.  I mean good!

28. sleep. 

29. pomegranates almost in season

30. a home

31. hugs.  The wrap you all up kind.

32. maple nut ice cream

33. that my friends survived a serious accident this weekend

34. an amazing extended family

35. BBC movies and shows

36. Monkey 2's new friend (finally a nice girl)

37. hot water

38. the perfect weather we've had

39. winning a battle of wills today with a child

40. the sea

God Bless,

Mandy