“My biggest struggle is figuring out how to create and then how to stay with a daily routine.”
This seems to be a fairly common struggle.
Perhaps you too weren’t taught the basics of homemaking and how to put it all together. Many of you reading this today grew up in homes where mom:
- Did the housework while you were at school, or
- Neglected it altogether
Either way, it left a homemaking scheduling void that you still may be battling to this very day. So what’s a girl to do?
The Importance of Routine
If you’re reading this, I probably don’t have to spell out why you want a routine at home, but just in case, let’s go over a few of the whys:
- Routines free up your mind
- Routines give children structure and security
- Routines reduce stress
- Routines bring balance to families
- and routines simplify housework
Routines: They really are all that, and possibly more. And, I bet you have something simple already set in place even if you don’t see it.
When you get up each morning do you usually head to the coffee maker, then let the dog out? If yes (or something similar) then you’ve got this! You’ve already got a bit of the foundation. You just need to expand that to the rest of the day and include some basic homemaking duties.
How to Create a Routine You’ll Actually Use
Step 1: Scrap the schedule:
Unless you have found success with a schedule, I recommend using another system. Trying to take a shower precisely at 8:15 every morning and wash the breakfast dishes at 8:45 can leave a homemaker oh-so-frustrated when she didn’t get into the shower until 8:42. When will she do the dishes now? And what about everything after 8:45?
It’s not even 9am and she’s already off schedule, and discouraged.
Step 2: Identify Daily Basics:
What is it that you do each day without fail? Eating and sleeping would be the most obvious. Most homemakers would add cooking and cleaning to that list as well. Homeschooling the children and caring for animals may be something else you do each day, as well as taking a shower/getting dressed, etc.
Write out the basics of what you do each day, what you should be doing each day, and leave off what you feel is a waste of time.
Step 3: Map It Out
As you begin to create your own routine, don’t worry about the little things that pop up during the day, things that get you “off track,” or things that take longer than planned, etc. Those will fill in the cracks, so-to-speak. Don’t let those incidentals make you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing as a homemaker.
You might think of it as a glorified to-do list. Instead of writing it out every day though, you’re writing it once for the necessary daily activities. And, keeping an eye on the random activities you don’t want to put off.
How To Stay with a Daily Routine
Now that you have a basic plan, the key factor in daily success is sticking with it. If you’re thinking to yourself that you’re not a stick-to-a-routine kind of girl, yet you are still struggling with bringing order to your day, could I encourage you to give it a try?
Also, no matter what type of system you setup, if you don’t use it, you’ll continue to be frustrated with your homemaking attempts. And don’t forget too…
Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it…” Psalm 127:1
The goal is to become familiar with the routine you’ve established, so that one day it becomes, well… routine. That is really the “secret” to getting a routine to stick. You just practice it over and over, day after day. It’s a simple formula, really… we just like to complicate things sometimes 😉
To get your own blank routine chart, just enter your email below. Don’t forget to check your inbox and click on the confirmation. The pdf will be in the next email.
P.S. Do you have some specific questions about this method?
This post is a shortened lesson of the Homemaking Course I offer on my other site: Homemakers Academy, where I go into much greater detail on how to make this routine method work for you and answer each and every question.
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