This time spent at home over the last couple months has really allowed us to get into a consistent morning routine with the kids that we are looking forward to keeping in place well after the stay-at-home order is lifted! We’ve been doing some of this for about a year now, but the consistency that the stay-at-home order has allowed has been a real blessing!
Let me preface ALL this with: we don’t do it perfectly, our kids don’t sit still the whole time, when they are done, we’re done. But, the more we’ve done it, the more they know what to expect and the more they are able to stay engaged. Don’t put so much pressure on doing all the things, but do what your kids can handle and know that the Lord is going to use any bit that you do and with time He will grow any little seeds you plant in their hearts.
Like I mentioned in my morning routine post, the kid’s green lights go off at 7:00 and that’s when they slowly make their way down to join Mike and I in the living room. They usually “read” with us a little and play while we finish up our quiet time and get breakfast started. We try to eat around 7:30-45 each morning and while we eat breakfast we talk about the weather and the date and sometimes we’ll do a “Would you rather” question.
Then as they are finishing up eating we practice 1-2 Bible verses that we are working on memorizing (we use Truth:78 bible verse cards) and once they complete their verses for the day, they get their multivitamin (which has proved to be a great incentive). From there we read a devotion type book – we are currently finishing up The Ology (we highly recommend it – it has brought up some great conversations with the kids and it is just really well done). Some other books we’ve worked through during this time is Everything A Child Should Know About Prayer, Everything A Child Should Know About God, and several of The Tales That Tell The Truth Books. The next two books in our line up are: Indescribable and Foundations!
After we read through the devotion and talk about it, we usually will read a poem (currently reading through A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) or we will read a chapter from a book (currently The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane) or we’ll just start with the rest of our day!
It may sound like a lot, but even if we do everything we set out to do, it only takes about 20 minutes. Do what works for your family, take the pressure off – and I’m sure it’ll become a new favorite and cherished time of your day as well!
