Preparing for a Day of Rest, Part 5: Saturday and Sunday!

It’s Saturday! You probably have a busy day ahead of you. Tackle as many of your Saturday tasks as you can early in the day. Some tasks need to be done at the end of the day, so it’s nice to get the other ones done early and out of the way. Remember, tomorrow morning is going to be a lot easier because of what you have been doing all week, and because of what you are going to do today.

Here are some possible ideas of what to do on Saturday, with possibilities for Sunday’s list following:

  • Fill the gas tank, if necessary. If you’re not traveling on Friday evening or Saturday, this task can be taken care of earlier in the week while you are out.
  • Put children’s tithes and offerings in baggies or pouches and put in coat pockets or purses. Assign one older child to help younger ones with this task.
  • Put Bibles, notebooks, and any Sunday school papers or books in a basket near the door.

An older child can also help with this task. Use a basket (or two) with a handle, and you can have someone haul the whole works out to the car Sunday morning. This should save a lot of last-minute scrambling on the way out the door.

  • Hang clothes out in each person’s room. Clothes-pin accessories in baggies onto hangers with clothes or place them in small baskets in each room.
  • Put clean shoes out in each person’s room (or put all small children’s shoes in a basket near the door where you will be able to find them as you prepare to leave).

Putting the little guys’ shoes in one central place can save a great deal of searching in the morning!

  • Check to make sure each person’s coat is near the door.
  • Put playpen, stroller, any other necessary baby items in the car if you will be away from home on Sunday afternoon.
  • Finish food preparations.

Finish any last minute meal preparations for dinner and for tomorrow’s meals. Gather breakfast foods such as cold cereals and granola and put them on the table.

  • Tidy up the house.

Try to prepare for this throughout the week by having most laundry folded, rooms cleaned up, etc., but do a final cleanup on Saturday afternoon, especially if you’re having company on Sunday – cleaning floors, putting last laundry away, cleaning up the bathrooms, etc. If thorough cleanup is impossible, at least stash things out of sight so you can come home to a fairly orderly house that won’t make you feel like you should be cleaning it up instead of resting.

  • Set the table for breakfast. Delegate this job!
  • Bathe children. Recruit helpers for this task.
  • Have older children take showers or baths.
  • Pray for a peaceful and orderly Sunday morning!

Family in car driving to churchFor Sunday morning:

  • Get up earlier than your children!
  • Pray for a peaceful morning and departure and for a worshipful day of rest with your church family.
  • Get yourself all dressed and ready for church. Don’t leave last minute preparations for yourself. Put an apron on and keep moving!
  • Get breakfast out and ready while someone else helps the children get up and to the table.

You will have to evaluate for your own household, but eating at least an hour before your planned departure should give you time for a quick breakfast, and enough time to get everyone else ready to leave. If you know you will need more time, plan your breakfast earlier. Just don’t short yourself on time after breakfast.

  • Children wash faces and brush teeth. If possible, delegate older children to help younger ones.
  • Get children dressed. Again, delegate when you can. Those that are helping younger children will need to plan ahead so that they have gotten themselves ready before breakfast.
  • Fix children’s hair. This is when you will be glad you gathered those hair ribbons and doodads earlier in the week!
  • Put bottles and other last minute items in diaper bag.
  • Put diaper bag in car. This job can be delegated!
  • Put frozen meal in oven, and set to turn on while you are at church.
  • If you need food at church or for visiting another family after church, put it in a cooler and bags and it take to the car.
  • Turn off lights, check to make sure range burners are turned off, close windows and lock doors.
  • Read through your Sunday morning checklist on the way out the door. Did everybody do their jobs?
  • Get in the car and thank everyone for their cooperation and help!
  • Enjoy your day of rest! (I know, a day at church with little ones will never be total rest, but it will be better than it used to be!)
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