We returned from a wonderful family vacation last week. Always after a vacation, there seems to be a few days needed to catch our breath before we get back into a routine.
As I’ve thought about our summer routine, I am reminded it always looks a little different than I anticipate. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it just reminds me of the need to be flexible as a parent.
Floor sweeping may wait an extra day, as the child’s bedroom organization took longer than anticipated. Laundry may still lay folded in the living room as the family discussion proved far more important. Time for self may temporarily be interrupted in order to listen to our child’s creative writing story. Coveted sleep may be ripped away when our child experiences ear pain during the night.
Flexibility and routine can contradict themselves. I’ve swung both ends of the pendulum. I’ve scheduled every day of our summer to only be left frustrated that items were taken longer than the schedule allowed. I’ve also swung the other direction in scheduling nothing and leaving it all to chance, but spent each day irritated that I accomplished nothing on the list.
Now, I’ve moved towards a more flexible routine … is that an oxymoron? I know what I’d like to accomplish each day, what we need to complete, and what would be fun to do. Then I surrender it all to God and go forward one hour at a time. By midday, I assess how it’s going (when I remember to) and we make changes (if possible).
This causes far less stress for everyone in the house. My kitchen may still be a mess when I go to sleep one night, but I can rest confidently knowing that the things that took precedence over the dishes were more important for that day. Dishes will still be there in the morning.
Remember the flexible metal slinky we played with as a kid? When I didn’t take time to place it straight or if the first drop was too steep, it hit the walls and careened down the staircase out of control. But, if I placed it straight ahead on the stair making sure the staircase wasn’t too steep, it bent and slinked from step to step in a fluid motion. Perhaps that’s a picture of a flexible routine.
We can point our day in the direction we need to go while taking a peek at the terrain in front of us for potential pitfalls. Then we let go and allow God to work in us to accomplish what HE desires for us to do that day.
Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.
– Tom Robbins
