I’m sitting here sipping tea and feeling more chill than I have in days. I’ve let my to-do list rule me so much that I feel bad when only part of it gets accomplished. Then I see other women who talk about how they never sit down, and that adds to the guilt. What if I rest too much? Then I remember that burnout does no one good and I have to walk my own journey, not my friend’s journey.
The thing that keeps me on track most of all is having routines. I may not get it all done every day, but at least I have a framework for success. If life drags me down, I can slowly and steadily climb my way to the mountain top, so to speak.
Have you thought about what your ideal day might look like? When would you wake up? What would your morning routine look like? When would you go to bed? When would you start your evening routine? How would you fit in the everyday things like laundry, meals, and dishes?
I often sit down and draft out an ideal daily schedule for myself. Some people create a unique schedule for each day, but I’ve learned it’s easier for me to just modify as I go.
7 am– wake up, brush teeth, hydrate, stretch, quick workout and shower, then devotions and my hormone balancing Pink drink.
8 am– get dressed, make the bed, put in a load of laundry, skincare and comb hair, tidy the bathroom, and wipe down the sink as I leave.
9 am– fix breakfast, eat, start writing my post for the day, and clean up
10 am– devotions with the boys while nursing Lilly, coach them through their chores, start a learning activity.
11 am– keep on with the learning, serve a quick snack, free play + play together outside, work a few minutes on my phone
12 pm– tidy the kitchen, fix lunch, eat
1 pm– nurse Lilly and read to the boys, start afternoon cleaning routine
2 pm– quiet time for the boys, rest, work some more from my phone
3 pm– tidy the house, finish afternoon routine
4 pm– start prepping for supper, free play and welcome daddy/hubby home
5 pm– fix supper and tidy the kitchen as I cook, eat
6 pm– clear the table, nurse Lilly, rest
7 pm– start evening routine, tidy the house, get the dishes loaded in the dishwasher
8 pm– bedtime routines and worship, nurse Lilly, finish replying to comments & DMs
9 pm– get kids in bed, blog, enjoy some tea and some quiet time
10 pm– go to bed or journal/read
The key to having a routine that helps is to not get stuck on following it precisely. If breakfast takes a little longer than normal, I have to fit writing in somewhere else or let it go completely. I know there will be a day when I will have more time to accomplish those things, but the year postpartum just isn’t my 5am season.
So instead of wishing it were different, I’ll focus on what is important, center my day around my baby and my family, while planning in rest and play.
I’m also learning to play as we work. Like blasting the boys’ favorite song in the kitchen while we all danced around and I unloaded the dishes with the baby on my hip. Or setting up a learning activity for the boys and sweeping the floor as they play and learn. It helps the boys when I take this approach to home education–weaving it into our day, using the books as guides, not requirements.
I’m thankful for my role as a mother, wife, home educator, and housekeeper. I’m by no means the measure of success. I struggle more than I think I should, but at the end of the day, if I have nurtured my children, kept a good attitude, honored God in all that I do, and taught them something, I can rest on my pillow at night and know I am fulfilling my calling
Abundantly Blessed Mama 