Julie Gumm - Author

Mom’s Summer Schedule Plan

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Once May hit the kids were already asking “Are we doing the summer schedule thing again?”

In a very whiny voice.

To which I answered a resounding “YES!”

I’ve had several friends ask about it so I’m copying it again below. We’ve tweaked it a bit from last year.

The first week Luke asked if he could do a particular activity during the quiet time after lunch.

“Yes. As long as it’s quiet and you’re NOT doing it in here.”

To which he said, “Soooooo, the summer schedule is REALLY for you and dad.”

BINGO!

7:30-8:30 Breakfast (including clean up), Bible reading/journaling, get dressed
8:30 – 10:00 Free Play (outdoors while cool); possible outside chores
10:00 Snack
10:00 – 10:30 Bible Memorization
10:30 – 11:30 Electronics time available
11:30 – 12:30 Lunch/Clean Up/Free Play
12:30 – 1:30 QUIET ACTIVITIES – Read/Write/Draw
1:30 – 2:30 Remainder of electronic time; free play if its gone
2:30 – 4:30 Free Play
4:30 – 5:00 Clean-up, chores, help with dinner

The Complaint Department

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I can’t think of a single parent that doesn’t hate tattletelling.

With four kids, refereeing can seem like a full time occupation – one I am not interested in having.

We’ve always tried to stress the “try to solve it yourself” method with our kids. At first it was because it made our lives easier and it’s a skill they need to learn. But it dawned on me when Noah was about 5 that this was the biblical model of conflict resolution us adults are taught.

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. Matthew 18:15-16

So in our house the rule is you have to talk to that person first. If they won’t listen, apologize, etc then you can involve a parent. There is still a moderate amount of tattletelling that goes on. Mostly because someone will be doing something annoying and the other sibling will say “stop” and the first child keeps doing it and so the second child yells “Maaaawwwwmmmmm” all within a span of about 30 seconds.

Not exactly what I was talking about.

But the other day I was thumbing through the Thriving Family magazine from Focus on the Family and stumbled on someone’s GENIUS idea!

She makes her kids file a WRITTEN complaint. Only then will she review it. She said that most of the time when they’re reminded of the policy they decide it’s not worth it. The blurb didn’t go into too much detail about what she requires on her kid’s complaint but I was already drafting a form in my head and doing that slightly evil, yet motherly, “I’ve got you now my pretties” laugh.

It’s not done yet but it’s going to include the following.

Your name______________________________

My conflict is with _________________________

He/she __________________________________ (what is conflict)

I did ______________________________________ (cuz it’s never just one persons fault)

I tried to resolve the conflict by ________________________________________

What I want to happen to resolve the conflict is _________________________________

I AM MOM, HEAR ME ROAR!!!

Interpretative Art

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During the Karyn Purvis pre-conference at Together for Adoption she talked a bit about kids from hard places and how they see themselves. She showed us several drawings done by these kids and explained what they meant. There is a real science to this – extremely fascinating.

Some of the pictures showed the adopted child off to the side of the rest of the family – they didn’t feel like they were part of a family. Others demonstrated how they felt trapped or angry or hurt.

Of course all us adoptive moms had a sudden urge to go home and ask all our children to draw a family picture.

Before I could even ask, I got this.

This is me, as drawn by Beza at school.

In real life I have short brown hair. It definitely would not go in pigtails. Does this indicated I’m not the white mommy she really wanted?

She drew me with a crown. Does that mean she sees me as a princess? Or the wicked queen?

I have cape. Am I Superwoman?

Then I asked her about the bikini top. Because I don’t wear a bikini.

“It’s not a bikini mom. It’s those things….”

<long pause while she searches for the right word>

“Coconuts!”

Um yeah, because I walk around in a coconut bikini top A LOT.