Our home tends to run like clockwork here, much to the horror of those who prefer a free and spontaneous lifestyle!
Now, if you are happy having each day surprise you, do not read today’s posting! But if you are wondering how to bring organisation to chaos, read on and see if what helps me can help you too.
I first learnt about order and organisation with my first child when we put him on a loose 3hr feeding schedule when he was about 4mths old. Before that, I could never figure out what each day would bring. When he would eat and sleep was always a hit and miss affair. Most stressful for a 1st-time mother!
Then my aunt introduced me to Gary & Anne Marie Ezzo’s book Preparation for Parenting. Once I put in place the basic principle of eat-play-sleep cycle for him, life became so much more manageable. I started enjoying being at home and being a mother more! He also became a much more contented baby. I was now able to cook, do housework, and even have ME time!
With that in place, I was able to face accepting another baby into the family with confidence. With each baby added to the family, he/she would be slowly integrated into our routine and it was mostly peace and harmony.
But there were other issues that need to be settled. With more children in the house it was difficult to find time to do everything without staying up late every night. I then chanced upon Teri Maxwell’s book Managers of the Home or MOTH. More details about MOTH can be found at the Maxwell’s website http://www.Titus2.com) Wow! It helped put so many things into place. Now that we have a routine in place, everyone knew what they were supposed to be doing.
I already had our meals and sleeping times fixed but the book gave me ideas on how to schedule homeschooling and housekeeping as well. Once the system was set up, I had to get everyone used to the new routine. After a few weeks, everyone knows exactly what they are supposed to be doing when. Isn’t that great?
Every once in a while, the system needs to be tweaked. Like when the toddler outgrows his morning nap or when we add another baby to the family Or when the older child needs to spend more time on school. We have gone through at least 4 or 5 versions of MOTH since I bought the book when we were expecting our 3rd child.
But as Teri Maxwell says in her book – the schedule, any schedule, is not our master but our tool. It is a tool that helps us manage our households better and in a more productive and efficient way. I have tweaked it so much that I am now only following the MOTH principle, not its exact implementation. I made it work for our family.
As the years have gone by, I have become much more relaxed. I think having more children have also forced me to relax a bit more So I can testify that a routine does not necessarily need to stifle your spontaneous style but will allow you more accountability.
A routine is helpful for a 2-child family but definitely crucial for a large family. This is yet another way we manage our large family. May it help yours!