This turned in to a great family weekend. I don’t think any of us opened a computer. We were outside, watching netflix cozied up on the couch, etc. It was nice. But, now – to finish off this series on hospitality!
There are some ways to provide hospitality to your kids – that you may not even be aware of. At least these are some ways that we can provide hospitality to our children – how we can help them feel welcome, safe, and desired. Tehse have worked for us – even in the many MANY moves that we’ve had to make since they’ve come into our lives!
- Stability. Ok – so, we’ve had to move several times. Our older son is 5 and since his birth we’ve moved 6 times. But, we’ve tried to do things that help with the stability. We’ve kept the furniture in our home the same. We’ve tried to keep our schedules (especially their daily schedule) the same. We’ve found this helps them be mostly calm even in the unknown.
- Consistency. This may sound similar but it is different for us. Like, we don’t keep the boys out too late because we’ve learned that they do better with life if they are in bed at a consistent time. We’ve learned that they need to wake up at the same time. Be around the same people. New environments make one of our boys not feel safe.
- Clean. Ok – this is probably the hardest, but thankfully I’m married to my husband. But, in our house, we like things clean because it creates a sense of calm. When we move, we get unpacked quickly. We keep most things really clean. I mean picked up. We don’t leave clutter every where. I wish everything was actually clean – but I don’t wipe down baseboards or sweep every day.
Those are just a few ways we help provide hospitality, security and refuge. These are pretty practical. What practical ways do you serve your children with to provide hospitality to them?
Quote from Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl