Showing posts with label schedule for baby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label schedule for baby. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Week One SAHM Goal: Establish a Daytime Schedule that Actually Works

In becoming a stay-at-home mom, I have some pretty LOFTY aspirations for all the changes I hope we can make as a family. But I know that if I try to conquer all of my goals in the first week of this new life, it will be a recipe for disaster, and I will end up exhausted and overwhelmed, with lots of sticky notes stuck haphazardly to various parts of my body. In order to avoid this scenario, I think it is wiser to aim low and focus on one SAHM goal at a time.

For my first week at home, I would really like to try and establish a daytime schedule that works for everyone in our family. I’ve done lots of R&D, reading SAHM blogs and online forums, trying to figure out the winning formula for SAHM time management. After gathering all my data together, I’ve worked with my Google calendar to create a basic daily schedule that takes meals, activities, naps, and cleaning all into account.

It looks like this:

6:30 – 8:00 am: Morning Preparation - potty/diaper changing, breakfast and nursing, get the kids dressed, parents shower/dress, brush teeth/hair, free play)
8:00 – 9:00 am: Exercise/Movement – outdoor walk, tricycle ride, playground visit, or indoor exercise and active play with dance/movement, OR grocery shopping if needed
9:00 – 9:30 am: Snack and diapers/potty time
9:30 am – 12:00 pm: Activity – playgroup, library activity, visit museum, etc. (Oren takes first nap)
12:00 – 12:30 pm: Lunch time
12:30 – 2:00 pm: Quiet time - naps, reading books, drawing, movie, etc. (if the kids nap, mommy works on cleaning and/or projects)
2:00 – 4:30 pm: One child visits with Baba, while the other gets one-on-one time with mommy. Art activity, cooking, or developmental activity with Emmy. Nap time or developmental activities with Oren.
4:30 – 5:30 pm: Clean up from day, on own play, or outdoor play (visit playground)
5:30 – 6:30 pm: One parent cooks and cleans while the other plays with the kids
6:30 – 7:00 pm: Dinner as a family
7:00 – 7:30 pm: Bath time and prepare for bed (potty/diaper changing, brush teeth, pajamas, read books)
7:30 – 8:00 pm: Kids go to sleep

Do you think this will work? Am I being delusional?

I am interested to see how much of this schedule DOES actually stick, and how much it will need to be modified as I test it over the next week. If you are a SAHM with two young children, I would love to hear more about what has worked for you and your family. Any advice or insight is greatly appreciated!