There are certainly parts of Sunday that I need and almost enjoy but Sunday morning is not my easiest day of the week.
I do start off with the best of intentions though.
God in His goodness keeps us in the true Faith and that means putting something within us that compels us to face the sometimes overwhelming challenge of waking, dressing, taking and sitting through church every Sunday morning with our young children. I believe that can only be the Holy Spirit and for a pastor’s wife what sometimes gets me there is the blessing of knowing that not going to church is not an option.
It’s not easy but every week is another opportunity to instruct and train our children in the Christian life and discipline. And it’s definitely another opportunity to see our sin and God’s great mercy.
So here is how I, during this particular season of our family life, manage to get us ready and to church on Sunday mornings.
1. Sunday starts on Saturday at our house. Saturday around 4pm we start the baths or showers. The 3 Bigs like showers sometimes which makes “bath time” sooo much easier!
All the “Church Clothes” are kept together in the basement. The boys in one closet in their room, Lily and Clara in another and the Baby through Esther in our large family room.
On Saturday I go downstairs to pick out what Mercy, Esther and the boys will wear.
I gather tights, shoes and sweaters as well. The big girls choose (or I help) for themselves and gather their required accessories.
That evening or early Sunday morning I lay clothing + accessories out in the living room ready for dressing.
2. Mama is dressed first and COVERED via robe while carrying out the remaining duties of the morning. It’s best that I’m put together and only have to remember to take off my slippers for church before I start to get everyone else ready. Next the babies are dressed, then the bigs. Or sometimes it’s the other way around. I let a few get dressed while the others eat and then rotate.
The oldest 6 are pretty good at getting themselves dressed now with minimal help.
…..Except Ephraim who lays on the floor laughing at everyone and rolling around in his pajamas until he’s ripe enough for a spank. The rest of the morning he’s crying (like he doesn’t know we do this EVERY SUNDAY morning) or waiting for me to button his pants, his shirt and put on his socks….and maybe his shoes.
It’s wonderful though to have some older kids who can help little ones with these small details. Lily especially loves to help get Martha and Josephine dressed. So much of life is getting easier as these babies grow!
3. I don’t allow cereal on Sunday morning anymore, the babies can have a piece of toast or fruit. I can’t deal with the BOWLS, the MILK, the MESS that cereal creates. Thankfully there is a coffee and rolls time between the services at our church. The babies can usually find one more thing for their tummies at that point and I get some coffee! Very nice.
4. Once the babies are dressed and have eaten or not eaten we get to the door. “Ready Kids go to the door!” is the signal that it’s about time to head out and you’d better be at the door by the time Mama opens it.
On the occasions that I’m not yet ready to go over to church it’s nice to be able to send the big 6 on ahead without me, but lately we’ve been able to all walk over together. There were a few months I would send them ahead and I’d come later due to napping Martha.
I always thought I must have been quite a sight to see with the diaper bag and a baby on each hip coming across the parking lot! Now with all of us going together I put Josephine in a stroller and have one of the kids push her while I carry Martha.
*Note: It’s easier to figure out the logistics of making the morning run smoothly, but The Moods are a different matter. We’re working on it but it’s hard. In the meantime we muddle through the tears, spanks and hollering, pray for forgiveness and hope for a few moments of peace once the service begins.
Now that some of these details of how to get to church and what to do once we’re there are getting “figured out” and nailed down I can once again turn my mind to other Sunday matters, the more enjoyable aspects of marking Holy Days together. I really like this idea!
I’d love to hear what your Sunday mornings are like. Any tips to share?
Next I’ll try to write a few things about how we mark Sundays as well as other Holy Days in our family.
Read My Hearth and Home Series
Good move with the cereal ban. Toast is a good idea. I actually stopped feeding mine breakfast since we have donuts after church. Probably not the best idea for little little ones, but for the big kids, I tell them we can fast for the morning. The donuts give me some leverage during the service. “Kids, if you would like a donut after church, then…”
Just to clarify, when I say they can fast, it’s not because I’m teaching them the spiritual discipline of fasting (yet). It’s because THEY ALREADY EAT SO MUCH ALREADY, I figure missing one meal a week won’t hurt them. I sometimes need a break from all the food.
Oh I hear ya Rebekah on needing a break from all the food, especially from preparing all the food!
Sundays are rough. And we only have 4 and I’m not a PW.
I used to make quick breads or muffins for Sunday breakfast, but I have not done that in a while. Funnily enough, most mornings the boys eat cereal on Sunday morning. That being said, one eats it dry. I also feed the baby his breakfast in the nursery at church.
I get myself ready first also. If I’m not done yet and the big two are up then they start eating their breakfast. After I am ready I gather snacks for after Sunday School, make the baby’s breakfast, make my breakfast (I eat in the car) and throw the boys’ lunch into a sack. The big two pick out their own clothes and get themselves dressed. They sometimes need assistance making sure they get started on the right button. I only pick out their clothes for a special occasion. When the little two wake up I change diapers/ switch diaper for underwear, nurse the baby and offer the bigger one breakfast. Then I get them dressed. We place everything we need to take with us by the door, load up and are on our way. I eat my breakfast and drink my coffee in the car since I’m just riding.