A Week in the Life of a Simple Mama

Over the last few months I've had several sweet mamas ask me how I organize my week. I am SO glad they asked me about this because when we decided it would be best for our family for me to stay home (which I never thought would be possible!), I wondered the exact same thing. I was so used to having such a scheduled and routine day when I was a working mom that I was worried about how I would organize my days at home. I was fortunate enough to receive some really great advice when I first became a stay at home mama and I am so glad I listened to it!! Are you ready for it? The best advice I got about being at home with my littles was to enjoy being home with my littles and not fill every day with activities. I'll be honest, this was a hard concept for me to grasp at first. I am a woman who likes order and routine. But ya know what? I still have order and routine with the big things (meals, bedtime, etc), but I learned to slow down and be flexible with the little stuff. I'm still working on this skill, but I'm getting better!! So here it is...how I organize my week. This is exciting stuff. Brace yourselves. 

I break down my "work week" (Mon-Fri) into 3 main parts: Errand Day, Down Day, Play Day. 

Errand Day:

I use this day to run errands (store, etc). I do all this when I have the most energy (usually at the beginning of the week) and when I have the least amount of children with me. :)  

Down Day:

Down Day is when I am just at the house and the kids are in their PJs or comfy clothes and they play while I get caught up on laundry, computer work, house cleaning, etc. It isn't usually ALL day...just a 2-3 hour chunk of time. We had a Down Day earlier this week. Chaz played for about 2 hours and I put on a 30 minute cartoon for him so I could finish up emails and get laundry started. This looks a little different in my house now since Channing is in school full time. This used to be one of my favorite days because my children would usually play so well together for a few hours. And I think it is so GOOD for the kids to be able to entertain themselves for a little while and it gives me a chance to take care of unfinished business. :) It is a little more challenging now because Chaz doesn't have anyone to play with except me, but he is usually pretty content once he gets started on an activity. 

Play Day:

This is when I go on a play date or a fun outing for the kiddos. I make it all about them and focus my attention on them. Scheduling this time for THEM helps me let go of that "Mommy Guilt" and gives them something to look forward to. 

I love organizing my week like this because these 3 days are flexible and interchangeable. It makes me feel like I have a plan, but it's not so regimented...which has helped me be a more fun, relaxed, simple mama. 

Some weeks are busier than others. Some weeks we play more than others. But it usually all balances out in the end. And I think it's good for my children to see me running our home (cooking, cleaning, shopping, balancing the checkbook, meal planning, answering emails, etc). That's just part of life and it shows them how to be responsible in many different areas. And one thing that has helped me too is remembering that going to the grocery store for that 1 item that they were out of when I made my big grocery run (ugh!) is a bother to me.  But it is an adventure for them!! :)

I am all about balance in my life. And my children are the exact same. I can always tell when we've been out too much...or just the opposite...when we've been cooped up at home too much. They like the variety and flexibility of our days each week...and so do I. And now that our days are forced to be more scheduled with full time kindergarten, pre-school 2 days a week, dance, and gymnastics, I kinda miss the simple days of only Errand Day, Down Day, or Play Day. So sadly, these kind of days are numbered for me, so I'm going to make them count!

And I just want to say thank you to that awesome mama who gave me such great advice to begin with. Thank you for helping me be a Simple Mama. You know who you are!! XO