Over the years as our family has grown, I have learned to be all for planning and prepping ahead. Most people think caring for six kids. Homeschooling. Tending to our home. Running a blog and finding time for my marriage can be a handful. I must need help to manage everything or else I will go CRAZY… or so those people have told me. 🙂 Truth is if I spent every day reacting rather than executing the plan for the day, I’m sure I would be overwhelmed! Below are some ways I help my future self with six kids.
Plan a Schedule/Routine for the Day
Every Saturday I help my future self and plan for the week to come. What tasks do I need to do each day? What schoolwork needs to get done? Blog work? This is also when I will Meal Plan for the coming week. By doing this, I know what to expect going into the day so I’m not having to make decisions on the fly. They have already been made. I am able to peaceably go about my day accomplishing what needs to be done rather than react to everything that pops up. Sure, there are days when plans have to change. Just the other day one of my kids got sick. That required some things to be adjusted, but I wasn’t frustrated because plans got derailed. I was able to pivot and shift things around so caring for my sick child to become the main focus of my day.
An example of our week is Monday through Thursday we are typically home all day. Those days the flow goes chores, school, and play. While the Kids play or during Quiet Time, I will complete those task(s) assigned to the day or focus on Blog Work that needs to get done. On Friday Dad is home! We get big projects done. Attend appointments or go do something fun as a family. It is also our Date Night, so time spent investing in our marriage is never put on the back burner. Saturday is our lazy day. While the kids are playing or being couch potatoes then I am Meal Planning. Ordering groceries and writing out a plan for the week. Sundays, we get ourselves ready for the coming week with Grocery Pick Up, Food Prep, and Cleaning the House.
Pep Talks before MeltDowns Begin
Before the day begins, I am telling my Kids the plan for the day. Are we having a typical day at home. Running errands. Visiting with Grandparents for the Day, etc. I have Kids that need/like to know what’s coming. This makes the transition to something different less hectic, and we can just flow right into the next thing.
Another example of Pep Talks is before going in a Store. If for some reason, we are taking everyone with us then we will let them know we are buying only groceries. School supplies. Items for a project, etc. We remind them that we are not looking or buying Toys, only what is on the list. This helps so we don’t have to hear 6+ times can we buy a toy, I want a toy, etc. Sure, the younger ones may forget and still ask. Having Pep Talks beforehand helps cut down on the shock and disappointment when we pass by the Toy Section.
Meal Planning + Grocery Shop Once a Week
Like I mentioned above, I use Saturdays to plan for the week. Taking a few minutes to figure out some meal options. Or thinking through any groceries we need makes our week run smoother. It has also resulted in no last-minute runs to the store because we forgot milk or didn’t plan for dinner. For the past few years, we have only shopped once a week. I make sure to really think through Meals, Kids’ Needs, Household Items, etc. when ordering groceries.
Breakfast and Lunch in our home are pretty basic. On Sunday evenings I will bake a few dozen Muffins for the week. The Kids eat roughly the same thing every morning and so do I. This makes our mornings more laid back. My 8-year-old can prepare Breakfast for herself and little brothers since the Muffins are already made. Applesauce, Bananas, and Cereal are all within easy reach. Any kids that are still hungry can enjoy second breakfast when Mom gets around to making something for herself and for those who want more.
I have also learned to decide in the morning what’s for Dinner. When Dinner comes around, I am tired and am done making decisions. Chick-fil-A starts looking pretty good during that Witching Hour right before dinner! By deciding in the morning and setting out what I need, thawing meat, etc. it takes the guess work out when the evening rolls around. I also plan a Leftover, or night that Sam will cook. This way I know I have at least one night off during the week.
Prep for Outings the Day OR Evening Before
You can make the mornings less stressful if everything is already laid out the evening before. All I have to do in the morning is feed and change everyone then we are out the door. This also helps me know I am not forgetting anything if I can take a minute and walk through the next day in my mind. I can think through anything we need to take with us.
I even go so far as to dress my kids in similar colors. While we are out and about it is much easier to spot them if we are at a Playground, Children’s Museum, etc. While our family is not heading out the door every morning this has helped the mornings that we do need to be somewhere flow more smoothly. All because of a little prep work the evening before.
Only Do the Work that Belongs to the Day
There is always so much to do on a given day no matter who you are. By assigning tasks to certain days, this helps your brain not to worry about your long to do list. Just assign those tasks to a day. Schedule it into your Google Calendar OR write it in your Paper Calendar then forget about it, until you come to that day. For example, Sunday in our home is Cleaning Day. Sure, I tidy up every day and run a few loads of laundry throughout the week as needed. However, I don’t worry about the finger/handprints on the windows like I use to because I know once a week they will be cleaned.
Caring for 6 kids, homeschooling, and basic homemaking are already enough to make a day busy for anyone. If I notice one day is getting task heavy, I can reassess and decide if something can be moved to another more relaxed day with not much going on.
Treats Yourself, Mom
Help your future self and make sure to have some fun treats on hand for those days when everything is going downhill and you need a pick me up. Chocolate, Coffee, Pretty Flowers, a Candle, a new Book or Magazine, etc. Give yourself a timeout so you can talk to God. Enjoy a treat and reset before you get back to it.
How do you help your future self?
Please share with us in the comments. Or be sure to check out my Motherhood content for other encouraging resources.
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