“Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself. I mean do not be disheartened by your imperfections, but always rise up with fresh courage” - St. Francis deSales

What God asks of us as parents is beyond our ability. We are all in need of God’s grace and that comes through prayer! Now, before you think, “I do not have time for prayer….” take a pause and listen to this episode. First, remember, we have been there! We had 3 kids under 3, 7 kids under 10 and then 10 under 16! We know that the crazy pace of life can make us feel like we can never catch our breath. That being said, we must persevere through the different seasons of life and make sure that we are consistently connected to the source of all life. Listen in to find ways of “sneaking in” prayer throughout your day, what you may have to let go of, and what you should be able to accomplish. Do not lose heart! Prayer is not only possible, but it is essential for us to live the life God is calling each of us to.

• The spiritual responsibility of our home lies with parents and it always has. They are essential because they are the first witnesses of the faith to their children.

• You cannot be an effective parent without prayer

• Take advantage of all types of prayer, but we usually need to work the most on prayer of contemplation. This is where we grow in relationship with God in a personal way.

• If we need to grow it is going to cost us. There is no easy button.

• There are seasons in life, and our devotion needs to match it.

• Take advantage of the seasons of the year to start fresh!

1. What type of prayer are we taking advantage of right now? How well are we doing it?

2. How can we support each other in growing in our prayer life?

• MFP180 Monks, Parents, and Prayer

• Our webpage with resources on prayer

Kids will not always remember what you say, they will remember how they felt.

We have talked about the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s being the “Momolympics”, a time when there are tons of things to buy, make, prepare, plan, and basically the happiness of your children all depends on you (at least we feel that way!) How can parents embrace the holidays with children with grace and excitement? How can we keep in mind what is truly important for our family? In this episode we give some principles, but also LOTS of practical advice as we look back on all the different holidays we have had with our large family. Things look different now for us, but we can see in hindsight what worked well for us, and what was unnecessarily stressful! This is an amazing time of year and when you have kids the happy times are even more joy-filled, but the tough times can be really exhausting. We are here for you as you work to be intentional, even if you are a messy family!

• The more you plan in advance the less rushed you are going to be. This will help you simplify so you can focus on what really matters.

• Keep in mind the order of your family culture! Spiritual life of the home, marriage, relationships, developing gifts and then the operations of the family.

• Get the kids involved! When they own traditions, it strengthens your family culture when they take on responsibilities for the holidays.

• What are the traditions that we want to double down on and make sure they happen this year?

• How are we going to reduce stress and delegate work to the kids? What is our plan to get them involved?

• Throwback Friday: Toys! by Regina Schmiedicke

• MFP267: Toys and the Imagination

• MFP036 Holidays with In laws and Out laws

• Donate to the Messy Family Project

Graces can flow into your home when nature is in its proper place. - Connor Gallagher, The Well-Ordered Family

Do you yearn for more order and clarity within your family? Is the chaos and busyness of modern life unsettling the harmony of your household? In this podcast, we interview Conor Gallagher, CEO of multiple businesses and father of sixteen, to talk to him about a transformative system that will restore peace and joy in your household. We love using business principles to improve family life, and in the Well-Ordered Family, Conor does just that! Join us for this conversation and find out why its good to realize that we all have systems in our home, how to get control of those systems, and why it is essential that parents not fall into a victim mentality. Find more about The Well-Ordered Family at https://wellorderedfamily.com/

• We all operate with systems in the home whether we realize it or not. The question is, are these systems effective?

• There are many policies that families need to implement, but if you have to start with one, start with your tech policy!

• When you are trying to get control of your family life, start by asking the question Why? Why are we trying to live a certain way?

• Parents need to be the architects of their family’s life and habits. No one else can do it for you.

• What are the systems in our home that most need attention right now?

• Are we falling into a victim mentality when it comes to running our home? How can we break out of that cycle?