The Weekday Challenge

Getting all your activities into a routine can really be a challenge. But Monday doesn't have to be a day you dread. When it comes to running a household, the main thing I've found to be helpful is a plan - a workable plan. Here's what a fairly recent survey of Moms revealed. These responses are strikingly similar when it comes to planning our weeks:
Mondays: Most moms stay at home to make some sense out the havoc wreaked by the weekends comings and goings. The kids usually had a big time over the weekend and are quite content to putter around their rooms, play with their toys, and settle back into their weekday routines. Specific chores included picking up and putting away things, laundry, ironing, and making phone calls to set up appointments or arrange outings with friends for later in the week.
Tuesdays: More housework! The BIG cleaning (floors, furniture, and bathrooms).
Wednesday: Get out of the house day, especially if you haven't been out yet this week. If you don't have any appointments or play dates, run a few errands, visit a friend, or go to the park.
Thursday: Do something you didn't have time to do earlier in the week; special cleaning(a drawer or closet, baseboards and ceiling fans, windows or mini-blinds), a craft project, mending, watering/repotting plants, wrapping a birthday gift, writing a letter, packing away outgrown clothes, etc...
Friday: Get ready for the weekend days. Reload diaper bag for infants and pack "go" bags for older kids stocked with crayons and a coloring book, travel games, a sucker or two to help pass time waiting at a siblings ballgame or while waiting at a restaurant. Anticipate what you will be wearing, especially for church, so you can make sure everything is clean and ironed (I've had too many of those last-minute 'nothing to wear' moments, so this is a must for me). Fridays were also mentioned as a great day to do grocery shopping and run a load of towels and underwear, so you aren't caught short over the weekend.

Now, if you do things differently - great! If what you do works for you - even better. Keep at it. We all have differing schedules and unique families. This is just a typical list of what moms do. I know for me, I also need to add visiting church members, Bible studies, ministry, homeschool schedules and music lessons for the kids to my plan. You'll have other things. The key is creating a workable plan for you. Having a plan helps me keep stress at bay and happiness, calmness and peace in the forefront. Sometimes the plan will need to change. I often change mine seasonally. Flexibility is needed to adjust to figure out what works best for you. Trying to copy someone else's life plan perfectly will frustrate you, so prayerfully consider and think about your family when laying out your daily, weekly and monthly plans. This may take a few trial runs - go ahead and give it your best shot, fine-tuning along the way.

Verse: I Corinthians 14:40 "Let all things be done decently and in order".

Have a blessed day,

Lori