Since having Weston, and then moving a week after that, I feel like our lives have literally been turned upside down. We have had a lot of good days, but we’ve also had a lot of bad ones. Hampton is still having major sleep issues – meaning he doesn’t sleep. Ever. Weston is also not sleeping. Ryan has been traveling a lot. The list goes on and on. Life is anything but easy right now and I’ve honestly been a little down about it. One thing I keep coming back to in my readings is the word peace. Peace is not an easy state to maintain, but it is something worth fighting for and working hard to get to. As I continue to work hard to create peace in our home for my husband, our children and our marriage, I wanted to share some ideas that I have been bouncing around.
In order to maintain peace at home, you must first remain calm yourself. If I get angry with my kids over their spilled milk, they will have a negative reaction to that. If I say, “It’s okay! Why don’t you help me clean it up?” They normally get excited and dare I say, eager, to help me clean it. Completely different reaction based on my own reaction. Staying calm is so helpful in every situation and in everything in life.
Spend quiet time reflecting and studying God’s word. I can tell a big difference in my own life when I am in the word and when I am not. Spending that quiet time first thing in the morning sets my mind right for the entire day. It’s amazing how when I pray for God to take over my thoughts how much more positive I feel. Pray faithfully. Pray believing.
Focus on the positive. If you look hard enough, you can find good in most everything. If you’re having a hard time finding the positives, ask God to reveal what lesson He is trying to teach you. I do this a lot and usually the answer is patience.
Keep their space clean. A lot easier said than done, I know. Downright impossible most days. However, if your kids are like mine, they won’t even go in their playroom if it is really messy. This happens every time without fail: When I go help them clean it up, they are perfectly content playing in there again. Kid’s can’t function well in chaos. Set them up for a good day by maintaining a clean space (within reason).
Give yourself and your kids grace. Be quick to forgive and move on. Remember, they are just kids. Sometimes I think my expectations are a little far fetched for a three and two-year-old. It sounds funny as I say it out loud while typing this, but it’s the truth. I have set the bar high, especially for Hamp, and that is not always fair. It’s important to remember they are still young. Remember that everything is a learning experience for them. Everything is new. Helping them focus on the positive of every situation will help them do this as adults one day, too.
I hope this helped or encouraged you in some way! How do you maintain peace in your home when things are a little crazy?
Thank you. I needed to read this today. 🙂
This was so beautifully written! So many great reminders and so much truth. I agree about keeping their space clean! Not only for the reasons you stated but because it just makes ME feel better too!
I am struggling with this same issue at the moment. Peace. It is quite unheard of in our house but something I am working very hard to establish. So these tips are perfect, thank you!!
Peace can be so hard some days. These are all great tips. My 5yr old and 1yr old are similar when it comes to the toys.
Gosh moving a week after having a kid! I would not be as calm! #littlemakes
With little ones I’m not sure peace exists does it? #littlemakes
Great list of suggestions! With three little ones, I find that if my space is at the very least tidy, I feel less out of control. I’ve caught my five year old meditating (he calls it yoga) with his eyes closed and arms extended. While it’s the funniest sight, and something we have zero idea how and where he learned this, it’s surprisingly calming and peaceful. Now to find the 5 quiet minutes to sit in a darkened room doing “yoga”!! Visiting from Saturday Sharefest.