I shared in the previous post about the unique circumstances of our family in dealing with the medical needs of our second son, Caden. Now, I’m going to share how structure and routine has helped our family, specifically in the area of “self-control training.”

One of the biggest blessings in having a schedule is the ability to prioritize and plan accordingly. For example, teaching self-control is a priority in our family. We do this first thing everyday and I know I’ll get to it because I have a time for it in my day. (Of course this only works if I follow the schedule I have!) My older boys practice being able to sit still and quiet for a set amount of time. This is important character training for all children and has been especially helpful with our family’s circumstances.

When we go to various doctors’ appointments we often only get 10-15 minutes of the doctor’s time so we need to give the doctor our undivided attention before he/she is off to the next patient! This is where that self-control training we do at home is able to be used in public. When the doctor comes in my children are able to sit quietly with their hands and feet folded so that my husband and I can get though our list of things to discuss. We have also seen several times where Caden has avoided needing to be sedated for tests because he has self-control and is able to be still enough to allow the doctors and nurses to get through a procedure. What a testimony this has been!

My point is that my boys are only able to show self-control because they have been taught–at home. And the only way they were taught at home is because we WERE at home to do the training. We made it a priority for our family and I planned for it in my schedule knowing the goal that we are working towards and the “WHY” behind it.

Oh yes, I miss going to the Aquarium, Children’s Museum, play dates, park days and you name it…BUT the key lies in balance. While all of these activities may be “good things” for our children they can (in excess) take away from the “best” training opportunities. I encourage you to work on finding that balance! The training of our children takes time, planning, and implementing on our our part but the rewards are great.

Next, I will share some practical “how to’s” for starting and revising a schedule or routine.