Yesterday I wrote about the routine I have for the girls. One of the main reasons that I need to follow that routine is because my personal schedule is intertwined with theirs. I can’t focus on the things that I need to if their needs haven’t been met; and if my needs aren’t met, then I can’t properly meet theirs. Funny how cyclical that is.
There are a few basic ‘rules’ to creating a routine. If you don’t follow these rules then your routine is going to have a higher chance of failure. I’m not a time-management expert, but I do enjoy figuring out the most efficient way to do things so I’m constantly re-evaluating my tactics. Here are my routine ‘rules.’
- Rule 1: Routine Must Include All Needs. This might sound a little obvious to you, but I think that a lot of women sacrifice some of their own needs in the routine for their kids’ needs. It may be difficult to find time to take a shower, do your hair, exercise or even eat lunch, but making your needs a part of your routine is crucial if you want to be able to meet the needs of others.
- Rule 2: Routine Must Have Room For Off-Days. You will never be able to stick to a perfect schedule every day of your life. Your routine shouldn’t be so micromanaged that one small mishap sets the whole day awry. There needs to be some wiggle room. Today the girls were a little on the whiny side and Tasmanian Angel has a cold so they laid down for their naps a little early today. That isn’t a problem here because I still had plenty of time to get them ready for bed after lunch. I didn’t feel rushed.
- Rule 3: Routine Must Have Down Time. Now, I realize that this factors in with the second rule, leaving room for the crazy days, but you should have down time more often than you don’t. When I refer to down time I’m not talking about lounging on the couch watching soap operas while eating truffles for 3 hours. Right now, while I type these very words, I’m having my down time. With the exception of Princess yelling that she doesn’t want a nap, my house is quiet and nothing else requires my attention right now. My down time is when I eat my lunch, work on my blog and maybe have a cup of tea while I’m at it. It usually lasts no more than 45 minutes and is calming yet still productive.
- Rule 4: Routine Must Follow Your Natural Rhythm. Below I’m going to lay out my schedule so you have an idea of what I’m talking about. This isn’t written down anywhere it’s just the flow of how my life works. Your flow is probably going to look different. That’s because you are a different person with different values that finds enjoyment and beauty in things I’ve probably never even heard of before. I’m a pretty motivated person so I don’t really have a difficult time staying on task throughout the day, but if you do then you might want to make your routine a little more specific to hold yourself accountable.
That’s it. Those are my General Routine Rules. Now, I also have a few Personal Routine Rules. These are tailored to my preferences, as should be yours.
- Rule 1: No Laundry Or Deep Cleaning On The Weekend. I have to distinguish my breaks somehow, in light of the fact that my home is also my workplace. This is my way of doing it.
- Rule 2: Weekly Chores May Be Completed At Will. I don’t schedule when I clean the bathroom, change the sheets, etc. because that just doesn’t flow with the way I do things. I’m a list person. I keep a list of weekly chores and check them off whichever day I complete them.
Ok, so here it is. My week-day routine (ideally).
6:15-7:30 Wake, shower, get ready, read Bible, pray, eat breakfast, get breakfast for Princess
7:45-8:00 Get breakfast for Drama Queen and Tasmanian Angel
8:00-11:00 1 structured activity for the girls (or an outing), snack, do some chores, clean up breakfast
11:00-11:30 Make and give lunch to the girls
11:30-12:30 Engage girls in a quiet activity while I clean up lunch and get them ready for their naps
12:30-2:30 (If I’m lucky) down time, lunch then chores
2:30-4:00/5:30 Snack for girls, get them all up and happy, engage in another structured activity, then make dinner
6:00-8:00 Eat dinner, clean up dinner, bathe Princess, a little family time, then put Princess to bed
8:00-10:00 Depends on the night. Some nights hubby and I watch a show together or we work on independent things. I like to knit and sew, so I might work on these projects now. I try very hard not to do many (if any) chores in the evening.
10:00 Bed. I try.
Some of you are thinking that I put way too much thought into this, creating rules for my routine, but it works for me. I don’t have them posted in the kitchen or anything, they’re just things that I keep in mind that help me through my day/week. So, I’d love to know … what’s your routine like? Do you have one? Is it strict or more like a free-for-all? What have you found that’s important?
Don’t Forget … there’s still time to be part of my Almost Lost Domestic Arts Series. The first part of the series begins on Wednesday with Sewing. If you’d like to be a part of it then head over here.
Why I do what I do ~ Today I was thinking that I should have given Princess the nickname of Ring Leader. She was in the living room, dressed as a princess, saying “Everyone listen to me. Everyone listen. Everyone! You’re not listening to me!” Oh boy …
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow! princess sounds like her mommy at that age.
Haha … so says MY mommy
I think you hit the nail on the head. We have to define what balance means to us and how we carry that out. I am a believer that balance is a constantly moving scale that we have to continually adjust for. Great post. Thank you for sharing!!
I thought your routine was very well thought out. We have a routine similar to that, but how do you get the motivation to clean. I hope you have some tips on your site. Thank you.
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