Since school started back last week, we have slowly been getting into a routine/rhythm. Going into a new year, I never quite know what our schedule is going to look like, but being completely OCD, I try my best to plan it out and then tweak as necessary. This year has been no different.
I thought that school would take 3-4 hours, but after starting have realized it will only take 1 1/2 - 2 hours (maybe a little more if the subjects get tougher), so that really changes our previously planned schedule.
I know that I always enjoy looking at people's schedules to figure out ways that might work for our family, so here goes:
MONDAY
7:00am - Lee, Luke, and I wake up and do our morning routines (Lee - get dressed, make lunch) (Ashley - get dressed, make bed, start laundry, make breakfast) (Luke - get dressed, make bed)
7:30am - Luke and I eat breakfast and Lee leaves for work
8:00am - Nathan wakes up and eats breakfast (I clean up the kitchen while he eats his Cheerios)
8:30am - Play with the boys
9:o0am - Go to the library
10:00am - Nathan goes down for a nap - Luke and I do homeschool
HOMESCHOOL TIME
10:00am-10:15am - Bible
10:15am-10:30am - Handwriting
10:30am-10:45am - Reading & Spelling
10:45am-11:00am - Math
11:00am-11:15am - Science
11:15am-11:30am - History
11:30am-11:45am - Geography
11:45am-12:00pm - Spanish
Of course every subject doesn't take exactly 15 minutes, some take more, some take less. This is just a rough overview. If we finish early, we just hang out until lunch time.
12:00pm - Luke, Nathan, and I eat lunch
12:30pm - Play with the boys
2:00pm - Nathan naps, Luke naps/rests/has quiet time, and I have my down time (or do some dinner prep and/or chores)
4:00pm - I feed Nathan a bottle and Luke has video game time (he can earn up to 30 minutes a day)
4:30pm - Bathe the boys
5:00pm - Play with the boys
5:30pm - I cook dinner while the boys play
6:15pm - Family dinner
6:45pm - Family playtime (Nathan gets a bottle sometime before bed)
7:45pm - Get the boys ready for bed
8:00pm - Bedtime for the boys (Sometimes Nathan goes to bed earlier, sometimes Luke goes to bed later)
Lee and I have a flexible time until bedtime
11:00pm - Lee and I go to bed (that's the goal at least)
TUESDAY
7:00am - Lee, Luke, and I wake up and do our morning routines (Lee - get dressed, make lunch) (Ashley - get dressed, make bed, start laundry, make breakfast) (Luke - get dressed, make bed)
7:30am - Luke and I eat breakfast and Lee leaves for work
8:00am - Nathan wakes up and eats breakfast (I clean up the kitchen while he eats his Cheerios)
8:30am - Play with the boys
10:00am - Nathan goes down for a nap - Luke and I do homeschool
HOMESCHOOL TIME
10:00am-10:15am - Bible
10:15am-10:30am - Handwriting
10:30am-10:45am - Reading & Spelling
10:45am-11:00am - Math
11:00am-11:15am - Science
11:15am-11:30am - History
11:30am-11:45am - Geography
11:45am-12:00pm - Spanish
Of course every subject doesn't take exactly 15 minutes, some take more, some take less. This is just a rough overview. If we finish early, we just hang out until lunch time.
12:00pm - Luke, Nathan, and I eat lunch
12:30pm - Play with the boys
2:00pm - Nathan naps, Luke naps/rests/has quiet time, and I have my down time (or do some dinner prep and/or chores)
4:00pm - I feed Nathan a bottle and Luke has video game time (he can earn up to 30 minutes a day)
4:30pm - Bathe the boys
5:00pm - Play with the boys
5:30pm - I cook dinner while the boys play
6:15pm - Family dinner
6:45pm - Family playtime (Nathan gets a bottle sometime before bed)
7:45pm - Get the boys ready for bed
8:00pm - Bedtime for the boys (Sometimes Nathan goes to bed earlier, sometimes Luke goes to bed later)
Lee and I have a flexible time until bedtime
11:00pm - Lee and I go to bed (that's the goal at least)
WEDNESDAY
7:00am - Lee, Luke, and I wake up and do our morning routines (Lee - get dressed, make lunch) (Ashley - get dressed, make bed, start laundry, make breakfast) (Luke - get dressed, make bed)
7:30am - Luke and I eat breakfast and Lee leaves for work
8:00am - Nathan wakes up and eats breakfast (I clean up the kitchen while he eats his Cheerios)
8:30am - Play with the boys
10:00am - Nathan goes down for a nap - Luke and I do homeschool
HOMESCHOOL TIME
10:00am-10:15am - Bible
10:15am-10:30am - Handwriting
10:30am-10:45am - Reading & Spelling
10:45am-11:00am - Math
11:00am-11:15am - Science (Every other Wednesday we don't do Science)
11:15am-11:30am - History (Every other Wednesday we don't do History)
11:30am-11:45am - Geography
11:45am-12:00pm - Spanish
Of course every subject doesn't take exactly 15 minutes, some take more, some take less. This is just a rough overview. If we finish early, we just hang out until lunch time.
