Routines

Hi everybody. I was interested to find out who of you have a routine and what it is. I want to write one up and stick to it to make my life a bit easier. My hubby works long hours so I do pretty much everything on my own with the 3 kids. Now that i'm expecting another baby and suffering nausea - feeling frustrated to because I'm getting behind on the housework and feeling guilty because the kids a bored and I don't feel like doing anything. I don't know how I'm going to cope when baby number 4 is here.


Angela 31
Brent 34
Finn 4.5
Nikita 3
Poppy 6 months
bubs due September

What about what the show 'Super Nanny' does.
Write up a weekly schedule, with what needs to be done each day, allocate a time for it and who does it, and stick it up and do it.

My mum had a routine like this, as she had me, then my sister with down syndrome, then twins (boy and girl) and my step-dad who either worked really shift work or was hardly in the pic.

It kinda went something like this:
MONDAY:
7.30am Wake kids up
7.45am Get dressed for school, kindy and work.
8.00am Eat breaky
8.30am Go to school, work kindy etc
9.30am Vacuum floors
10.00am Wash floors
10.30am Do Washing (Atleast 1 load a day)
11.00am Put twins down for nap
11.15am - 12.00pm Mummy's time (do what she wants)
12.00pm - 1.00pm Catch up on extra house chores
1.00pm Wake twins up
1.10pm LUNCH
1.45pm Pick Gemma up from Kindy (they allowed her to stay for lunch and half of next session)
2.00pm Kids Time - do what they want i.e play outside, paint, run a muck, watch movies etc
3.00pm Educational Time (mum did things that would teach them stuff, like reading, writing, counting etc)
4.30pm Start tea, I was to was in charge of getting kids to clean up their mess and rooms etc
5.30pm Tea Time
6.00pm Bath Twins and Gem, Naomi clear table and wash dishes
7.00pm Relax time, watch a movie or read
7.30pm Bed time for twins and Gemma
8.30pm Mum and Naomi time
10.00pm Bed time

This was the daily routine from monday to thursday, and the it only slightly changed over the weekend or whn my stepdad was around, but it stayed pretty much the same.

I hope this helps

Hi thanks for typing that routine up for me...that's great :lol:

I'm going to print it out. I'll just have to make a few amendments and taylor it to my lifestyle but it will help heaps....if I can stick to it.

Thanks againxoxxoAngela

Sounds like your Mum did a wonderful job naomi.

I admit to feeling a little lost awhile back, like I didn't know when do do things and so I was doing things all the time IYKWIM?

Then I sort of wrote a few things down. Mondays is my tidy up day, the kids go to school and I fire up, vaccing and mopping, when the youngest is in bed. Tuesday i am out for the day, so Wednesday I catch up on Washing and again vac (although I prob did it Tues night too LOL). Some thursdays I used to go out but others I would stay home but wouldn't go flat out cleaning just a general tidy up and then whatever I felt like doing. And Friday same. It wasn't really a routine, but it had me feeling a little more organised. I ALWAYS have washing, but don't wash 1/2 loads, so I may do 3 or 4 loads every 2nd day (sometimes more if I am doing beds and towels). I am a crappy cook LOL, actually cook atthe last min really My dh enjoys cooking and often helps or takes over anyway. I try to have one day almost work free on the weekedn, usually sunday, otherwise I feel like I am cleaning my life away. I also couldn't be without my calender, I have one with 5 columns and you write someone's name on each column. If it's not on the calender I don't turn up or forget to do it. Most important thing I think is to realise that you are not superhuman and you won't always get everything done. 4 Kids is challenging but rewarding too. It is important too to get the kids to help out when they are old enough. I am not a slave and will not run around after my kids every second. THey have to pitch in and help sometimes. I have got into the habit of getting the kids into the loun ge and rumpus just bf DH gets home and they clean up the toys and stuff, makes it look all clean for when DH gets home and stops him from asking me what I have been doing all day LOL

Good luck
Michelle

Sounds like your Mum did a wonderful job naomi.

I admit to feeling a little lost awhile back, like I didn't know when do do things and so I was doing things all the time IYKWIM?

