Scheduling is a prerequisite of parenthood. Even the cavemen probably had a designated time to pick fleas off the children and bang rocks to scare off predators. I've always been in charge of our family schedule, to our benefit and our detriment. Sometimes I come up with schedules that seem a perfect balance of needs and wants: we get to watch American Idol AND do our homework and have family dinners. Other times I completely lose track of the whole shebang when things change ( someone gets sick for weeks, we go on vacation, school break ) and don't re-arrange things to meet our new circumstances. One of my finest moments in scheduling was after Ever's birth. At home with a new baby and three older kids, I was experiencing post-partum anxiety, as was Lola. I made a schedule for the evenings that included healthy, comforting family dinner time, homework, a half hour of family TV viewing, bath, reading time with Daddy, a before bed walk and then all of us piling in bed to the exact same Harry Potter movie playing on almost mute, which was completely comforting to all of us. We four- Mr. Curry, Lola, Ever and I- fell asleep all together every night for months.
Including the little things is important for me, because those little things- take vitamins, floss, sign Lola's school calendar, update the family whiteboard calendar- add up and make life run more smoothly. Making a list of what matters, big and small, keeps me ( kind of ) on top of things.
To Include In Family Schedule
Reading time
Outside time- a walk or just hanging out on the porch and talking
Dinner all together at mimimum 3x a week, shoot for 4-5x weekly
Homework
Half hour TV for Lola, can be longer is we are watching a show all together every week like American Idol. For a while we watched one episode of Happy Days and one episode of Doogie Howser every evening. Random, and awesome.
Vitamins- We all take daily fish oil and during Fall/Winter Vit. D. Mr. Curry and I also take various other supplements depending on what our needs are. I give the kids probiotics regularly, also.
Make lunches- This year I began asking Lola to make her lunch a few times a week. Otherwise, I make a lunch for Mr. Curry and Lola, with basic sandwich or protein, mixed nuts, fruit and snack like Baked Lays or pretzels, and water.
Laundry- so. much. laundry. Six people live here off and on, and the laundry is epic. I do loads every day.
Take dogs for a walk or just hang out outside.
Check calendar for tomorrow's need to know.
Exercise- I've begun exercising in the last month and doing yoga as well, minus the week we were all sick. Sometimes Lola does the workout DVD or yoga with me, and if Mr. Curry hasn't taken Ever out, she stands in forward facing bend like a champ :)
Tidy up- wipe down kitchen counters, put shoes in shoe shelves, throw toys in proper baskets. This usually happens but if it doesn't, now that I don't leave home to work, I don't get upset. I let it go and do it in the morning.
And you know I'm forgetting something!!!
What does your schedule look like?
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