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Mommy Convos

How to Create a Delightful Sunday as a Mother

in Our Favorites, What's Working Wednesday on 04/01/17

When I was a teenager and young adult I LOVED Sunday. Being a mom has altered my Sunday scene and Sundays gradually became harder to enjoy, which made me sad.  Something needed to change! Thankfully, in the summer of 2015, I made huge strides in understanding the immense purpose of the Sabbath. I noticed a repeated theme of keeping the Sabbath a holy day. It didn’t matter whether it was a big stake conference, or the normal presidency message: our leaders kept choosing the same topic! The message came strong and clear to me: the Sabbath day is important. As this statement kept coming again and again, and AGAIN, I was a little bewildered as to why the Sabbath?

Regardless of your belief system, I wholeheartedly believe that everyone can benefit from an intentional Sunday to start off the week. My own belief system teaches that Sunday is a Holy Sabbath, a day of rest and worship. Resting and worshiping are not easy to come by as a mom to three young kids! This takes effort and creativity to figure out a way to make it work for your own family.

After trying to create a better Sabbath day for my family, and then revising and tweaking again, I remember one particular Monday morning, my husband and I said to each other in passing, “Yesterday felt like the perfect Sunday!” We nod in agreement, feeling satisfied that our positive efforts to make Sunday feel different worked!  I now understand two important things about Sunday that I didn’t previously know:

 1) A Sunday well-spent as a family is so fulfilling! We miss out on doing a lot of good that day if we don’t have a clear intention for the Sabbath.

2) The activities we do on the Sabbath are individual and they are a sign between YOU and the LORD, and no one else.

How to create a Delightful Sabbath: (some problems and solutions)

Problem #1: No matter what time church is at (whether it’s 9am, 1pm or otherwise), getting out the door on time is always stressful.

To get everyone’s hair combed and looking nice, shoes on (and still on when we pull into the parking lot) and the bag packed with enough activities to keep the little ones busy to name a few. Then struggling to keep these little people in their seats is… exhausting. Can I get an “Amen” here?

SOLUTION:

Every Saturday night take care of these things:

  1. What’s everyone wearing? Did we leave the church shoes at grandmas? Does everyone have a clean outfit?  –Early church: Lay out clothes and accessories before bed.
  2. What are we eating? Do we want to throw something in the crockpot for dinner? Have a plan! —Early church: Lay out breakfast items.
  3. What do I need to take to church? Is my lesson printed? Is my church bag packed? Rotate quiet activities for the church bag so kids are more likely to be content. (My fave church bag toys are pictured below). Stock up on some church bag essentials the easy way… Amazon! Click here for our easy affiliate links:  Melissa and Doug stained glass (*on sale). Water wow economy pack. Boogie boards ($5 off). 

21 solutions to common Sunday issues! Make sundays great as a mom. How to Create a Delightful Sunday as a Mother_ Problems and Solutions. Sunday Hacks. Make the sabbath a delight. SAbbath day tips. Sunday tips for moms.

  1. My most helpful strategy: Figure out how long it takes you to get everyone ready. Once you know how long, (it’s one hour and 10 minutes before church begins for us!), focus ONLY on doing those things that need to be done to get there. I love that if I’m QUICK and FOCUSED for that time, that it’s predictable: we CAN be on time!
Problem #2: Having an extra parent around during the day actually messes with the flow I’m used to.

(Anyone else struggle with this?) I’m used to being the only parent around during the day: so when a child cries, I go to that child at the time I assess if they actually need me. Add another adult and it’s a little more complicated! Who is on duty? I subconsciously think, “Oh hubby’s home… He can take care of that fire…” and he’s actually thinking: “Where is Jenn!? I am trying to take a poop!”  or “I was just about to hop in bed for my well-deserved Sunday nap!” We’re totally lucky to have an awesome husband/dad around, but this element of uncertainty throughout the day, though small, is taxing.

SOLUTION:

Sit down with your partner and talk about how you can make Sunday an enjoyable day of rest for both parents. Here’s what we do: when we get home from church, we all get out snacks, chat for a bit, and then make a plan for who gets their “me time” when. We usually need to switch off which spouse goes first and for how long since no two Sundays look alike. We totally use the white noise app on our phones to try to drown out the inevitable fighting between siblings etc. Ideally, we can use our one-on-one time with the kids playing outside!

