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You would think that after seventeen years we would have a well-planned, foolproof morning routine down, but in accordance with the messy, chaotic lifestyle we live, that is not the case. Which is why most mornings, in the Hoffman household, between the hours of 7:00 am and 8:00 am is frequently referred to as ‘Hell hour.’ Few things in this world test my Christian side more than this particular time frame on a Monday through Friday between the months of August and May.
As I’m sure most of you can relate, getting kids up, dressed, fed, hair brushed, teeth brushed, lunches packed, permission slips signed, and resolving any other random unperceived dilemma that happens to come up that morning is never an easy task. Now let’s add in the fact that my children are particularly feral, disorganized, and have the attention span of goldfish.
For reference, my son has come downstairs with at least one article of clothing on either inside out, or backwards, or both—pants, shirt, underwear, always something, at least one time a week without fail. He is seven and very capable of dressing himself. I have also had to start checking under his sweatshirts because he will frequently try to wear the same t-shirt to school every day because he “really likes this shirt.” This child also has about four pairs of sneakers, but he will never know where any of them are, despite the fact that I tell them every single day when they get home from school, “Shoes and bookbags on the bench, and lunchboxes on the counter so you can find everything tomorrow morning.”
My middle daughter is nine. I must give credit where it is due, she is very good at getting up when asked and getting dressed appropriately for school, but where her strengths really lie are in being able to talk nonstop for the entire hour they are getting ready for school, springing things on me last-minute, and having zero sense of urgency when we are in a hurry. She will see me making lunch with fifteen minutes to get out the door and proceed to tell me a story of something she dreamt about the night before and I will ask her to please brush her hair while she’s talking. She will walk to the bathroom for a hairbrush, and return with it in her hand, continue talking and not actually start brushing her hair until my eye is twitching and I’ve reminded her for the fourth or fifth time to “Brush your hair!”
My oldest daughter is sixteen and knows everything, except where her uniform is that she needs for the game tonight. We’ve incorporated a particularly fun game into her morning routine called “go change.” It even has a catchy little rhyme that goes along with it. “Raise your hands and touch your toes. If anything shows, go change your clothes.” Her frequent grumbles and exaggerated eye rolls tell me that she enjoys the game just as much as I do.
The baby, who is about eighteen months old, is particularly skilled at waking up at the most inopportune points in the morning. She is also really great at simply adding to the general chaos around the house each morning by screaming for things she can’t reach, throwing her breakfast on the floor for the dogs, or ripping off her diaper before we’ve realized she’s soiled it.
Catching the bus today kids? Ha!
My children have not taken the bus in almost two years. In fact, my husband and the bus driver have developed quite the fun relationship. Skyler has asked Steve (yes, the bus driver’s name is Steve and yes, he and Skyler are on a first name basis) if he could have a portion of Steve’s salary since he is doing Steve’s job everyday by driving our children to school. They also wave to each other every morning as the bus passes by the house and Skyler is on the front porch still making breakfast on the Blackstone(Amazon). Which, by the way, has been a game changer!
We are a family that doesn’t like to have cereal or strudels for breakfast. My husband is firm about wanting our kids to start the day with a real, homemade breakfast that isn’t processed and full of sugars. Now that he started using his Blackstone (Amazon) instead of the stove, breakfast for our four kids gets made in half the time, which has been HUGE for moving our morning routine along. Now, if only there was a way to move the other 80% of our routine along faster.
While admitted, this particular part of the morning is something I dread, especially when the school springs on me “It’s spirit week! Wear a costume on Monday, Something orange with pink polka dots on Tuesday, Wednesday is Dress like your favorite singer, Be a cowboy or Indian on Thursday, and Pajamas on Friday!” I’m all about school spirit, but some weeks it feels like it’s getting a little out of hand.
I do, however, try to remind myself to breathe. Some days are harder than others. But they will only be this little once. Yes, they are frustrating, and most mornings push me to the brink of my sanity, but they are God’s blessings just the same. I am so blessed to have them and want them to know how grateful I am to be their mother. What better way to do that than to lift them up in my prayers?
Philippians 4:6 tells us “Don’t be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God.”
Instead of going through the motions and shouting out “Have a good day! I love you!” as they all sprint by me, rushing out the door to take on a world that is designed to distract them from God and their true calling, I ask them a question.
“How can I pray for you today?”
This super simple, yet very loaded question has done amazing things for me and my children.
First, it forces us all to take a second, slow down, and refocus on God. As we are whizzing through our daily routines, it’s too easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of it all and put God on the back burner.
Second, it reassures my children that although five minutes ago you had me screaming and ready to pull my own hair out, I still love you enough to lift you up in my prayers. You still matter enough for me to take time to pray over you. I still care enough to want to know what is important enough in your day to you that you would like it given to God.
And lastly, it teaches and reminds them that they don’t need to wait for me to pray for them. They can turn to God with all of their problems and struggles and He is always there.
Since I’ve started asking them this question in the mornings, they have actually begun coming to me unprompted, and asking me to pray for things that are worrying or bothering them. And I would suffer through a million and one Hell hours if the outcome is my children growing closer to God.