Posts Tagged Making Your Home Sing Monday

Loving our children comes naturally to us. But, we don’t always convey it to our little ones in ways that they feel it – at least not at the moment.  (It take years, and yes, even decades for children to equate your discipline with love.  Although, lack of discipline doesn’t make children feel loved either.)  It is so easy to get caught up in getting all of the chores done, everyone chauffeured to their particular event, and feeding everyone that making an effort to ensure our children FEEL our love is not even on our to-do list.  Don’t they realize that we love them by everything that we do for them???  Well, sometimes, but isn’t it always nice to truly know that you are loved because someone important in your life has shown you in some small way?  I know that it makes me feel like I can take on the world and I can accomplish anything when someone I care about does something to show they love me!

Photo: geishaboy500

In an attempt to make sure that my little ones feel loved, I am going to try to incorporate more of the following:

• Take the time to stop what I am doing and truly listen to them.  Giving someone your undivided attention lets them know that you care about that person and what they are saying.
• Read aloud to them every day – several times a day, if possible!  No matter how old my children become, I am going to continue to read to them nightly.  You can never be too old to be read to!
• Schedule time to spend with each child individually.  Not only do children need to know that we love them, but also that they are special enough to take time to get to know them better by spending time with them one-on-one.
• Touch them – hug them, kiss them, tussle their hair, tickle them – use loving touch to remind them of your love.
• Surprise them with a sweet note in their lunchbox or a specially cut sandwich.
• When they participate in an event -  whether that is a sport, a dance, a concert, an art show, or just a impromptu puppet show – truly watch and pay attention to them.  They are showing their love in their actions, we must do the same!

Visit Mom’s the Word for more ideas to Make Your Home Sing.

When was the last time you did something special for someone just because you love them?  It is so easy for me to take my husband for granted.  His presence becomes just part of the scenery at home more often than I wish to admit.  I love my husband dearly and want him to know just how important he is to me - not just because he provides to well for our family, but because he is the wonderful man that I love and want to spend the rest of my life with.

Photo: lonelypluto911

Here are some of the ways I am going to try to show my love just how much I love him:

1. Make him his favorite treat just because.  He loves chocolate chip cookies!
2. Set aside uninterrupted time to spend with him in the evening instead of pursuing my own interests to let him know that he is important to me.  More often than not, once we get the kids in bed, we tend to migrate to our own activities until we go to bed.  We rarely make the time to reconnect with each other on a regular basis like we need to.
3. Complete his chores for him.  Even if it is a simple as bringing the trash bins in from the street after refuge and recycling has run, it make his day that much easier.
4. Write him a love letter telling him why I love him – not just that I love him.  Everyone needs validation from time to time, and what a great way to share the wonderful way he makes me feel than to reaffirm all of the wonderful qualities he possesses.  This is a gift that will keep on giving as he can read it any time that the wants a pick-me-up.
5. Show him that I want him, not just need him.  Cheap Trick expressed how we all feel so well – “I want you to want me.  I need you to need me. I’d love you to love me.”  I want him to know that I choose him day after day because he is the man that I love and want, not just my best friend.

What special things do you do for your husband?  I would love more ideas to help DH feel how special and loved he is!

This post is linked to Make Your Home Sing Monday.

Who is the most important person in your life? Well, it should be YOU!  Who better to provide you the love that you need and deserve than the person that knows exactly what is needed?  Only you know what portions of your life need attention in order for you to fulfill all of your desires.  Why is it that we put our own needs behind those of the ones we love?  The adage about not being able to take care of someone else if you aren’t taken care of is so true!!  How can we give others something that we don’t have within ourselves to give?  Now, being able to give to those you love is a very worthy and desirable goal, however, shouldn’t you include yourself at the top of that list?

I have been doing a very poor job of taking care of myself like I need to.  I long to be the best person that I can possibly be on the inside and the out.  To this end, I am making a promise to myself – from now on, I am going to take care of me the best way that I know how.  This is going to be a very difficult task as I am very good at “treating” myself in ways that aren’t beneficial for me in the long run (i.e., way too much chocolate and not enough sleep).  As I begin on my journey to a better me, I am going to focus on three areas: my health, implementing and maintaining a schedule, and reading for enjoyment.  As I define how best to travel on this journey, I must remind myself that long term changes don’t happen over night and that I must stay the course even when the travel is difficult. I look forward to the adventure of becoming the best person that I can be!  The more complete I feel in my life; the more I have to give to my family and friends.  I may never have the perfect body or the most immaculate home or be the best conversationalist, but I will continue to strive to love the woman God has helped me to become!

Remember to take care of yourself and those around you will be blessed by the better you!

Join Mom’s the Word for other ways people are improving their lives on Making Your Home Sing Monday.

Even while we are on the road, I am able to make my home sing because “home is where the heart is” and right now our hearts are in Texas.  Our hearts burst out in song as we surround ourselves with the love of family and friends we seldomly see.

The biggest way I am making my home sing while on vacation is by going with the flow.  I am such the type A personality!  I want to have everything planned and follow the plan (not that this always shows!LOL!) so being relaxed about what we do and when we get around to doing it while we are on vacation has helped my family to fully enjoy our trip.  No rushing around to get to the next destination or worrying that we aren’t going to be able to accomplish everything that we had wished to.  (I did plan on not planning which went a long way into helping me maintain this philosophy.)

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Also linked to What I Learned This Week.

I love my home, but you wouldn’t be able to tell it from looking at the piles of paper clutter than have accrued.  (I have a hard time letting go of papers as they represent information and knowledge to me.  I am working on internalizing the fact that most information is readily available on the internet thus I don’t have to keep physical copies of articles and such.)  So, today, I am going to show my family and my home just how much I love them by clearing all of the piles of paper clutter.  I am going to be vicious!  Can I live without it?  Yes!  Great – meet the recycle bin!  My home will be singing by dinner as it won’t be littered with papers!

Check out how others are making their home’s sing at momstheword.