Lol! I know I did when I came up with the title of today's blog post! Do you try and put together a calendar or a schedule for yourself and your family every week only to change it again the next day? Do you put a calendar or schedule together and then completely do the opposite of what it says everyday? Do you follow your schedule to a "T" and then become stressed when a spontaneous change is made and you have to temporarily break the rules? If one of these is you, then this post is for you! I'm actually all three. It may seem like it's not possible, but it is. We as moms can put so much pressure on ourselves in addition to the pressure naturally added by everyday life. Sure, a schedule can and should be a guide for us to follow, and helps us create a balance so that we don't feel totally out of sync. But it's totally okay to break it and make spontaneous last minute adjustments without beating ourselves up. I was talking to another mom in my circle of moms this morning. We talked about how funny it is that we understand each other in instances like yesterday when she sent me a text message inviting us to join them for dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant. I didn't get the message because my phone was somewhere in my bedroom when she sent it and I was in the living room doing what I do best and managing the boys' playtime before dinner. Mind you, I'd gone grocery shopping earlier and had planned a Spaghetti dinner. By 6:30 P.M., I was so tired from helping my oldest son compete a craft we downloaded off the internet, we jumped in the truck and picked up burgers for dinner! This morning, I found out my dear mommy friend rushed off to urgent care with her son and totally ditched the Mexican fiesta dinner idea! You see? It's easy to abandon your original plans with children. You don't know how you will feel, how they will feel, and it's best to be prepared for, well anything. If you don't create a schedule and simply posting the important memos like a doctor's appointment, or a school play are all that's necessary, good for you. We all have our own normal, and there is no wrong or right way I feel to do what works best for you and your family. The one common goal should be to have some type of direction so that you know what's happening tomorrow. If you don't have the entire month or year etched in stone yet so be it. The truth of the matter is...the most important thing we should try to preserve and get ready for with our children, is the next moment.
- Jantina Maria Rice
