Planning, Needs, and Peace....Creating a Schedule

I took a picture of our family's schedule and was going to share it. But I don't think that would really help anyone. I'm not you and you're not me. Our schedule changes every couple of months based on the needs of our family. So, instead, I'm going to share why and how I create a schedule.

I create a schedule to provide protected time for what really matters.

When I was in graduate school, I studied under THE Dr. Diane Stephens. The central idea of every class was "what really matters" in the area of teaching and learning. I'm pretty sure I wrote down every word she ever said. She had no clue who I was because I never once opened my mouth. I was reeeeeeeeally intimidated by her because I was a 21-year-old girl who had strong metacognition so I knew very well what I didn't know. And what I didn't know was every single thing that she did know and that made me scared. She taught me to think about what really matters for learners and to only spend time on that. Everything else gets the boot.

Similarly, I think about what really matters when planning a schedule for our family. (Sidenote: I apologize for all the analogies to teaching. I'm a little bit addicted to teaching and learning and I often use this blog to go on and on about my beliefs about the two.)

So, when I'm creating a schedule for our little family this is what goes on in my mind and on paper. First, I make a list of what matters and/or time I want to protect.

It Matters To Me That:

1. I have time alone each morning to prepare for the day.

2. I have a quiet time.

3. My kids are clean, dressed, and fed.

4. I exercise.

5. My husband and I have time together in the evenings with no kids around.

6. My husband has quality time with the children.

7. Our family eats dinner together as often as possible.

8. We eat lunch with Nathan and his parents once a week.

9. I read to the kids and alongside the kids for an extended period of time.

10. We read the Bible and memorize scripture.

11. I spend focused play/talk time with each child each day.

12. The kids play without me.

13. The kids go to bed at the same time every night and sleep in their own bed.

14. I take Landon to and from school each day.

15. I have time with my accountability partner twice a month.

16. I serve others (other than the ones living under our roof).

17. Nathan has time with his friends.

18. We make time to keep a clean and organized home.

19. I sleep 8 hours a night.

20. I talk with my parents every day.

Then, I take that list and figure out ways to protect the time it takes to engage in those things.

Ok, so here are some examples:

#1 says, "It matters to me that I have time alone each morning to prepare for the day." For our family, that means our kids are not allowed to get up before 7:00am. Landon can tell time so he knows when he can come downstairs. Reagan knows she has to wait for Landon to get her up. And Connor is still sleeping so that's not an issue. You may think that's a weird rule but it's provided loads of peace for our family in the mornings. I like to be up, dressed, and finished with breakfast by the time the kids wake up. It makes a huge difference in the flow of our morning.

#17 says, "It matters to me that Nathan has time with his friends." For our family, that means that every Monday night, he plays basketball with the guys. (That also means that every Monday night I get to watch the Food Network and catch up on Rachael Ray episodes. It's awesome.)

#13 says, "It matters to me that the kids go to bed at the same time every night and sleep in their own bed." For our family, that means 8:00pm. It means we tuck them in, walk out of their room, and close their door. It means they are not allowed to come out of their room after we tuck them in unless they want to get in major trouble and hear a really long speech about how Mommy and Daddy are each other's best friends and we aren't going to be interrupted. (I say it in a mean voice with my left eyebrow looking all mean and Nathan has his arms crossed. It's not pretty.)

And that's how I think through creating our schedule. It's really fluid because our needs and the needs of others are constantly changing. Our summers look different. When I am working outside of the home, it looks really different. As the children grow older, it will look different. But the process will always be the same......thinking through and finding time to protect what really matters so it's never replaced with yucky stuff that doesn't.