I have been thinking about this the past few weeks, especially it has been a month that I don’t have a helper at home. I was literally forced to look after my home in a totally different and new way. And I am glad I went through this, no matter how physically tiring (sometimes draining) it may be.
Here are my thoughts and it flows mainly from this: It takes love to build a home.
It takes love to build a home that my husband JA would want to come home to.
It takes love to build a home that my daughter Andi would want and love to stay in.

Here are some ways (that I have learned and I am constantly trying to do) that you can do to build a home that your husband and children will love.

1. Be home. I wrote about this in one of my previous blogs and I think it is worth mentioning again. You need to be home to build a home. I am not implying that one shouldn’t work or go out. What I mean is that you need to prioritize being at home too so that you can attend to the needs of your husband, children, and your home. Remember, your role is irreplaceable. (Check out my previous blog: Where are you irreplaceable?)

2. Be attentive to your husband/children’s needs and wants. There are foods that JA prefers to eat, stuff that he needs that I shouldn’t forget to buy in the grocery, clothes that he needs to be clean and ironed when he needs to wear them, and some stuff that he wants to be arranged or thrown out, and some decoration preferences too. There are activities that Andi loves doing now that she’s two, shows that she enjoys watching, and some that are educational too. There are particular books that she likes reading, songs that she’s happy singing. (Of course with Andi, I am on the lookout what she likes but ultimately I decide what is best for her.) And because I love them, I try to learn what they need and want everyday and then adjust my home accordingly and what I do for them.

3. Keep it clean, orderly and peaceful. Who would want to come home to a place of mess, noise and chaos? Who would want to stay too in a place like that? I wouldn’t. I am sure my husband and children wouldn’t want that too.

4. Manage your finances well. Ladies listen, First, I used the word manage because that is what we are, managers. The money that we have is not ours, but God’s. Everything is His. Second, We can choose to be a blessing to our husbands and children by how we handle our money. Whether you work or not, the money that you have is meant to honor God and bless your loved ones and others. Are you helping your husband save with how you handle your finances? Are you on the look out on how you can build for your future? Are you united with your financial goals and how you want to achieve them? Or are you impulsive and selfish?

5. Remember that you are the heart of the home! Having said this, this is what I challenge and encourage you to do. Stay happy! Amidst the tons of work to finish and errands to do, choose to have a happy disposition. I have noticed that when I am irritable, annoyed, sad or angry, most often than not, JA and Andi ends up feeling the same way too. And it just gets worse. Since I am, we are the heart of our home, I can/we can dictate the atmosphere and disposition that our home and our family can have.

6. Pray for your husband, your children, yourself (you need it!) and your home. Praying for your family is one of the best acts of love that you can give them. It is the most powerful too. Do not miss a day without doing this. Prioritize it because take it from me, you cannot do it alone!

7. Tap in to the Source of love. Ask God to fill you everyday with His love, so have something to give out to your family. I was telling my friend a few days ago about this blog that I was planning to write back then. I told her that I so believe that it takes love to build a home. And she said this, ” And it takes God giving us love first so we may be able to give this love…” And I totally agree with what she said. I need the love of God to love my husband, my child and to have the love to build a home for them. You do, too.