I love a good routine, I like knowing what to expect and working to a plan. Once we established a routine for Skye I felt much more at ease because I knew what was suppose to be happening and when. Without routine and plans, I miss things, like paying the car insurance, or booking Bundy’s annual shots and this stresses me out. I am happiest when I have my whole week laid out so I can see where I am going long before I am suppose to be there. I don’t mind being busy, as long as I have booked it in, in fact, the busier the better. But what happens when your routine just becomes a rut?
It could have something to do with being cooped up in the house all week while Skye gets over her conjunctivitis but everything just feels so… repetitve. Same breakfast, same struggle to change Skye’s nappy, same wrestle over getting dressed. The day progresses and we move on to the same play-doh and colouring in games followed by the same lunch and then its nap time. This time is often spent doing the housework that is identical to what was done yesterday. Before I know it, the witching hour is upon us and another day is almost over without fanfare. I am bored with it, and I am certain Skye is bored with it too.
When the weekend rolls around we try to fit so many things in that nothing really gets done and there seems to be a significant lack of quality time spent on any one thing. Ultimately we all seem to be left unsatisfied by our efforts, but the routine has become so entrenched that we lack the inspiration to break out of it. It is times like this that the routine is no longer working for us, but against us. Rather than making me feel that I am in control I am restricted by it, and it’s wearing me down.
I don’t have a solution to this other than knowing that it is something we need to work on as a family. We have to help each other to make the routine more flexible for all of us. It is not an easy task right now as Luke is still working away which means our precious weekends together have become a muddled mess of practical and social commitments. I feel that having a clearer expectation of what we all hope to achieve in this small window of time is crucial to our success. Time management is most definitely key. As is my need for a little quality time on my own. I hope that when I revisit this post we have managed to to loosen our routine enough to make it a useful tool for us once again.
This is where you come in – how is your current routine working for you? Do you feel that you have fallen into a rut? Or have you pulled yourself out of a rut and can share some tips? I am sure that I am not alone in this and would love to hear your thoughts.
