Do you have a plan every day?

[liliaceae]

I want to start treating my day with my kids more like a job. Right now I just figure out what we're going to do as they day progresses, I have no set schedule at all, and I hate it. I want to sit down at night and make a plan. My job is to raise my kids (and cook and clean and everything else), and I feel like I'm crappy at my job right now. I want to be more like a daycare worker, have a schedule for meals and snacks, have activities and outings planned for my kids every day. I think everything would be much easier for both me and my kids if I could accomplish this.

So please talk to me if you do something like this. When do you plan everything out? What does your schedule look like? Are you and your kids happy with the way things are going? Please help me be better at my job!

[nannymom]

I do kind of a mix of both. My daughter is 5 and for the last 2 years I've done a homeschool preschool program with her 2 to 3 days a week depending on how together I am. We have some activities that we attend every week such as story time that are on a set day. I try to make sure that if the weather permits we get outside for a minumum of an hour a day.

I find I feel much better if I have a plan. The days when I sit around in my pajamas setting up the ocassional activity tend to leave me feeling tired and disorganized and depressed.

[HappyFox05]

Originally Posted by nannymom

I find I feel much better if I have a plan. The days when I sit around in my pajamas setting up the ocassional activity tend to leave me feeling tired and disorganized and depressed.

We don't always stick to it, just like we don't always stick to our meal plans, but for some reason, just having a plan makes me feel better, even when it's something as vague as: Monday-play outside & do laundry; Tuesday-go to Playroom; Wednesday-play outside & go grocery shopping; Thursday-play at a park; Friday-play at a park.

[Forgiven]

I just finished a really awesome book and I wanted to recommend it. It's called "Absolutely Organized: A Mom's Guide to a No-Stress Schedule and Clutter-Free Home" by Debbie Willard. I love that the book is just 191pgs and there are a lot of pictures so it's a very fast read. I just felt that she did a wonderful job explaining how to schedule your day so that you don't feel like your work is never done and that you can't keep up. She also gives great tips about how to be the manager of your household and how to schedule your days with the same attention you would if you worked outside of the home. There is a brief section on putting your baby on a schedule that gave me hesitation, but overall I really just loved this book!!!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...1809557/apf-20

[liliaceae]

Originally Posted by Forgiven

I just finished a really awesome book and I wanted to recommend it. It's called "Absolutely Organized: A Mom's Guide to a No-Stress Schedule and Clutter-Free Home" by Debbie Willard. I love that the book is just 191pgs and there are a lot of pictures so it's a very fast read. I just felt that she did a wonderful job explaining how to schedule your day so that you don't feel like your work is never done and that you can't keep up. She also gives great tips about how to be the manager of your household and how to schedule your days with the same attention you would if you worked outside of the home. There is a brief section on putting your baby on a schedule that gave me hesitation, but overall I really just loved this book!!!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...1809557/apf-20

It sounds good, but based on this review, I really don't think I could buy it.

[nichole]

Yep ...I write up a list. I try to keep it short so it isn't overwhelming. It usually looks like this.

(First thing I do is shower, breakfast, put ds1 on the bus. This isn't on the list, but the shower and breakfast are important to do everyday!)

To Do:

-Dishes, sweep
-Outing- grocery store, errand, park, library or playdate
(Then we come home for lunch if I didn't pack one)
-One major chore-laundry most days, but might be clean bathroom, make important phone calls, declutter, etc.
(Bus stop)
-Cook dinner, homework
(Dishes, Bath, teeth, bed!)

Once a week I like to have a day where we do NOTHING! Just play whatever ds2 wants to play and not worry about chores/errands. I also squeeze some tv time or computer time for the boys so I can do yoga, read, and just catch a break at least once a day. This might sound ridiculously organized, but I feel better if I know I got something done I wanted to do and made some time for myself. If that is scheduled in, I feel like I can totally focus on ds and not feel scatterbrained.

[~cassie~]

I write up a schedule as well. I tend to plan a week in advance, around all of our therapy/dr appts.

