Planning in a young family. Yeah right!
Do you know that feeling, that you wake up and know that the day is filled with activities in a tight schedule? But you are ready to go! After an hour you start scratching your head. ‘How the h… do I get this all done?’ Well, you don’t, because the little one has other plans. Say hello to ‘I don’t want to sleep’, development jumps and full-time attention. Say goodbye to your good intentions, to-do list and planning. And to your coffee, your cleaning action and you errands. Just go with the flow of your baby.
In the beginning I fought hard to keep up with my schedule, but after a few very frustrating days, I accepted what was happening. It was not easy, but to be honest: if someone tries to force me to do something I don’t want to, I get also get rebellious. So who am I to judge when my little ones is not having his best day? Having small children equals a high paced training in acceptance, for me.
When my kids got a little older, more flexibility and more scheduling became possible. I started noticing that they wanted to know what their day would look like. It helped them create space and peace in their day, because they knew exactly what to expect. The more I kept them informed, the calmer the atmosphere at home (bonus!). And nowadays, there are fantastic tools to help you and your kids with the family schedule! My ultimate tip is the super convenient planner by Gezinnig. It is a weekly planner with 80 different magnets, each of which stands for a task or activity. For example: a visit to the dentist, when the babysitter comes, when to go to day care, but also when there is a party. So much fun and so very useful!
I can tell you one thing: I wish I had one when my kids were younger. That would have given us so much more peace and quiet. Do you also notice that when the family and the home is in harmony and peaceful, so much more becomes possible? Even in terms of planning and scheduling. So bring on the fun activities [link naar andere artikel]. Any great tips for those? Please let me know.
Cheers,
Esther
