Friday, February 4, 2011

Developing a Routine

I have always struggled to keep a consistent routine. However, since Peanut entered this world, keeping a routine is the one thing that has kept me from losing my sanity some days! Not only does she function better when her days are a bit regulated and predictable, but I function better too. Lately, I've been following the FlyLady's methods to help me establish basic household routines such as shining my sink and keeping clutter at bay. It's amazing how much of a difference it has made in my life so far! And since Daddy C is naturally a clean freak, he really enjoys coming home to a relatively clean and maintained home each evening.



I've begun the following routines:
  • Morning - Get up, make bed, brush teeth/wash face, get dressed, start breakfast
  • Afternoon - Clear out hot spots, Empty dishwasher (if not done in the AM), one load of laundry
  • Evening - Clear out hot spots, load and run dishwasher, shine sink

These simple steps have become habit for me, and I love how easy it is to keep my home tidy and take care of myself and Peanut in the process. I don't have to think about what I need to do anymore- I'm on autopilot! In addition to the daily routine, I've been working on creating a weekly routine as well.

  • Monday - Change sheets. Do Extra Laundry.
  • Tuesday - Errand Day - Grocery Shopping, Buying Club, Post Office, Bank
  • Wednesday - Vacuum Carpet (This is actually done 2x a week now though)
  • Thursday - Mop Kitchen, Clean Bathrooms (still working on this!)
  • Friday - Any Special Tasks

As you can see, I am still working on making this weekly routine autopilot like my daily routine. For some reason, changing the sheets and doing laundry on Monday has always worked well for me, and I actually have that one down pat. Tuesday has been grocery day for as long as I can remember - it works out really well since the Buying Club where we buy our staples such as milk, meat and eggs is open on Tuesdays. Wednesday through Friday need work! I need to think of a better way to structure those days so they don't get put off so much.

So that's it! Those are my daily and weekly routines I try to follow - making my life and Peanut's life much easier by eliminating that overwhelming feeling of having so much to do and not knowing where to start!

Do you have routines in your household? What do you need to work on?

7 comments:

Danna said...

I normally have a routine. I made a chart and spread it all out so that I can *attempt* to stay on top of things. It works wonders when I stay on track :)

Emily said...

Just last week, I came up with a weekly routine for cleaning. It worked so well and will really give consistency to our days & weeks. One thing I did which works for me is to use Monday as a "weekend recovery" day and Friday as a "weekend preparation" day. That way, on Saturday and Sunday, I don't have to do much housework (or cooking) if I don't want to.

Mary said...

I am so jealous that you have your routine down so well! I am trying to follow Fly Lady principles but I am failing really badly.

I'm also really happy for you that you have a routine that is working for you! Good for you!

How do you stick to it?

Emma said...

I don't have a routine & it's something I NEED to do.... thanks for posting that link, I might have to check it out!

Mary said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rachel said...

Emily, I like to take Mondays easy from most housework too! Monday is generally the day I do a lot of weekly planning, and I NEVER grocery shop on a Monday, lol! I never thought about using Friday as prep for the weekend though- that's a great idea.

Mary, I think the biggest thing that has helped me stick with a routine is the fact that Rob started working regular hours. Plus, Peanut is on a schedule too, which helps a bunch since she forces me out of bed every morning and I have to take care of her needs no matter what! When Rob was still in school, it was very difficult to implement a routine - he worked odd hours and wasn't always home for dinner. However, I managed to somehow stick to a loose routine when it came to grocery shopping and general housework - consistency pays off as it turns into habit!

Jamie Oliver (@va_grown) said...

I used a modified Flylady plan too. I especially like using a modified Zone plan to focus on one area per week and not spend the whole weekend cleaning.

Between work, school, and farm chores that change seasonally, I find that we're adjusting the morning and evenings a lot, but I try to keep the basics down for the kids. It helped me to actually add a few "phases" into our mornings and evenings. We have a "homecoming" 30-40 minutes every evening that includes unpacking backpacks, putting all shoes and coats, etc. away, unpacking all school papers, feeding all the pets and animals, and then a snack. This way we never forget papers or lose shoes in the morning, and the kids can have free play time upstairs or outside while I start dinner without starving and whining. (It also means that hubby can come home to relative peace--or at least not to arguing, whining, and clutter everywhere!)