Problem #3: We make a bigger mess on Sundays, which disturbs the serene feeling I’m going for.

Since we are home most of the day, we have time to graze through the entire leftover situation in the fridge, and seem to always be in the mood for various snacks from the pantry. Are we on the same page about clean up? Nope.

SOLUTIONS:

Since I am still struggling with this, I’ve brainstormed a few different tactics:

  • Start an after-dinner tradition that includes turning on some of your favorite church music and no one leaves the kitchen until everything is clean!
  • Use Sundays as a teaching day to reinforce your ideal daily routine. I have TONS of routine chart ideas here for visual little ones! The conversation in your kitchen might sound like this: “After lunch we all help put the dishes in the dishwasher! This is what it looks like… Jace, you bring your plate over to the sink like this!” etc. “Husband, could you put a few things away with me?”

 

Milk magic straws are our Sunday tradition: they flavor the milk while you drink. Low sugar content and are super fun!

  • Use a special treat as a reward for cleaning up an area, and let it be your Sunday tradition. We’ve used these cute Milk Magic straws as a fun activity to look forward to after church every Sunday—now that I think about it, In 2017 we might start a new part to the “Sunday straw” tradition: you get the straw after you’ve cleaned up ten items!

  • This year, I plan to incorporate a few things on Sundays to make it feel like a special day to retreat from the norm. Here is some brainstorming:
    • Have instrumental/zen music on! Music is powerful to change your mood.
    • Light a yummy smelling candle. I forget to most days, but Sunday is a great day to use aromatherapy 🙂
    • Give yourself time to just “be” then go to a quiet room and meditate for a few minutes.
Problem #4:  I’d like to do so much on Sunday and sometimes I only get to…  well, none of it.
SOLUTION:

Create space for the good to fit in! Here are some ideas to help:

  1. My husband and I are shooting for unplugged Sundays. We have six days to find out the latest on Facebook etc. and one day to take a refreshing break and let our minds think about what He wants us to do to progress. We’re not perfect, but this app (android) has helped me a ton.  App detox allows you to allot yourself on how much time you want to spend on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Chrome— or whatever your downfall might be… and once time is up- the app kicks you out! LOVE using this app every day of the week… To clarify, on Sundays we don’t completely unplug- the kids can watch the awesome Bible videos on Youtube.
  2. Let something go that you don’t want to worry about on Sundays. Maybe it’s making beds, an easier meal than usual, or letting dishes pile in the sink for a day. Give yourself an intentional break and enjoy it! 
  3. Here are some fun traditions that may help fill your day with good:
    1. That “snack-chat” I mentioned earlier about planning with my husband? Yeah, we also use that time to talk about what we will do for service that day and plan out what needs to happen to make-it-happen. We’ve brought flowers to our local nursing home, made treats for neighbors, and visited people that would enjoy the company.

  • I got these cute little journals for my girls (ages 2 and 4) for $1.99 and it has been a fun tradition to pull them out every week. Ideal time has been when I’m breaking up a fight… Kids: “She’s hitting me!” Mom: “Hey wanna pull out your journals?” Both kids: “Yay!!!!!” I let them tell me what they want me to write down about their week or church that day. We’re going on week six or so, and they still REALLY look forward to it. I let my four year old try to write a few words on her own with me helping her to spell, and the two year old can scribble with a pen with me sitting by her. Sometimes I write down cute things they said or did as well. (The BEST journal for recording their cute quotes for the day-to-day life tho is this one! I wrote a quick post about my love for it here.)
  • Make time for one-on-one “special time” for each of your kids. A whole post on the benefits of “special time” here: https://mommyconvos.com/one-on-one-special-time-with-your-kids/
  • The first Sunday of the month, we like to do interviews with dad. We let the kids talk with dad about what they are into, what worries them- whatever. We think it’s a good thing to build a normalcy of talking one-on-one about important topics as they grow older in a relaxed, loving environment.
  • Enjoy the outdoors with your family taking a walk, story-time on a picnic blanket, or a game running around in the yard.
  • Play board games together regularly on Sunday. Need some ideas? Mommy Convos’ favorite games are mentioned in these posts: here, here, and here!
  • Have a family meeting to go over the plans for the upcoming week, instruct on things that need attention, and have fun together. The famous parenting expert Amy McCready thinks weekly family meetings are an incredible tool, and so do we!

