When Homemaking Doesn't Come Naturally: 5 Habits That Helped

Does homemaking come naturally to you? It most certainly did not for me. Even though I really wanted to be a wife and a mother, I had no idea what it took to love my husband, children, or to manage all the moving parts of a home- and with joy.

Why did I find myself merely surviving until nap time with nasty toilets, a mountain of laundry, and a list that I could never get ahead on? Others made it look so easy.

I've heard many of you say similar things. And feel so defeated by this.

My sister, if this is a mindset that has befuddled you, I want to share something that I hope will provide some relief. Titus 2 implies that these things do not come naturally and it is a normal thing to have to learn them. (See Titus 2:3-5).

To learn anything in today's world, we spend countless hours (and years) in school. Knowledge and skills develop over time, through trial and error, and with patient instruction. I don't know about you, but I never devoted that amount of time or learning to the home. No wonder it is difficult!

Let me ask you something else. Do you scoff at a four-year-old for not knowing how to read a book right away? I would expect and hope that the answer to that would be no. If that's the case, why are we so unkind to ourselves when managing a home doesn't come naturally to us?

This Week's Takeaway

Back to our four-year-old, aspiring reader. The only way to learn to read the stories that he loves to hear is to take little steps forward in that direction each day. And before he knows it, he's demolishing chapter books, and maybe even able to turn and help his younger sibling learn how to sound out words.

In the same way, take heart in your endeavors to be a good steward of your home and the people in it. The little, intentional steps forward that you take add up.

Over the years, I’ve been taking some steps forward in five simple areas, and they’ve made a remarkable impact on our home. I hope that sharing these habits might spark some inspiration.

1. The Evening Reset

People underestimate the power of a solid, simple evening reset. Doing this every evening not only makes the morning 10 times smoother, it ultimately affects the whole next day (because the morning sets the tone in a big way). It sounds so simple, but it is so helpful. And simple is good!

2. Working as a Team

The more hands in a home that can contribute to a mess means (more mess…and) more hands to steward the home. Cultivating this has been a game changer in our home.

3. The Habit of Presence

This is absolutely crucial for not only connecting with loved ones, but also stewarding our time and home well. Distraction significantly undermines all of this.

4. Body & Soul Stewardship

Caring for our bodies and souls as homemakers fuels us for the good works that he puts in front of us.

5. Having a Plan

Not just any plan, but one that is realistic, geared towards your season, and helps you be faithful in your home.

If you'd like more detail on these habits, I go a bit more in depth in this week’s video about how this looks in our home and how you can start to cultivate one or more of these yourself. I hope that it spurs you on in love and good works