I caved… and made a schedule
It’s no secret that I like lists, routines, and organization. But I’ve never made myself a daily schedule since I’ve been married.
Routines feel comforting to me, but a schedule feels confining.
At the beginning of this week, though, I was stressed. Guilt was plaguing me that whatever I was doing, I should be doing something else. How should I fit in everything I need to? Cleaning? Playing with Christian? Giving him independent play? And the myriad of other things that fill my days?
I realized that our days weren’t in a predictable rhythm. I had a to-do list, I had a weekly routine, but without a plan for the day, I felt like I was floating aimlessly, like the day was dragging and yet flying by without my being very productive.
So I looked up sample schedules on Baby Center, thought about Christian’s eating and sleeping habits, and decided what I wanted to incorporate on a regular basis.
I’ve worked in daycares for several years, and schedules allow things to run smoothly. I’m not talking about rigidly controlling every moment of your child’s day. Part of the joy of staying home is the freedom for spontaneity and slowness.
Still, if we can have schedules for every other aspect of life, what’s wrong with having one as a stay-at-home mom?
Implementing a simple schedule has allowed me to relax this week. And it helps me not to always feel like I should be doing something different than what I am doing.
Yesterday I did a poor job of following our schedule, and the day felt much more stressful. Even though I may feel like relaxing and ignoring what I should be doing, I end up feeling more rested if I keep to a routine.
I think the key is being disciplined, yet realistic and relaxed. Having a schedule helps me plan not to be a sluggard and to manage my time wisely, but my time is in the Lord’s hands, and He sends me interruptions, short naptimes, and other disruptions.
It’s not about me clinging to my plans, but planning to be productive, and then resting in God’s sovereignty over my day.
Easier said than done. But I’m learning!
Do you have a schedule for your daily responsibilities? What does it look like?
This picture of Christian made me smile 
What a sweet boy!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I don’t have any input at this point but I’ve been trying to determine a better schedule for my full days home with Noah to maximize our time together on my days off.
This sentence: “It’s not about me clinging to my plans, but planning to be productive, and then resting in God’s sovereignty over my day” really resonated with me, there is huge freedom in trusting God’s sovereignty each day.
I loved how you said, “It’s not about me clinging to my plans, but planning to be productive, and then resting in God’s sovereignty over my day.”
I can get so stressed when interruptions cause me to alter my carefully layed out plans…it’s so good to be reminded that God is sovereign over these things!
Hey anna – when i was a stay at home wife i had to use a schedule too or else nothing would get done!! I would usually get up at 8am – work out until 9am, then clean house until 12…then get ready and run errands until my husband got home…this was when I was prego though, and thus my schedule has changed since then, but staying at home feels soooo much more productive when you actually have little goals set for the day. good luck to you!
Yes I am reading random posts and i came across this one. He is SO cute and I am so excited to see you all in about 78 days!
I would love to see what your schedule looks like…
So far, I haven’t written down my day-to-day routine, but it’s settled into enough of a groove that I know what to expect when. And doing NaNoWriMo after Evan goes to bed actually helps me get things done earlier so that I can focus on writing instead of late-night cleaning. It mostly adds up to housekeeping in the morning, then quiet time for both of us around midday, then errands and making dinner in the afternoons. But like you said – it never stays the same way for long… 