Elder Nelson said in general conference April 2015:  

“The Sabbath is a sign between you and God” (quoting Ezekial).

Rather than wondering, “Is this activity Sabbath appropriate?”

It is easier for me to ask: “What do I want to show the Lord on his day?”

My attitude about Sunday activities changed. That scripture actually both broadened and narrowed my activities into things that are truly better for me and my family. 

One Sunday in April, I was in my bathroom looking for something under my cluttered bathroom sink. Since we’d moved into our home I hadn’t found the energy to organize there. At that moment, I actually had the mental clarity to attack this “ job” at that moment. Normally I would dismiss it saying this isn’t a Sabbath appropriate activity. But then I thought, this will take me 10-15 minutes and I will be more organized mother and wife for my family. AND I had a quiet moment to ponder as I sorted through things. (Soo therapeutic, right?) I went for it. 

One of the main points Elder Nelson is trying to teach is: our Sabbath activities aren’t a sign from you to anyone else, but a time to progress into the person He wants us to be. The main goals of Sunday are: to do His work, rest, and strengthen relationships with others in a way that we’d feel comfortable if He happened to appear in our home at that moment. We want to be able to say with a smile, “Oh Hey! Wanna see what I’m up too? Love you!” 😉 

Do you know a mom that’s struggling with a new Sunday Schedule? Share this post, or invite her to our facebook group! This week, a bunch of moms shared great tips on how to make 1pm church work when your toddler naps at 1:30! Check it out and have a great week!

EDIT 3/13/18: Part 2 to this article can be found here! One of the highlights: Living Scriptures Streaming has been a big “win” for us lately: Click here to get an extra $5 off with our referral!

Jenn

Avatar

About Jennica

Jennica is a mom to four energetic girls, and wife to her love-at-second-sight husband. She ran a cleaning business for ten years, and would love to see the day that her entire house could be clean-- all at the same time. Until then, you’re likely to find her folding big loads of laundry while listening to inspiring podcasts, or chasing her little girls down the street!

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Comments

  1. AvatarShambray says

    April 2, 2017 at 7:35 am

    I LOVED​ this post. You have so many great ideas. I do many of them too and I’m grateful to hear that an amazing mom like you does it too. Thanks for sharing this post.

    • AvatarJennica says

      April 13, 2017 at 3:50 pm

      Thanks for the comment. Silly, but true- it made my whole morning!

Trackbacks

  1. New Years Resolutions and the 6 Goals to Make this Year with a Free Printable - Mommy Convos says:
    January 11, 2017 at 9:25 pm

    […] Spiritual Goals: I am a firm believer in self- improvement, self-enlightenment and spiritual growth through scripture study. Admittedly my desire to dive head deep into the scriptures and fuel myself with promised spiritual knowledge has lacked for years- we’ll blame this on exhaustion of daily life with kids and laziness…. However new year, new desire, new goals! Dedicating time during naptime or in the quiet of the night before heading to bed is a great idea to pull out the scriptures. Meditating is another great way to feel enlightened. -I meditate during yoga and I love the sense of peace I feel afterwards.  Whatever your element of spiritual growth is, find a way to improve it this year. Another simple goal I have this year- making our Sundays more delightful. Jennica’s fantastic article suggests making a Sabbath a delight. Need some Sunday goal ideas? Head here. […]

  2. 6 Simple Methods for a Better Sunday (as a mom to littles!) - Mommy Convos says:
    March 19, 2018 at 7:41 pm

    […] so each momma will have her own way to accomplish an effective Sabbath. Last year I wrote about How to Create a Delightful Sunday as a Mother: I talked about the problems we face, and the solutions that’ve worked well for us. There are […]

