Speed Bumps

Isn’t it easy to just barrel down the road until something forces us to slow down? What we need are a few speed bumps in our path to remind us to ease up on the accelerator. Speed bumps can come in several sizes, just like these ideas that can introduce a new pace to your family’s schedule. These ideas are categorized by size: Mini, Medium, and Mega.

Scan the lists. See if any suggestions stand out. See if these slow you down a little and leave you breathing a little deeper and relaxing, even in the middle of relative chaos.

Mini
You want to make changes right now, but you can’t launch a complete life overhaul. So, how about implementing some simple, everyday ideas that will serve as speed bumps? These ideas will slow you down and offer a moment’s pause in your daily routine. Print off the list and work your way through, focusing on one per week.

• Talk more slowly.
• E-nun-ci-ate each word.
• Pause at the end of sentences. 
• Drive the speed limit. Set your cruise control to keep constant, especially in 30 mph and school zones.
• Accelerate slowly when the light turns green. Try to keep your rpms under 2,000. 
• Let others go first off the elevator. Practice saying, “After you.” 
• Chew each bite at least 20 times. 
• Eat with a smaller fork. 
• Lie in a hammock. 
• Take a deep breath. Blow it out–slowly, of course. Now do it again. Ahhhhh….. 
• Yawn (but make sure your boss can’t see you). 
• Stretch. 
• Minimize meals-in-motion this month; sit down to eat. 
• Set down your fork between bites.
• Say grace at every single meal. 
• Print out a clip-art turtle. Tape it to your dashboard. 
• Instead of a bagel on the run, prepare oatmeal overnight in the crock pot and enjoy a hot breakfast.
• Eat dinner at home one more night each week than you normally do. 
• Go to the library one evening. Settle into a comfy chair and read stories to each other until closing.
• Set the table with nice dinnerware and cloth napkins. Light some candles. Play soft music. 
• Smile and look your child in the eye for at least the count of ten. What precise color are his eyes?
• Watch the sun set. 
• Break your bread at meals, silently acknowledging that the Lord’s body was broken for you (not pretending communion—just an everyday reminder of His sacrifice and presence).
• Stargaze. Everybody lie down on blankets in the yard and find the Big Dipper. 
• Ask somebody a question. Then stop. Listen. Let her talk. 
• Bake cookies and take some to neighbors. Invite them for a visit, if they have the time. 
• Sip tea. 
• Go for a stroll. Meander. 
• Fold an origami zoo, learning techniques alongside your kids. 
• Skip rocks across a pond. 
• Change to comfortable clothes at the end of the work day. Wear sneakers–or slippers. 
• Read a poem aloud at breakfast. No rushing, even if it’s a snappy little limerick. 
• Go to bed an hour earlier tonight. 
• Drop everything and read two books to your toddler … or ten. 
• Long commute with the kids? Turn off the radio. Interact. 
• Declare a Single-Task Day—for one day, focus on one task at a time. Refuse to multi-task.  
• Take a bath. 
• Always have a puzzle in the works. Stop and place a few pieces.
• Fold newspaper boats with the kids and sail them in a nearby stream (clean up the soggy remains). 
• Take a nap. Send the kids to nap, too, even if they’re 14 years old. 
• Light a fire in the fireplace, if you have one. Sit in front of it. Snuggle with somebody.  
• Schedule an in-house spa night with friends. Soak your feet in bath salts. 
• Hang a bird feeder and keep it filled. Take time to watch the visitors. 
• Consolidate errands and buy less. 
• Instead of text-messaging or e-mail, pick up a phone and chat. 
• Never run to answer the phone. *
• Eliminate “hurry” from your vocabulary. *
• Make eye contact. *
• Get outside every day. *
• Spend a few minutes in prayer every day. *
• Record everyday moments, like something your toddler says. *
  * (these suggestions found at It’s All About Love)

Medium
If you’re prepared to make some bigger changes, try out some of these medium-sized steps on the way to a slower life:

• Cut one activity from your child’s schedule. Stay home and play together, instead.
• Go for a walk every morning.
• Knit, crochet, or do needlepoint. Kids, too. Even boys are learning to knit.
• Sew something by hand. *
• Take up acrylic or oil painting.
• Go fishing.
• Reheat leftovers on the stove instead of the microwave.
• Establish an after-dinner ritual that keeps you lingering at the table. Read. Talk. Play a game. Drink hot chocolate or a smoothie.
• List ten goals for yourself and your family. Prioritize 1 through 10. Cross off the bottom six and focus on what remains.
• Scrapbook as a family. Remember when…
• Schedule a weekly game night. “Chutes and Ladders,” anyone? “Apples to Apples”?
• Stroll through an art museum. Stare at a sculpture. Read all the signs.
• Repeat after me: “I’m sorry, but I’m not able to help with that at this time.”
• Before agreeing to something, check with the rest of the family. Compare schedules. Say no if there are conflicts.
• Organize your schedule so that you eat dinner at home most nights.
• Eliminate all fast food.
• Take off your watch. Live one day–maybe a Sunday–without watching the clock.
• Why let yourself be instantly accessible, 24/7? Let calls go to VM on your cell phone.
• No big destination for your next vacation; just rent a little cabin or go camping. Hike. Play games. Write stories. Read. Swim.
• Camp overnight in a park or even just the back yard.
• Cancel two activities next week.
• Simplify your home (and minimize stress) by decluttering and organizing your space.
• Reduce the crazies the night before a busy day by setting out everything and loading the car.
• Choose one season to forgo all after-school activities.

Mega
Sometimes a family needs to just stop everything and slam on the brakes. Whether a family is forced to change everything due to an illness or job loss, or everyone is simply fed up with the hamster-wheel-spinning lifestyle that has them going nowhere fast, a major slow-down is possible.

• Plan, plant, weed, and harvest a garden together as a family.
• Move close to your school, church, and/or work to minimize commutes.
• Eat only unpackaged, unprocessed foods at home as a family. Get everybody involved in the preparation.
• Walk or bike to work and for errands. It might take longer, but you’ll be healthier and go slower.
• Home-educate your kids, but don’t run all over town signing up for classes.
• Take a sabbatical and travel with your family. Don’t just cover ground; relish the journey.
• Downsize to one car. Stay home more, work from home, or bike.