Catholic Activity: Orderliness

Advice for mom and dad on cultivating habits of orderliness.

DIRECTIONS

While going about your duties try to preserve an atmosphere of orderliness in the home as much as possible. Such a climate preserves the peace that is so important and leads to an awareness of God's presence.

While your children are small, you must always be ready when they need you. Save yourself for their sakes. In spite of the many demands on your time, you yourself must have sufficient rest to guard your temper. Organize your work, Mother, so that when there comes a lull in your household at naptime, you do not seize that time to hurry up and work breathlessly. Instead, take at least a part of it in order to relax. If you can possibly go to sleep, do so. If you find it difficult to sleep during the day, at least lie down and rest. This is a good time to do a short bit of spiritual reading, which will feed your soul and inspire you again to see the tremendous beauty in your responsibility of running a home.

And you, Dad, do the same when you come home in the evening. There are numerous cares and responsibilities loaded on the head of the family. But you, too, must find time to relax with your child by reading and telling stories, listening to the account of his exciting day, examining the drawing he brings to you, or admiring the block-built bridge on the living room rug. This will make your role as father more meaningful.

Activity Source: From Stroller to School, Parent-Educator Series 2, Leaflets 13-24, Three to Six Years by Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 1962