20 Minutes Of Chaos

Since I spend most of my time with a hand-full of youngins, things tend to get crazy.  There's always so much to do and everyone wants my attention.

And then there are the times when everything goes wrong.  

I love what Rachel Jankovic wrote in her book 'Loving The Little Years'.  

“...The twenty-minute rule. 

If I just kept my head down and did the work, twenty minutes was all I needed. And actually, it was true. Twenty minutes is enough time...to change three diapers and one complete outfit, spank one disobeyer, tuck two people into naps and sit down to nurse the other...If I was cheerfully getting things done...that super intensity will almost always be over in twenty minutes!

If things started seeming really out of control, I would look at the clock and note the time. Then I would tell myself in twenty minutes this would be over."

I used to feel overwhelmed when everything went haywire, now since trying the 20 Minute Rule, I have found that 20 minutes really is all it takes to take a deep breath and take control of the situation. 

Of course there are times when the chaos is only the beginning of a long day or a restless night (like a major injury or sickness), but most of the time it's just a lot of little things going wrong.

It's so much easier to do what needs to be done, with patience, knowing that order will most likely return in just 20 minutes.