I decided recently that it was time to punch up the routine a bit. I've deliberately been very lax about routine since His Highness was born; or maybe it's more accurate to say since I stopped working outside the home when His Highness was just over a year.
Regardless, I now get up at 7 pretty much every day, and I write out a daily schedule for myself the night before so I can remember the things I want to get done that day. I rarely get everything done that I want to, but the majors are usually accomplished and that feels pretty good.
The kids remain a wild card. Ideally they sleep until 7:30 or 8, which is great because it gives me time to groom in peace. And even 20 minutes of grooming in peace does a suprising amount of good for one's sense of calmness throughout the rest of the day. This is especially evident on the days I groom in semi- or no peace, such as when certain 3-year-olds are up by 6:30 and eat breakfast and watch TV for a while, which still lets me groom, but not as peacefully as if they had slept an extra hour. Just saying.
Routine is good for me; I thrive on it. Still, I don't think there's any way to completely control the day to accomplish everything I want exactly how I want to do it. I think it would be dangerous to think otherwise. A day can go like clockwork, but eventually wrenches get thrown in, and one just has to be ready for things to fall apart in any given week. Like when children are especially grumpy from waking up early, and they are yelling at each other and you no matter what you do to try to distract or help or cheer them up.
My kids woke up early today, by the way.
I think one of the constant pulls of parenthood is that balance of letting things revolve around my kids and teaching them that things can't always revolve around them. We do errands, and cleaning, and regular old life, but I don't want it to be at their expense, you know? Within that they need to know their value and their priority and importance over the stuff.
I think we're on our way to a decent equilibrium. Today is full of blips and burps along the way, but I think it's all part of finding our way, and I think we're doing a good job.
Off to Sam's. We have to buy food for the 80 people attending my moms' group BBQ tonite!
I know what you mean. And now that this next generation has been labeled the 'entitled generation', I am aware that it has a lot to do with how we wanted them to feel like the world revolved around them... rather than like with our parents made us feel... mine anyway... where we were seen and not heard, ignored or there to just work. You can't help but want to do quite the opposite when you have kids. So ya, it's a slippery slope.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have found a decent equilibrium. Good for you Kerri.