I read a book on practicing Sabbath recently and was really inspired to do the same. It hasn’t been as quiet as I would hope, but love knowing others are striving to keep one day sacred.
I think it can develop and change with each season, especially if kids are younger and more needy...but it's been a great way that we purposefully slow down and take a break from the regular routines from the other 6 days of the week. I hope it becomes a meaningful practice for your family!
This felt like a gentle invitation to pause and reassess what really matters.
I love how your family’s story offers a beautiful reminder that quiet, intentional choices can lead to deeper connection and freedom—not the other way around.
Your approach to parenting, simplicity, and faith-based living is so grounding.
Thank you for sharing your rhythms with such humility and grace. It’s not prescriptive—it’s deeply encouraging.
This sounds silly, but it just goes to show how normalized it has become for my community: when my husband said to me, "We don't need to pay for swim lessons for our 3 year old; we can just teach her ourselves," my initial reaction was "Excuse me!?" The idea hadn't even OCCURRED to me. Now, it seems so obvious! It was validating to see that in your list.
I think about this quote all the time: “Money gets you what you want without the entanglement of friendships.”
Like learning how to swim—we could pay for swim lessons, yes, OR we could go over to a member of our church’s pool, and I could teach my kids how to swim, while deepening my friendship with our friend from church, who we wouldn’t normally cross paths with.
This is what we did! Each summer for the last four years, I have taught one of my kids how to swim in her pool. Such great memories, but definitely against the culture’s cry to do all things in the name of convenience and efficiency.
Oh I love that example of teaching your kids at a friend's pool! We've done the same! Situations like these may not always be the easiest, but I believe they are so much more meaningful. I wish more people would think more counter culturally and creatively in these types of scenarios instead of just succumbing to throwing money at a problem in hopes that it'll be solved. Thanks for sharing!
Yes I love that example, there’s so many times we encourage our kids to be servant leaders, acting counter to what our impulses tell us to do but instead consider others greater than ourselves.
Carving out a life that fits your values takes guts and it’s so worth it.
I so totally agree with teaching kids life skills yourselves. We love doing it ourselves because it turns them into shared memories, deepens our relationship and builds connection. It's not just checking off milestones.
There’s just something special about being the one who helps them float for the first time or finally find their balance on a bike. Great for saving money (especially with a bunch of kids) which you can put to better use. All in all, I've found these are the kind of moments that stay with them and with us.
I read a book on practicing Sabbath recently and was really inspired to do the same. It hasn’t been as quiet as I would hope, but love knowing others are striving to keep one day sacred.
I think it can develop and change with each season, especially if kids are younger and more needy...but it's been a great way that we purposefully slow down and take a break from the regular routines from the other 6 days of the week. I hope it becomes a meaningful practice for your family!
We practice so many of the same things! So cool to see another family who lives outside the “box” living so similarly to ours.
Yes I can tell your family does too through your writing!
This felt like a gentle invitation to pause and reassess what really matters.
I love how your family’s story offers a beautiful reminder that quiet, intentional choices can lead to deeper connection and freedom—not the other way around.
Your approach to parenting, simplicity, and faith-based living is so grounding.
Thank you for sharing your rhythms with such humility and grace. It’s not prescriptive—it’s deeply encouraging.
Thank you Anna for your sweet words, I hope a few of the ideas resonated with you as you grow your own little family!
This sounds silly, but it just goes to show how normalized it has become for my community: when my husband said to me, "We don't need to pay for swim lessons for our 3 year old; we can just teach her ourselves," my initial reaction was "Excuse me!?" The idea hadn't even OCCURRED to me. Now, it seems so obvious! It was validating to see that in your list.
Yes it’s examples like these that have become so “normal” that we don’t even consider the alternative!
I think about this quote all the time: “Money gets you what you want without the entanglement of friendships.”
Like learning how to swim—we could pay for swim lessons, yes, OR we could go over to a member of our church’s pool, and I could teach my kids how to swim, while deepening my friendship with our friend from church, who we wouldn’t normally cross paths with.
This is what we did! Each summer for the last four years, I have taught one of my kids how to swim in her pool. Such great memories, but definitely against the culture’s cry to do all things in the name of convenience and efficiency.
Oh I love that example of teaching your kids at a friend's pool! We've done the same! Situations like these may not always be the easiest, but I believe they are so much more meaningful. I wish more people would think more counter culturally and creatively in these types of scenarios instead of just succumbing to throwing money at a problem in hopes that it'll be solved. Thanks for sharing!
We also homeschool and attempt to live out Romans 12.
Yes I love that example, there’s so many times we encourage our kids to be servant leaders, acting counter to what our impulses tell us to do but instead consider others greater than ourselves.
Cheers to living counter culturally! 💕
Yes!
Carving out a life that fits your values takes guts and it’s so worth it.
I so totally agree with teaching kids life skills yourselves. We love doing it ourselves because it turns them into shared memories, deepens our relationship and builds connection. It's not just checking off milestones.
There’s just something special about being the one who helps them float for the first time or finally find their balance on a bike. Great for saving money (especially with a bunch of kids) which you can put to better use. All in all, I've found these are the kind of moments that stay with them and with us.
Yes so true! Those special life skills mean a lot when it comes from a parent cheering them on and building that memory 😊