May's Monthly Focus - An Evening Routine

 So, my morning routine is going well, as long as the computer stays off until about 10AM.  The littlest two have been getting me up around 7AM each morning, so I'm getting a good start on the day.  Now, I want a great end to each day.  I find bedtime so difficult.  I always have since I had children.  I'm tired.  They are tired.  Daddy doesn't do bedtime, except to hold a sleepy child while Mommy is dressing another sleepy child.  (And that's really okay because when he's not here, I notice it!)  There is supper to clean up and dishes to do and baths to take.  All this with no water on the main floor.  It means a lot of stairs for already tired people!

So here's my EVENING ROUTINE:

4:30 PM

Computer Off (at least the monitor)

Start supper

Tidy kitchen

Check laundry

Eat and vitamins

Clean up supper

Run dishwasher

6:00 PM

Start baths

Tidy main rooms

Diapers and jammies

Story time

Hugs and kisses

7:30 PM

Check calendar

Start to do list

Plan for tomorrow

Think about breakfast and supper

Lay out clothes for tomorrow

8:00 PM

Computer time

9:30 PM

Shower and teeth

Dress for bed

Read / TV / Computer

11:00 PM

Lights out

I added specific times to my EVENING ROUTINE because the evening is of a time sensitive nature.  We have to get to bed on time, with supper cleaned up.   Lately the children have been up past 10PM and that means that I'm up later as well.  I can't get up in the morning and function well if I'm up much past midnight.  I have been implementing this routine in a loose manner in the last few days, and I can see things are getting smoother.  Two things seem to be my downfall - getting off the computer at or before 4:30PM and getting away from the computer to go shower and dress for bed.


I printed both these routines on 8.5x11 paper and posted them in a number of different places around the house.  I also printed them off on 3x5 cards to put in the bathroom.  The bathroom is tiny and the full sheets of paper are too "in your face".


So, there is the plan for May - to continue with my MORNING ROUTINE and add my EVENING ROUTINE.




Striving to learn and live God's purposes,