12:00pm - Luke, Nathan, and I eat lunch
12:30pm - Play with the boys
2:00pm - Nathan naps, Luke naps/rests/has quiet time, and I have my down time (or do some dinner prep and/or chores)
4:00pm - I feed Nathan a bottle and Luke has video game time (he can earn up to 30 minutes a day)
4:30pm - Bathe the boys
5:00pm - Leave for church
5:45pm - Eat dinner at church
6:45pm - Bible classes at church (Nathan gets his bottle in the church nursery)
8:00pm - Drive home
8:30pm - Get the boys ready for bed and bedtime for the boys
Lee and I have a flexible time until bedtime
11:00pm - Lee and I go to bed (that's the goal at least)
THURSDAY
7:00am - Lee, Luke, and I wake up and do our morning routines (Lee - get dressed, make lunch) (Ashley - get dressed, make bed, start laundry, make breakfast) (Luke - get dressed, make bed)
7:30am - Luke and I eat breakfast and Lee leaves for work
8:00am - Nathan wakes up and eats breakfast (I clean up the kitchen while he eats his Cheerios)
8:30am - Go to Co-Op
9:o0am - Co-OP
12:00pm - Luke, Nathan, and I eat lunch
12:30pm - Drive home from Co-Op
1:00pm - Nathan naps - Luke and I do homeschool
HOMESCHOOL TIME
1:00pm-1:15pm - Bible
1:15pm-1:30pm - Handwriting
1:30pm-1:45pm - Reading & Spelling
1:45pm-2:00pm - Math
Of course every subject doesn't take exactly 15 minutes, some take more, some take less. This is just a rough overview. If we finish early, we just hang out until lunch time.
2:00pm- Nathan is still napping, Luke naps/rests/has quiet time, and I have my down time (or do some dinner prep and/or chores)
4:00pm - I feed Nathan a bottle and Luke has video game time (he can earn up to 30 minutes a day)
4:30pm - Bathe the boys
5:00pm - Play with the boys
5:30pm - I cook dinner while the boys play
6:15pm - Family dinner
6:45pm - Family playtime (Nathan gets a bottle sometime before bed)
7:45pm - Get the boys ready for bed
8:00pm - Bedtime for the boys (Sometimes Nathan goes to bed earlier, sometimes Luke goes to bed later)
Lee and I have a flexible time until bedtime
11:00pm - Lee and I go to bed (that's the goal at least)
FRIDAY
7:00am - Lee, Luke, and I wake up and do our morning routines (Lee - get dressed, make lunch) (Ashley - get dressed, make bed, start laundry, make breakfast) (Luke - get dressed, make bed)
7:30am - Luke and I eat breakfast and Lee leaves for work
8:00am - Nathan wakes up and eats breakfast (I clean up the kitchen while he eats his Cheerios)
8:30am - Play with the boys
10:00am - Nathan goes down for a nap - Luke and I do homeschool
HOMESCHOOL TIME
10:00am-10:15am - Bible
10:15am-10:30am - Handwriting
10:30am-10:45am - Reading & Spelling
10:45am-11:00am - Math
11:00am-11:45am - Geography Projects
11:45am-12:00pm - Spanish
Of course every subject doesn't take exactly 15 minutes, some take more, some take less. This is just a rough overview. If we finish early, we just hang out until lunch time.
