Okay, time for a deep dark confession ... are you ready? Are you sitting down? This is big, especially if you know me (you know, the controlling, anal retentive, a bit OCD me ...) ...
I don't have a schedule.
There I've confessed it, written down for all the world, or my five readers, to read.
I don't know what happened, I mean I used to have a schedule. I got up at 5:30AM, left the house by 7AM at the latest, worked until 4:30PM and headed home. You could count on me being in bed and asleep by no later than 10PM ... and then I got pregnant, and yes, almost instantly my schedule changed a bit. It was harder to get up at 5:30AM, so I sacrificed my lunch hour for an extra hour of sleep ... and it wasn't uncommon for me to be asleep by 9PM. Slowly my schedule was slipping ...
And then I had HIM ... the little person that threw my schedule right out the window, well at least for a few weeks anyway. I was spoiled with Ethan (as I am told very often), he was sleeping 8 hours a night at 8 weeks old. So in theory, I should have gotten back into a schedule, right? Wrong ... as a mom to a newborn I savored every Milli-second of sleep and to wake up before Ethan did was absurd. Well, then he started sleeping 9, 10, 11, 12 hours at night. So I used those extra evening hours to hang out with Matt, catch up on things I couldn't get done while he was awake and again to sleep ... a lot.
So now it's been over three years since Ethan shook up my routine. He sleeps about 10-11 hours at night and about 2 hours in the afternoon. Pretty good, right? Right. So why, oh why, can't I get into a decent schedule?
Am I alone? Am I the only SAHM who only gets up before her child only 30% of the time? Am I the only one who takes a nap 60% of the time? Please tell me I am not alone. Now if you have children you have to ready for school and maybe even drive them there, well you don't count ... because I would have to get up for this ... but right now, well I don't have to get up and that is the problem.
It's really a battle for me. I like a routine, I like a schedule ... and while our days flow pretty well the same, I don't know that it's the BEST routine or schedule. I'm constantly feeling inadequate in this area which to me tells me I haven't reached the right balance. I do know when I get up before Ethan, get showered and ready for the day, I have a better perspective on the day, I tend to get more done and I nap less ...
So why, oh why is it SO hard to get up when the alarm says 7:15AM?!?!
Happy Tuesday ... I did get up, showered and ready early today and didn't take a nap!!
6 comments:
Well - I don't qualify as a SAHM - but I am thinking maybe the schedule issue is one of the reasons why I didn't take too well to staying home. Never really put it in that perspective until I read your post today. So I don't have any words of wisdom - but I think I understand where you are coming from.
I am listening to 'what I am listening to' - thank you for sharing! Glad you added this feature to your blog! Love you!
Yes I have to say we do have a schedule here. I have to be up before the kids. I'm a morning person so I can get some stuff done before they get up. Having Garrett and Kylee as babies I really didn't have a choice but to be super scheduled. We've lightened it up quite a bit but there's still a loose schedule that keeps our day on track.
I doubt you'll be able to be "schedule-less" forever so enjoy it while you have it!
Who gets up before their kids? Why would you waste such precious sleep time? :) The last two and a half weeks I have actually had to get up and ready before the kids because of watching Ethan. He gets here before the kids are up. I do admit it is nice to be up and ready to go and actually have a morning but once Friday rolls around (I don't watch E on Fridays) Bryson is my alarm clock again. I love my sleep. And yes, when Maddy still took naps I would often times take them too. It won't be to much longer that Ethan is taking naps so take advantage of that. As far as routine goes during the day, we have one and I stick to it pretty well. It "ruffles my feathers" (sorry, that was dumb) to have it thrown off. I even have to have a plan for the day on the weekends. Sad, I know.
Seriously, I think we have forgone the schedules to save ourselves the everyday dissappointment when we never get to keep to them. My days are"roughly" scheduled around meals and naps... but other than that... no way. Claire is my alarm clock as well unless I know I have to be up and out of the house early. You're not alone :)
Discipline girls, discipline! You can do it! You would be amazed how much more you can achieve if you discipline yourself to get up and treat your day as if you were employed...not to a stringent fault, but just so you and your kids know what to expect. It also teaches them about life, because it won't be long before they have to discipline themselves to get up everyday for school. You need to be a good example.
You know what, Andrea, I say to do what ever you want to do while you can do it! I mean, really, how awesome that you have the freedom to be able to do this so don't beat yourself up about it- enjoy it!!! Maybe you could take a shower at night if that is part of the issue but really, just be!!! :o) I will love you anyway, really! LOL!!!
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