Mum is everyone’s personal secretary; but never her own!

Organising the family along with ones individual tasks, activities, jobs, chores, outings, sport days, excursions, swimming lessons, football/soccer/netball training, appointments to the dentist, hairdresser, doctor, optometrist etc is something the mother often does.  It is almost like running a business and being the personal secretary for the children (and the husband).

Categorising events, making lists, and/or keeping a diary or large calendar (or using your mobile phone to track events) can help with planning out the week or months ahead; family life can become rather hectic, therefore having a simple planning system in your home,  can make life a little easier and  may even keep the household in order too.

What ever system works for you; try to keep things simple.  Have all appointments in the same place and for all the family to see.  Here is an example of our family calendar organiser.  Below on the calendar, RED = events & appointments.  BLUE = Menu or Meal Plan for the following evening.  

 

Meal planning is also a great way to be organised and helps immensely if it is prepared or organised in advance. Having the evenings meal written down and on view can also encourage the older children to help with the preparation too (if you are making it up of an evening).

A School Routine Planner is another example of how to organise those weekly occurrences throughout school, whether you have a couple of children or a larger family, something like this can be adapted in any home.

 

Organising and creating family charts above IS definately a fantastic way to become organised; however what about a chart or something for mum too?  Mothers tend to think of everyone else and forget about tending to their own needs as well.  With all the above schedules and varied appointments; surely mum needs a chart or timetable too?

Therefore, sit down and work out a planner for yourself.  Create a weekly calendar either by hand or creating a table via a “WORD” document with all the tasks that the mother needs to do;

• choose days to do those particular chores and jobs (ironing, mending etc)
• write down your regular appointments and times
• colour code items to make things clearer at a glance
• place the times and events making it easy to read
• and more importantly, have it in view for your husband to see (perhaps you won’t get the usual “so….did you DO ANYTHING AT ALL TODAY”)?

Recently I was able to create some time in my already busy schedule to join a gym.  After almost 15 yrs I now have a little time to myself.  Here is my weekly timetable below:

• The BLUE = BOOT CAMP, 3 mornings a week (WED/THURS/FRI) as my youngest attends kinder on those days.  If I can get to an evening fitness class, then it’s a bonus.

• Planning and preparing the evening meals; I try to organise the night before either by getting out the meat and placing in the fridge (to defrost slowly) or making up the salad and side dishes (if suitable and depending on what I am serving the following day).

• Monday is my major clean up and chores day

• Tuesday my busy TAXI TUESDAY (with two lots of school runs and two lots of swimming lessons) as I am in the car all day long and in and out of the house.

• Wednesday, Thursday & Friday ~ GYM days and kinder pick-up (the afternoon is gone).

• The weekends are free at the moment until the winter sporting season starts up after the Easter holidays.

So there you have it, all mothers are extremely busy; yet I am sure if we all sat down and did our own personal schedules, there just might be small space of free time somewhere.

It is now your turn; take the opportunity to find a little time for yourself and be YOUR own secretary for a change.  Find that moment, the small piece of solitude ~ that space in time where YOU CAN put your feet up or enjoy something for you!

(ABOVE POST WRITTEN YEARS AGO)!