Sew Anyhow
Being such a large family, we get quite a bit of attention. Some of it is good, curious attention; some judgemental, and bad. Often I am praised in my social outlets for all that our family is. And often I believe my own press. So today, we are going to try and dispel some myths.
Myth 1~ You are Super Woman!
Sadly, I am not. And while I ran around in Super Woman Underoos as a child, I couldn’t get that spandex over my stomach. I don’t have super powers. I can’t rely on them to get me out of a jam. When I forget to run by the store and get bread, that means there won’t be sandwiches for lunch. I can’t wiggle my nose or snap my fingers and it appears. I can’t do it all.
Myth 2~ You have raised your children so well!
HA! My children are wonderful. But they are flawed people being raised by flawed parents. We have sibling rivalry, lying, fighting, deceit, and general chaos just like every house. The only difference is we have eight children.
Myth 3~ You have to be the perfect wife!
Yes I am, thank you very much. Oh, wait. I must tell the truth. Are you ready for this? I am not. There are many times I am selfish, demand my will be done, yell, and even am vengeful. I’m sure there are days my husband probably doesn’t really even like me.
So now that I’ve aired some of my dirty laundry, let me share how I deal with these areas.
#1~ I have to remember that I write my own press. Rarely do I post my failures to my statuses or the Internet. I make a list the night before of things I have to get done for the next day, listing the most important three first. I am okay with the fact that if I may only get those three things done. That is a successful day. And if I don’t get them done, I remember that tomorrow is a new day, with new mercies, and a chance to start again.
#2 My children are often just mirrors of my husband and I. More times than I care to admit, I cringe when I see an action or hear the attitudes explode from my children. So we work very hard to labor beside our children. We have been lazy most of the summer in this, so we are going back to the basics this school year. I stand side-by-side with my children as we clean the kitchen, put folded clothes in their drawers, make beds, or pick up toys. No longer do we send them off to do chores, we lead by example. Some days, it’s about all we get done. But that is time well spent with my children and well spent training my children.
#3~ Yes, I try very hard to be agreeable with my husband. I am also VERY independent, and that causes me grief. But everyday, I chose to love my husband. When I wake up, I pray a prayer of thanksgiving for the man next to me. And I pray that my words and actions will speak of the love God has given us. Our marriage should be an example of Christ’s love and sacrifice for us. And if I’m unbending, selfish, I’m far from what I am called to be. So I often stop. Sometimes even call for a time out. And I apologize. Quickly. Like sometimes in mid-sentence. And I NEVER spew details of a disagreement on the Internet. I will only praise Heath, and tell of his greatness. I love the man. Why would I tell of anything else?
Join Beth as she shares in our newest category “Big School” and offers tips to homeschooling the large homeschool family.
Beth
Beth is a pastor’s wife, mom to five boys and three girls. The family is beginning their fifth year of homeschooling. You can also see Beth and her family on her blog Sew Anyhow
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I loved this! I, too, have a large family (though, not quite as big – 6 children) and I also take care of my grandmother. I could have written this article as it reflects us as well! I hear the same myths and deal with them very similarly. Thank you for posting!
I am constantly asked, “How do you do it all?” I do what I do, because that is what I do. Just like a family takes care of two kids, I take care of mine. With many errors along the way! It is nice to meet you. Hope you come back and keep reading all our writers posts!
I wholeheartedly agree with this! I hear the same things you do: the Supermom myths which I am always trying to dispel, as well as the “Your lives must be chaos!” remarks, which I also work to dispel. Every family has challenges, no matter how Kodak, Facebook, and WordPress portray them. Thank you for sharing!
I just read your “story” on your blog. I can’t even begin to tell you how it spoke to me! We are right now living under a mountain of stuff and we are ready to be done with it. And this is after simplifying much of it two years ago. But there is so much more. Not to mention the “stuff” that just got shoved into our shed. I can’t wait to catch up with you on your blog! Thank you for reading here, and commenting. It brought me to your site!