Discipling Our Children and Things I'm Learning and Titus 2 Women and Togetherness and Training and Vision 4:42 pm
Ladies, I read this gem of wisdom from a mama who is past the baby stage and now has teenagers. It was such a precious reminder to let my littles work alongside me, keeping a long-term vision rather than getting mired down in my to-do list. I usually read Clarice’s blog for creative and crafty inspiration, but this time she has great insight for us mamas! Precious words, don’t miss them!
Things I'm Learning and Time Management and Togetherness 5:46 pm
I think as stay-at-home moms, it’s very easy to let things suck up our valuable time. For me (and maybe for some of you, too) the computer has historically been a big distraction. I knew I was spending a little too much time online, and I toyed briefly with disconnecting our home internet service altogether, but since I shop and research online, and because I use internet resources for our homeschool, that didn’t seem like the best solution. What I needed was more self-discipline!
Here’s how I’ve (mostly) conquered my temptation to spend too much time online and not enough time in real life.
First, I owned up to the fact that I was spending too much time on the computer when I should be spending it with my children, or doing other things God has called me to do. Confession and repentance are key in changing behavior.
Next, I utilized a few internet tools to simplify the time I spent online. Facebook has been a huge help in keeping up with friends and family. Sure it’s fun, but it’s also been very practical for me. Most of the people I contact regularly are on Facebook, so it’s a one-stop shop for communication. I also subscribed to blogs I read using Bloglines. Instead of clicking through long link lists for updates, I just have to go to one place to see who has updated. Subscribing to each blog or feed made me carefully consider whether or not I really needed to stay up to date with this particular information source. I eliminated a lot of blogs I used to check regularly, saving the ones that are most helpful to me as a wife and mom (and a couple that I read just because I enjoy them or find them inspirational). Now when I get online, I typically only go 3 places: email, Facebook (trying to avoid the temptation to play games or get sucked into the more time-intensive aspects of it…I use it mostly as a glorified email service), and Bloglines.
The final and most helpful thing I’ve done is to leave the computer off until after lunch. I don’t even check email in the morning any more. Although I wasn’t spending hours at a time online, it was easy to “just check one thing” for a couple minutes, and before I knew it my whole day was derailed. Those few minutes add up. This is probably a no-brainer to most of you, but it has revolutionized my days. When my mornings go badly, the whole day is shot. I stay on track much better when the computer is not calling my name. If I think of someone I need to write or something I need to look up, I keep a running list and handle it all in one session after lunch, while the kids do something quiet. (This way I also know they are not running wild while I am distracted…I am sure my kids are the only ones who take advantage of mom’s distraction!)
Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy my online time and I don’t believe it’s wrong at all, if properly managed, just as I don’t think watching TV or engaging in other recreation is wrong. Balance and discipline are the keys. I just want to make the most of my time. In 50 years I cannot imagine saying, “I sure wish I had spent more time on the computer and less time with my family.”
So what about you? How do you manage distractions and time-wasters in your day?
