A Case of the Mondays?

You said it baby!! Monday morning..................... WWWWAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! The rat race begins, I just want to get off the hamster wheel, but how? I dread Sunday evenings because I know the inevitable is coming, the start of a new week and real like. Maybe if I pretend that Monday isn't coming, somehow it won't. Maybe just maybe. Unfortunately it never worked out for me :( And I have learned to live with it.

So today is going to be a practical post about what works for me to prepare for the week ahead and how I strive to keep my sanity and things going smoothly during the week. Every mom knows that typically the bulk of the organization and household management and operations falls under her jurisdiction. So how do we make it work ladies? We all have some tricks of the trade that we use at our homes. I will start and hope many more will chime in by leaving a comment below or on Facebook about what works at your house!

I have found that since becoming a single mom and beginning to work more regularly, I need to be more organized, disciplined, and proactive. It helps to have routines and structure so everyone stays on the same page (kids, Dad, caregivers, and I), we get everything completed, and have time left over just for fun activities. I have been called The Sleep Nazi in the past regarding my kids' sleep schedules, so I guess I am bringing some of that role into the ways I approach our weekly schedule. That's okay, it's who I am; I have been a Type A person all of my life and as long as I keep things in balance, I'm all set :)

I start preparing for the week ahead on Friday. I mentally think through the things that need to be accomplished over the weekend as well as the fun and relaxing things I would like to do too. I evaluate how everyone is doing: are we tired, stressed, bored, etc. I like to avoid errands over the weekends as much as possible when I have the kids. I try to get them done during the week or save them for the weekends that they are with Dad. Friday is usually always a very relaxed evening for us. We eat an easy dinner and often watch a movie or play. I often teach on Saturday mornings, so when the kids are with me they usually hang out with Nana and Papa, which is always lots of fun for them. Saturday afternoons and evenings are typically when we go out and do things or have people over. Sunday morning is church and the afternoon is spent catching up on chores and preparing for the week ahead. Sometime over the weekend I meal plan and grocery shop or plan a time to do those things. I look at the week ahead and review appointments, errands, and tasks that absolutely need to be completed and those that I hope to accomplish. I schedule times for the necessities and add the "extras" to my ongoing list of to-do's and hope for the best. :)

Sunday afternoon at my house consists of tidying up our weekend messes, laundry, making lunches, picking out clothes, packing school, work, and soccer bags, emptying the garbage, and taking baths if needed. I don't always look forward to it, but it is much more relaxed when we do it on Sunday and makes for a calmer transition into the week. I insist that my kids be involved in the majority of their preparations with the ultimate goal of them being able to be totally independent and responsible for it when they are older.

Another thing that I have done is create chore charts for the girls for the morning and afternoon/evening. Ella's are on the computer, and she puts an "X" in the box after each item when she has finished it. This helps her be very independent and allows me to focus more on the younger ones. At this point, Mya's are lists hanging on the wall so she can refer to them to help her stay on track. I am usually supervising while training, teaching, and doing my best to corral Cal! These charts have been a live-saver for me and the kids like them too because then they can do things on their own without Mom nagging them all the time. It gives them a sense of accomplishment, confidence, and ownership over running the household.

Another great tool that I learned about several years ago is a master schedule for the week that lists the hours in the day along with each person's activities during that time. I have created a computer document that lists times in half hour increments from 5:00 am through 9:30 pm down the left side of the page. Then I added four additional columns, one for myself and each of the kids. Then for each half hour I list what each person is doing. I fill in all the things that are pretty set: work, school, meal and sleep times, and other commitments. Then I fill in the gaps. This has been invaluable for me over the years and really helped to stream line our activities and utilize time effectively.

Maybe Mondays don't have to be that bad after all! When I feel prepared and calm, Mondays aren't as awful as I used to make them out to be.

Now it's your turn. Join in and tell us what you do to ward off a case of the Mondays!!!

Check back tomorrow to see how we handle the morning rush and get out the door on time as peacefully as possible. Can't always say it's peaceful, but we do our best :)

Check out the follow-up post to see what our morning routine looks like. Click here