A day looks like this:
745am-school drop off
830-930am-speech therapy-on no speech days we do a scheduled activity at home--usually a language building activity for my 2.5 yr old.
10-1115-grocery store(or grocery days) or outside time at home
1130-lunch
1215-230-naptime-and this is my chore or bill paying time. Sometimes I instead will clean while they eat lunch, that way I can sit at my computer with my lunch and surf the net
2pm--school pick up for oldest child-dh stays home with napping LO's.
3-430-outside time
5-615pm-cook and eat
615-730-outside time if I feel like taking them out again. If we don't go out, we do puzzles or books or some sort of game.
730-bath
8-books and bed.


I find that the days I follow my schedule are the days I feel productive and happy. If I don't have a schedule, I tend to "zone out" and interact with the kids but not really have good, meaningful interaction. Which leaves me feeling kind of empty and depressed, wondering what the heck I did with my kids that day.

[Heidi74]

We have a loose schedule every day, but I don't have set times for things, and it is liable to change. That said, these are the regular things I try to squeeze in:

-Breakfast
-At least one long-ish outing every day except Friday: (early childhood program 2x a week, playgroup on alternating Thursdays, an hour or two at the playground)
-Lunch
-A 20 minute walk with the double stroller when it's time for DS1s nap (It's the only way he will still nap at age 2 1/2.) I then park the stroller in the hallway and have some time either to myself or to focus on DS2 (if he is awake.)
-Reading to the boys. (Usually while DS2 is on the potty-we part time EC)
-Song time
-Snack
-At least 30 minutes of playing outside if we haven't already been to the playground. Most days we are out for at least an hour (usually more, and they get fresh air when in the stroller too) but on rainy or really cold days we might just do 30 minutes of outdoor play.
-Daddy comes home and plays with the boys
-Dinner
-Bedtime ritual
-Bedtime

We might also do other things like baking, playdates, arts and crafts etc, but they are by no means every day. Friday is our cleaning day, so we spend most of that day cleaning, except for an hour or so outside. (DS1 likes to help.) DS1 also spends some time watching DVDs, but no more than an hour total.

We are all happy with our schedule.

[CherryBombMama]

I dont have two kids (or at least, not until august) but every morning i write on my small fridge white board what is going to get accomplished for that day.

-i always include getting myself ready (if im not clean and put together, NOTHING gets accomplished!)
-a few chores for the day (whatever needs getting done, ie a load of laundry, wipe counters, make food ...)
-i always include a outside trip for my ds (park, mall play area, library, ... )
-usually i also include a outside chore for myself (target, post office, market, thrift store...)

if i try to jam in more than that, it doesnt get done. if i dont write anything at all ... again, nothing gets done.

[flatstanley72]

Our days usually go best if we have a routine, but keep it flexible and allow for plenty of unstructured play time. Here's what we usually do 3.5 yo DD and 1 yo DS):

Morning:
1. Breakfast
2. Get dressed and play a little
3. Go somewhere--Mon: park, Tues: library, Wed & Thurs: open for playdates, shopping, or staying home & doing special projects like baking, Fri: music class

Afternoon:
1. Lunch
2. DS has a nap somewhere around lunchtime, then DH usually comes home for lunch and often takes DS out for a walk so I can spend a little down time with DD
3. Reading time with DD
4. Play time--may just leave it unstructured if DD has things she wants to do, or may do an art/craft activity. I don't really plan these ahead of time. I keep her "art box" stocked--it's just a dishtub filled with craft supplies, that I rotate. I got this idea from a blog and it works great for encouraging her to do independent, open-ended artwork. See http://tiredneedsleep.blogspot.com/. I also keep a list of more seasonal, "craft"-type projects that I think she would enjoy, so I always have ideas on hand if needed.
5. Outside time
6. Around 4:30, DD watches a couple of shows on DVD while I play with DS and then get dinner ready

Evening
1. Dinner
2. Play time, often with DH, outside if light
3. Bath & bedtime

[nina_yyc]

DD and I plan the day together when we remember in the morning and get ridicuolously excited about crossing things off. We don't always totally stick to it but I love it....DD is way more patient with chores if there's something fun later. I also love being able to say "put it on the list" instead of "no" when DD bugs me for a snack/book/whatever when I'm trying to get something done. I don't worry about unstructured play...she does that when I do chores or dinner if she doesn't feel like helping. Here's the template:

1. Wake up, make bed, get dressed.
2. Breakfast.
3. Chore #1
4. Chore #2
5. Morning activity or outing
6. Lunch
7. 30 mins alone quiet time
8. 30 mins TV or computer time
9. Afternoon activity or outing
10. Make dinner

[LemonPie]

Originally Posted by liliaceae

I want to be more like a daycare worker

But you're MOMMY. The whole beauty of staying home is the flexibility and the adaptability.

