Are you a fellow mama of two kids under two? Maybe you just finished reading our I just finished our tips for stay at home moms to stay sane. One of the tips was to have a daily routine or schedule. As I was looking over ours, I realized it needed to be updated. The schedule I had before just wasn’t working for us anymore and my days spent at home were starting to feel chaotic (really- I’m talking messy buns and yoga pants would be an upgrade from what I started looking like!) Nap times and toddler feeding schedules were the biggest changes I had to make, but there were also some other changes I wanted to try to work in, like scheduling time to work out (updating to say this never happened. Who was I kidding?!?).
Being Intentional…
Speaking of being intentional, now is a good time to talk about why I value having a daily routines so much. Here’ my analogy for it: I live in California. If I wanted to take a trip to Washington D.C., I would most definitely plan that trip. I would mapquest the distance, estimate arrival time, plan to see awesome tourist attractions along the way, etc. Each day would be planned to lead to my desired destination. Without a plan, I would miss out on a lot of attractions- making the drive laborious and less dull. As a Stay at home mom, I want to enjoy the journey. I want to feel motivated daily, that’s why some of my mom friends will check out Stay at home mom quotes to keep themselves going. I want to intentionally plan things to do with my boys because they’ll only be this age once! It’s all too easy to pass several hours a day reading blogs, watching T.V., and flipping through magazines. Then the end of the day comes and I wonder- where did all my time go? So I plan.
Quote taken from The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally ClarksonI just love this quote about being intentional in the lives of our children. I want to be the person instilling these lessons in my boys, not television, peers, or society in general. Each day I take the time to show them what is important to me by the actions I take. Choosing chores instead of watching TV shows them I value cleanliness before entertainment. Choosing to read books together versus flipping through my magazines alone shows I value their company (and that reading is fun!). We sit on the floor and enjoy each others’ company. Of course, you should have floor heating systems like the kind Heavenly Heat Inc. (floorheatingsystemsinc.com) provides. Kids won’t enjoy these activities if they are not comfortable, and so it is important to create the right atmosphere. My boys may not comprehend the every word I say, but they definitely understand my actions- and this is why I value our schedule. It takes a conscious effort to remember that they are learning more from my actions than from my words. Once they are grown-ups, these values would guide them to make better decisions in their life. Talking about memories, I would like to have our photographs in my home, which could help me remember their journey of growing up. For that reason, I may have to find a photographer for family portraits Minneapolis (or from any other city) who can capture those photos of us.
Here’s a general schedule of what a day at home looks like for us:
I have to emphasize that the schedule is rarely followed to a T, it’s more of a guide for routines. Having this guide helps me know what to expect for the day. It helps me set goals and prioritize. How do you plan your days with two kids under two? Do you have a schedule/routine? Maybe it’s just a checklist. Share your tips in the comments below.
Awesome schedule! XD I think i can take a lot of notes from this! Thank you for sharing!