I always love when I am asked to fill
out my occupation on family medical forms. Don’t get me wrong; the balance of
working from home during the year and living at Falcon for the summer is a good
fit for us. But have you ever tried to write two different jobs titles let
alone two different addresses on that short line? Like any good camp counselor, I step outside
of the box and find my own creative solution: CEO of the Household. My
favorite part is when the doctors and nurses are reading through my paperwork.
The term is either met with a half smile or complete confusion.
CEO of the household is an
especially appropriate title these past ten days. My husband travels for his job.
With three children under 8 and a dog, I
rely on many of the skills I learn at Falcon to keep my house up and
running. Who am I kidding? A more accurate term would be afloat.
Here are a few of my favorite camp
tricks that make our household a little less chaotic:
- Create a playlist to help with time management. Morning and bedtime routines can often spark scenes of mass chaos that usually end in shouting by one or all parties at the Mahen house. As CEO, it was time to take a step back and think like a camp counselor. How could I manage to get eight to ten little girls ready for bed all summer yet my offspring draw inspiration from Peter Pan’s Lost Boys every evening? Music was and is my answer. The playlist automatically creates an expectation kids can easily relate to and understand. We pick out the songs together and I control the length of time.
- Give it a name, call it a game and everyone will play it. I am officially outnumbered. When the brood is in bed, I need time to decompress and prepare for tomorrow’s adventures. Yet I find myself up even later cleaning up laundry, dishes, toys, etc. How did we clean up the cabin at Falcon? Ah ha. The trick was to find a fun way to accomplish the task. I cut out cardboard targets and attach them to the back of my laundry sorting bins. Who can earn the most points sorting clothes today? The kitchen timer helps us break previous records as they, dare I say, clean up the playroom. My only warning is to change these up often.
- Acknowledge the good stuff to eliminate the bad. That’s right….I see you using your hands to eat the green beans instead of a fork. You are kneeling in the seat and your milk is about to spill. But instead of talking to the child committing the offense, I compliment the other on good table manners. Family style meals at Falcon teach how to find a good balance between manners, conversation, and fun. The sole motivation is our appetites after running around outside all day. I am still working on this one….
No matter the amount of sleep, those
last few days of being home alone can be tough.
I’m tired, craving adult conversation, and in need of an uninterrupted
shower. Maybe I need to keep thinking of
these tips to help avoid this situation.
But doesn’t every CEO acknowledge room for growth and improvement in
her/his company?
As always, you are amazing.......:) I saw those same fresh ideas years ago when we taught together. So this is noooo surprise that you are putting it to work with your precious kids :) The question is, do the games work with the dog too?:)
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