Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley
Week 9: Chapter 8 — The Age Chart & Planning the Years
Read Chapter 8 of Habits of the Household. Key passages: Psalm 90:12; Ephesians 5:15–17; Luke 2:52.
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The final chapter zooms out from daily habits to the long arc of a childhood — inviting parents to think not just about today's morning routine but about the whole landscape of years they have with their children under one roof.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Earley introduces the concept of an "age chart" — a tool for parents to map out the years remaining with their child and identify what they want to intentionally cultivate in each season. Before you think about filling one in, what is your gut reaction to the exercise? Does it feel inspiring, convicting, overwhelming, or something else?
2.Psalm 90:12 asks God to "teach us to number our days." Earley applies this not just to our own lives but to our parenting. What would it mean to genuinely "number" the days you have with your children still at home? How does putting a number on it change how you feel about ordinary Tuesday evenings?
3.The chapter challenges the assumption that intentional parenting is something you can always do "later" — when things are less busy, when the kids are older, when life settles down. Why is that delay so dangerous? What do you personally tend to be waiting for before you become more intentional?
a.How many years do you estimate you have left with your oldest child before they leave home? How does that number feel?
b.What is one thing you have been meaning to do with or for your child that you keep deferring? What would it take to do it in the next six months?
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