RoutineTalk

Those of you who have read my book, Feminine Appeal, know that when I gave birth to my first baby (Nicole), I had no clue how to care for a child and no one close by to show me how. It wasn’t until my mom came from Florida to serve me after Kristin’s birth (fourteen months later), that I received my first bit of helpful advice. My mom watched me spend hours trying to bottle feed Nicole to sleep—on top of caring for a newborn. “You need to let that girl cry!” she told me. It worked and it changed my world.

I know there may be moms out there like me. You feel alone, unsure of what to do, and desperate for some advice. And while I’m no substitute for a mother, I want to come alongside you (as best I can via the internet!) and simply tell you—as one of our readers put it, “Here’s what worked for me.” And remember, it's just a suggestion.

Having raised four children (one, twelve years after I thought I was through!), having talked to many other moms—both young and experienced, and having advised my own daughters with their small children, I’ve come to the following conclusion: order, routine, and structure serve the mom, the marriage, and the children.

Now please—if words like “order” and “structure” make you want to shut down the computer and go for a walk in the park, I understand. Or, for some of you, it might bring to mind a certain person or a certain method that was rigid, inflexible and made life miserable. That’s not what this is about!

And please don’t misunderstand. I am not saying that there is only one right way to parent. And I am not insisting there is one schedule that fits all babies. And I am not a medical expert, and I know there are unique situations in which conventional wisdom does not apply.  I’m also not presenting anything new or novel.  “Older women” for centuries—from Susanna Wesley to Catherine Beecher to Elisabeth Elliot—have passed this practical wisdom down to all of us (we’ll pass it on to you over the next few days).

As we examine more closely the advantages of scheduling for you and your family, I pray you’ll benefit in some small way. But whether you take my advice or not, I sincerely hope you feel my care. And most of all, I hope you know the Father’s pleasure in your motherly sacrifice.