Are you gearing up for the coming school year? Are you wondering just how you will be able to help your child in their virtual school lessons, as well as keep the house kept up, everyone fed, and your own work hours in? You are not alone. It does seem like an overwhelming task to think about. Especially with children. Might I suggest creating a daily schedule and routine?
We know what you may be thinking….how am I going to create a schedule/routine with kids? Sounds kind of like being forced to climb a mountain but with your kids strapped to your waist. Are we right?
Routines and schedules, while they may take time and effort to build, they benefit everyone in the family. From the baby to the parent. Carving the time to create one that works for you and your family is worth the effort and ultimately, save you time and sanity in the long run.
Now that we have suggested creating a routine, you may be wondering where on earth to begin in creating one. Our favorite way to start off on the right foot is to get and use a planner. I am not talking about a digital phone planner, I am actually referring to an old school paper notebook planner.
Set aside a special time to sit and reflect upon your current daily activities and how you want your days to look. Try and identify your current routine. We all have natural ebbs and flows in our daily life so identify them.
Some natural ebbs and flows to identify are:
- Sleeping Patterns
- Eating Times
- Cleaning Times
- Activity Times
- Social Times
- Work Times
Think about what currently works, and identify what needs to change. You can ask yourself questions like this:
- Do you need more sleep?
- Do you need to set the working hours?
- Do you need to factor in eating and meal planning?
Choose what aspects of your daily life you need to schedule. We suggest the following tips to help you establish a working schedule:
1. Evaluate Daily To-Dos
Try to think of every single thing that takes your time and energy each day. From work to kid activities, kids schooling, chores, and more. (get detailed!)
Once you evaluate them, plan those daily to-dos according to your daily flow.
2. Evaluate What Needs to be Accomplished in the Foreseeable Future
During your special planning time, think about any commitment that needs to be addressed in the coming months. Consider where and when you will need to fit those responsibilities. Once you know what needs to be done, you can appropriately plan them into your schedule and routine.
 3. Identify Time Stealers
You cannot get time back. Once you use it, it is gone. So, use it wisely.
Think about what you spend most of your days doing.
- Did those things matter to you?
- What things were distractions from the important?
- When did you feel the most hectic in your day and why?
Identify what you spend your time on that is a non-necessity and plan to remove those things. If they are items that you cannot completely remove (hello phone scrolling), set aside a small set part of your day to distract yourself at only that time.
4. Plan Out Calendar/Schedule
Once you have identified what your daily flow is like, what commitments need to be addressed, what needs to be done daily, start the actual planning phase of your routine.
- Print a weekly calendar with daily time slots. Fill in those time slots with what needs to be done on that specific day.
- Add in specific time-sensitive tasks.
- Block in time for sleep. Include bedtimes and wake up time.
- Assign your daily tasks into each day. Then fill in weekly tasks into empty time slots. Always include downtime. You need rest too!
- Include a block time for monthly tasks.
Once you have your planning session completed, use what you planned! It does not one bit of good if you do not actually put it into practice!
The first few weeks may take a bit of rearranging to help you determine what is and is not working for your family and that is okay.
Just having everything wrote down in front of you, is the best first step. It will give you the peace of mind that you have time for everything you do. It’s the first step to creating a less stressful, and more productive life which we all could use a little more of that in these crazy times.
We here at Capitol Park Nannies and Staffing are able to help too if you need some extra assistance in your home. We offer many services such as full-time & part-time nannies, newborn care specialists, housekeepers, and more. You can learn all about our services and what makes us stand out amongst the rest all these years here.
Wishing you all the best amongst the changes this year!
