Why I Stopped Reading Blogs (for a while)

I have moments when I could completely get rid of every single toy in our home. Like now. I have a few moments to myself and I here the fighting. Well, it's the very sassy "can i PUHLEASE have a turn." I read this blog post that went around Pinterest about a lady who got rid of every toy in the house except for a few dolls. I was totally on board. Forget the fact that it's less fighting and less clean-up, but it gives my kids a chance to use their imagination and expand their minds.

I follow another blogger who is so fun and a great writer. She got rid of her t.v. How cool! Think about it! My kids wouldn't feel the need to sit zoning out in front of the television. They would never develop ADD, ADHD. or any of that. They would be a genius because their frontal cortex would completely develop because the neurons wouldn't get zapped by the constant flash from the screen. We would sit as a family in the living room and play board games and read LOTS of books. Our children would know that we really love them.

There is another blogger I've checked out a few times who talks about listening to your kids intently. Letting them tell you everything they need. She also says we need to play with them. A lot. Because play expands the mind, and by playing with them they will truly know the love we have for them. And if we don't stop what we're doing and fully listen to what they are saying then they will grow up to be teenagers who won't open up and tell us that they've been thinking of having sex and drinking and doing drugs. And they will forever keep secrets and run away from home and run away from God and drop out of school!

Because I told my 3yr old to go get her fork instead of listening to how she's a horse and a girl with blue hair and stars and her name is Star because she has stars in her hair... for the 20th time.

I stopped reading blogs for a while. I was having a hard time figuring out our family with our own systems and our own views on why we do things (or don't do things). I had to stop reading and really look at our stage of life. The reality of it is this:

I'd love to get rid of toys, but to do that with 4 under 7yrs old is not ideal. The fighting will happen whether over toys or a cup or a stick. They play with their toys. They will put barbies and ponies and dragons all in the doll house and create a scene where everyone lives in harmony until the giant baby monster comes to attack. GREAT imagination. But those toys get played with after we are done with school and chores, and they clean them up sometimes. I'm still contemplating another system with our toys. Stay tuned.

We watch t.v. Not a lot. We don't have cable or even an antennae. We don't have netflix anymore either. We watch the movies we have or we check some out at the library. It works great! AND, every day around 5:00pm I will turn on Baby Einstein or Boz or Barney for my 16 month. And she will sit and watch it, and I am perfectly fine with that. NO, I am ecstatic about that because I can cook dinner without her pulling on my legs or pushing me away from the counter. I do prep some dinner at naptime, but not all and not every day. I have cooked several meals with a baby on my hip but a toddler is very different. She's not content or happy just being held. She wants to touch and get down and back up and eat the raw meat that I'm trying to cut and cook with 1 hand. So, I will sit her in front of an age appropriate show. And I will back my decision!

OK, about the listening and playing. I play with them. We do messy crafts and activities. We play Candyland and Don't Break the Ice when A4 is sleeping. We play pretend some ( i really don't like to do it though. i'm always the bad guy and A1 won't talk with her dragon. she'll just make dragon noises. BUT, i suck it up). And I still worry about the whole "listening to every single thing they say without doing anything else". But, dinner has to be cooked, and Mommy sometimes needs to be on the computer paying bills or on the phone with someone who receives money from us. And that's just how it is. So, I will tell one of my A's that the discussion needs to wait until I'm done. And that's okay.

I want to raise kids who know how much I love them. I want to raise kids who see me work hard and read my bible and love their Daddy and SMILE! All of these things stress me out on a regular basis. But when I stopped reading so many blogs, I started realizing the family we are supposed to be. Our kids watch t.v. and play with toys. Our family times are mostly farm related work now. We have evenings where we watch movies. And that's who we are.

Trying out another family's method is perfectly okay. But when it seems like too much, move on and try something else. And quit worrying about how your kids will turn out! If you love them and show them and tell them every day, it doesn't matter how much t.v. they watch or what toys they play with. I pray every day that they will surrender to God's will for them. I pray that they give their WHOLE heart to them starting at a young age. I believe my prayers will be answered because God loves them way more than I ever could. And He says "Ask and it will be given to you" Matthew 7:7. And I believe that is true because I KNOW it lines up with His desires for my children... for all of His children.