my schedule as a stay-at-home-mom

I’m a list maker. I love notepads… and pens… and LISTS. Now, that might make you think I’m organized… but I’m not. I’m a fake. I think sometimes I just get overwhelmed by certain tasks (like cleaning the house, planning a party, writing blog posts, etc.) and writing it out on paper makes it way more manageable. Ya know, in that moment, because like I said – I’m still not organized. I’ll write the same list 10 times because I lost it the first 9 times or I never actually accomplished everything on the list.

But once I start something? Ohhh, I must finish it. It drives me a little batty to start something and not finish RIGHT THEN, as soon as possible. (anddd thank you, dad, for that trait) Hmmm… side thought… maybe that’s why I can get so easily frustrated sometimes with my children… they’re always interrupting me and my TASKS! lol.

ANYWAY. I’m also used to schedule. Getting up and going to work was a huge part of that, so now… as a stay-at-home-mom with two little ones… sometimes I’m a little lost.

I’ve talked on here before about my grand ideas for a schedule and now I’m finally really working on it. We’ve decided I should not go back to work this fall (college instructor) because Steve got a new job, we’re trying to sell our house, moving again, etc etc etc – bottom line: if I can stay home with the little ones while they’re still little, I should. So the stay-at-home saga continues.

CLEANING. When I was little, cleaning was doing our “chores.” Almost like a punishment. So? That’s how I feel about cleaning today as an adult. Punishment. Ryan LOVES to clean so I hope I can somehow keep it that way. He helps keep me in line–every day he asks to do the laundry and the dishes, so that helps! Mondays: vacuum. Tuesdays: bathrooms. Wednesdays: dust & mop kitchen. Thursdays: trash and bedrooms. Fridays: basement/fun day. Weekendswho cleans on weekends?!!?

COOKING. Ughhh, another thing I hate! Why?! I blame my mother. (Hi, Mom! ;)) She hates to cook, too. I absolutely have to have a recipe or an idea–I cannot just whip something up. So… I’m meal planning. Every Sunday I figure out what to do for dinners for the upcoming week. I have a couple cooking sites I check out for meal ideas, but recently found easy dinner ideas from BumbleBee–I can include or exclude ingredients, which is awesome for me because I’m picky.

KIDS. Keeping the kids active and involved was way easier when we lived in Rockford with lots to do. Where we live now (in the middle of a cornfield), there isn’t much going on. I did pretty well this summer, but winter is going to be tough. I have lots of ideas though! Children’s Museum (we are members), play-dates, Playworld (or a Monkey Joe type place), grandma’s, stay home and get crafty, play in the snow/sledding… I use Cozi (website & app) to plan every day in advance (otherwise we’d go crazy!).

BLOG. This one I still really need to work on <–and I’m like a broken record with that. I work too much during the day when I should be playing with the kids. I work at night because that’s when the hubby is home to help with the kids–but then I’m not with him. I work weekends–and then I’m not with the family. What I really NEED are office hours. Set times to work and then during the other times? NO work. This is a hard balance for me.

Wow–it’s all pretty exciting, right?! That’s exactly what my kid-less friends are thinking, hahaha. I’ll tell you–it is. I never know what stains will end up on my clothes by the end of the day.

How do you schedule and manage your time? How do you stay organized?

And now this blog post? Crossed off my LIST! Whoooo! 🙂

*Consideration was given for the editing and publishing of this post by Amanda Green

5 comments to my schedule as a stay-at-home-mom

  • I’m with you on the blogging issue. I’m constantly working on my blog/networking, I also need office hours!

    [Reply]

  • I am horrible at time management. Lately I’ve been making a conscious effort to not be so obsessed with social media and my blog. As much as I love my blog, I feel bad that my kids were taking a back seat to it on occasion. I would love to know how other bloggers manage to do everything.

    [Reply]

  • Jenny Challand

    I’m with you too. I’d “like” a schedule, but things just constantly interrupt it. For cleaning I’ve realized if it’s not done by 10 am then it’s not getting done until the kids are napping or my last ditch attempt to pick up before my husband comes home. Sending the kids outside to our fenced in backyard (we have a big picture window so I can keep an eye on them) is the only way I can clean and keep it clean. Same with cooking, when I have to do that, I just need them in the backyard if I don’t have something for them to help with.
    Cooking, I started doing freezer meals-once every 3 weeks I take a day or 2 and really focus on using the recipes I have in a book, cook it all up or assemble it, and freeze it.
    The kids, my poor kids, I take the approach to “entertaining” them that no one will entertain them when they’re older. The entertaining things they do are the occasional trip to a park or the library. But, we have neighbors that are near the same age so they get to see them outside nearly every day.
    I mean they “sort of” have a schedule: wake up, eat, clean some, play some in the front w/neighbors or go for a walk, eat, play some, nap (mommy cleans some or showers or recently naps, play some outside in the front, mommy makes dinner so play goes to the backyard, daddy comes home, eat, play, sleep. All in a 12 hr. day 😉 Rough life for them, I tell ya!

    [Reply]

    Jenny Challand Reply:

    Oh, and I should add that since I was a teacher and know developmental stuff, just about all our toys are centered around some learning aspect and “play” is really learning much of the time, whether it’s with me or on their own.

    [Reply]

  • My schedule is similar to yours as a stay at home mommy, however, my kids are older, so things have gotten much easier. They will all head off to school for the first time on Monday so I’m bracing myself for this new chapter in our lives. I say enjoy the hectic busy moments!

    [Reply]

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