HEAR

Music can do wonders. When my kids are fighting in the car, I crank up the music. They can’t fight if they can’t hear themselves. If I am feeling unmotivated to get things done around the house I put on some good tunes. It can set the mood for a dinner party. Music can get the wiggles out of a squirmy kid. It can bring us to a place of worship.

Silence can also do wonders. The first year my youngest went to Kindergarten I learned to intentionally not run the laundry or dishwasher. I needed complete silence. My introverted brain needed zero stimulation. Especially when there is so much digital noise we bombard ourselves with. It allowed me time to actually gather my thoughts and prepare for the day or to decompress. Maybe your kids are home all day and no noise is not optional. Create space for it. Maybe it’s during bathtime, allow the only noise (audible and digital) to be the sound of your kids in the bath. Maybe not turning on the radio or audio book in the car while running errands is how you’ll get a little bit of silence. We are allowed to put our phones down, turn off the tv and not turn on the radio. So much of it is autpilot for us to have something on and going at all times. Try to be intentional about where you can cut the noise.

One of these days I want my husband to do a guest post about dinner music. He is the best at putting together a playlist for any event. I’m not biased on this, people have paid him to “DJ” their wedding or to put together a playlist for dinner parties. He knows the right balance of music, tone, lyrics, style and volume.

Music is key to have on in the background when inviting new people into your home. Nothing is more awkward than when there is a lull in the conversation and all you can hear are the crickets of uncomfortability. The music playing can be a great conversation starter for those lulls. You can talk about the best concerts you’ve been to, who is your favorite artist, what kind of music did your parents listen to, etc…

A list of questions is always good to have on hand, either physically or mentally. Magnolia Home sells table conversations or you can find some here from this post. We learned the hard way from a very akward and quiet dinner with a new-to-town couple.

If it’s a casual get together with friends, especially with kids, does it get loud? Music probably isn’t on in the background. Where do you want the kids to congregate? Our home can get loud fast as the kids can run in a complete circle downstairs. Doors seem to always get slammed while someone is banging away on the piano. While I never want kids to feel uncomfortable in our home, there is a time and place for loud noise. With our friends we kick all of the kids outside if it’s nice enough. They usually will bring bikes and scooters now, knowing they’ll be outside. Or if they’re old enough, they can “swim” in the hot tub.  We will sometimes rotate eating if we want to have quiet adult conversation. The kids will be dished up and eat first at the table, then they are dismissed to either play or watch a movie together while the adults sit down to eat.

Don’t let the fear of akward conversations or loud children keep you from loving and opening your home to others. Whether its music, kids playing, adults talking or silence, being intentional about what you hear in your home can bring a joy to your home that may be unexpected.

You can read about loving your home through the others senses: SIGHT , TASTE  AND  SMELL.