Embracing the Family Routine
Lifestyle
My friend Carolyn said it best, “With routine, comes freedom.” As soon as she said it I loved the simple strength of the statement. How much better do you feel when you have a plan? If having a plan changes your entire WEEK then why not do what you can to put one in place? Once we see the planning as a way to add balance to our week then all of a sudden it becomes less like a task and more like a tool….or a super power…you can call it whatever you want…I’m going with super power.
So as we enter into September I’m embracing planning, scheduling and delegating. Not in a rigid way but in a way that I imagine will highly impact my level of enjoyment as my day shifts from work mode to Momma mode (and back again) each day. My hope is that if I spend less time scrambling at the last minute then I might actually enjoy the chaos of everyone reconvening at the end of the day, getting dinner on the table and quieting the hamster that constantly runs in my head. I have to cherish these bedtimes (so say my wiser and older Mom gurus) and I can’t do that if I’m thinking about what’s “next” instead of what is “now”.
There are a million suggestions out there. Here is mine…choose one or two that you think YOU would love to make into a routine. It can’t become a routine until you do it for the first time. Packing lunches the night before, setting out clothes the night before, having a clean sink before you go to bed (Lisa!). It’s up to you. The suggestion here is to choose one or two that might make your life easier in the morning. Something your future self will thank you for.
Here are the three I’ve chosen to shoot for this month. If I do two out of three (or even one out of three) of these each week then I’m chalking that up as a success…
1. LARGE FAMILY CALENDAR - Technology is great but a good old-fashioned massive calendar rules the show. Amazon Prime that up people. Find a central spot to hang this bad boy and start filling in dates! I also write notes on mine… our wifi password, the name of the new principal at school, the PTO website…anything I may need that I don’t want to have to go searching for again. Every time I get an email from some school related something or other I have to stand in front of my calendar and WRITE IT DOWN! No more, “oh ya, I’ll remember that.” No! Write it on the calendar!! Side note… our old calendar was on the back of our mudroom closet door…fail! It has to be out in the open! Your entire family has to be able to see it in broad day light. Now no one can say they didn’t know the welcome back family picnic was scheduled for Friday night. Gold.
2. INSTACART vs. AMAZON FRESH – Verdict is still out for me on the best service but grocery delivery is a MUST! If you’re guilty of scrolling your phone mindlessly at the end of the night do yourself a favor and order some groceries. Game. Changer. One other thought on this… you don’t have to order your entire grocery list for the week. The basics will even take the pressure off. You know your staples and your must haves. I prefer to meal plan while walking the grocery isles but I also know we need bananas, Cheerios and peanut butter on the regular so having those show up on my doorstep has been glorious.
3. MEAL PLAN – My friend Kristina would be so proud of me for putting this on the list. I don’t do this every week but the weeks I actually have a dinner plan in place just run SO MUCH smoother. Not only do I have a plan (and don’t have to stop at Whole Foods on my way home from work) but my husband or my Nanny can get things started for me before I even walk in the door. …And on days when I’m home I can prep whatever I can during the day so when everyone is ready to start our evening together, I have a plan. I’ve also started a list of seasonal dinners in the notes section of my phone so when I find a winner I don’t forget it!
Side note: We’re in a new school this year AND my oldest is in first grade so I’m a super rookie at back to school. Tips WELCOME for managing the sheer volume of communication from the schools and extra circulars! Also, this blog is meant to be for all of us so please share your ideas with me so I can pass them along!
