Large Family Logistics - Part One

Today I am linking to 4 Moms, 35 Kids (Raising Olives, Life in a Shoe, Smockity Frocks, and The Common Room) to discuss the book "Large Family Logistics  The Art of Science of Managing the Large Family" by Kim Brenneman. This is a beautiful book to look at, and the contents are amazing.  I am really enjoying this book in my leisure. 

The chapters are arranged as follows:
Chapter 1 - The Wise Woman
Chapter 2 - Goals
Chapter 3 - Systems
Chapter 4 - Self-Discipline - It Starts with You
Chapter 5 - Attitude is Critical
Chapter 6 - Where Does Time Go?
Chapter 7 - The Interrupted Day
Chapter 8 - The Psalms - Your Spiritual Multi-Vitamin
Chapter 9 - Give Your Children A Work Ethic
Chapter 10 - Repeating Yourself
Chapter 11 - Teaching A New Chore
Chapter 12 - Rejecting Me-Centerdness, Redeeming Time Alone
Chapter 13 - Life with Littles
Chapter 14 - Baby Balance
Chapter 15 - The Family Dynamic
Chapter 16 - Your Own personal Spa
Chapter 17 - Dress for Success

This layout makes it easy to find, in a hurry, any information you need.  I'm sure this is a book that will be used for years to come. 

My husband and I have been married for 28 years.  Our daughters are basically grown now, although some still live at home. My husband recently retired.  We are now grandparents of a beautiful, bright little boy.  We have had grandparents live with us in the last few years.  We've closed a business.  So our life is going through lots of changes.  I'm trying to develop routines for our new life, and see how having four adults in our home will work.  What I know so far, is that it is MUCH easier when the children are small! 

Some things that stood out to me while I thumbed through the book. 

In Chapter 2, we are told to make goals with our husband.  This always makes for a happy husband and and a happy home.  Also, we should write these goals down so we can see them.  I post mine throughout the house.  On my kitchen cabinets, on the bathroom mirror, beside my bed.  I know most people don't do things like this, and I know my house doesn't look like a magazine layout.  But it works for me, and that is what counts.

Chapter 3 talks about having a system in place.  This always works well.  I'm having to learn that our systems look different at different stages of our life.  When my children were little, I washed loads of clothes all day long on Saturday.  Out laundry room was outside, and it was COLD in the winter!  But that system never changed then, unless there was an emergency and we had to wash something during the week.  When the girls were older, we opened a child care center at a location away from our home.  Suddenly  I was gone from home for extended hours a day.  The girls were 11, 11, and 10.  They took over the laundry.  They were very good at it.  We had rotating chore charts, and they would keep a chore about a quarter of the year.  Usually I did my own laundry, because some of my clothing needed special care.  Now everyone does their own laundry.  I have enough clothing now that I only wash clothes about once a month.  I am struggling currently with telling myself I should down-size my wardrobe.  But that would mean washing my laundry more often than once a month, and I'm afraid that I will not have time or forget.  So I'm still working on this.  I think the first step is the down-sizing.  Then I won't have a choice!

Chapter 5 says that attitude is critical.  That is so true.  The mother's attitude sets the attitude of the whole home.  So put a smile on your face, and watch your children smile too.  I liked the part on page 58 that talks about the mothers getting in line with Jesus, and their daughters will follow.  That is so true.  Consistency is the key!  I wish I had been more consistent.  Live that life that says "follow me, girls" as Kim suggests.  No one can be that example to your daughters like you can.  I think the reason I didn't do as good a job with this area as I would have liked is because I didn't grow up in a Christian home.  It is hard to model something you have not seen.  I hope my girls do a better job, and I will gladly help them from the sidelines.

Chapter 7.  "An interrupted day is God's plan for the life of a mother."  I like this a lot.  So many times in my life I have felt guilty when things didn't get done as I had planned.  I do believe in the Lord's will for my life.  I'm going to remember this the next time the Lord has a different path for my day. 

Chapter 16.  I'm definitely going to try out the bathroom cleaning routine.  I can use a cleaner bathroom as well as the workout!

Well, that is a quick review of my quick review of Part 1 of this wonderful book.  I hope you decide to give it a look.  To view the other posts, go to http://raisingolives.com/. 

Thanks for stopping by! Honey