From No Routine to Pro Mom Routine


I vividly remember coming home from the hospital with our firstborn daughter.  My husband had to carry her car seat as I could not yet manage due to an unplanned C-section. As he sat her down in the hallway of our little apartment a mixture of awe and dread fell upon me.  It was all up to us now. There were no more nurses to show me what to do.  She was completely dependent upon us for everything - food, diapering, falling asleep -- everything.  For the next weeks and months my daily routine was simply keeping her alive.

Fast forward 3 years. By God’s grace  I had overcome the fear of having many children and was about to have 4 kids 3 and under. I had no routine other than doing what needed to be done to keep the kids alive. I treated most days like a permanent vacation from the professional setting I was in before marriage & children.

Pregnant with #5 and beginning to homeschool the stakes were getting higher and pressure mounting. Keeping the kids alive was the bare minimum. I had no real routine. I felt all over the place. Irritated with them for interrupting me. Irritated with myself for being irritated.  The lack of routine was causing all kinds of problems and stress.  How could I turn this ship around this late in the game?

It was then that a familiar verse pierced my heart: “Whatever you do, do it all unto the Lord and not into men. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23).  Ouch. Good ouch. Opportunity to change ouch.

So I did a 180 - by God's grace I changed my mind from a bare minimum mom on permanent vacation to a professional mom serving God with excellence. It took some work in my heart and grace to grow one step at a time. Soon I found I was getting into a rhythmic routine.

Meals became anchors for 3 main time blocks: morning, afternoon, evening.  I set alarms, got up, dressed and began the day like a pro. I figured out by trial and error a simple 4 day homeschool schedule and ‘earned’ the 3 day weekend as a reward. I screened calls with caller ID and voice mail. I turned off push notifications on my phone. I made simple To Do lists for my days & weeks and worked through them with priority.

Flipping the switch from bare-minimum to professional mom changed my whole life. I grew into a much more professional mom with a flexible routine that works in different seasons (like welcoming babies every 2 years).

When other moms ask for help to get into a big family routine this is the story I share. The journey began with one step -- a change of mind that led to the small yet powerful changes in me and my life. I know you can do this too, one step at a time, because I am living proof.

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If this blog blessed you feel free to join my Big Family Moms community where I have lots more resources and encouragement for moms like you overcoming struggles and growing in grace. Here's the LINK if you like. routine

 

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