Monday, August 30, 2010

Be a Better Parent Challenge - Day 30 - Find your system

Today is Challenge #30: Find your system - and I want you to tackle creating your own system of how you work your mornings and evenings, or everything in between.
I realize that you might use system and schedule in the same way, but I've come to realize that it's not really a schedule since it often happens at different times, but the method I use is the same.
For example, here's how our school days go:
  • The alarm goes off at 6:25 am.I wake the girls up.
  • They eat breakfast and watch cartoons.
  • Once breakfast has been eaten, they get dressed (in whatever I have laid out the night before) as I pack Bella's snack for the day.
  • -I then do their hair and send them to brush their teeth.
  • At 7:20 am we head out the door and make the drive downtown to her school.
Here's how after school goes:
  • 11:30 pick Bella up from school
  • Noon, make lunch
  • After lunch, we hang out for about an hour doing puzzles, going over how the day is going, playing a game whatever.
  • 1:30-2:30 Rest time. I have eliminated naps during the school week because my girls nap generally for 2 hours and if I allow that , there is no way they will go to bed at an hour that will allow them to wake at 6:25 am.
  • 2:30-4:00 play outside
  • 4:00 Take baths
  • 5:00 Dinner
  • 5:30 Brush teeth, say good nights ( it take them forever to tell one another goodnight,loads of hugs and kisses even though they sleep in the same bed) and have a Dance the sillies out dance contest.
  • Immediately after that they go into bed with either a couple books or 15 minutes of TV ( Before you say it, I know TV is not god before bed but Gabs still wants to fall asleep in my lap so sometimes TV is what it has to be), depending on the day and their preferences, my mood, etc.
  • By 6:00-6:30  they are both asleep for the night.

I know these are not brilliant revelations, but it's taken me this long to actually come up with a system that works. I really try not to deviate from it because it works so well and the kids come to expect it. And when there's that consistency, things just tend to run much better.I've just started this new system in he last 2 weeks and its pretty amazing to have all that free time at night.I love it.
Of course, my husband works out of town- which means he's usually not home when all this is going on, but on the weekends the system is slightly different. For example; Fridays and Saturdays,the girls can have naps.Also,on weekends we can divide and conquer. It gives the girls something to look forward to on the weekends and a little extra awake time with the big guy.
What's your system?

2 comments:

  1. I'd explain how I found you, but it's too frickin' complicated. Anyway, my husband is gone off and on, and I think the hardest thing is getting into a groove with everyone and then having to switch gears into "Daddy's home" mode when he's back. And then switching AGAIN when he's gone. I like your music choices, BTW.

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  2. You make it seem so easy. Mine is a chaotic mess with the kids going to bed late, and wanting to sleep all day long. They just started school today, so hopefully in a week I can get back to you on a routine that works a little bit better.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog. Following you now! :)

    M
    http://thekelkers.blogspot.com

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