12:00pm - Luke, Nathan, and I eat lunch
12:30pm - Play with the boys
2:00pm - Nathan naps, Luke naps/rests/has quiet time, and I have my down time (or do some dinner prep and/or chores)
4:00pm - I feed Nathan a bottle and Luke has video game time (he can earn up to 30 minutes a day)
4:30pm - Bathe the boys
5:00pm - Play with the boys
5:30pm - I cook dinner while the boys play
6:15pm - Family dinner
6:45pm - Family playtime (Nathan gets a bottle sometime before bed)
7:45pm - Get the boys ready for bed
8:00pm - Bedtime for the boys (Sometimes Nathan goes to bed earlier, sometimes Luke goes to bed later)
Lee and I have a flexible time until bedtime
11:00pm - Lee and I go to bed (that's the goal at least)
SATURDAY
7:30am - Lee, Luke, and I wake up and make breakfast
8:00am - Nathan wakes up and we all eat breakfast together (I clean up the kitchen while he eats his Cheerios)
8:30am - Play with the boys
10:00am - Nathan goes down for a nap - free time for Lee, Luke, and me
12:00pm - Lee, Luke, Nathan, and I eat lunch
12:30pm - Play with the boys
2:00pm - Nathan naps, Luke naps/rests/has quiet time, and Lee and I have my down time (or do some dinner prep and/or chores)
4:00pm - I feed Nathan a bottle and Luke has video game time (he can earn up to 30 minutes a day)
4:30pm - Bathe the boys
5:00pm - Play with the boys
5:30pm - I cook dinner while the boys play
6:15pm - Family dinner
6:45pm - Family playtime (Nathan gets a bottle sometime before bed)
7:45pm - Get the boys ready for bed
8:00pm - Bedtime for the boys (Sometimes Nathan goes to bed earlier, sometimes Luke goes to bed later)
Lee and I have a flexible time until bedtime
11:00pm - Lee and I go to bed (that's the goal at least)
SUNDAY
7:30am - Lee, Luke, and I wake up, get ready, and make breakfast
8:00am - Nathan wakes up and we all eat breakfast together (I clean up the kitchen while he eats his Cheerios)
8:30am - Leave for church
9:00am - Sunday School
10:30am - Worship
12:00pm - Lee, Luke, Nathan, and I eat lunch
12:30pm - Drive home
1:00pm - Nathan naps, Luke naps/rests/has quiet time, and Lee and I have my down time (or do some dinner prep and/or chores)
4:00pm - I feed Nathan a bottle and Luke has video game time (he can earn up to 30 minutes a day)
4:30pm - Bathe the boys
5:00pm - Play with the boys
5:30pm - I cook dinner while the boys play
6:15pm - Family dinner
6:45pm - Family playtime (Nathan gets a bottle sometime before bed)
7:45pm - Get the boys ready for bed
8:00pm - Bedtime for the boys (Sometimes Nathan goes to bed earlier, sometimes Luke goes to bed later)
Lee and I have a flexible time until bedtime
11:00pm - Lee and I go to bed (that's the goal at least)
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
What It's Really All About
I know that a lot of my posts are about cleaning, organizing, couponing, and household management, but that is just a small part of my homemaking.
My biggest goal of homemaking isn't to have the cleanest or most organized home, to save the most money, or to keep everything perfect, it's
CREATING A HOME THAT IS FULL OF LOVE, HAPPINESS, AND AWESOME MEMORIES.
I pray that when my children grow up they will look back on their childhood and remember all the awesome things we did on a daily basis as well as on specific holidays to make great memories. I try to keep my home clean and organized so that when we want to have fun events we can. I try to save money with couponing and other methods so that we have money to do fun things like vacations or spoil them on their birthdays and holidays.
One of my favorite holidays is Valentine's Day. I don't think of it as just a greeting card holiday or a time meant for lovers to have romantic time. I think of it as a special day to focus on how much we love each other: moms and dads, parents and kids, grandparents, friends, etc.
Here are our Valentine's Day traditions:
1) Luke (and the other children down the road) gets a Valentine bag or basket filled with fun little dollar items (candy, toys, pencils, cute little knick knacks).
2) We make homemade Valentine cards and other projects. This year Luke made cards for his cousins and friends and we put his handprints on paper and he wrote Happy Valentine's Day 2001 Love, Luke on them.
3) We make homemade heart-shaped sugar cookies and decorate them.
4) We have heart-shaped pancakes or waffles for breakfast and any other heart-shaped foods we can during the day.
What are your Valentine's Day traditions? Other holiday/birthday traditions?
My biggest goal of homemaking isn't to have the cleanest or most organized home, to save the most money, or to keep everything perfect, it's
CREATING A HOME THAT IS FULL OF LOVE, HAPPINESS, AND AWESOME MEMORIES.
