Synergy Saturdays: Practicing Habit 6 with the Family

Synergy Saturdays are for spending time together and building family relationships.

That is what my husband would say if you asked him why we have Saturdays. My answer is very different. My school of thought is; “Saturdays, not Synergy Saturdays, are for catching up on cleaning and doing projects around the house, basically finish my to-do list!” My kids do not like my philosophy. We battled almost every Saturday. Dad would want to get out and go to a park and I would want to weed the yard.

Guess who won Every. Single. Time?

Dad.

I mean what kids really want to weed the yard? Not mine. I will admit I get a little bit of tunnel vision when I get going on a project. I have a hard time letting enough be enough and being done. If I start cleaning the kitchen it leads to the living room, bathroom, office, stairs, laundry, more bathrooms, family room, bedrooms, etc. One Friday night as we were watching TV the following conversation happened between my dear husband (DH) and me:

DH: “Hey how about tomorrow we go do something outside first thing in the morning?”

Me: “There is a lot of housework to be done, we need to get started on it early.”

DH: “How about you make a list of what actually needs to be done and let’s take a look at it.”

Me: List writing as furiously as I can, praying I don’t forget anything! Then I handed list to him.

DH: “OK, we can really get about half of that done in a few hour’s time. Do you think the kids will really last long enough to actually be of help?”

Me: “Nope. We need a new plan, don’t we?”

DH: “Yes, well since it is going to be cooler in the morning (side note it gets well above 105°F in the summer where we live) what if we take some time and go to the park, grab some drinks, then come home and do the chores you think are most important.”

Me: “Let’s give it a try.”

We woke up Saturday and got ready to go to the park. The kids were thrilled we were going before it got too hot. They played for a good hour. My husband and I even got to walk around on the park trail and then play with the kids. We were all tired by the time it was getting hot. We stopped at our favorite drink place to cool off, then went back to do the chores that needed to be done. When I showed the kids the list of “to-dos” there was actually very little complaining.

Synergy Saturdays

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In creating this new way to go about our Saturdays, none of us gave up anything. We didn’t compromise and were no longer in competition with one another. We created something new. We Synergized.  My dear husband ended up with more family time because the kids played longer at the park during the cooler mornings. I was more satisfied with the housework that did get accomplished because they were chores that I felt were the most needed. The kids won all around because they got outside time, drinks, fewer chores, and happy parents. We still are using this system today. Through the colder months, we adjust when and what we do as an activity, but we keep the rest the same. It is working well for us. I am proud that we found a way to be satisfied with the outcome. It is great to work together as a family and achieve more than we would individually.

More Leadership at Home Activities

To learn more about leadership at home, check out:

“Creating a Family Mission Statement”

Habit 3: A Family Exercise in Putting First Things First

Family Engagement in Schools: Leadership Skills Start at Home 

Habit 5: Practicing and Teaching the Principle at Home 

Habit 7: Why It’s Important to Remember to Sharpen the Saw