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Last night the hubby and I finished our Christmas shopping and I can finally put the wallet away. I’m certain we’re done- I hope. I should probably check my stash to be sure! 🙈
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Sharing today our list of fun non-toy stocking stuffers you can snag before it’s too late! Head to our @mommyconvos bio for the details! 
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Hi friends! We hope that you are having an amazing Hi friends! We hope that you are having an amazing week and are having a blast gearing up for the holidays ahead. With 2020 coming to an end, we can all relate to how tough this year has been. However, the initial tendency as a parent might be to overspend in an effort to compensate for whatever did or didn't happen in 2020. ⁣
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LET ME GIVE YOU THIS REASSURANCE, MOMMAS- it is NOT necessary to buy more during the holidays in order to compensate for whatever you feel your children lacked this year. ❤ ⁣
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Instead, we highly suggest minimizing your Christmas stress by implementing a minimalistic mindset each year, but this year in particular. This year has blessed us with the specific opportunity to tune in and be more mindful of those you love, just like our Savior does for us. So take this time to BE more present instead of spending extra cash on gifts. We promise it will be absolutely worth it. ⁣
⁣
If you are looking at enjoying a more minimalistic holiday, be sure to check out the latest from the blog for some great tips and tricks for finding balance and peace this year. Just click the link in our bio @mommyconvos ⁣
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How are you prepping for the holidays that are a little different than in previous years? 🎁🎄
Recently, my social media feed is full of #givetha Recently, my social media feed is full of #givethanks gratitude posts Oh how I love the change of focus! My list of gratitude is oh so long, my faith and my family are the top of my list, but also is good literature. Goodness, life is so much better with good books!  I love discovering new holiday books, and this year I found several now books to add to our collection. 
•
•
“Thanksgiving is here”- playfully illustrates the joys and chaos of large families gathering for Thanksgiving dinner. And when company leaves- how exhausted the hosts feel. Something as a mom I totally sympathize with. 😂
•
•
Another delight Thanksgiving book addition to our library this year is, “T-is for Thankful”. @babylit has done it again! Creating the cutest illustrated book centered around all the alphabetical great and small things to be thankful for this year.
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•
Last year I shared our review on “Bad kitty does not like Thanksgiving” and this book is hilarious! Check out our Insta-stories for the awesome video review on this and other of our favorite Thanksgiving books.
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Do you have a favorite thanksgiving book? Please share below so we can continue to learn from each other! Happy holidays friends. 🦃 🥧 Morgan and Tiffaynee
Today I’ve felt anxious. I know i’m not the on Today I’ve felt anxious. I know i’m not the only one feeling this way with the impending presidential announcement... so how do we handle feeling off, anxious or depressed? One of the best things you can do -right this moment- give a hug. Cuddle close to a loved one and hold one another. Breathe deep. And hug for another breath. And hopefully you’ll slowly feel that anxiety release. And feel free to cuddle longer. 😘
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Sending a warm hug your way friend. 
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“When my daughter passed away unexpectedly at 10 “When my daughter passed away unexpectedly at 10 months old, my heart shattered. I was beyond broken… I was shattered beyond repair.⁣
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Christmas is less than a week away. And if you hav Christmas is less than a week away. And if you haven’t read any of these adorable books – I highly suggest all of them. “But it’s too late!” You might be thinking and slightly panicking.... nonsense! ⠀
•⠀
•⠀
In fact, this post is perfectly timed to prepare you for your final purchases this weekend or even, Christmas book clearance time. 🥳 When Christmas is over I’m certain many of these books will go on sale. (Insert happy deal shoppers dance here! 💃🏼 🛍) •⠀
•⠀
So, I suggest you look for these books today to add to your library for the next holiday season. 🎁🎅🏻 ⠀
•⠀
•⠀
Head to our stories to see Morgan talk about some of her favorites, click the link in our bio for the Christmas book article or to shop all of our fav books- click on the Amazon link. ⠀
•⠀