I pray that when my children grow up they will look back on their childhood and remember all the awesome things we did on a daily basis as well as on specific holidays to make great memories. I try to keep my home clean and organized so that when we want to have fun events we can. I try to save money with couponing and other methods so that we have money to do fun things like vacations or spoil them on their birthdays and holidays.
One of my favorite holidays is Valentine's Day. I don't think of it as just a greeting card holiday or a time meant for lovers to have romantic time. I think of it as a special day to focus on how much we love each other: moms and dads, parents and kids, grandparents, friends, etc.
Here are our Valentine's Day traditions:
1) Luke (and the other children down the road) gets a Valentine bag or basket filled with fun little dollar items (candy, toys, pencils, cute little knick knacks).
2) We make homemade Valentine cards and other projects. This year Luke made cards for his cousins and friends and we put his handprints on paper and he wrote Happy Valentine's Day 2001 Love, Luke on them.
3) We make homemade heart-shaped sugar cookies and decorate them.
4) We have heart-shaped pancakes or waffles for breakfast and any other heart-shaped foods we can during the day.
What are your Valentine's Day traditions? Other holiday/birthday traditions?
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Diaper Bag
I went for almost 2 years without a diaper bag. To say it was nice doesn't even cover it LOL. Babies need lots of stuff. My awesome mother-in-law lives by the theory that mommies need something nice for themselves each time they have a baby (works for me), so she got me a Vera Bradley diaper bag. I had one with Luke but she thought I needed a new one (again, works for me).
I love Vera Bradley because if you are an organization junkie like me, you will love all of the wonderful pockets. You can put different things in each pocket and feel organized instead of digging through your bags looking for something. This diaper bag has a zipper pouch on the outside, a flip side with three little pouches on the outside, two end pouches, and inside it has three pouches on each side. It also has a matching changing pad. It also has a clasp to hook your keys to.
In my diaper bag, I use one end pouch for my wallet and one for a bottle. I use the zip pouch to put papers. I use the flip side pouches for my keys, cellphone, and hand sanitizer/tissues. I use the inside pouches for diaper cream (which we have never needed PRAISE THE LORD), those mini trash bags for bad diapers (we have needed a few LOL), pacifiers (we don't really use them, but I have them JIC), and nose bulb aspirator and saline drops. If Nathan is sick and needs medicine, I would put that in there as well.
In the main part, I keep a big stack of diapers, a travel pack (or two) of wipes, two extra outfits, two extra onesies, a couple of extra burp clothes, a bottle of water, a formula dispenser with enough formula for 3 bottles, and an extra bottle (sometimes I have more if I am going to be away from the house longer than one or two feedings. I would also put a travel bowl of cereal and a spoon if we would be feeding that while we are out. Sometimes I might have an extra toy or two if I don't want it on his carseat (it's not fun to sleep with toys whacking you in the head).
I always bring the diaper bag in the house after we go somewhere. My rule is: Go through the diaper bag as soon as you get home (or get a chance) and pull out dirty clothes, burp cloths, and bottles. Then replace what needs replacing (clothes, burp cloths, bottles, water, formula) and sit the ready diaper bag by the door. I know you could pack it before you leave to go somewhere, but I find that I am always in a hurry so this makes it easier. Plus if you have an emergency, you are ready to go.
I love Vera Bradley because if you are an organization junkie like me, you will love all of the wonderful pockets. You can put different things in each pocket and feel organized instead of digging through your bags looking for something. This diaper bag has a zipper pouch on the outside, a flip side with three little pouches on the outside, two end pouches, and inside it has three pouches on each side. It also has a matching changing pad. It also has a clasp to hook your keys to.
In my diaper bag, I use one end pouch for my wallet and one for a bottle. I use the zip pouch to put papers. I use the flip side pouches for my keys, cellphone, and hand sanitizer/tissues. I use the inside pouches for diaper cream (which we have never needed PRAISE THE LORD), those mini trash bags for bad diapers (we have needed a few LOL), pacifiers (we don't really use them, but I have them JIC), and nose bulb aspirator and saline drops. If Nathan is sick and needs medicine, I would put that in there as well.
In the main part, I keep a big stack of diapers, a travel pack (or two) of wipes, two extra outfits, two extra onesies, a couple of extra burp clothes, a bottle of water, a formula dispenser with enough formula for 3 bottles, and an extra bottle (sometimes I have more if I am going to be away from the house longer than one or two feedings. I would also put a travel bowl of cereal and a spoon if we would be feeding that while we are out. Sometimes I might have an extra toy or two if I don't want it on his carseat (it's not fun to sleep with toys whacking you in the head).
