Today's tip is for those days ... and weeks. Take time to reconnect. Find a way to restore the damaged relationship, and remind each other how much you really love each other.
Some ways that I do this:
- grab my 6 year old son and hug him and kiss his hair and make him laugh even though he'd rather pout
- say something funny or silly to put a smile on the 10 or 11 year old girls' faces
- read a story to the children -- start with the 3 year old, and the others soon join us
- invite them to join me as I cook
- plop down beside them and ask them how they're doing
- smile and tell them I love them
- fix a favorite snack and sit down to share it with them
- rub their back and ask what they're thinking
- smile ... it may have been awhile since they saw me smile
- start handing out hugs
- apologize for being cranky ... I know I get cranky at times like this
- sing a silly song with them
- tell them something I like about them
I'm sure your family has its own ways of connecting, of showing love to each other. There are days when everyone is getting on everyone's last nerve, and we really just want to escape to a quiet place. Instead, take time to reconnect. It makes a difference in my home; it changes the negative and antagonistic mood. More importantly, it assures my children that I love them unconditionally.
April E. (ElCloud Homeschool) is a Homeschool Mom of 6. She has homeschooled for over 7 years, and enjoys sharing the things she's learned in her homeschool journey with others.
