Hate routines but tired of the chaos? Read this.

Here’s the response I get when I tell a mama that the reason they are overwhelmed is because they lack routine: ⠀
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“Routines are too stressful” ⠀
“Routines are too rigid” ⠀
“Routines are too complicated” ⠀
“I don’t do routines” ⠀
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Sound familiar? Is this how you feel, too? It’s okay to be honest! ⠀
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But, here’s my response. Here’s why I’m OBSESSED with what routines can do for you as a mom and the freedom they bring:⠀
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Routines give you freedom in your day because you know exactly how your time is spent and where your energy is going. No more living in a constant state of anxiety because you have a million things to do and don’t know how or when it will get done. When you create consistency via routines for your days and your weeks, you can choose how to structure your day so that it best serves you and your family. It doesn’t have to be super rigid. In fact, it shouldn’t be. But, the general flow should be there. You should be able to run your day and your home without having to think too hard about it.
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Routines allow you to be proactive about your time instead of reactive about your time. Instead of reacting to a house full of chaos and trying to put out fires, you have a simple plan in place to prevent those fires in the first place. As mamas, we know that there are usually fires to put out at some point in our day. Someone will have a meltdown. Someone will have an accident. Someone will spill something. Things not going as planned are often most mamas’ reasons as to why they don’t believe routines will work for them. However, when you have a plan in place, you are able to quickly troubleshoot when things go awry. You are able to look at your day like a puzzle, and you can simply decide what pieces of the puzzle need to shift in order to get yourself and your family back on track. ⠀
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Routines help your children know what to expect, thus providing stability and improving behavior. And when you’re kids know what to expect and you know what to expect from your kids, it makes everything simpler. (Note: simpler doesn’t mean easier. Motherhood will always have its hard moments, but simplicity makes those moments a bit easier to deal with.) The truth is, kids love routines and they need them in order to thrive. Unpredictability is tough for little ones (and big ones) to handle. Yes, we need to teach our kids to be flexible, and there will be plenty of that happening as well, but flexibility is actually easier to deal with when there is routine. It is also easier to bounce back after said unpredictability passes.

Routines provide the harmony you’re craving. They prevent you from feeling like you’re being pulled in a million different directions at the same time. They bring stability to your household. They ensure you’re making time to take care of yourself instead of constantly pouring from an empty cup. They allow you to make the most of the precious time God has given you. Time is fleeting and we cannot get it back. When we have kids, it becomes twice as fleeting. We blink, and that hour we thought we had is over. We blink, and its already bathtime and we’re wondering where another day has gone. We blink and those littles are heading off to college. We must make the best use of our time that God has given us. It is an immense gift that comes with a mission and responsibility to use it wisely. Choosing to manage your time means choosing to be intentional with your time. Choosing to be intentional with your time means choosing to live on purpose. It means choosing joy.

Struggling to manage your time, mama? Then this resource is for you.