School Year Resolutions

I am so thankful that this school year has gotten of to such a smooth start! I can honestly say that my sweet little Nate has not complained, once, about school or homework! The fact that my niece and nephew have been coming over in the morning may have something to do with that! Gabe has also had a smooth transition from sleeping til 9 and spending his days leisurely playing games and exploring outside to getting up at 6:30 three days a week and slipping into the morning routine of Mrs. Etchison’s class.

I made a few promises to myself this summer, in preparation for the upcoming school year. And I can see blessings to our family as result of these resolutions.

1. Get up, EVERY MORNING, before the kids so that I can be ready and energized, focused on getting them in the same kind of attitude before school.

I am NOT a morning person, or evening person, for that matter. I love my sleep! Getting up before the kids, not only guarantees that I’ll get a shower (which automatically puts me in a good mood), but it also gives us a pretty good chance of not having to rush out the door in the morning!

2. Prepare a healthy breakfast for my family (unless Matt decides to leave at 5:30 like he has this week).

3. Plan and talk with Nate, every day, about lunch and if he’s choosing to eat at school or wants to take a packed lunch.

Planning breakfasts and lunches for the kids, ahead of time, automatically ensures that Nate (the world’s pickiest eater) will get the fuel that his body needs to be energized for school! I had a realization this summer, while witnessing a SUPER CRANKY Matt, that he was acting snippy because he was hungry! I get that way, too, but not to the extreme as him! That’s when I decided that planning Nate’s menu for the week may help him with his attitude at school. Last year, he mostly chose to eat at school. Some days his caloric intake was mostly from a breadstick or slice of sausage pizza and a carton of chocolate milk, because he didn’t like the other food that was being served. Now, even if he chooses to eat at school, we talk about what he’s going to put on his tray and what I expect him to eat. That kid can’t lie, either, so I’m certain that if he doesn’t eat what we talk about, he’ll tell me. But for the most part, he’s choosing to pack a lunch…and it’s not a secret that I hide lots of invisible good food in my families meals!

4. Praise my kids, continuously, about how pleased I am when they do have joyful attitudes in the morning and regarding school.

I also concluded this summer, that simply expecting my children to be joyful, was wishful thinking! After all, I have to remind MYSELF to, “Be joyful always (1 Thessalonians 5:16).” That is pretty hard to do when things get tough. Of course, my definition of ‘tough’ is raising three kids, while keeping up with a house, the budget, preparing meals, etc. But, their definition of ‘tough’ is quite different. Nate told me one day that “it’s hard being a kid.” I immediately wanted to bark back at him that he didn’t know what a hard life was like, but instead, I heard a whisper in my heart saying, “Don’t be quick to snap back. Just listen,” and so I asked what was hard about his life. “I’m only 8 and I have to remember a lot of rules.” I wanted to laugh, but tried to put myself in his shoes. I guess it is hard learning what is expected of him in all situations. My theory is that reinforcing joyful behavior will be more effective than always snapping at them to change their hateful behavior. I’ve always tried to do this, but most certainly am making more of an effort to do it these days. This morning, Nate popped out of bed, got dressed, brushed his teeth, came into the kitchen, fed and watered the dog, sat down at the bar, and said, “How’d you sleep?” with a smile on his face. I immediately told him how proud I was of him for waking up in such a good mood and having that handsome smile on his face. He got down off the bar stool, came around to the other side and gave me a hug. Now, that’s not the same attitude he had last year! I guess my little boy is growing up!

5. Take time for myself everyday, if not in the morning, then while Adri naps, to read the Bible and/or pray.

I firmly believe that as moms, so many women out there don’t take care of themselves. They neglect their emotional, spiritual, and physical needs in an effort to care for their family, which often makes them cranky and unfulfilled. I considered making a goal for myself to wake up every morning and exercise, shower, read, and then put on makeup…but I quickly decided that it was too big of a goal. I picked what I thought was most important and started with baby steps! Coincidentally (or not), this promise to myself came at a time when our community was pulling together to support and lift up in prayer (and in other ways), the family of a woman who was injured in the State Fair accident a few weeks back. Her brother has been providing the world, via facebook, updates on his sister. These updates are more like charges to become more like Christ and be thankful in EVERYTHING. He wrote in his note last night that people are telling him that they are determined to live their life differently.

“So many of you have written me to let me know you’ve made changes in your life through this experience. You’re praying for the first time ever, for the first time in 10 years, or have prayed daily for 10 years and are now praying multiple times a day. You’ve reconciled differences with your neighbor, your spouse, your ex-spouse, your children, your parents, your co-workers, and even your brother or sister. You’ve resolved to do things differently.”

Thank you for opening up your life, Tyler, so that others may see God through your family’s experiences. Thank you for seeing that “…this happened so that the work of God might be displayed…” John 9:3. So, I choose to live my life differently…making more of an effort to develop a stronger and more unyielding faith.

I share my resolutions with you so that you may ask, when we run into each other at Meijer, the library, at church, or anywhere, "How are you keeping up with those 'school year resolutions?' I'll be honest, too, because I can't lie, either!

Have a great day, all!