Me Happening to Life, Not My Life Happening to Me?

This week I'm trying to get (a little) organized.  I'm already learning I'm a more patient parent when things run smoothly.  This is what I'm doing for my spouse this month, too, since we are more patient with each other when things are organized and under control.

After each of my children I've had to eventually make a schedule for myself, usually when life gets a little more predictable, when my baby is between 12 and 18 months (closer to 18 months).  I function so much better when I have an idea of what I should be doing when.  My kids secretly enjoy a little routine, too, so this helps them too.

I'm a little embarrassed to put my own schedule on here, don't ask me why, but I wondered if it might help someone out there who is struggling with this same issue.  I found examples of other mom's schedules here (I especially enjoyed this one, very well thought out) and here and here.  Some of them have great tips for schedule making, not just the schedules themselves.

In the past, when I've done a schedule, I've noticed that simple is better.  Hour blocks work the best for me.  Then I can memorize my schedule and have a rough idea of what I should be doing.  Otherwise, it is so easy to get swallowed up in the black hole of an entire unscheduled day, haphazardly going from task to task.

Many moms suggest working around set things like meals, naptimes, school start times, etc.  Flylady recommends taking 15 minute breaks every so often, I guess I just prefer having a whole hour at naptime or bedtime than breaking up my tasks during the day.

Maybe another reason the hour blocks work for me is it allows for a little flexibility.  I can nurse baby on demand, change diapers, find a bandaid, or clean up a spill and I'm not messing up an up-to-the-minute schedule.

I don't always follow these to the letter (and then only Mon-Fri), but it gives a basic structure to my day that makes a world of difference.  (Oh, and I do have a separate schedule for the school year.  Each year I have to tweak these a little or periodically if I see something isn't working out.)

I have a binder I put copy of my schedule in, along with the kids' jobs in sheet protectors, as well as a list of family jobs we are supposed to do together each Saturday (ha ha, haven't actually done these in a year, but that is about to change).

The items with these {} are kid's items, or what the kids should be doing when.

Summer Schedule

 5:45  Arise

5:55  Exercise

7:00  Shower, get ready for the day, make bed,  start laundry, scripture study

{7:45} kids up

7:45  Breakfast, me

8:00  Breakfast for kids, devotional (5 min inspirational story or one of these), clean up breakfast

8:30  Comb hair, {big kids - shower/bath}, tidy bathroom

9:00  Family job for 20, clean downstairs

9:45 Upstairs (switch off every other day)

10:30 Quality time with kids

11:30  Lunch, clean up

12:15  Stories

12:30 {Nap, little ones}(set up craft)

12:45 Blog /power nap {TV time/quiet time}

1:45  {Craft, kids, or 15 min individual time with mom}

2:00  Calling/plan next day/organize/email

2:45  Kid time - snack

3:00 Day Jobs*, pick up house

4:00 Prep Dinner/phone calls

5:00 Dinner, clean up

6:00 Outside time (bikes, walk, etc)

7:00 Ready for bed, stories

7:45 {Kids read in bed time} Get baby ready for bed

8:00 Time with Mom (one kid per night)

8:10 Lights out for big kids, stories with baby, nurse baby

8:30 Husband time/"me" time

9:30  Lights out

Monday – Laundry,  Tuesday – Dust/shopping, Wednesday – *, Thursday – Laundry, Friday – Vacuum, Saturday - *, Laundry, Bathroom


*Mop, clean car, organize a room, yard work