I don't have a 'plan' most days. We have something of a routine. I shower before DH leaves for work, get dressed, etc. (because as a PP pointed out, I too feel MUCH better if I'm up and dressed for the day). Feed kids, dress kids, then . . . whatever. Sometimes we do art projects. Sometimes we go grocery shopping. Sometimes we do some deep housecleaning (in fact the girls' room got a deep cleaning today). Sometimes I sit on the couch nursing a cranky baby and catching up with what's on the DVR while my preschooler plays . Lunch is around 11 or 12, whenever the kids seem hungry. Baby goes down for a nap in the afternoon and we have 'quiet time'. Late afternoon, I help my son with homework or pick up from the day and plan dinner. DH gets home from work, we have dinner, we do bedtime routine (baths, pajamas, teeth, stories, songs prayers), we put kids to bed.

[crowcaw]

What works for us is having a pretty closely followed routine for all the mundane stuff (getting up, getting dressed, breakfast and cleanup, lunchtime, predinner, dinner, cleanup, bedtime) with the time in between being flexible and varied. I find if we do the things we have to do the same way and at roughly the same time each day they are easier to accomplish and go smoothly but we can let our moods dictate what we do in between.

[zebrachick83]

I used to write everything out on a schedule, but that got to be too difficult once we had Jai. Now, I just mentally plan what I'll do in between naptimes. So, the boys take a nap at 11:30 am and I just plan what I'll do with the kids after breakfast and before the nap and then what I'll do in the time after the nap and before dh gets home. If I look at my day in blocks like that, I get less overwhelmed.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by nina_yyc

DD and I plan the day together when we remember in the morning and get ridicuolously excited about crossing things off. We don't always totally stick to it but I love it....DD is way more patient with chores if there's something fun later. I also love being able to say "put it on the list" instead of "no" when DD bugs me for a snack/book/whatever when I'm trying to get something done. I don't worry about unstructured play...she does that when I do chores or dinner if she doesn't feel like helping. Here's the template:

I want a 3 year old.

[nina_yyc]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

I want a 3 year old.

LOL. Now that I have DS I keep seeing moms with toddlers and thinking about how cute that stage was and how excited I am to do it again!

In all seriousness though, the benefits of having a 3yo have come along with steeper challenges. It's great to be able to reason with her but she also really knows how to push my buttons! I can't just tell her to do things anymore...she wants to do what SHE wants to do. That's why I put so much into routine, it keeps us out of fights It was rough getting into the groove (I have only been SAH since DS was born) but oh so worth it.

[becoming]

I was doing this for a while (making a plan the night before), & it was so much better for all of us. I need to get back to doing this for sure.

[liliaceae]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

I want a 3 year old.

Be careful what you wish for!

[boigrrrlwonder]

I'm just starting to get more into a rhythm after #2 came. Here's what we have:

6am everyone gets up (except DH, who is already at work); get dressed; hygiene for all; put yesterday's dishes away and clean up after DH's breakfast mess); make breakfast
7am breakfast, toothbrushing, getting ready to go out
9am outdoor time
10:30am come back in, snack, toothbrushing
11am DD (3 yo) nap time, make lunch, do dinner prep
12pm DD's nap's over, have lunch, clean up
1-3pm outdoor time
3pm start dinner
4:30pm dinner (DH gets home between 3-4:30)
6:30 snack time and bath
7:00 DD's bedtime routine
7:30 DD asleep; when i get the newborn asleep, i sleep

So, there are huge chunks of free time still, but that's where we are right now. For us, getting regular waking/rest times, and food times, plus having a lot of time scheduled to be outdoors is really important for my daughter. I'm still struggling with keeping the house clean, but my son is only going to be tiny for short while.

[One_Girl]

I thought this was the single parents link. I must have clicked before the page fully loaded.