Today I’m thrilled to introduce my friend, writer and speaker, Brenna Stull. You can read the rest of her bio below, but let me say here that Brenna is a pastor’s wife and mother to five children and has helped hundreds of moms make every minute count through her teaching, speaking, and her book, Coach Mom: 7 Strategies for Organizing Your Family into an All-Star Team (New Hope Publishers). Readers, don’t forget to leave a comment for Brenna and you’ll be in the drawing for your own copy of Coach Mom: 7 Strategies for Organizing Your Family into an All-Star Team!
Welcome to The Christian Writer’s Den, Brenna! First I’ve gotta ask, are you a naturally neat and organized person? And the follow up: What prompted you to write this book?
Thank you for having me, Vonda. Actually, my husband is the naturally organized one! I did pretty well at “winging” my days until my fourth child was born. Our life and home spun out of control. I began seeking a better way. Through prayer, trial and error, I found some answers to making home life with children run smoother. My neighbors saw the changes in our family and wanted to learn my new strategies. I taught my first class in 2001 with nine moms from my neighborhood. That information eventually became the book Coach Mom. I felt compelled of the Lord to encourage moms so they can have peaceful, joyful and efficient homes.
How did you find time to write it?
Because my children were ages one to nine, it took strategy. This was my perfect opportunity to prove that the strategies worked. I realized that there was only one time in my day that I might have the chance to write. It was in the mornings, when my husband was at work, my oldest three were at school (my kindergartner released at 10:45 a.m., however!), and my baby was taking a nap. That just left my three-year-old. Because Micah shared that thirty minute to an hour time block with me for about four months, I dedicated the book to him. It also shows that big jobs can be accomplished in small blocks of time.
What about the mom who is just surviving, and says the last thing I need to do is read another book and add one more thing to my to-do list?
I understand…I have been there. I wrote the book in the midst of diapers and sippy cups, knowing it must be packed full of value in short and easy-to-read topical sections.
Why do you encourage moms to be “coaches?”
Moms set the pace and tone in the home, cheer others toward their goals, and give the pep talk at the end of a hard day. They pull together the family in the home to work as a team.
What is the organizing tip you get the most feedback on from moms?
To cut school-morning chaos, make sandwiches for the entire week on Sunday night. (meat/cheese, peanut butter and jelly, etc.) Put them in labeled baggies and place them in a bin in the freezer.
Let’s talk about kids & chores — I’m sure most moms have struggled with this issue! What’s your advice?
The benefits of children working in the home are too many to list. The children learn responsibility, gain confidence, and feel needed. The home is cared for, and mom has a good attitude and energy because she is not carrying the full load. Ages two and up can do their part.
So, if it’s all about teamwork, can you share one of your favorite examples of when your family worked together?
One New Years Eve morning I was about to begin my three-day ritual of putting away the Christmas decorations, when I realized we could do this as a team. My three and five-year-olds gathered Christmas items to tables, my eleven-year-old packed them into bins, my seven-year-old helped Dad take down outdoor lights, trees and decorations, and my nine-year-old and I did whatever else needed to be done. Every thirty minutes we took “energy pills” (m&m candies) and I offered a small monetary bonus for anyone who had a good attitude for the duration. We completed everything and had the bins back up in the attic before noon that day and took the family out to lunch to celebrate. We have been doing it every year since.
How can a mom discern what to add to the schedule?
Ask the “Why am I doing this now?” question three ways, with emphasis on the “why”, the “I” and the “now”. If we don’t plan our schedule, others will! Guarding the time for a family meal together four to five days a week as a priority is one of the most important things a mom can do in the family schedule.
Where does the husband fit into the Coach Mom strategies?
I think author John Rosemond says it best: The secret to raising happy, healthy kids is to pay more attention to the marriage than you pay to them.
What advice do you give on cutting down on home clutter?
We must remind ourselves that every object we keep costs us — time, space, and money. There is no such thing as getting something for “free”. The bigger the item, the more value the item will need to bring in order to justify keeping it.
Can a mom possibly have a clean home all at once, even with little ones in the home?
Yes! In my book I mention a stroller strategy that involves loading it up with everything you need and cleaning room-by-room while a mother’s helper entertains the toddler in a designated room. Even better is if you have an older child you can enlist to work alongside you!
Throughout your book you emphasize the importance of a spiritual foundation for mom.
Yes. We moms can’t do it without the Lord to strengthen and guide. No matter how great strategies may be, they won’t bring any lasting peace or joy without Christ as the foundation.
What great advice, Brenna! Thank you again for joining us today. And readers, don’t forget to leave a comment and you’ll be in the drawing for a free book. Be sure to check back next Tuesday for the winner!
And don’t forget to order your own copies of Coach Mom: 7 Strategies for Organizing Your Family into an All-Star Team here.
Bio: Engaging and transparent, Brenna is known for her practical applications and life stories. She and her husband Chris are thankful to have survived four home remodels, ten straight years of babies in diapers, and eight triathlons. Brenna and her husband live in McKinney, Texas. Email her (brenna at brennastull dot com) to receive her monthly newsletter with helps and tips for moms.
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C. Hope Clark was born and reared in the South, from Mississippi to South Carolina with a few stints in Alabama and Georgia. The granddaughter of a Mississippi cotton farmer, Hope holds a B.S. in Agriculture with honors from Clemson University and 25 years’ experience with the U. S. Department of Agriculture. In addition to writing her mystery series and managing FundsForWriters.com, Hope has been published in The Writer Magazine, Writer’s Digest, Chicken Soup, Next Step Magazine, College Bound Teen, Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA), TURF Magazine, Landscape Management and other trade and online publications. She speaks at several writers’ conferences a year. Hope is a member of SC Writers Workshop Association, Sisters in Crime, EPIC, Mystery Writers of America, and MENSA.