I always bring the diaper bag in the house after we go somewhere. My rule is: Go through the diaper bag as soon as you get home (or get a chance) and pull out dirty clothes, burp cloths, and bottles. Then replace what needs replacing (clothes, burp cloths, bottles, water, formula) and sit the ready diaper bag by the door. I know you could pack it before you leave to go somewhere, but I find that I am always in a hurry so this makes it easier. Plus if you have an emergency, you are ready to go.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Division of Duties
I know that everyone has different households and families, so I thought it would be fun to see how you divide (or don't divide if you are single) your duties. Please give us a background: whether you are married or single, whether you work (part or full-time), whether you have kids (how many and ages), whether you homeschool or if your kids are in school and/or preschool, and anything else about your life that might give us a glimpse into your life.
Background:
We are married, I stay home full time, my husband works full time, we have two children (here with me) - boys, ages 5 and 4 months, I do preschool homeschool with our 5 year old, our newborn is on a 3 hour routine during the day and is formula fed, and we are pretty traditional in our household.
Let me start by saying that this is a general list of how we do things. My husband, Lee, will chip in anytime I need help and when I was pregnant carried a lot of the load.
Division of Duties:
Bringing Home the Bacon (LOL) - Lee works full-time and brings in all of our income. He is away from home about 50-55 hours a week so I try to take care of anything I can to make it nice when he gets home.
Meals - Lee doesn't cook (unless you count reheating food or PB&J), so I take care of the meals. I cook most nights (we say he cooks when he reheats food or we go out to eat LOL). We take turns making his lunch for work - if I have time, I make it.
Laundry - Generally speaking, I do the laundry. If I get behind, Lee will help me out. We all chip in on the sorting out and putting away.
Cleaning - Generally speaking, I do the cleaning. Again, if I get behind, Lee will help me out. For the last year Lee has taken care of scrubbing the showers and tubs. Everyone chips in on the straightening up and putting things away.
Grocery Shopping - We do this together. I generate our list (with Lee's input of course) and one or both of us goes shopping. Before I was pregnant I pretty much handled the grocery shopping, but when I couldn't carry stuff, Lee and I started going together or he would go. He knows what specific things we buy (ie Nature's Own Double Fiber Bread vs wheat bread).
Dishes - Generally speaking, I do the dishes. This is because I am home and do the breakfast and lunch dishes, and I clean as I cook so I wash dishes as I go. Lee and Luke clear the table and Lee will rinse and load, but I do the majority of the dishes, especially the scrubbing ones (pots and pans).
Nathan Feedings - Since I am home during the day, I do all of the feedings obviously. I do the 8:00pm since Lee is playing with Luke (this could change at some point). Lee does the late night feeding since I am usually in bed. If he requires a middle of the night feeding I do that one.
Kids' Baths - As of right now, I give Nathan a bath each night after his 8:00pm feeding and get him ready for bed. Lee gives Luke his bath. We try to sync it up so we are each getting one of the boys ready for bed at the same time.
Homeschool - I homeschool Luke. Down the road Lee will probably help with projects.
Vehicles - Lee takes care of the vehicles. He does the cleaning and washing and usually takes them in for maintanence (sometimes he does the maintanence himself). I will help him clean the van sometimes.
Yard - In general Lee takes care of the yard. Luke will eventually help as well.
Household Maintanence - Lee takes care of changing the air filters, changing the lightbulbs, building stuff, installing stuff, and fixing stuff.
Big Projects - We usually work on these together.
I can't think of anything else right now. I am really looking forward to seeing how you do things in your house/family.
Background:
We are married, I stay home full time, my husband works full time, we have two children (here with me) - boys, ages 5 and 4 months, I do preschool homeschool with our 5 year old, our newborn is on a 3 hour routine during the day and is formula fed, and we are pretty traditional in our household.
Let me start by saying that this is a general list of how we do things. My husband, Lee, will chip in anytime I need help and when I was pregnant carried a lot of the load.
Division of Duties:
Bringing Home the Bacon (LOL) - Lee works full-time and brings in all of our income. He is away from home about 50-55 hours a week so I try to take care of anything I can to make it nice when he gets home.
Meals - Lee doesn't cook (unless you count reheating food or PB&J), so I take care of the meals. I cook most nights (we say he cooks when he reheats food or we go out to eat LOL). We take turns making his lunch for work - if I have time, I make it.
