The routine is the part of my home management system that changes the most often. In this season of mothering a mostly-breastfed baby, his needs frequently change based and that, of course changes my schedule around. That said, I've found that what works best for us right now is to have a flexible routine to help us accomplish everything in a day that needs to get done. Here is what the ideal day at our house looks like (times are approximate!):
5:50~I get up and do my devotions, and then try to do some college work or work out (my plan is to alternate between the two--but, sometimes I end up working on schoolwork two or three days in a row instead of working out...just keepin' it real!). Benjamin often wakes up to nurse around 6:00 or 6:30 and then goes back to sleep.
7:30~I start breakfast and get going on morning chores (make the bed, straighten up our room, and start laundry)
8:00~We all eat breakfast together.
8:30~If Benjamin is still sleeping, I wake him up and nurse him (though he often wakes up around 8) while we do family worship.
9:00~Ben heads off to work and I clean up the kitchen.
9:20~Benjamin goes down for a nap and I do "school" with Katie. Right now, we start off by reading a chapter of the Bible and then we loosely follow Sonlight's Pre-K 3/4 curriculum.
10:00~Katie watches a "moomie" (her word for movie) while I sit with her and do some work. (Did y'all know I work part time from home?)
11:00~I do my weekly chores for the day, nurse Benjamin, and fix something for lunch.
12:00~We eat lunch, usually all together and then I clean up the kitchen and Katie helps me pick up toys.
12:30~Both children go down for a nap and I do some more work.
2:30~Sometimes closer to 3. The children wake up from naps. I nurse Benjamin and give Katie a snack. Then we fold and put away the laundry and finish up any remaining cleaning for the day. I also work on blog stuff at this time, and try to take some time to get down on the floor and play with the kiddos.
4:30~I start working on dinner, depending on how long it will take to prepare. When Ben comes home I try to do a little more work.
6:00~We eat dinner together as a family. Then I clean up the kitchen, give baths, tidy up, etc. Our evenings once Ben comes home are usually pretty relaxed, and we try to just enjoy time together as a family.
7:30~Sometimes this happens closer to 7. I nurse Benjamin and put him down for the night.
8:00~We get Katie ready for bed and tuck her in. If I haven't already, I start soaking whatever grain we're having for breakfast. Then, Ben and I spend some time together.
10:00~I shoot for being asleep by 10 or 10:30. I really need 7 1/2 to 8 hours of sleep to feel well-rested.
I came up with this routine based on our priorities and what works for us in accomplishing them right now. This is always changing based on our family's needs at any given time. And, most days definitely do not look exactly like this!
What about y'all? Do you have a strict schedule, a flexible routine, or do you just wing it?
This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.
Thanks for this post, I have a 3 month old and an almost 3 year old and I have been struggling to get our routine in order. I too am exclusively breastfeeding. I am encouraged to see you get up and work out that early. Maybe I should give that a try.
ReplyDeleteAlmost identical to our routine! What type of work do you do from home?
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you started working from home! Before I went back to work part-time (not at home, unfortunately) we had a pretty good routine down. It was *definitely* flexible but we had it down pat most days. Now that I'm working 2 week-days I'm finding myself having to rearrange our routine just a *tad.* I just created a new chore list that'll work with our new schedule and I'll be working on our daily routine tonight. It'll vary day by day unfortunately, but I think with Aaliya becoming a toddler and all (yikes!!) it should work out a little better than if she was a nursing babe.. =)
ReplyDeleteI work from home for my parents, who own Senior Helpers in Orlando. I mainly schedule interviews for new caregivers and do reference checks, though I occasionally do other tasks as needed. :o)
ReplyDelete@newmommy: I am only able to get up so early because Benjamin is sleeping through the night consistently. Don't try to get up at the crack of dawn if you're not getting a good night's sleep! :)
You're doing college work? What are you taking? I'm working on a Health Care Aide course so I can keep my foot in the door at my job working with seniors in Long Term Care, a seniors' lodge, and in home care.
ReplyDeleteI am working on a degree in Christian Education via correspondence courses. :)
ReplyDelete