So Operation Organization continues.
One of the challenges for me as a stay at home mom is that there is no set schedule.
Sure, the kids have to be at certain places at certain times, but other than that, it’s been kind of a free-for-all.
I never would have operated this way when I was a teacher.
If I just winged it, and didn’t pencil in on what days and at what time gym, or art, or math, or science was going to happen, well, they never would have happened.
Kind of like a lot of stuff isn’t happening for me right now.
I’m running fitness e-courses, a new furniture repurposing business, training for triathlons and marathons, writing a blog, coaching the swim team, and taking care of a house and 7 kids with absolutely no plan.
So I’ve worked myself into one of these situations:
Now, I’m not a super rigid, type-A person, so I want some wiggle room.
But I need a plan.
A schedule.
There are quite a few things I want to fit in every week:
- working out/training for races
- at least one furniture repurposing project
- developing the e-course(s)
- coaching
- taking the three younger kids on a “field trip” or arranging for a playdate
- meal planning/prep/shopping
- one quality night with my husband
- all the household related crap — laundry/cleaning/vacuuming/etc.
- a little down time for me
I used to be the head swim coach of a swim team with over 200 kids on it.
I was great about making a general plan for the whole season, and then breaking that down into more specific parts.
As a teacher, I was great about making a general curriculum plan for the year, and then breaking that down to weekly and daily lessons.
In my e-courses, I have participants come up with an overall fitness and weight loss goal and then break that down into weekly and daily parts.
Why have I not applied this to the rest of my life?
So I have my weekly goals listed above.
Now, to organize.
Start big and general.
Work around the kids’ schedules.
I started here.
The blog and working out are priorities.
The rest goes around that.
I need to do laundry at least 3 times a week.
Same for the grocery shopping. I can do the big trip on Sunday when my husband is home.
I can go to get whatever else I need on Tuesday and Thursday when I only have Number 7 in the morning.
Now this is a work in progress. I may find I need to adjust it.
And things will come up.
The kids will get sick.
There will be field trips/PTO meetings/conferences/concerts/etc. to schedule in.
I will probably find I need to shuffle a couple things around in general.
But it gives me a start and some direction.
The next step will be to break each day down specifically.
But I feel better already.
Now how about you?
What’s your plan?
VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!!!
All you need to do is click on the banner above to register a vote for me!
You can vote one time every 24 hours from every computer and cell phone! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! I really appreciate your support!
Check out and “like” the not-your-average-mom.com facebook page!
Follow me on Twitter @mom_not_average
I rarely have a plan and it’s killing me!
I need some of that organization in my life! PS love that you keep time for date night.
I was going to suggest making a list of some sort and only putting 3 actual things on the list with #4 being a blank space to add something that needs to be moved from another day. Three to four “things” are doable in my world (obviously yours as well). As far as the other stuff (like housework) goes….pick one room a day and work on that (even if its just picking up clutter). Will your entire house be a showplace every day? no…but at least you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you got X done and X is clean. Plus it takes the pressure off….you arent running around trying to get everything cleaned during the time you could be spending with your kids. Cleaning a living room doesnt take that long…cleaning an entire house does. Plus you have older kids…you could put them on “pick up” duty….you could possibly give them a basket and tell them to go to whatever room and find everything that doesnt belong there. Then after they are done with that they can go find the correct “home” for whatever they found (you could possibly get the entire house picked up that way….not cleaned but picked up. Picked up is almost better. You can (instead of allowance) do credits for some type of fun one on one activity with you or the husband…….
sorry for the ramble..
We started giving our #1 chores…clean her room, fill up the toilet paper holders, clean the toys/papers out of the car. They are easy and she likes doing them. We started out small. I give my 3 year twins Swiffer dusters and have them “dust” the house. They actually pick up some dirt. Not perfect, but it is a start.
I can only agree, having a plan and sticking to it makes you more organized and productive throughout each and every day! Good to read an article about it.