Laundry - Generally speaking, I do the laundry. If I get behind, Lee will help me out. We all chip in on the sorting out and putting away.
Cleaning - Generally speaking, I do the cleaning. Again, if I get behind, Lee will help me out. For the last year Lee has taken care of scrubbing the showers and tubs. Everyone chips in on the straightening up and putting things away.
Grocery Shopping - We do this together. I generate our list (with Lee's input of course) and one or both of us goes shopping. Before I was pregnant I pretty much handled the grocery shopping, but when I couldn't carry stuff, Lee and I started going together or he would go. He knows what specific things we buy (ie Nature's Own Double Fiber Bread vs wheat bread).
Dishes - Generally speaking, I do the dishes. This is because I am home and do the breakfast and lunch dishes, and I clean as I cook so I wash dishes as I go. Lee and Luke clear the table and Lee will rinse and load, but I do the majority of the dishes, especially the scrubbing ones (pots and pans).
Nathan Feedings - Since I am home during the day, I do all of the feedings obviously. I do the 8:00pm since Lee is playing with Luke (this could change at some point). Lee does the late night feeding since I am usually in bed. If he requires a middle of the night feeding I do that one.
Kids' Baths - As of right now, I give Nathan a bath each night after his 8:00pm feeding and get him ready for bed. Lee gives Luke his bath. We try to sync it up so we are each getting one of the boys ready for bed at the same time.
Homeschool - I homeschool Luke. Down the road Lee will probably help with projects.
Vehicles - Lee takes care of the vehicles. He does the cleaning and washing and usually takes them in for maintanence (sometimes he does the maintanence himself). I will help him clean the van sometimes.
Yard - In general Lee takes care of the yard. Luke will eventually help as well.
Household Maintanence - Lee takes care of changing the air filters, changing the lightbulbs, building stuff, installing stuff, and fixing stuff.
Big Projects - We usually work on these together.
I can't think of anything else right now. I am really looking forward to seeing how you do things in your house/family.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Maximizing Family Time
As per request, I am going to do a post devoted to maximizing family time. This is a great topic for me because I am all about family time. Aside from the Lord, family is top priority to Lee and myself. We are all about quantity time and quality time with our family.
How To Prioritize Family Time -
#1 - Don't Over-Commit to Things
In this busy day and age there are a million things you and your family can do from church activities to school activities to sports to social get togethers to hanging out with other friends. It's not that these things are bad, but if you aren't careful, you could all be going in 100 different directions all the time and not have time for just your family.
Lee and I make it a priority to really think about what we are doing with our time and commitments to make sure we get time as a family unit. That means we aren't excessively involved in our church (we do go every Sunday morning to worship and most Wednesday nights for the meal and classes, but we don't do choir, extra Bible studies, or too many other get togethers that pull us away from each other extra times).
We don't sign up for activities all the time. We like spending time with friends and extended family, but we don't do it excessively.
We will let the kids do activities as they get older, but not excessively. I am not sure what the rule will be yet, but we will look at each thing and the commitment level (ie how much time it takes each week) and decide if it is fruitful enough for the commitment it takes. Of course our children will do church things, sports, and activities, just not every single day of the week. And when possible, I want things to still be family time or at least more than one person in the family going (ie all of us go and cheer for Luke's sporting event or Lee and Nathan go to cub scouts together). That way we aren't split up all the time.
#2 - Have Dinner Together [Almost] Every Night
I have read a ton of parenting books and gotten tons of tips on how to have a successful family unit and one of the biggest things I have seen is how important family dinner is. We try to have dinner as a family every night. I know this isn't possible for everyone but since I stay home full-time, we only have to work around Lee's work schedule. I try to have dinner ready when he gets home so that we can all sit down and enjoy a meal together.
I know that life is going to get busier as the kids get older, but I really want to try to have family dinner every night (at least most nights), so we can all stay on the same page and know what is going on in each other's lives. It doesn't matter if it's a fancy meal, hamburger helper, take out on paper plates, or at a restaurant, family dinner is just everyone being together enjoying a meal and conversation.
On that note, we try to keep family dinner positive. We don't talk about Lee's work (unless it is good stuff) or the misbehavior of the kids all day or bad things that are going on. We try to have fun and enjoy that time together.
#3 - Spend Time Together Playing Each Night (Or at least most nights)
Again I know that isn't always possible for everyone, but Lee and I try to spend time playing with the kids after dinner each night. If you can't do every night, plan nights when you can. Designate at least one night a week for "family night." It is easier now to have this time together and I know it will get a little harder as the kids get older (especially teenagers), but I think setting aside time to play and have fun as a family is important.
