Are you Overwhelmed?
PostedThursday's Oprah was about how an "overwhelmed" mother forgot her 2 year old was in her car. The mother left her there for hours on a August day. Of course, sadly the child died and basically the mother's excuse was that she was so busy, out of her routine, overwhelmed that she forgot her child was with her.
Oprah also featured a lot of phone calls from mothers and the key word they all used was "overwhelmed".
I'm not here to judge that mother or any other moms out there.
My big question is,
"Why are moms so overwhelmed?"
My big question is,
"Why are moms so overwhelmed?"
Here is the definition of overwhelmed:
| overwhelmed | ||||
| A | adjective | |||
| | ||||
| rendered powerless especially by an excessive amount or profusion of something; | ||||
Have you ever felt this way?
Do you know WHY you felt this way?
A few years ago I was "overwhelmed".
Why?
We were trying to do too much!
I had children in school and a new baby at home.
1 child played baseball and 2 danced.
Ball practice was twice per week, usually during dinner time, and games every Saturday.
Dance practice was twice per week, one of those nights was the same night as baseball practice, and of course, it was around dinner time.
That doesn't sound like much does it?
Add church into the mix. Now you are gone 2 more days of the week.
What about homework?
(You've got to get that done sometime.)
(You've got to get that done sometime.)
The grocery store?
Cleaning the house?
Laundry?
What if someone needs shoes?
When do you fit it all in?
Cleaning the house?
Laundry?
What if someone needs shoes?
When do you fit it all in?
So here was our week:
- Sunday is church.
- Monday night you're home.
- Tuesday is baseball practice and dance practice.
- Wednesday night is church and dance practice if you can fit in both.
- Thursday night is baseball practice again.
- Friday you're home...maybe.
- Saturday is baseball games.
Where did the week go?
When did your kids have some REAL down time?
What about a family dinner?
Home cooked meals?
How can you do that if you are gone every night?
Feeling overwhelmed yet?
Home cooked meals?
How can you do that if you are gone every night?
Feeling overwhelmed yet?
I am just thinking about how things were for us that year. It was too much. Too much for me and too much for the kids. I was doing all this running around "for them" but they were miserable!
Take a look at Ephesians 5: 15 - 16:
"Therefore be careful how you walk,
not as unwise men but as wise,
not as unwise men but as wise,
making the most of your time,
because the days are evil."
(The literal meaning is "redeem the time.")
Now, I'm not trying to tell you that after school activities are "evil".I'm suggesting that MAYBE we aren't making the most of our time.
Is it in our family's best interest to be running
here, there and yonder?
Are we making the most of our time?
The answer for my family was...
NO!
here, there and yonder?
Are we making the most of our time?
The answer for my family was...
NO!
We just couldn't keep it up. I was tired and worn out
and so were the kids.
So, we quit!
We quit all the "extras".
If it wasn't beneficial to our family or bringing us closer to God we
just didn't do it.
We redeemed our time.
and so were the kids.
So, we quit!
We quit all the "extras".
If it wasn't beneficial to our family or bringing us closer to God we
just didn't do it.
We redeemed our time.
Now our week looks like this:
- Sunday- church AM and PM
- Monday - school / home
- Tuesday - school / home
- Wednesday -school / church
- Thursday -school / home
- Friday - school / home
- Saturday - home
Sound boring? No way! It's freeing!
We are free to:
rest ~ enjoy one another as a family~ play~ do fun activities together~ just be ~have time to spend with our SaviorWe are free to:
Oh, there are LOTS of reasons to feel overwhelmed. It's not just after school activities. Many things in our lives can overwhelm us, but the question is ...
What can you do about it?
What can you change?
How are YOU
"making the most of your time"?
"making the most of your time"?
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What a great and thought provoking post. We homeschool and don't do any "extras" such as dance or ball stuff, just church. It is refreshing to hear about others who are scaling back to redeem the time and put more emphasis on Christ and relationships.
I like this. We have 3 teen boys, and we do not do sports or after school activities because of time, distance from home, and the cost of gas. But we do have more quality time together as a family, and we really enjoy it. I really enjoy your blog! Love the pictures!