Summertime means saying Goodbye to a routine for some. Even in our home I allowed our routine to go by the wayside for the first few weeks of summer vacation. But Alas- our routine is being reinstated, the reason?? Chaos, utter chaos rules and reigns in our home when there is a lack of routine.
One morning two weeks ago, after having my quiet time and feeling guilty for the chaos around the house lately, I decided to write out a summertime routine. We followed (fairly closely) the routine for the day and guess what? Less chaos! I am now going to be following a routine for the rest of the summer. I don't want to be so very strict to this routine that spontaneity is not allowed. I do welcome some spontaneous changes if the day calls for it, but while at home I do plan on sticking with the following routine:
6:30am- wake up in time to say goodbye to husband as he goes off to work
7:00am- quiet time for prayer, Bible reading, and verse memorization
7:45am- start breakfast for children (they love oatmeal with brown sugar and maple syrup)
8:00am- wake up children, if not already awake
8:30am- after breakfast, children to brush teeth, make beds and straighten rooms if needed, and get dressed
9:00am- Bible time with children: Bible story or passage, verse memorization, prayer request list (children to each pray for one prayer request) At the end of this time remind children of house rules and consequences (for my young children when they are reminded daily they are more apt to follow the rules)
9:30am- chore time for each child
10:00am- Buddy time (I have 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls, so each day they will have a different buddy, during this time they pick one or two board games and play together- I believe this helps them to learn to play nicely with each sibling and not to have favorites)
10:30am- play outside if nice- riding bikes, playing on swing set, etc. If it's raining or too cold to play outside then I have a bowl with a different activity on separate slips of paper, every 15-20 minutes we pick from the bowl and do a different activity.
11:30am- quick clean-up if needed in the house, or clean up outside toys
12:00pm- lunch, then clean up dishes and table, and brush teeth
12:30pm- story time on couch, short storybooks for all the kids
1:00pm- nap time for the two youngest, reading time for the two oldest (they are to read quietly from a chapter book)
1:30pm- quiet time for the two oldest while the other two are napping
I'll stop there for now, it's a bit harder to stick to an afternoon/evening routine because my husband gets home around 3:30-4:00pm and we go with the flow when he's home. He likes to let them ride their 4-wheelers/motorcycles, or they work around the house/farm with him, or just play outside.
So this routine is when we plan on being home for the day. I do have things planned during the summer that will take us away from the house, and I'll talk about those fun outings later.
Do any other ladies follow a routine during the summer? What works for your family, and what doesn't?
I'm interested in hearing!
