By Raechel Combs and Jayme Westrom

Looking at the calendar it’s hard to believe another year has passed. It feels like I was just watching the crocuses and daffodils bloom and soon it will be winter again. This past year was certainly been a busy one. I gave birth to a baby girl, quit my job as a Montessori teacher, and moved to a new home in a different state all in the last six months. When we decided to move my husband and I determined that I would be able to stay home with our children. I’m slowly adjusting to being a stay at home mom. It’s a wonderfully rewarding experience full of hidden anxiety. I loved my job. I worked in a lovely school. I had fabulous co-workers who were always willing to lend advice or support. So, why did I leave? Some days I wonder. My days now are full of dirty diapers, dirty dishes, dirty floors, and dirty clothes. Our schedule is so full of routine it’s bordering on monotonous. I have a new respect for moms and dads who work full time and still manage to keep the house clean. Nevertheless, I love my children and I love being able to stay at home with them. I’ve even grown fond of domestic chores like cooking and ironing. Okay, I don’t really like ironing, but I do it.

Unfortunately, most of the things I do each day are transitory, they don’t last. I clean the dishes every day and tomorrow there will be more. I wash the laundry and my baby creates more. I think she feels it’s her job to dirty things. Not long ago a good friend of mine gave me an invaluable piece of advice. She said, “Do something each day that can’t be undone.” There are things I can do each day that can’t be undone. I can work on my knitting. I can call a friend to tell her I miss her. I can call my dad just to say hi. I can write things down so that other people might benefit from them. So, this is what I am doing today that can’t be undone, passing that wonderful gem of advice along to others.

When the world is at it’s craziest and you don’t have a second to spare that’s when you need to slow down more than ever. Our children need to know that in this fast-paced world we still have time to do something with them that can’t be undone. As a parent of a child in a Montessori environment we have so many options. We can prepare dinner together allowing our child to help measure the ingredients or stir the contents of the bowl. At clean up time we can make it a family affair. Giving your child her own broom and dustpan makes it possible for her to help you sweep. These opportunities allow for chores to get done while bonding with your child and providing her with opportunities for acquiring new skills.

As we ponder the beginning of a new year, let us resolve to do things for ourselves and others that cannot be undone.