Create Goals for Your Home

Home is a safe haven for your family to share laughter, tears, rest, worship, memories and a host of other things. We create fitness goals, academic goals, money goals, but do you have goals set in place for your home? We should constantly strive to make our home a special place for our family, friends, and as a place to honor God. As moms we set the tone for our home. What is the present tone of your home? Is it cluttered? Is it loud? Does it reflect your values and beliefs? These are a few of the questions we should ask ourselves when we are determining our home goals. The home isn’t the sole responsibility of us moms, although it falls largely on our shoulders. However, when we set goals for our home we get the whole family involved in the collaboration of creating a sanctuary that everyone can be proud of. So what are you waiting for?

Call a family meeting and start setting those goals.

Here are a few hot topics that can fuel the discussion.

Make a List of Likes/Dislikes

Start with an open dialogue about everyone’s likes and dislikes and create a list. This gives you an idea of what works and what doesn’t. This list can be about the traditions of your household, the cleaning chores, etc. Everything should be put out in the open. Don’t forget to talk about all the things you do like, it will give you an appreciation of how well your household already runs. Once the list is complete go through each item and discuss how you can change it, make it better, or if it can stay the same.

Household Collaboration

Take time to examine if everyone is pulling their weight in your household. If not it is time to have some serious discussions on responsibility and accountability. If you feel overwhelmed with cleaning chores and the house is a mess, but you have three teenagers then it is time to reevaluate their responsibilities. Younger and older children alike need to be included in the upkeep of the home. A home doesn’t consist of just you it consists of the whole family. I’m not only referring to cleaning, but also with decorating and giving input about what they love to see in the house also. Maybe they want to paint their room, or decorate outdoors for the holidays, allow them to have that input. Don’t get so carried away in only your vision that you ignore theirs.

Reflect Your Values in Your Home

One of my home goals for my home is that it is a place of peace that reflects our love for God. I think it is important that Anya grows up in a home where the Bible isn’t tucked away on the shelf. I want her to know that our home is a place where we pray, read the bible, and have enriching spiritual material at our fingertips. If one of your goals is to make your home godly, think about how you can do this. Do you have family prayer or bible study during the week? Does the television programming your family watches pollute your home? Is there a bible or devotionals in the different rooms of your house? Home is the first place where our children learn values and morals, never underestimate the importance of setting a spiritual goal for your home.

Is Your Home Hospitable

We’re all busy and sometimes getting food on the table for our own family is hard enough. But, part of a loving home is creating a hospitable environment. I’m not saying you have to host a dinner party every weekend, but when guests do come over do they feel comfortable? When I was younger I loved how my friends always wanted to stay over. Looking back I realize that my mom made our home a welcoming place to be. God tells us to love thy neighbor yet so many of us rush into the house hoping to avoid our neighbor, when we do this we aren’t exactly setting the best example for our kids.

Here are a few ideas on how to make your guests feel at home:

• Invite friends or neighbors over for a batch of cookies and some coffee or tea.
• If you have overnight guests, fill the room with little things they enjoy, perhaps their favorite scented candle, a little basket of yummy snacks, or a book by their favorite author. How about a simple handwritten note thanking them for coming.
• Keep your house smelling good with candles or spices. When holidays come invite people over for small gatherings and give little tokens of your appreciation.

Families should think about the purpose of their home. Does your family enjoy coming home? Is it a place that is conducive to good conversation, relaxation, and worshiping God? Is it clean and somewhat orderly? Do people enjoy being in your home, do the kid’s friends love to come over? These are the questions that only you and your family can answer. Our home is a sacred place that should be treated in a respectful way that reflects our family and our life in Christ.

Copyright © Chere Williams, Moms of Faith, All Rights Reserved