Boy, two kids have really thrown this organized mama for a loop! I have really been struggling since my second child was born to get back into my groove with home management. Things I used to enjoy and take pride in like cooking, cleaning, budgeting, and decorating have become major stressors in my life. I’ve felt like I just ran in circles all day long doing a hundred different things, and yet still feel like I didn’t accomplish anything when my head hit the pillow.
If you’ve been reading here for any length of time or know me in real life, you know that I thrive on schedules, routines, and systems. I like to stay organized and I like consistency. However, two children can really keep your days interesting. There are days I wake up with a plan and my day ends up going in a completely different direction. I really never know what to expect.
Do you feel this way? Do you feel stressed or overwhelmed by all that you have to do, but can’t figure out a way to get your life in order? Today I’m going to share what has worked for me! This one simple tip has saved my sanity, kept me from losing my cool with my kids, and has brought joy back into my life!
Are you ready for it?
I use time blocking to schedule out my day.
I know what you might be thinking. Kaitlin, I have little ones and there is no way I can use one of those calendars and plan out every 30 minute segment of my day. My life is too diverse for that. My kids are too unpredictable for that. Yeah. Mine too!
That’s why I don’t break my day up into 30 minute increments! Anyone who can plan out their day that detailed must not have littles!
But I do break my day up into segments of a few hours at a time. I’ve chunked my days into 5 time blocks: early morning, late morning/lunch, afternoon, evening, and night.
6:30-8:30am
As much as I would love to get up before my kids, it’s just not possible in this season of life. My baby still wakes up occasionally and, to be completely honest, I enjoy my sleep!
My son has to be dropped off at school between 8:00 and 8:10 every morning. My goals are simple for this block of time. Get everyone out of bed, dressed, teeth brushed, fed, and to school by 8:30am.
8:30am-11:00am
This is the time I have with my youngest son while my older son is at preschool. Ben usually takes a nap around 9:30 so I can schedule in some house work or blogging work for this time slot too. I mostly play with Ben during this time and try to get through my daily morning chores by 11, which is when I pick up my son.
11:00am-1:00pm
I have two simple goals for this time slot. Get everyone fed and transfer laundry to the dryer. That’s it. Lunch=crazy. Enough said.
1:00-4:00pm
I try not to plan out too much for this time slot. Once Ben goes down for his nap, I will usually try to take out some time to play one-on-one with Caleb.
Caleb will have about 30-45 minutes of quiet time in the afternoon. I will usually plan to use this time to bake, prep for dinner, or get a few cleaning tasks done.
4:00pm-7:00pm
The dreaded dinner time. Oh and in my world, this is the time of day my husband leaves for work! (Yay 2nd shift life!) For me, all at once my husband leaves, my baby wakes up from his nap, and it’s time to start dinner.
On really good days, I put dinner in the crock pot and all I have to do is throw together a side or two and call it a day. However, not all days are this planned out.
Generally Caleb’s TV time comes in this time slot. I put Ben in the Tula and prepare a simple dinner.
Between 4 and 7, I feed my family, give baths, read stories, read our nightly Bible story with Caleb, brush teeth, and put the boys to bed. When I’m really on top of things, my kitchen is also clean by 7.
That’s rare. Very, very rare.
Seriously, you guys. It’s 9:27pm as I’m writing this and my dirty dishes are STILL scattered all over my kitchen. I should probably get to that!
7:00pm-11:00pm
This is the time when I try to rush through my evening routine. Then I spend time with my husband when he is off work or get my blogging work done.
So how has time blocking changed my day?
- It has helped me create more realistic to-do lists because I can see how much time I really have in my day.
- It allows me to break down my daily goals into bite-sized pieces and work to chip away at them throughout the day.
- It frees me from the stress and worry of not getting everything accomplished.
- It provides me with structure and routine, yet allows me flexibility.
If you want to download a copy of my Time Blocking worksheet, subscribe to my newsletter below to receive your FREE copy! {Tip: To save on paper and ink, you can print out one copy, slide it into a clear paper sleeve, and use a wet erase marker to make your daily lists. Then just erase when your finished!}
[…] Or go in the opposite direction and divide your day up into several hour blocks of time. […]