Enjoy The Joy

by Rhoda Samkoff

Only one letter separates the word joy from job.  For a brief moment imagine a day without schedules, appointments, laundry to do, and meals to make.  Is that a sigh of relief I hear? 

That scenario is only a dream for most of us.  Time after time we promise ourselves to take it easy, but the number of things to do just to get out the door in the morning can be overwhelming. How we look at childrearing affects everything else we do. When we see it as a job, we miss so much of the joy!

The good news is that this blog and the ones that follow will give you tips on how to smooth out your day so that you and your family can achieve and enjoy a sense of calm and appreciation for one another. 

Check here for timesavers and easy solutions to everyday problems.  When you are prepared, you can reduce a problem from the size of a grapefruit to the size of a pea and then deal with it!    

Yes, raising children is serious business, and it’s easy to get wrapped up in daily planning and decision making.  That’s why it’s important to remind ourselves to bask in the amazing things that happen at each new stage, even if our minds are already racing ahead to the next day, month, or year. 

To get started changing parenting from job to joy, see how many KEEP-ITS from the list below you can incorporate into each day!  Suggestions for each one will follow in the next blogs.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

KEEP IT QUIET

KEEP IT ORGANIZED

KEEP IT KIND  

KEEP IT COMFORTABLE

KEEP IT SAFE

KEEP IT CLEAN

KEEP IT HEALTHFUL

KEEP IT INTERESTING

KEEP IT SPECIAL

KEEP IT CREATIVE

KEEP IT UP TO DATE

KEEP IT CALM

KEEP IT GOING

Someday, when you look back at the blur of raising a child, no doubt you’ll recall the big stuff:  the close calls, the hills and valleys, the disappointments, and the celebrations, not the day-to-day, hour-to-hour things that seemed SO incredibly important at the time. 

Let’s not waste precious time thinking about what might happen, or wishing that you had done something differently.

Above all, don’t worry…Everything will turn out just fine!

One of my favorite quotes has always been “Children don’t succeed because of us, they succeed in spite of us!

Now try this:

Fill in the chart with the words that best fit your lifestyle and are the most meaningful to you and your family.  Examples are given in (    )

Our 1 most important word ___(we)

Our 2 most important words ___ __­ (thank you)

Our 3 most important words ___ ___ ___ (I forgive you)

Our 4 most important words ___ ___ ___ ___ (I made a mistake)

Our 5 most important words ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ (how can I help you)

Our 6 most important words ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ (I am very proud of you)

Our 7 most important words ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___  (tomorrow will be even better day!)

Until next time,

Rhoda