Ok, I Give In – I’ll Be the Mom

When I was a kid there were two words I absolutely hated to hear, and honestly still struggle with today. They are Practice and Plan. My mom was always telling me that I needed to practice things to get better when I was frustrated at not getting them right the first time. And we always seemed to start the morning discussing “The Plan” for the day. I found myself in a discussion with Emma over her frustration with making her bed today. She said, “I can’t get it to look right.” And I said, “Then I guess you need more practice at it. You can do it.” She did do it although she huffed and puffed the whole time because it was “so hard.” So there it was, my mothers words coming out of my mouth. It wasn’t the first time and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Because I have given in to using the first word, I thought I should just give in with the second one too. I made up a general schedule of the day for the summer. The kids are always asking what they can do, so I thought up a schedule of events for the days without big plans so I don’t have to come up with entertainment ideas all day long. It’s posted on the kitchen wall now, and I’ll let you know how it works out. I’m sure I’ll do some tweeking.

8:00 Breakfast – Eat and clean up

9:00 Get Ready For the Day – Dressed, Hair, and Teeth

10:00 Clean Up – Check Bedrooms and Play Area

11:00 Kids Play, Mom Errands

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Workbooks and Reading

2:00 Quiet Time or Earn Good Works

3:00 Free Time – Games, Drawing, Swimming, Projects, Practice, TV

4:00 Free Time – Games, Drawing, Swimming, Projects, Practice,TV

5:00 Clean Up – Laundry, Kitchen

6:00 Prepare Dinner and Eat

7:00 Helper Jobs and Bedtime Routine

8:00 In Bed