The new move and new baby have created more than a little mental chaos for me. Operating on very little sleep in a new city makes everything seem just a bit chaotic. It would be easy for me to shut down and operate in survival mode.
But in times like these, it's important for me to re-establish a routine for my kids so they feel like their lives are somewhat structured and predictable. For me, that means I have to sit down, clear my head, and take some time to re-evaluate what is important for us to be doing during this season of life.
What are the things I want/need to get accomplished with my children everyday? What are my big rocks? Right now this is what it's looking like for us:
Keep 'em Fed and Clothed- If I want my kids to be eating nutritious food, I've got to be committed to meal planning and grocery shopping. Some people (who are probably more organized than I am) plan out a whole month or two at a time, but I usually just plan one week in advance. Keeping them clothed just entails keeping on top of the laundry and making sure we all make it out of pajamas everyday
Prayer and Reading- After breakfast, I like to start the morning off with a little prayer and reading. Nothing fancy. I just pray: then read their children's bible and whatever other books we have laying around the house. We all cuddle up on the couch, and it helps us to enter into the day calmly.
Do Something Educational- What do my kids need to learn in their different life stages? We're working on letter sounds and numbers with my three year old, and we're going through the book Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons with my four year old. We're working on obedience with our 18 month old, and our little girl is a healthy sleeping and eating little infant. My two oldest sons enjoy Starfall which is an educational website that's great for letters, numbers, colors and other basic learning.
Move Your Body- My boys have tons of energy, and they NEED time to run around. This means I carve out time to take them on a walk or take them to the park. When we had a backyard, they spent a truckload of time out there. Today was one of those rare days when conflicting nap times prevented us from going anywhere. They ended up jumping on the couch and wrestling on a handy air mattress we have in our apartment.
Clean Up- It's important for them to be in the habit of picking up after themselves. If there's a lull in the day and I can tell they are bored, I just look around and see what needs to be picked up. We turn on the music and make beds or pick up toys.
There are a million things I can do with and teach my children, but honestly if I hit my big rocks everyday I feel like we are thriving instead of just surviving.