Then I sort of wrote a few things down. Mondays is my tidy up day, the kids go to school and I fire up, vaccing and mopping, when the youngest is in bed. Tuesday i am out for the day, so Wednesday I catch up on Washing and again vac (although I prob did it Tues night too LOL). Some thursdays I used to go out but others I would stay home but wouldn't go flat out cleaning just a general tidy up and then whatever I felt like doing. And Friday same. It wasn't really a routine, but it had me feeling a little more organised. I ALWAYS have washing, but don't wash 1/2 loads, so I may do 3 or 4 loads every 2nd day (sometimes more if I am doing beds and towels). I am a crappy cook LOL, actually cook atthe last min really My dh enjoys cooking and often helps or takes over anyway. I try to have one day almost work free on the weekedn, usually sunday, otherwise I feel like I am cleaning my life away. I also couldn't be without my calender, I have one with 5 columns and you write someone's name on each column. If it's not on the calender I don't turn up or forget to do it. Most important thing I think is to realise that you are not superhuman and you won't always get everything done. 4 Kids is challenging but rewarding too. It is important too to get the kids to help out when they are old enough. I am not a slave and will not run around after my kids every second. THey have to pitch in and help sometimes. I have got into the habit of getting the kids into the loun ge and rumpus just bf DH gets home and they clean up the toys and stuff, makes it look all clean for when DH gets home and stops him from asking me what I have been doing all day LOL

Good luck
Michelle

Sounds like your Mum did a wonderful job naomi.

I admit to feeling a little lost awhile back, like I didn't know when do do things and so I was doing things all the time IYKWIM?

Then I sort of wrote a few things down. Mondays is my tidy up day, the kids go to school and I fire up, vaccing and mopping, when the youngest is in bed. Tuesday i am out for the day, so Wednesday I catch up on Washing and again vac (although I prob did it Tues night too LOL). Some thursdays I used to go out but others I would stay home but wouldn't go flat out cleaning just a general tidy up and then whatever I felt like doing. And Friday same. It wasn't really a routine, but it had me feeling a little more organised. I ALWAYS have washing, but don't wash 1/2 loads, so I may do 3 or 4 loads every 2nd day (sometimes more if I am doing beds and towels). I am a crappy cook LOL, actually cook atthe last min really My dh enjoys cooking and often helps or takes over anyway. I try to have one day almost work free on the weekedn, usually sunday, otherwise I feel like I am cleaning my life away. I also couldn't be without my calender, I have one with 5 columns and you write someone's name on each column. If it's not on the calender I don't turn up or forget to do it. Most important thing I think is to realise that you are not superhuman and you won't always get everything done. 4 Kids is challenging but rewarding too. It is important too to get the kids to help out when they are old enough. I am not a slave and will not run around after my kids every second. THey have to pitch in and help sometimes. I have got into the habit of getting the kids into the loun ge and rumpus just bf DH gets home and they clean up the toys and stuff, makes it look all clean for when DH gets home and stops him from asking me what I have been doing all day LOL

Good luck
Michelle

Sounds like your Mum did a wonderful job naomi.

I admit to feeling a little lost awhile back, like I didn't know when do do things and so I was doing things all the time IYKWIM?

Then I sort of wrote a few things down. Mondays is my tidy up day, the kids go to school and I fire up, vaccing and mopping, when the youngest is in bed. Tuesday i am out for the day, so Wednesday I catch up on Washing and again vac (although I prob did it Tues night too LOL). Some thursdays I used to go out but others I would stay home but wouldn't go flat out cleaning just a general tidy up and then whatever I felt like doing. And Friday same. It wasn't really a routine, but it had me feeling a little more organised. I ALWAYS have washing, but don't wash 1/2 loads, so I may do 3 or 4 loads every 2nd day (sometimes more if I am doing beds and towels). I am a crappy cook LOL, actually cook atthe last min really My dh enjoys cooking and often helps or takes over anyway. I try to have one day almost work free on the weekedn, usually sunday, otherwise I feel like I am cleaning my life away. I also couldn't be without my calender, I have one with 5 columns and you write someone's name on each column. If it's not on the calender I don't turn up or forget to do it. Most important thing I think is to realise that you are not superhuman and you won't always get everything done. 4 Kids is challenging but rewarding too. It is important too to get the kids to help out when they are old enough. I am not a slave and will not run around after my kids every second. THey have to pitch in and help sometimes. I have got into the habit of getting the kids into the loun ge and rumpus just bf DH gets home and they clean up the toys and stuff, makes it look all clean for when DH gets home and stops him from asking me what I have been doing all day LOL

Good luck
Michelle

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I'll just have to make a few amendments and taylor it to my lifestyle but it will help heaps....if I can stick to it.

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It wasnt always like this and it often got changed, especially when we got older, but it was the most basic one i can remember and thought it may be a start for you. Im glad I could help.

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I WISH I could have a two hour spot where Jessalyn slept though.....

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They didnt always sleep for this amount of time (actually rarely), but mum made a routine and she was planning on sticking to it as much as she could, so she would swap things around when things like that come up. When the twins were older, they had to play in their rooms, if they woke up as like I said before mum had a routine and she didnt want to break that considering we were all used to it.

Michelle mum was pretty cool, but also got moody when the routine got broken more than once a day!!! But again as we got older the routine changed, and she got better!