And the Answer Is...

I let you do the interviewing, so here are the questions sent in. There were not many, but here were the top three.

*Disclaimer: I do not claim to be an expert at anything. These answers are only based on what God has led our family to do. I encourage everyone to search scripture for the direction that God has for you.*


is having six girls two times harder than having two?

Some people get caught up in the number of children we have, while others think it would be harder because they are all girls. Seeing that we have never had a son, I could not tell you if all girls is harder or easier. But, I do believe that it is our goal as parents to teach self-control to all our children. Yes, girls have more emotions, but they can learn to control those emotions even at an early age. Ok, back to your questions. I would not use the word "harder", but maybe busier. After Scott and I had #4 we realized we needed to change the way things were going in our house. We became more organized, and that is when we started teaching the older few to help out. The few times that Scott and I have only had P and A with us it does feel slower. I could not live like that for long. We love the "chaos" that is our life. If we did not have 6 girls, we would, like everyone does, find 100 other ways to fill our time.


when it comes to our expectations of our children as far as housework goes. I'm not sure what I should expect them to do; by that I mean what is an appropriate amount of work.

Great question. Like I said above, it was not until #4 that we started having the girls pitch in. This was out of necessity and the first three were just then old enough to take on chores (they were 7,6, &4 then). I am a big believer in children helping in the home. I think this is a wonderful way to instill great character in them. It teaches:
-thoroughness. Proverbs 18:15 says, "The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out." I want them to have a heart that is eager to learn new things. I do not want them to stand behind the excuse "I do not know how to...".
-orderliness. I Cor 14:40 says, "But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way." It is something scripture tells us to do. You could keep your home in order alone, but what will prepare them to follow this scripture in their own homes in the future? Some moms like to use chore charts/cards that label different jobs for each child. I don't do this because I think this can cause a heart issue. A heart that says "That is not my job on the list so I do not need to do it." I want my girls hearts to be willing to help at all times. I want them to have Initiative (def.:recognizing and doing what needs to be done before I am asked to do it).
As far as how much your children should do around the house, that is up to your discernment. Chores are for teaching. But I promise, if you are consistent, you will see your children begin to take pride in the job they have done. This brings about self assurance. Which helps them be leaders, not followers.


how do you get any alone time with 6 kids?

I'll keep this answer short since this post is already enormous. We have been blessed with two wonderful grandmas that will take on our large crew on occasion. Scott and I find this to be such an important part of marriage, so when grandmas are not available we find other ways. We have taught the girls to go upstairs and play for one hour (with out coming down unless something major). This helps us to get that much needed moment to visit with each other.

Thank you for all your questions. I hope you will some how be encouraged by all this!