Often find yourself wondering where did the day go? It is Thursday already? Haven’t gotten a thing done? A wise Stay At Home Mom who raised five children once told me, “Plan out your day and stick to it or you will get nothing done.” she was right.

I plan out my day, week, month, even year. Not down to the last minute of course, but in blocks of time relative to the task I wish to accomplish. It helps me to see if I am over scheduling myself and my kids and of course helps us get things done and get there on time.

Here is a peek at how we do it.

Breakfast

– we aim to be out of the house by 9 am, we are up at 7 so it usually isn’t too hard. I am not a big fan of morning rush so after the kids go to bed I pick out their clothes for the next day and lay them out for them, I also pack a snack in a lunch bag. We don’t clean up breakfast dishes until after lunch.

Outings

– We go for a walk once a week. We do an outing or go to a friends house once a week. I do errands on Tuesdays. Getting out of the house and doing something helps break up the day & doing it in the morning ensures that the kids are fresh for whatever we are going to do and more likely to be well behaved. I throw the snack in the diaper bag and a couple bottles of water then we are off!

Crafting

– When we come home I like the kids in the kitchen with me while I prepare lunch so I get out the playdough, crayons, gluesticks or paint and let them go at it. On the days we get home by 11, usually a couple days a week, we make a more involved craft together.

Lunch

– it is our biggest meal of the day, we basically gorge on whatever we can find or feel like that is healthy of course.

Quiet Time

– It is very important in our house and without it I think I would go bananas. The baby naps, the kids sit quietly in their beds or on the couch and read or look at books. I get the chance to do do some house keeping.

Playtime

– Now it is our chance to play! Dress up, tea parties, construction yards, trains or ponies whatever it may be I usually just end up following along, but getting involved and playing with my kids is a great stress release and a fun way to spend the afternoon. This often involves singing, dancing and just generally being silly.

Supper

– I can usually peel myself away after playing for an hour or so, which allows me to get some supper ready. Usually something light in our house more lunch like than supper like.

Getting Ready for Bed

– Winding the kids down at the end of the day I find to be the hardest task, we have a bedtime routine but tricky little toddlers and preschoolers do not always want to go to bed even if they are exhausted. Ours goes: cleanup, bath, teeth, stories, songs, lights out.

Bedtime

– When the kids are tucked in and asleep, it is my opportunity to work, clean, dance and take time out for myself.

I haven’t included any times for a reason. We don’t run our lives by the clock. Not everything gets fit in everyday and we don’t always eat lunch at noon, this is just a guideline to help me get things done. This won’t work for everyone but you get the idea. Having a plan is good for kids too because they like to know what to expect.