Priorities of a wise Mum 10

Couple with seven children in front of their cottage with bark roof, Hill End, 1871-1875 / American & Australasian Photographic Company, originally uploaded by State Library of New South Wales collection.


I don't have seven children and I certainly don't live in a home that resembles this.  Imagine doing all of life in a space like this - with seven children!  Especially when the weather is wet day after day - it makes me understand where the expression "cabin fever" might have derived its meaning.
Last night I was listening to two women speak about their lives overseas.  One lives in Paris, the other in Florence and both have four children.  How does that sound?  Wouldn't their lives be wonderful living in such culturally rich places?  What a difference to the above photo where this Mum lived in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by mud.  However, both these women have lived in very small apartments and the weather for most of the year in that part of the world is cold and wet.  I am sure they both regularly experience cabin fever.  Both women shared how in the midst of wet weather, they would dress their children up in wet and warm weather gear and get out to let off steam.
I remember a holiday from years ago when I was a child, we were at a beach house, us and another family and we had had a week of cold,wet weather.  One morning after breakfast, my mother told us to dress in our swimmers, with rain jackets and go to the beach and entertain ourselves.  She didn't want to see us again until lunch time.  Cabin fever.  She had probably had enough of scritching and scratching, and noisy children.  It is only now, years later that I finally understand her behaviour.

One of my favourite childrens picture books is called Five Minutes Peace by Jill Murphy.  It is about the Large family, and Mrs Larges attempt to find five minutes peace from her children, by shutting herself in the bathroom and having a hot bath.  Her peace lasts for three minutes and forty five seconds.
A wise Mum understands the reality of cabin fever and has developed strategies to cope when cabin fever hits.  I liked what my friends from Europe did - they headed outdoors to allow their children to let off steam.  I am sure this was my Mother's intention all those years ago.  Having lived most of my life with small children in smallish inner city houses, this was one of my coping strategies - we had a dose of the park - daily.
Last week I spent the morning with a group of young Mums from my church - they meet every week for bible study and prayer and general support.  Most of them looked tired - a couple had faced a major tantrum with their child before breakfast, some had tiny babies and had been woken during the night for feeding, several were fighting colds while for others, it had been an effort to get there at all.  On reflection, I think some of these women have cabin fever and need five minutes peace from life.
This is where good friends can be balm - letting a friend or relative look after your children so that you can have a break and collect your thoughts, your brain, your energy, your self-respect and integrity.  If you feel slightly feverish and cooped up, can I encourage you to ask someone for help -  if they could look after your children, even for an hour, just so you can have some space.
Getting out and time out are helpful, however, there is another coping strategy that we are good at forgetting.
For the last ten days I have been immersing myself in Psalm 62 and soaking the riches its words contain.  It is a beautiful Psalm, filled with the image that our God is a rock, a fortress, our salvation, our hope and our refuge.  Reading it, I get the sense that David, who wrote the Psalm is almost reminding himself that his soul can find rest in God.

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation;  he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.  My salvation and my honour depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.  Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.  Psalm 62:5-8

I love the idea that we can pour our hearts out to God - any time and that He is there as a refuge.  When cabin fever hits - we can take refuge by turning to God and telling him how we feel - He will cope with this.  Even finding a space on your own, open your bible and reading this Psalm and praying will help you survive cabin fever.  Try it.