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- Learn to say NO! And not just to drugs. Don’t be afraid to set boundaries for yourself. You will be asked to teach your parish’s CCD class, to be team mom of your son’s soccer team, to chair your support group’s field trip committee, to host a co-op in your home… All of this and more ON TOP OF teaching your own children! Know your limits and expectations for yourself and your family and stick to them!
- Set time aside for glancing at the week ahead. Every Sunday I set aside at least 1 hour to glance at the week ahead. I make note of any upcoming commitments, errands that need to be made, and feast days to celebrate, as well as make the weekly meal plan, grocery list and ready the workbox. Once these tasks are noted on their appointed days, I then have a skeleton on which to work. If I know ahead of time that Monday, (our regular laundry day), hosts a field trip, then I know I need to make plans to squeeze it all in on another day of the week. If I know that I will be next to our favored market on Wednesday due to art class, then I will make plans to swing by on our way home. Mapping out the week helps to limit surprises and ensures that all of my tasks are accomplished.
- Meal Planning. In our home, having the evening meal together, seated at the table, is non-negotiable. This is the time of day when we all gather together to share our day and pray together as a whole family. To ensure that it happens, adequate planning helps keep this time of day running smoothly. Also, learn to use your slow cooker– it is a real sanity saver!
- Evaluate your expectations. Despite how much is contained within our family master schedule, there are only a handful of duties that I feel must be accomplished daily. There are some days when nothing else is achieved in my day besides clean bathrooms, tidy living spaces, and the evening meal prepared. Some days it just has to be alright, and I’ve learned to be okay with that.
- Set time aside for yourself. I know. I know. You have heard this a million times— but do you listen? We all need time in our day to recharge and regain energy. Try to make the time in your day to set aside just for you. Revisit old passions or pick up new hobbies, but make sure it will benefit you and you alone.
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This is their daily schedule. . . Like I said, one day!
7:00 The children rise and begin there morning routines and chores.
7:30 Breakfast and prayer together as a family. Father leaves for work. Collective cleaning and tidying up the kitchen.
8:00 Read aloud time conducted by my oldest for my son as I gather and order things for the school day. Usually this time consists of hand picked picture books appropriate to the liturgical season.
9:00 Opening prayers, intentions and saint for the school day, followed by catechism and poetry memorization. Occasionally a liturgical craft will find it’s way here.
10:00 – 12:00 Entries into daily journals, involving handwriting, grammar, spelling and copy work, which are often accompanied by illustrations. Latin and Math follow closely behind.
12:00 – 1:00 Family lunch and praying of the Angelus. Afterward, the children have outside play time as a little tidying up is necessary before moving on to afternoon studies.
1:30 – 3:00 Afternoons alternate between science, history and fine art studies. Lots of reading aloud and experimentation occurs, rabbit trails are explored. In the cooler months, nature walks and park trips are frequent.
3:00 -5:00 Lots of free play and outside exploration.
5:00 – 6:00 Everyone gathers together again to help prepare the evening meal. Often audio books or our current music study play in the background and little hands are kept busy with art projects. Father arrives home.
After the family meal, the evening hours are filled with the business of tying up the day– tiding up, reading aloud, prays and bedtime.
Then, in the morning, it’s rinse and repeat.
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