Homemaking God's Way: Your Kids

By: Jenifer Metzger

When people would find out that I am a homemaker and my kids homeschool, they automatically picture us sleeping late, then lounging in our jammies all day long. They were always shocked, and some even disappointed, to find out that it is the farthest from the truth.

I would be lying if I said I never wanted to sleep late then lounge in jammies in front of movies all day long. But I just can't. That is not realistic. Because of this, it is vital for me to have a schedule. As a homemaker, as a mother, it was important that I teach my kids to be their best, do their best, and how to be productive. My schedule is vastly different now than it was when the kids were younger, but it is still important for me to have a detailed schedule.

Here is what my schedule looked like when the kids were younger and we homeschooled:
5:00am I wake up, help my husband get out the door for work, make my bed and pick up my bedroom, then I get ready
6:00am I have my quiet time with God
6:45am Wake the kids up and start breakfast
7:30am Breakfast, we read our family devotional at this time
8:00am Chores
8:30am School
12:00pm Lunch and a break from school
12:30pm School - once done with school they are free to play outside, play games, etc
3:30pm Everyone cleans up the house together
4:30pm Start dinner
5:30pm Dinner
6:00pm Everyone cleans up dinner, then showers start
7:00pm Relax together while watching tv or playing a game/puzzle
8:30pm Bedtime starts

Now that I am an empty nester, here is a look at my schedule:
5:00am I wake up, help my husband get out the door for work, make my bed and pick up my bedroom.
5:45am I head to the gym for a workout
7:00am I feed the dogs then sit down for my quiet time with God
8:00am I shower and get ready for my day
9:30am Begin household chores such as laundry, dishes, floors, etc
12:00pm I sit down with my computer and work on blog work or church ministry work
3:00pm I begin to prepare for my husband to get home -getting his clean clothes ready for his shower, lighting a candle, putting my work away, etc
4:30pm Dinner prep
5:00pm Dinner, after dinner we both clean up
5:30pm We relax together for the evening, unless it is a church night
8:30pm Bedtime

So you can see, we have a very planned out schedule. You can also see on my schedule that everyone has chores, every helps clean up the house in the afternoon and everyone pitches in to clean up dinner. I remember one time I told my kids that it was time for afternoon clean up. I told everyone what to do. My son, my dear, sweet, lovable, stubborn son, replied, "Isn't that your job? You are the homemaker." Oh. My. Goodness. (Worry not. We had a serious discussion that day!) No. It is not the homemaker's job to do all of the work while everyone else plays and sleeps. It is my job to make sure that my kids learn how to care for a home. All of my children, the boys and the girls, need to learn to do laundry, clean a bathroom, run the vacuum cleaner, and everything else that needs to be done. Therefore, everyone helps.

Your days will not look like my days. My days have changed vastly over the years. From infants to toddlers to school age to teenagers and now to empty nest. Change is okay, as long as you keep a routine.

As a homemaker, you need to remember three very important things when it comes to your kids and your home:

1. You are here to teach your kids. Even toddlers can do chores. When my grandson comes over, he helps me do little things around the house. He loves it! He also knows to clean up his toys. Don't take all of the responsibility upon yourself. Teach your kids how to care for a home and cook. Their future spouse will thank you!

2. Have a schedule. One time I heard someone say that when you have no plans, you plan to fail. I believe this can be the case in homemaking too. Make a schedule and make sure your family knows that schedule. We always had our regular routine posted in our kitchen and now my daily planner sits on the kitchen counter.

3. Remember to take time out for fun. When my kids were younger we made sure to go to the park a couple times a week, sometimes my husband would meet us there after work for some family play time. We also loved going for walks, playing Wii games together, doing puzzles, playing music and dancing, the list goes on and on. Whatever your family does for fun, just do it. Be intentional every single day about doing something fun, something to laugh about and make memories.

This week's action plan:
Get a calendar and a notebook. Plan out a daily routine that works for your family. Already have a routine? Great! Look over it and see if it needs any tweaking with your kids' new ages or new activities. Then go to your calendar. Make sure it is filled out and up to date with everything your family has going on. Put it in a place where everyone can see it.

Discussion:
1. Do your kids do chores regularly?
2. While teaching our kids to care for a home is important, so is fun. What do you do as a family for fun?

Homemaking God's Way series:
Week One: Your Heart
Week Two: Your Husband