I read that as your kids get older you should designate one night for "family night". No friends over, no dates, everyone is there. The book said Sunday night worked for their family because they had gone to church and usually had a lower key day and it was a school night so kids weren't going out with friends/on dates and there usually weren't activities on Sundays. I think whatever works for your family is best.
#4 - Plan Special Outings
We aren't big on going to movies since most of the movies that come out are too violent and/or sexually explicite and it costs a lot, but if there is a good family movie worth seeing, we plan it as an event. For instance, we went to see Toy Story 3 as a family this summer. When we go, we go all out. We get popcorn, candy, and drinks and just have a blast. We don't focus on the cost, we just enjoy the outing.
Same with vacations or special events like the fair. We plan ahead financially and really enjoy ourselves. I look at is as a memory making thing and I want our kids to have lots of great memories of their childhood.
Fun Family Time Ideas -
Go to the movies - Like I said above, when you hear of a great family movie coming out, go and make an experience out of it.
Go to the movies at home - Put on a great movie, snuggle on the couch with blankets and loved ones, pop popcorn, have snacks, and have fun.
Go bowling, mini golfing, or skating - It is so fun to have some healthy competition and do something that isn't just sitting.
Go out for ice cream - Lee and I love to take the kids to our favorite ice cream shop, Sunni Sky's, in the summer and sit outside and have homemade ice cream.
Make homemade ice cream - Get an ice cream machine and make your own ice cream. It's really fun to try new flavors or buy all the toppings for sundaes.
Make homemade pizza - Make (or buy) individual pizza crusts and get all the toppings prepped (I like to put them in individual bowls like a pizza parlor). Everyone rolls out their crust, adds their sauce, cheese, and toppings, and gets to enjoy their favorite pizza.
Go to the park and play (parents too!) - We love to take lunch to the park and play. Lee and I are big kids at heart and have just as much fun going on the slides and swings and playing with the kids and the kids love it.
Have a tickle fight - We love to do tickle fights. Just make sure you go potty first ;).
Go paint pottery - I love to paint pottery. I am not an artist, but there is something so fun about getting a piece of pottery and just painting it and enjoying it for years to come.
Go to the zoo/museums - Lots of places put out coupons (sometimes buy 1, get 1 free). It is so fun to walk around learning about things together.
Wash the vehicles - Put on bathing suits and wash vehicles. Mom and Dad wash the big ones and let the kids wash their bikes/trikes (or let them help with the big vehicles).
Water gun/balloon fight - Again, put on bathing suits and get water guns/balloons and have a fight in the backyard.
Pillow fight - Grab some pillows and have a great pillow fight. Set some boundaries and have fun.
Play sports in the backyard - We love to play baseball or toss the football in the backyard.
Decorate cookies - Make (or buy) cookie dough and icing and use cookie cutters and sprinkles and decorate cookies.
Volunteer - Go to a shelter and serve food, build a house for Habitat for Humanity, etc.
There are millions of things you can do with your family. Some take time, money, or a bigger commitment than others, but the main thing is that your heart is for your family and that they are your priority. I hope these ideas have gotten your juices flowing. I would love to hear how you make family time a priority and what you do with your family.
How To Prioritize Family Time -
#1 - Don't Over-Commit to Things
In this busy day and age there are a million things you and your family can do from church activities to school activities to sports to social get togethers to hanging out with other friends. It's not that these things are bad, but if you aren't careful, you could all be going in 100 different directions all the time and not have time for just your family.
Lee and I make it a priority to really think about what we are doing with our time and commitments to make sure we get time as a family unit. That means we aren't excessively involved in our church (we do go every Sunday morning to worship and most Wednesday nights for the meal and classes, but we don't do choir, extra Bible studies, or too many other get togethers that pull us away from each other extra times).
We don't sign up for activities all the time. We like spending time with friends and extended family, but we don't do it excessively.
We will let the kids do activities as they get older, but not excessively. I am not sure what the rule will be yet, but we will look at each thing and the commitment level (ie how much time it takes each week) and decide if it is fruitful enough for the commitment it takes. Of course our children will do church things, sports, and activities, just not every single day of the week. And when possible, I want things to still be family time or at least more than one person in the family going (ie all of us go and cheer for Luke's sporting event or Lee and Nathan go to cub scouts together). That way we aren't split up all the time.
