Routines

Out of all the challenges I've faced thus far, one of the biggest things I have to remember is Routine.

Holding a routine in place each and every day is KEY to living comfortably and sufficiently.

The first week I tried my best to stick to the routine I had in place in sticks n bricks before our camper life. I was determined to not let go of our routines because it will hold us together!

However I learned rather quickly, the routines we had in our house was a routine that worked for that house.

We have a new home.

Smaller home.

Therefore, the rules must adjust, the routine needs tweaking, and I need to relax a little more!

Here are some things I'm learning to fix in our home.

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Parenting: A House United

Tip#1

Standards vs expectations

Day after day I would pour the challenges I face out to others, and the similar response I was getting was

To let go of expectations.

Let go of expectations from your spouse

Expectations from my kids

Expectations of how I envisioned everything

And just let everything flow the direction it needs to flow!

Something just didn't sit right with me.

How can I be wrong to envision my family living within our mission throughout our entire journey? Why is this expectation bad? Why can't I set expectations in my home where we all agree and follow the rules and still thrive in the joys of this new lifestyle?

I realized I'm using the wrong words.

What I'm looking for, is a set of Standards our family holds. That we all reach for each day. And that we all know and respect.

Standards are not bad, and neither do they harm others.

Standard, by definition, is

1. a level of quality or attainment.

2. an idea or thing used as a measure, norm, or model in comparative evaluations

Everyone should have a list of standards for their home, especially if they wish to have their home be a place of safety from the world, and a safe place to make mistakes and encourage growth from within.

Standards hold the home together. While expectations eat at relationships.

Expectations, by definition is

1.  strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future

2. a belief that someone will or should achieve something

Set standards for your family.

Set to reach that standard everyday, for yourself.

Comparing your best today with your best yesterday.

Set a goal to reach higher tomorrow.

Tip #2

Teach those children. And learn from them. Don't jump immediately to consequence, before your child even fully understands how to make correct decisions or use correct behavior.

If you have not taught them how to make correct decisions, how can you give them a consequence for not making the correct choice? Or how can you give them a consequence for not using the correct behavior when you have not taught them why/where/ or when to use correct behavior?

Or my least favorite eye opener... have I learned how to use correct behavior and make correct decisions?

Home should be the safest place to make mistakes.

A lot of people have felt the exact opposite growing up. Leading them to parent their children differently.

I want my children to grow up in a home where they feel they can always open up and be honest with their family. When they make a mistake, they can fix it without worry for their safety. And I want them to feel the love of their parents while learning those lessons.

Nothing encourages a child more than a loving environment where they can freely express themselves and not feel judged for making mistakes.

"It's better to be in a little house filled with LOVE, than a big house filled with Stuff."