Every so often I wonder at whether or not my home environment is everything I want it to be. Before I had children I really worked to have a peaceful home environment. I kept the house picked up, and managed to keep the noise level very low and peaceful. And I managed to do okay with one child, and it only got a little bit worse with two, but with three children, it is a struggle to create that environment in my home. And so I had to rethink what I meant by a peaceful home environment.
Now I still believe that having a basically clean (not perfect) home really adds to the peaceful feeling in the house. However right now, I personally can’t guarantee that I will ever have all of the toys put away correctly, all the dishes done, floors swept or vacuumed and clothes sorted. The trick is finding the place that is acceptable for the level of our family and not to stress the rest of it. Focusing too much on the mess can bring negativity into my home.
Second I realized that when I think about a peaceful home environment I thought about a place where my children can feel loved and accepted no matter what. I also thought about the importance of them realizing that the Savior loves them just as much. My home environment main focus needs to be on expressing love and acceptance and teaching the gospel. This changes my outlook, and helps me to realize the routines and habits that I want to teach my children. Family prayer and family home evening suddenly become more important than a perfectly clean room, so I’ll spend my time there instead.
Additionally I look at the outside forces that are influencing my family and see how we should address them. I don’t believe in shutting ourselves off from the rest of the world, so my family talks about choices, consequences, and the appropriate behavior for our family.
As I bring these three areas into balance, my family thrives in the peaceful home environment. There are boundaries on the way that they treat each other, and an underlying feeling of love. And the chaos is nearly under control when it comes time to clean. I just remember to put the most important things first, and everything else falls into place.
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