• What holiday book is your favorite to read with your kids?
Morgan here- I’m all about planning ahead, espec Morgan here- I’m all about planning ahead, especially for the biggest holiday of the year, but I forget one small detail... the stockings. 🙈😑 Please tell me i’m not the only one? 
•
•
Last night the hubby and I finished our Christmas shopping and I can finally put the wallet away. I’m certain we’re done- I hope. I should probably check my stash to be sure! 🙈
•
•
Sharing today our list of fun non-toy stocking stuffers you can snag before it’s too late! Head to our @mommyconvos bio for the details! 
•
•
So, here’s the next question: do you Christmas shop for the family by yourself? (❤️) Or do you team up with your spouse? (❤️💚) Leave the colored heart that best describes you- below!
Hi friends! We hope that you are having an amazing Hi friends! We hope that you are having an amazing week and are having a blast gearing up for the holidays ahead. With 2020 coming to an end, we can all relate to how tough this year has been. However, the initial tendency as a parent might be to overspend in an effort to compensate for whatever did or didn't happen in 2020. ⁣
⁣
LET ME GIVE YOU THIS REASSURANCE, MOMMAS- it is NOT necessary to buy more during the holidays in order to compensate for whatever you feel your children lacked this year. ❤ ⁣
⁣
Instead, we highly suggest minimizing your Christmas stress by implementing a minimalistic mindset each year, but this year in particular. This year has blessed us with the specific opportunity to tune in and be more mindful of those you love, just like our Savior does for us. So take this time to BE more present instead of spending extra cash on gifts. We promise it will be absolutely worth it. ⁣
⁣
If you are looking at enjoying a more minimalistic holiday, be sure to check out the latest from the blog for some great tips and tricks for finding balance and peace this year. Just click the link in our bio @mommyconvos ⁣
⁣
How are you prepping for the holidays that are a little different than in previous years? 🎁🎄
Recently, my social media feed is full of #givetha Recently, my social media feed is full of #givethanks gratitude posts Oh how I love the change of focus! My list of gratitude is oh so long, my faith and my family are the top of my list, but also is good literature. Goodness, life is so much better with good books!  I love discovering new holiday books, and this year I found several now books to add to our collection. 
•
•
“Thanksgiving is here”- playfully illustrates the joys and chaos of large families gathering for Thanksgiving dinner. And when company leaves- how exhausted the hosts feel. Something as a mom I totally sympathize with. 😂
•
•
Another delight Thanksgiving book addition to our library this year is, “T-is for Thankful”. @babylit has done it again! Creating the cutest illustrated book centered around all the alphabetical great and small things to be thankful for this year.
•
•
Last year I shared our review on “Bad kitty does not like Thanksgiving” and this book is hilarious! Check out our Insta-stories for the awesome video review on this and other of our favorite Thanksgiving books.
•
•
Do you have a favorite thanksgiving book? Please share below so we can continue to learn from each other! Happy holidays friends. 🦃 🥧 Morgan and Tiffaynee
Today I’ve felt anxious. I know i’m not the on Today I’ve felt anxious. I know i’m not the only one feeling this way with the impending presidential announcement... so how do we handle feeling off, anxious or depressed? One of the best things you can do -right this moment- give a hug. Cuddle close to a loved one and hold one another. Breathe deep. And hug for another breath. And hopefully you’ll slowly feel that anxiety release. And feel free to cuddle longer. 😘
•
•
Sending a warm hug your way friend. 
❤️Tiff.
“When my daughter passed away unexpectedly at 10 “When my daughter passed away unexpectedly at 10 months old, my heart shattered. I was beyond broken… I was shattered beyond repair.⁣
⁣
They say it takes a “village” to raise a child…⁣
⁣
At that moment my “village” is what kept me alive…”⁣
•⁣
•⁣
@momma.hutch is 1 of every 4 women in the United States alone, who are affected by infertility or infant loss, or both. Mallory shares her brave story of dear Mackenzie’s passing and the journey she and her family are still going through. In this article Mallory  offers 10 invaluable and thoughtful ways to help a grief-stricken friend and we couldn’t agree more with her list. ⁣
•⁣
•⁣
To read her article- click @mommyconvos link in our bio. If you are a mother currently going through the grieving process- our deepest condolences and a virtual hug sent your way. We encourage you to check out Mallory‘s amazing supportive Instagram group: ... ⁣
•⁣
•⁣
When you are sad what is the one thing that cheers you up? I’ll give you a hint what mine is in the comments. 😍
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