Schedule for 5 yo, 3yo, and 6 mo

[@llli*sugarfoot289]

I don't want to put DD3 (6 months) on a schedule, but I want to put DD1 (5 in Sep, DD2 (3 1/2), and myself on one. This is possible while feeding on demand, isn't it? I've never been good at schedules, I'm a procrastanator and prefer to have fun over doing work

I was thinking that we could start waking up early like 7:30(we don't get up til after 9) eating breakfast, getting dressed, cleaning up our mess, then going for a walk (something active) then coming back and letting the girls play while making lunch, then we could eat lunch and after cleaning up again, have rest time, where I could try to do my homework (online classes) from there I figured we could go do something active again, come back and let them play quietly while making dinner, then we could eat and do clean up again, and then sit and play together for awhile, then get ready for showers and bed, do bedtime stories and be asleep by 830 (eventually, probably have to work our way there).... All through the day I would let DD3 play, nurse, sleep when she wants still; what she plays and where she sleeps would just depend on where we are...

If anyone has any ideas to help me out here I would appreciate it, I need to get my butt off the couch, and I need to do more with my girls than just sitting while they play, and I need to clean my house more efficiently so I'm not doing tons on one day, or tons of homework on one day, or staying up til 3 trying to get stuff done....

Would it be silly for me to try to keep up on a schedule, not precise, but always eating breakfast by 8 and lunch by 12 and dinner by 530 (I wouldn't flip or anything if we were behind or ahead of schedule) but I can't think of any other way to get myself where I should be... I kinda want to make a list and follow it...

Thanks!

[@llli*inkedstar]

I know exactly how you feel. When I finally emerged from my babymoon (which I admit I extended as long as possible since DS is our last LO ) I was eager to get our family on a schedule in order to maximize our day and stay active. I find it easier to maintain a schedule when DD#1 goes back to school (we've been sleeping in, taking it slow in the mornings ALL summer).
DS has nursed on demand but sometimes I'll need to shift our schedule a bit to accomodate nap/lunch. I really try and keep his schedule in mind when planning activities (ie- no mid-day park trips unless I am energized enough to deal with a cranky/tired baby on top of a cranky/tired 3 yr old).

~Look into your community for kid activities, try and attend a couple scheduled activities! Our local gym does a "tot playtime" from 9:30am-11am and it helps us get out of the house. Library storytime is also a great way to get out/about.
We love summer in our community (outdoor movies, farmer''s market, etc) and incorporate alot more activities into our schedule so our park time is more sporatic, but that's ok!

~Plan your meals ahead of time and have lunch options ready to assemble (making mealtime easier). Some of the most stressful parts of my day are when DS needs to nurse but my other LO's are hungry. Having them able to get their own snacks and clean their messes is SO helpful if DS is needing me at the moment.

~Post a cleaning schedule on the fridge (there's some great ones on pinterest) or somewhere else where you'll see it often.
My old habit of knocking out all the cleaning in a day has gone out the window once we added little ones to our family. If I have a list of certain tasks to be done, I do MUCH better and often enlist the help of my LO's.

~Don't forget to schedule time for yourself! I always give myself two coffee breaks a day, one in the morning after everyone has been fed/while they play, one in the afternoon before prepping dinner (iced coffe). I'm present and in the room with my kids but try and keep my lap free for 10-15 minutes (unless someone needs me of course, as I mentioned i'm still available). I also try and hit the gym 2x a week or lap swim at the local pool. I feel if I make sure to take care of myself, I'm a much happied mama!

~Make lists, but try not to make them contain "impossible missions". Don't put too much on them that you cannot complete, or maybe make the lists for the week instead of a "to do" for the day.

HTH Mama! Schedules can be great and kids often appreciate knowing what to expect throughout the day!

[@llli*mommal]

Cleaning schedule. I used to clean my whole house on Fridays. Impossible, now that I have 2 kids! After the first one was born, I started doing one major cleaning task every day. Monday is major laundry. Tuesday I clean the kitchen. Wednesday I wash the kids' sheets and dust. Thursday I wash the grown-ups sheets and clean the bathrooms. Friday I vacuum and mop. laundry in excess of what piles up for Monday is done in small loads throughout the week.

I've started giving my 6 year-old daily chores, too. She fixes the couch pillows, sets the table, straightens up the shoes in the hallway, and helps pick up the toys at the end of the day.

[@llli*sugarfoot289]

Thanks! I think we will do a cleaning chart, we are rearranging storage stuff so the house is currently packed pretty full, but that should be fixed within the week, so we can start are new adventure I didn't think about making time for me I've always felt guilty about doing something for myself, because it usually means I'm not cleaning something that needs done, but maybe these schedules will help with that so if I sit for 15 minutes there isn't anything I'm not doing

Thanks again, I'm kinda excited about this (I just need to teach myself to go to bed when they do!)