Help
With Your Rule
Dealing With the Un-Scheduled
Dear Holly,
What do you do with events that are not in your Rule, like doctor's appointments, visits, etc..? For example, today the children and I were invited to eat lunch with an elderly lady at church. Since I was already out, I decided to go ahead and do my groceries with the children. Now, I'm home and exhausted with alot to do. I also need to finish a reading lesson with one of my sons. Do you ever have days like this? These happen frequently with me!
Labels: About a Rule of Life
posted by Holly at 7:51 AM
2 Comments:
Good question!
My rule is very simple. I have 'chunks' of time set aside when I can accomplish non-scheduled things; for example, my entire afternoon is set aside to do things that come up , as well as ongoing things like finance recording or cleaning a fridge or whatever. So usually, for appointments or things like that, I book them in the afternoon, if at all possible.
I work withthe children in the morning, and leave the afternoon for them to complete any work they can do on their own, independently, with minimal mummy-help. That way, should something come up, we can still do it and the children can finish up before supper if necessary.
This necessitates that for the children's school work, I prioritize that which is most important, and ensure it is done in the morning. My 7 year old needs his Math, reading and phonics everyday, for sure. So this is always done before afternoon.
If important things DON'T get done when they should, as can happen, I don't hesitate to use the time while I am making supper to have a child work beside me. Or, I can use the time after supper, which is my free time, to finish up something.
Perhaps you could go through any lists you have a put a star beside that which you consider "absolutely essential" to get done every day - things you would do even if you were semi-sick. This becomes your guide about what you can be flexible with. And the 'absolutely essential" things come before you take your free time. Obligation comes before leisure.
I discussed this under 'maintenance rule' in MORL.
Now, on the other hand - it is a good thing that you have different things coming up in your daily life. Your visit with the elderly lady is a good thing, and good for your children. Maybe the Holy Spirit needed you to be with her that very day! And so you want to maintain an openess to these outside activities as the Lord presents them to you.
Your rule ensures your basic duties are fulfilled, but it doesn't mean your life needs to be rigid. The world will not end if Science isn't covered today, will it? The world will not end if there is a whole chapter at the end of the year that didn't get done.
For me, I look at the mother's rule as a training tool - aimed primarily at training my heart to focus on my vocation. After a while, this attention to the needs of the family becomes 'natural' and leaves room for much more flexibility because the heart of the rule is being lived.
Does this help?
Thanks Holly,
What you said is so simple, and yet at times beyond me! Thank you for your wisdom and experience. I've got such a long way to go, but at least I know where to start!
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