Full Review of the Large Family Logistics book

I have mentioned before that my favorite parenting book is Large Family Logistics.

Two things I like most about Large Family Logistics:

This book is no longer in print. However, Kim Brenneman wrote an updated version that will help you just as much: Home Management Plain and Simple

1.)  It serves as a great reminder of the need to involve the children in chores.

It’s so easy to forget to do that, and there is literally more work at this job than I can do myself. I actually had to remind the boys of that today at chore time.

“Joshua (he’s our whiner of the day), do you remember this week how you ran out of all your favorite pants to wear and how that made you feel?”

Joshua nodded pitifully, and I said, “Well, that’s what happens when no one helps me with the chores.”

Caleb and Daniel both dutifully did their chores with quickness and no complaining, so I of course also made sure I praised them for this, where today’s whiner could hear me.

I learned that in my short teacher’s training that I did in Texas:  the importance of praising the children doing the right thing, and you will quickly see the other children trying to follow suit. It WORKS!

Now I do say TODAY’S whiner, b/c they each take turns with their whining.

Once Joshua calmed down, each time I gave him a task, he seemed to almost enjoy his job.  The hard part was getting past the fuss he put up.  So my goal for this week is to work Joshua well and get him past this whining and complaining problem.

You know, God doesn’t like whiners and complainers either.  Just think about how he handled those murmuring Israelites, wandering in the desert!

#2. The other thing I like so much about that book is the concept of assigning major tasks to each day.

Monday:  Laundry Day.  Obviously, in a ‘large’ family, you have to do 1-2 loads a day anyway, but laundry day helps you catch up on the laundry you’re behind on.

Tuesday:  Kitchen Day.  Extra cleaning and cooking in the kitchen

Wednesday:  Office Day:  filing, organizing office space, etc.

Thursday:  Errand Day:  the day for appointments, shopping, and various errands.

Friday:  Cleaning Day:  You still do basic chores like tidying up, dishes, and laundry everyday.  But cleaning day is when the vacuum and dust rag get used all over the house.

Saturday:  Gardening Day:  love this day, but still feel guilty about neglecting the mess in Alan’s office that needs to be addressed.

“You have no office,” you say?  Yes, you’re right.  We don’t even have a desk, so Alan has turned my dining room into his office, and he is constantly bringing in papers galore and leaving them on the very decorative buffet, you know, right where everyone who enters our house can see.

I have GOT to find a place to set up a desk for him before I go batty.  I already made him a huge drawer for all that stuff, and yet it’s all still on top of the buffet.    Therefore, no matter how much I straighten the house still looks messy.

Another goal for this week:  find solution to the Alan home office problem.

Today’s Gardening Day Fun:

 …..By the way, we bought a boat…..and yet we’re not sure when we’ll ever have time to actually use the boat.  Does life ever slow down?  We could really use a slow down!  I’ve kind of hurt myself a little, carrying Daniel around so much and just doing my job.  Therefore, I have come to a very unpleasant conclusion that it’s time for me to be more careful with this giant belly condition that I have and train Daniel to walk more.