Your mornings as a mom have the potential to be smooth or difficult. The kids are waking up, there’s work to be done, and everybody needs you all at once.
As a mama, you get to set the tone for the day in the morning. I’ve realized that if I start the day off making a few good decisions, it will absolutely set the day (or at least the next few hours) in the right direction.
My first few years as a stay at home mom were pretty hard, to the point where I dreaded getting out of bed. I didn’t look forward to waking up to continual constantness everyday, and it began to show in my actions.
I’d get annoyed at my childrens’ immediate neediness and frustrated at their fighting. Their very presence would often irk me. I would speak to them with irritation, because irritated I was! I’d begin barking orders at them and just..not being very nice.
It is humbling to share this, but I know I may not be the only mom out there who’s struggled with this. I’ve learned, by the grace of God, how to change my perspective and align it with truth. From there, I’ve learned to start my children’s day with love to greatly influence the direction of the day. When I wake up and purpose to be a blessing to my family, it shifts everyone’s day.
Here are four ways you can bless your family in the morning.
Be cheerful and helpful
Mornings can be a time of grumpiness all around. You as a mama, however, can temper this by training yourself to have a cheerful tone and disposition in the morning. You’ll truly set the stage for the rest of the relationships in your home! Put a smile on your face and some joy in your tone. It will make a difference for everyone, including you!
Also, if your hubby is heading off to work or your kids to school, chances are they’re gonna need help with something. Want to really bless them? Make yourself available to help them with whatever they need. In doing this, you’re also setting the example for your kids to be helpful to each other, as well as to you!
Affection and words of blessing
As previously mentioned, I used to start out the day irritated EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to be one of my kids or my husband! Because who wants to be around a person who’s always easily irritated?
I began to tell myself “It’s not about me; I’m here to serve my family” and I began to see great changes in my overall attitude. I started hugging them and telling them I loved them before I would tell them anything else and I can’t tell you how much this has affected my relationship with each one of them.
You can hug and kiss your kids and tell them that it’s great to see them and you’re so thankful to be their mom. If your children are still young, they will enjoy lots of affection. If they are older, they will still appreciate this morning blessing. You can hug your husband and tell him good morning.
Your feelings don’t have to be a part of what you are doing. In fact, you may not feel like doing any of these things! But I promise you, these small gestures of love and affection will make positive deposits in your relational accounts. You are tenderizing both their hearts toward you and your heart toward them.
Make a healthy breakfast
I know this probably sounds basic. Of course my kids need to eat a healthy breakfast, you’re probably thinking.
But I’m telling you, it’s easy to skimp on this. It’s easy to just give them some cereal and call it done. However, we as mamas and home managers are the overseers of what our children consume. It’s worth the extra energy it takes to scramble some eggs, cut some fruit, or boil some oats!
I’m always all for keeping things simple, but there are some things it’s not wise to skimp on, and food is one of these things. However, you can still keep it simple by:
- Keeping pre-cut fruit in the fridge
- Keeping pre-chopped onions, peppers, and tomatoes in the fridge for omelettes
- Soaking your oats at night and cooking them up in the morning
- Making the same thing for breakfast every week (who said the menu has to change daily?)
- Having your older kids help you prepare breakfast
Pray
Whether your kids and hubby will head to school or stay home all day, show them the deepest care you can as a mother and wife: pray for them and with them. It is a very powerful thing for your kids to see you pray for them. Talk about tenderizing their hearts! This not only shows that you care deeply for them, but you are demonstrating to them how to develop a relationship with God. Again, doing this in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day, and it invites God to move in their hearts as well.
By blessing your family with words, affection, and prayer, you are taking hold of the day. I’m not saying that your kids will never fight or that their behavior will be perfect or that your husband will make all the right decisions. What I am saying is that you, Mom, are heavily impacting the relational direction of the day, both for you and them.
Do you have something special you do every morning? Comment below and share!
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Growing in Love Toward Your Children
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How I Stopped Wasting Time as a Stay at Home Mom
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