Here are 9 of the kids and Greg on New Year’s Day. Every year we go out for a fancy dinner on New Years to celebrate our family. We write down our favorite memory of the year and our goals for the next one. It is so fun to hear everyone’s favorites.
For the first time in 19 years, we were missing one child. He is in college and spent part of his vacation in California with his friends and girlfriend. It is so hard to see them grow up and move into their own lives..while at the same time, you feel so proud of who they have become.
Today, I promised you a daily schedule for keeping your house and your sanity with young children at home. When I was a young mom in my 20’s with 4 kids 3 years old and younger, I really had no clue what I was doing. I couldn’t cook to save my life. I mean I really could NOT cook. I didn’t really have a plan for parenting. I was just winging it every day.
I could never find anything, my house looked like a tornado hit it by dinner, and I was frazzled and exhausted. I had to come up with a plan…there was no internet back then so I had to just figure it out on my own. So, in the winter of 1995 I taught myself to cook and keep house. This is the schedule that I have now had for 16 years and it works. I have joy every day and I do not go to bed crying from frustration and exhaustion.
Tip #1…this is so important! Get up before your kids! Get up, take a shower, have a few minutes of peace and prayer before you are bombarded by needs.
6:30 get up, shower, put on makeup, get dressed in nice looking clothes. Nurse a baby.
7:30 Breakfast and clean up
8:30 Bathe and dress kids. Help them make their beds.
9:00-10:00 or 10:30 Do my daily chores, start a load of laundry
10:30-12:00 Get outside with kids. Go to the park or the library. Play with friends.
12:00 lunch and cleanup
1:00 naps
During naptime I either work on some household project that I need to do,fold and put away laundry, craft, or nap (if I am pregnant).
3:30 Snacks, homework help, kids play outside, dinner prep, sports.
5:00 Prepare dinner
6:00 Dinner and cleanup, finish homework
7:00-8:30 playtime, baths, reading, staggered bedtimes by ages.
9:00 Mommy time. Read, blog, spend time with husband.
10:30 bedtime
So, this is just a sample of how to order your days so your little ones have some sort of routine and you have time to get stuff done and spend time with your kids. If you have school drop offs and sports, you will have to alter your times. But, if all your kids are little, this is a great schedule.