#2 - Have Dinner Together [Almost] Every Night
I have read a ton of parenting books and gotten tons of tips on how to have a successful family unit and one of the biggest things I have seen is how important family dinner is. We try to have dinner as a family every night. I know this isn't possible for everyone but since I stay home full-time, we only have to work around Lee's work schedule. I try to have dinner ready when he gets home so that we can all sit down and enjoy a meal together.
I know that life is going to get busier as the kids get older, but I really want to try to have family dinner every night (at least most nights), so we can all stay on the same page and know what is going on in each other's lives. It doesn't matter if it's a fancy meal, hamburger helper, take out on paper plates, or at a restaurant, family dinner is just everyone being together enjoying a meal and conversation.
On that note, we try to keep family dinner positive. We don't talk about Lee's work (unless it is good stuff) or the misbehavior of the kids all day or bad things that are going on. We try to have fun and enjoy that time together.
#3 - Spend Time Together Playing Each Night (Or at least most nights)
Again I know that isn't always possible for everyone, but Lee and I try to spend time playing with the kids after dinner each night. If you can't do every night, plan nights when you can. Designate at least one night a week for "family night." It is easier now to have this time together and I know it will get a little harder as the kids get older (especially teenagers), but I think setting aside time to play and have fun as a family is important.
I read that as your kids get older you should designate one night for "family night". No friends over, no dates, everyone is there. The book said Sunday night worked for their family because they had gone to church and usually had a lower key day and it was a school night so kids weren't going out with friends/on dates and there usually weren't activities on Sundays. I think whatever works for your family is best.
#4 - Plan Special Outings
We aren't big on going to movies since most of the movies that come out are too violent and/or sexually explicite and it costs a lot, but if there is a good family movie worth seeing, we plan it as an event. For instance, we went to see Toy Story 3 as a family this summer. When we go, we go all out. We get popcorn, candy, and drinks and just have a blast. We don't focus on the cost, we just enjoy the outing.
Same with vacations or special events like the fair. We plan ahead financially and really enjoy ourselves. I look at is as a memory making thing and I want our kids to have lots of great memories of their childhood.
Fun Family Time Ideas -
Go to the movies - Like I said above, when you hear of a great family movie coming out, go and make an experience out of it.
Go to the movies at home - Put on a great movie, snuggle on the couch with blankets and loved ones, pop popcorn, have snacks, and have fun.
Go bowling, mini golfing, or skating - It is so fun to have some healthy competition and do something that isn't just sitting.
Go out for ice cream - Lee and I love to take the kids to our favorite ice cream shop, Sunni Sky's, in the summer and sit outside and have homemade ice cream.
Make homemade ice cream - Get an ice cream machine and make your own ice cream. It's really fun to try new flavors or buy all the toppings for sundaes.
Make homemade pizza - Make (or buy) individual pizza crusts and get all the toppings prepped (I like to put them in individual bowls like a pizza parlor). Everyone rolls out their crust, adds their sauce, cheese, and toppings, and gets to enjoy their favorite pizza.
Go to the park and play (parents too!) - We love to take lunch to the park and play. Lee and I are big kids at heart and have just as much fun going on the slides and swings and playing with the kids and the kids love it.
Have a tickle fight - We love to do tickle fights. Just make sure you go potty first ;).
Go paint pottery - I love to paint pottery. I am not an artist, but there is something so fun about getting a piece of pottery and just painting it and enjoying it for years to come.
Go to the zoo/museums - Lots of places put out coupons (sometimes buy 1, get 1 free). It is so fun to walk around learning about things together.
Wash the vehicles - Put on bathing suits and wash vehicles. Mom and Dad wash the big ones and let the kids wash their bikes/trikes (or let them help with the big vehicles).
Water gun/balloon fight - Again, put on bathing suits and get water guns/balloons and have a fight in the backyard.
Pillow fight - Grab some pillows and have a great pillow fight. Set some boundaries and have fun.
Play sports in the backyard - We love to play baseball or toss the football in the backyard.
Decorate cookies - Make (or buy) cookie dough and icing and use cookie cutters and sprinkles and decorate cookies.
Volunteer - Go to a shelter and serve food, build a house for Habitat for Humanity, etc.
There are millions of things you can do with your family. Some take time, money, or a bigger commitment than others, but the main thing is that your heart is for your family and that they are your priority. I hope these ideas have gotten your juices flowing. I would love to hear how you make family time a priority and what you do with your family.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
