Well Cared for Children

I am the mother of ten children, and I also care for foster children from time to time, so my house is full, and I am often very busy. So I was pleased recently when a friend of my fourteen year old daughter asked her if we were rich. Knowing too well we sometimes find our funds tightly stretched, she laughed and told him no, and asked why he thought so.

"Well, you always look so well care for." He replied.

I've thought that compliment over quite a bit in the last few days. As a large family, we are often under scrutiny. And as Christians, I want us to have a good testimony, and I've always thought being clean and neat helped in that area. So as I thought over what being well care for means, here are some things I came up with:

#1 Taking Good Care of Our Children is Keeping Them Clean
Of course this is not always possible, and sometimes, being dirty means good things. All children need lots of outside play in the dirt. They need to make mud pies and sand castles. But they do need to take baths and have their hair washed regularly, too. I try not to let my children go more than two days without a bath, and not that long if I can manage it. I wash or at least rinse (or have them do it) their hair each time they bath. I multi task where I can: while the toddler is soaking in a bubble bath, I clean the bathroom. By the time I'm done, he has soaked clean, and I just have to run a soapy washcloth through his hair. Children who still wet the bed always get morning baths, I try to have everyone else bath at night.

#2 Taking Good Care of Our Children is Feeding Them a Healthy Diet
Everyone knows that good food, as unaltered as possible, is vital for good health. Feeding our children food laden with artificial additives, flavorings, colorings and corn syrup is not taking good care of them. It takes little extra time to make meals from scratch - and actually saves time and money if you consider how many less trips you will make to the doctor and dentist. Oatmeal made from scratch only takes five minutes, barely more than the little premixed packages. Add real butter and honey or fruit and you have a healthy breakfast for pennies. Homemade soup simmering on the stove, made from fresh ingredients makes everyone hungry and ready to eat. Homemade bread and cookies all say "I love you" in more ways than one: they taste wonderful, and you have taken your time to make sure there is nothing in your child's food that will harm them or make them hyper. Your child's eyes and skin will glow with health if you make sure you are putting good things into their little bodies.

#3 Taking Good Care of Our Children is Making Sure They Get Plenty of Exercise
Forget the video games. Buy your children a bike, a scooter or a jump rope. Give them balls, wagons, shovels, and sandboxes. Send them out in the sunshine and fresh air, and enjoy their rosy cheeks when they come back in.

#4 Taking Good Care of Our Children is Making Sure They Have Attractive, Well Fitting Clothes
You don't need designer clothes to have well dressed children. Ebay, upscale thrift shops and outlet malls sell nice clothes at modest prices. There are many online places to buy nice clothes for children without ever leaving your house. Dress your child in modest, classy clothes. Skip the tight, skimpy clothes that make your little girl look like a rock star instead of a child. The way people react to our children has a lot to do with how they feel about themselves. Keep their clothes in good shape, pass them on when they get too small, and make sure they have clean shoes in good condition to wear in public. And we will all fail in this area sometimes. Forgive yourself, but try to make it the rule rather than the exception that your child is nicely dressed.

#5 Taking Care of Our Children Means Keeping Their Hair Neat
We all know it's not always possible to keep a child's hair well groomed all day long, but a little care will go a long ways. Keep your sons hair neatly cut. Invest in a pair of clippers to cut it yourself, or to give touch ups in between barber shop visits. Keep your daughters hair under control with a ponytail, a bun, or some other style A wonderful place to learn new ways to put up your daughter's hair and keep it that way all day is at http://www.girlydohairstyles.com/ I think you will find something there you like!

Having well cared for children is worth taking the time for. And having someone else notice is the best pay a mother can get!