Easier Isn't Always Better

I am having a glorious day. Beautiful weather. Dirt under my fingernails. Nothing on the agenda. Four beautiful babes alternating naps, snacks, movies, and pool time. Lots of ice cream. Lots of laying around. Heaven.

I am also enjoying some leisurely reading. Most of the time, I am reading with a purpose. To learn something, to study for something, or preparing for an upcoming time of teaching. But today, it's all fluff. Magazines to be exact. A good old People. A new one my Mom signed me up for called life:beautiful. It's basically a Christian Martha Stewart Living. Very nice. And my new favorite: Family Fun. I'm not sure where I got signed up for it, but it comes every month and it's chocked full of great creative ideas for kids.

So, I'm reading this article about a woman who has eight kids who was exhausted with the amount of dishes she had to do every day. ( I can relate.) She was so tired of having to wash and clean up after all her kids that she decided to come up with a radical solution. She went to the dollar store and bought each person in the family one bowl and one cup. They each were allowed to decorate it with their name and then she packed away all the other dishes in the house. Each child was then responsible for their own dishes. In the morning, they would eat their cereal and then hand wash their dish so it would be ready for soup at lunch. At dinner, they would eat their salad, head to the sink and wash it out, and then fill it up with spaghetti. If a dish was left on the table, she instantly knew who was the culprit. In addition to that, the child would have to clean up their bowl before they could eat their next meal and she loved that they learned how hard dried out Mac and Cheese is to clean up.

I was impressed with her solution! What a great idea! No more piles of dishes in the sink. No more stacks of plates on the table for the dog to try and eat off of. No more sinking feeling when the dishwasher is still running from the last batch, and the counter is already full enough to do another load.

So, on my way the the cupboard with a box in hand to clean out the offending tableware I had a moment of pause. Eating off the same bowl for every meal? Washing out my plate in between courses? Certainly a practical solution - but is everything about "practical?" I have a bit of a "thing" for dishes, and have about five different color options and styles in my cupboard. I like to shake it up a bit. I like to pick a dish that is going to compliment my food. Really. Stop laughing!

My point is this. It would be easy to just have 3 shirts and 3 pairs of pants in everyone's closet. Less laundry! But what about personal expression? What about variety? What about going with the mood of the moment?

I could remove all photos, knick knacks, and decorations from my home. No more dusting! But what about memories? What about aesthetic value? What about pretty?

I recognize that as a mother with so many responsibilities it is easy for me to fall into the practical, routine, and utilitarian. And don't get me wrong, I love a good paper plate and a bag of instant mashed potatoes just as much as the next girl. But I have to be careful that I also remember that part of my job as a mom is to bring warmth. It's to welcome. It's to beautify.

Yes, I need to teach my children to clean and pick up and follow a routine. But I also need to teach them to take the time to make it special. I need them to learn to use their imagination to enhance their everyday responsibilities. I want to demonstrate to them that the duty of life can still be filled with joy and expression.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am not judging this sweet woman who came up with a creative way to address a problem. Kudos to her. But for the Kerrs, variety is still the spice of life.

I don't want my children to ever feel like caring for them is a drudgery for me. If I was having friends over for dinner, I would put out my best setting. I would prepare and clean and create an inviting and warm environment so my guests would know I anticipated their visit. And although, I realize that family meals are much more frequent and less extraordinary, I still always want my kids to feel like I made an effort for them. Even if it just means that they get to use a new bowl.