This past week, we’ve had the
privilege of hosting Stephen’s grandmother, and parents, but after his parents,
left, his nearly 90 year old ‘Nana Nell’ stayed on for a couple of days before
we drove her up to one of her daughters to stay with.
One night after dinner, I thought
I should take the opportunity to ask what her top ten household and parenting
tips were, as one day, sad as that will be, she won’t be around to ask, and I
would regret having not asked her. Nana Nell raised 5 children, who in turn have given
her 18 grandchildren and 34 great grandchildren. During the 2nd
Word War she worked in Sydney at a Home for unwanted children, and thought she
knew all about children, but when she had her own, and was with them 24hrs a
day without pay, she realised she knew nothing about being a mother, and so
went for prayer from the minister’s wife.
From that day she made it her mission in life to be a great mother, and is now the one others
go to for wisdom.
So here they are, just as she
thought of them, top ten tips and a few funnies to boot.
(Hey, and I don’t do all these,
all the time, but I hope there is something in here that you can hold onto, and
just because you can’t get these all done, doesn’t make you any less of a good
Mum.)
1. Make your bed as soon as you get out of
it. Turn around at your door and survey
a neat room before you leave.
2. Pick up any washing and take
it to the laundry or hang it up.
3. Whatever you cook is for the
whole family.
4. Whatever job you don’t like,
get it over with first.
5. When you sort dirty washing,
go through everyone’s pockets. (She
told us a funny story of how her boarders would always leave money in their
dirty pockets and she would always return it, but one day she announced she
would keep any more money found.
Suddenly there was never any money in their pockets.)
6. Have the house tidy for your
husband, including yourself. My husband
told me later he really appreciated the effort I put in.
7. Praise the children for what
they’ve done right during the day, and if they’ve made a mistake, just say ‘I’m
disappointed about such and such’ then leave the matter alone.
8. Tidy the kitchen together
after dinner and spend time with your children before bed. It’s important your
children have happy memories. We would
always work together to clean the kitchen and sing.
9. Teach your children to come in
with a smile.
10. Take a bucket into a room and put everything
that doesn’t belong in that room in the bucket, straighten up the room and then
distribute the things in the bucket so you aren’t making ten trips to and from
that room.
Nana also told us a story of the
worst punishment she ever dealt out:
One day they had gone to visit
another family after church, with her brand new big, fashionable hat, which she
left on the front seat of her car. Unbeknownst to her the children played hide
and seek in the car and squished her hat, and in great annoyance she declared
that there would be no singing on the way home in the car, at which all the
children were devastated.
When her eldest daughter Robyn,
got her very first pay check two years later, the first thing she bought was a
big beautiful hat for her Mum.
Is there someone in your life who
has wisdom to share with you? Who would
you regret not asking if one day they were suddenly not around to share with
you anymore? I’d love to hear if anyone
interviews an older family member or friend to share some good ‘Titus 2 Wisdom’
of the older women mentoring the younger.
Linking up at: www.arabahjoy.com
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