Our Day to Day Routine

My kids - playing together - isn't that so sweet?

I think that it is really important to have a routine in place for your days, especially if you have little ones at home.  Routines are a great guideline to help you get through your days and be able to get things that you need to get done, and be intentional about spending time with your kiddos and spouse.

I wanted to share our daily routine with you, but please know that this is just a loose example - rarely, if ever, do thing go exactly according to plan.  I try to always remain flexible and not get bent out of shape when our days don't look exactly like I planned them to.  Our routine is simply to help me have an idea of what I want to do each day, and when I would like to do it.  We are not slaves to the routine - it is in place to help things run a little smoother (hopefully) in our home. 

A few notes:
This is for days that we are home for most or all of the day, which is usually at least 3 days of the week, not including weekends. Also, I'm not putting times because I really don't like to worry about the clock.  I just try to do the things in order as best as I can.

Our Day to Day Routine

-I get up before the kiddos and read my bible and pray, start chores like laundry and emptying the dishwasher, iron hub's shirt for work and make his lunch, get dressed and ready for day, and write my To-Do list and plan for the day.   

-Kids up and we eat breakfast and read a Bible story (haven't been doing this lately because we don't get our little Bible story handouts from church anymore, anyone know of a good online resource for preschool Bible stories?) Clean up after breakfast.

-Do "yoga" with Kaelyn (and Brenden is starting to join in a little bit too!)

-Get kids dressed, B goes down for his nap

-Work on laundry, one-on-one time with K - kitchen time or playing a game that she chooses.  Work on daily chore.  Now that it's nice out we're starting to have time outside too!

-Make and eat lunch - outside if it's nice! Clean up after lunch.

-Clean up, pick up time (pick up all the toys), reading time before naps

-Kids go down for afternoon naps.  I use this time to finish up chores, blog, read, work on a project or get an early start on dinner.

-Kids up - snack time and reading time.  Then "free" time - we might go outside, or lately I've been take the kids running, or I might needed to get started on dinner - I don't usually have much planned for this time, just whatever comes up.

-Dinner prep time.

-Jer home, eat dinner, clear off table after dinner and I clean up kitchen while Jer plays with kids.  Family time or baths, jammies, and kids in bed.

Photo by H is for Home

Remember that routines have to work for you and for your season of life.  Sometimes B doesn't take a nap in the morning like he should, but I still try to stick with the routine as much as I can.  Or we have to run errands and skip most of the morning routine, but pick up when we're back home around lunchtime. 

One thing that I would like to work into our routine is a regular craft time, even if it's just 15 minutes.  I am not very crafty person (and that is an understatement) but I would like to at least attempt to encourage creativity in my children.  I'm trying to figure out the best time to fit crafts into our days.  Also, I have been learning over the past few weeks, that if something is important, you make time for it.  Like crafts.  I used to think that we didn't have time to do crafts, or I didn't have time to read on my own, but when I put these things into our routine and make them a priority, then I find the time for them.  And usually, I also find that I still have the time I need for the mundane things like laundry and chores too.

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