Yep. I'm there. I've been fighting the idea for a very, very long time. But, it wasnt until the last couple days that I have decided its not just an idea its the Lord tugging at my heart.
You see, it seems that I am a bit bi-polar. Not really, but if you look at the way I keep my house and kids you might think so.
One week I am ALL ABOUT SCHOOL. I'll have a great theme, new trays, fun crafts, great ideas and we will have a lot of fun and learn a lot. And the house will be a DISASTER.
The next week, I will be focused on the house! It will be SO CLEAN. There will be clean sheets on every one's bed, all the laundry will be washed and folded, a cleaned out fridge, great meals, and school will consist of reading a book and singing a song and coloring a picture.
The third week, I will be so tired of giving my all to everyone that I tend to spend about 3 days doing NOTHING, followed up with that terrible guilty feeling that motivates me to go ALL OUT and organize something. But, I usually only end up organizing it half way, and then it just sits.
Okay, so now that you all REALLY know me, I hope you will keep reading my blog lol! As you can see, I need a new plan. Er, wait, I guess I just need a plan, because I havent had one of those before.
I am a product of public schooling and over scheduling. Growing up, my family was always on the go. We didnt have time for a schedule, we were at the mercy of whatever activities we had signed up for, and fit things like eating and sleeping in where we could.
The idea of a schedule actually makes me a bit fearful. I am never on time for anything. 10 minutes late is my idea of early. I try to be on time, I really do. I just have a horrible inability to determine how long getting myself and kids ready to go will take me. I am always waaay off. A schedule means there are many opportunities to be late, and I dont want to spend my day feeling late for everything at my OWN house! I am also afraid of feeling like I run a military academy or something. Shouldnt life at home be fun and layed back?
Yet, with all these objections running around my head, I KNOW that something has to change. I dont want my kids to have to grow up in a home that never has a routine or a rhythm. I grew up going to church camp, which I LOVED. I loved the friends, and the fun, but I also loved the 'freedom.' And you know what? They had a SCHEDULE! Looking back, I loved the routine! I loved having time for all the different things that camp has to offer. I liked knowing what came next. I liked knowing that if I wasnt having fun, that I would be in only 28 minutes and 30 seconds.
I want that kind of routine for my kids. I also want to know where MY time is going. I have a funny feeling that I KNOW where it is going. This schedule may mean you will read less from me. On the other hand, it may mean you will read more meaningful posts as I will have less time to post meaningless things just to have an entry on a day.
The schedule has been written, and I plan to start it on Monday. I promise to keep you posted. In the meantime, please keep me in your prayers. IF this is really the Lord's will for my family, I know it could be met with some challenges. Please pray that this will go smoothly!
God Bless!
10 comments:
This is so like me ~ I can do one thing well and everything else seems to fall apart. I'm so glad to hear that I'm not the only one! I hope to get organized and work on a new schedule this summer.
Good luck! I am very scheduled person. I thrive on that stuff. I hope it goes well for you guys!
I struggle with the same thing. Whenever you settle into a routine, let us all know what you're doing, maybe it'll help one of us get into a routine.
I could have wrote this post!! I would love to see what routine you settle on :) I do schedule stuff....I just change my schedule, A LOT! lol
I can't ever seem to keep up. I have thought many times before that I need to schedule things, but I just never get around to doing it. I know it's something I need, but I just can't make myself do it.
I'm glad I'm not the only one!!! I have been getting better though. I have learned I need to focus on one area at a time and make it a habit and then go on to the next. I stay less stressed and and tend to stick with it instead of giving up after a few weeks. Right now I'm focussing on my routine in the evening (laundry ready for next day, kitchen clean, and pick up house, etc), once I get that down I'm moving on to working on a morning routine. I don't know if you've ever heard of Flylady or not, but her ideas have really helped me. Like anything, you just have to adjust it to your personality and family. Here's her address: www.flylady.net And I soooooo underestimate how long it takes me to get us ready to go anywhere!!! almost every time! You would think I would learn. o well...maybe one of these days :-)
I make schedules. Then a few weeks later, I scrap it and make a new one. I'm always making new schedules and it annoys me. I think a schedule is a great idea, but I think routine is actually better. So we're not done with a particular task precisely on time, should we have to quit immediately or risk ruining the schedule for the entire day? No, I don't think we have to become a slave to the schedule, but a schedule is good for keeping us on track, as in what should I do when I'm finished with this task? Not go sit on the computer! Do the next thing! But don't neglect to schedule in a little time for blogging or whatever else floats your boat. Hope your schedule works well for you!
This is my first time to your blog and I love it!!! I'm a homeschool mom myself...eight years now. I've been sitting at my computer today...doing what? Writing out a schedule!!! Why? Because I do the EXACT same thing. I'm always saying that if school is going great than the laundry's piling up. If the laundry's done and the house is clean than school is on hold. Oh my...you'd think after 8 years I'd have figured all this out by now, but the truth is that I like my layed back kind of life. Schedules make me itch!!!
Thanks for making me smile and laugh...but I must be going now. My break is over and I've got to get back to that schedule!!! Ugh!!!
Blessings,
Kimberlynn
This is my first time visiting you blog and I love it! I'm your newest follower! =)
I have to say that I go through cycles like you mentioned. I don't homeschool, but the rest is the same. And I end up feeling horribly guilty about everything and then NOTHING gets done.
I find that thinking of it as a routine or rhythm instead of a schedule helps a lot. Then I don't feel so restricted.
I am very much schedule person! I feel lost without it! Good luck!
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