It’s Thursday afternoon. Almost Friday. And after that, it’s the weekend.
- What are you longing to do with that time?
- What’s been eating at you till you know it has to get done this Saturday?
- What’s something you’re looking forward to in your next weekend?
You need to have something fun for you on the weekends, or they’ll turn into just another day of housework, cooking, and kids pretty fast. (Just without the schooling or job stuff.)
That’s the one thing about staying at home with your kids – you truly don’t get a change-of-scenery break.
In other words, if you want your weekends to look different than your work week, you have to do that yourself.
Let’s talk about how to make that happen.
Add chores to the kids’ Saturday schedule
I have 3 suggestions for you on what to add (or subtract!) from your current Saturday routine.
Number one, chores.
You know what I like best about weekends? Getting the kids to do the house cleaning for me.
Not really joking, there.
They really do take over the “whole house once-over” thing – split four ways, of course. (The three-year-old gets a pass, but usually comes along to try some mirror spraying.)
If you’ve got six-and-up kids – seven or eight is even better – you can do this, too.
- Split the vacuuming between all the kids who are tall enough to handle the vacuum cleaner. (Or the sweeping, if you’ve got non-carpeted floors.)
- Divide the bathroom cleaning into toilets, sinks-and-counters, and showers/tubs. (Makes it seem smaller.)
- Throw in dusting, mopping, or whatever else you like to do on a weekly basis. (Compost-empyting, anyone?)
Imagine what your Saturday’s going to look like when you no longer have two hours of cleaning on your to-do list.
Now go make it happen.
Get the kids to do the house cleaning for you.
And if this whole concept of “take a break even if you have things on your to-do list” is foreign to you (but sounds like so much fun), jump in #Momlife Made Easy, where I walk you through the exact mindset shifts (and planner adjustments!) you need to start taking breaks for yourself on the regular, every single day.
And no, you’re not going to fall off the wagon – not this time. Not when you’ve had a taste of this freedom. Come coach with me, and let’s do this!
Add a fun activity or a break to your schedule
Number two, add in either a fun family outing (if you feel like you don’t get enough time with your kids) or a multi-hour mom break (if you’ve been around people all week and just need time by yourself).
This is your weekend capstone, your most-looked-forward-to item.
You get to choose whether that’s going to the park for a picnic lunch, or taking yourself off to the coffee shop!
Add a few leisure hours in your Saturday
And number three, make sure you’re adding in a little extra flop time on the weekends.
Saturday is not the time to go gung ho on every single house project you’ve ever put on a “might be nice” list. You have to slow down, or the weekend will feel like just another work week (albeit focused on your house!).
So what can you do to make Saturdays (and Sundays) lighter for you? Less stressful? More ease-ful?
Something like….
- Really fast meals or leftover nights
- Extended leisure hours during the day for yourself (not just at night)
- A special date with your husband, or weekend-only tea, or dark chocolate nibble
How does that sound?
So here’s your permission:
- Tell the kids they have to pitch in.
- Give them some of your chores – and don’t take them back.
- Let the rules be the bad guy.
- Take the emotions out of the chore reminder process.
What do you choose, aka permit yourself to change, about the weekends today?
