Survival Skills for the Early Years: Part 1

Survival Skills 1

I dedicate this series to all the people who have asked “How do you do it?!” I also write these posts for all mommies who are crazy enough to have two babies (or more) in diapers at the same time!

Preparing for Sunday morning:

When I had only one or two little ones, Sunday preparations began a few days early. I starting making sure everyone had clean clothes washed by Friday. Back then we always had clothes set out ready for Sunday morning. And, everything went more or less according to plan. I remember playing piano almost every Sunday before we would leave for church (that was just a four or five years ago).

These days, if I do have clean laundry set out the night before - temper tantrums are thrown because it was not the right outfit. Or, I had the shoes set out, but one got eaten by the mysterious shoe monster during the night. Or, more often than not, I don’t plan ahead at all and one of the grown-ups will throw together a load of laundry Sunday morning. Because this one has only one clean sock, that one has no clean undies, and another one got dressed before breakfast and got gravy all over his clothes.

So, my practical advice to you is to find a church with a late service… even if you get there 10 minutes late no one will know, because the college kids come in even later than that.

Other practical ideas – IF you can get your oldest to stop primping long enough to help, then by all means employ her to put shoes on the little ones. Only, be prepared that after dressing the little ones, she herself will not be able to find her own shoes. Consider keeping an extra pair of flip flops in the van. And, if your oldest boy is willing, then by all means have him help clean up the breakfast mess. And, when you say, “put the left over gravy in the fridge,” make sure that he understands that the job does not end there… or, you might find your toddler on top of the table eating gravy scraps off of someone else’s forgotten plate… after he was already cleaned and dressed. But, don’t panic, no harm in sponge bathing the toddler before running out the door. His Sunday school teachers won’t be able to catch him long enough to notice that he rubbed the gravy plate over his head before you took it away.

Last practical idea – Instead of planning to leave early, which you will never actually accomplish… aim for leaving late – that way if you do actually leave on time you can feel good about yourself.


Stay tuned for the next installment of Survival Skills for the Early Years!