How Can Sunday Be Restful With Little Ones?

Just days after our sweet seventh was born

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I wondered if you had anything to share about what you do to make Sundays different than the rest of the week when there is still so much to do for little kids.

~Alicia

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Hi Alicia-

I completely understand where you're coming from.  I remember back about ten years ago when I would chafe any time someone mentioned the idea of a restful Sunday.  Restful?  For whom?

Ultimately, I had to make a choice. I could be grumpy and hold a grudge, or I could rearrange the way I was going about Sundays and recognize that they could be different and less stressful than the other days of the week, and in that, they could be restful.

There are definitely steps I took to make Sunday a more peaceful day.  First, I make sure that all of the clothing, shoes, and hair accessories that I am responsible for are taken care of by Saturday night. I don't want to have to run around Sunday morning trying to find the baby's shoes.

We have the same thing for breakfast every single Sunday morning. Bagels with cream cheese, toasted on a sheet pan in the oven all at once.  Paper plates.  Minimal mess.

We made the choice after much frustration, discipline issues arising from unrealistic (for us) standards at church, and over-tired little people in need of a nap to not participate in the church potluck after four hours of service and Sunday School.  Lunch at home after church is always simple. Cheese, crackers, salami, fruit.  Sandwiches.  Leftovers.  When we had four under six-years-old, we stopped at Carl's Jr because it was on the way home.

Little ones go down for naps, and sometimes we big ones do, too.  I will not do laundry.  I might pick up things here or there, but if it feels like work, I don't do it.  I will, however, do something I enjoy, even if someone else might find it unappealing; gardening, couponing, reading, working out, baking.

Dinner is simple, too. Pancakes, smoothies in the summer, burgers on the grill, leftovers, something from the freezer (tonight it was fajitas, quickly stir fried and served with Spanish rice, salsa, chips, etc.)  My friend Cherylhas a "clean-out-the-fridge" dinner every Sunday night, or an "every-man-for-himself" approach.  I grew up in a home where we had pizza every Sunday night.  Pizza and 60 Minutes :)

Watch a video together, listen to a book on tape, read aloud, play a game (my middle kids are really into Pit these days), take a bubble bath.  Put little ones down.

I admit that I do spend about an hour every Sunday evening preparing for the week.  But that's for sanity's sake on Monday morning, and that is entirely worth it to me.

Helpful?