Mama doesn’t waste time.
OK ok I know what you’re thinking. Isn’t this series supposed to be about naptime? Well I believe that a successful day starts in the morning! This morning routine was so life changing for me as a mom. I gained so much more peace and joy throughout my entire day and naptime became way more productive for me once I started to implement this routine!
If you don’t already know, I’m a bit of an achiever (Enneagram 3 over here). I was also realizing I was frustrated and sometimes angry at my kids during the day. A wise older mom spoke into my life when my children were very young, and her words will stick with me forever. She told me that “anger is a result of blocked goals”. Whoa. I have A LOT of goals…and my kids are VERY good at blocking those. No wonder I was constantly frustrated! I decided at that moment to do something about it. First of all, I needed to be realistic about what I can get done when they are running around my feet. Secondly, I needed to start my day off in the right frame of mind and feel like I am already ahead of the day before they even wake up! Yep, that’s right. I had to wake up EVEN EARLIER than I already did. It’s totally worth it. Trust me.
First of all, I had to train my kids to stay in their room until a certain time. Que the OK To Wake Clock. Seriously the best invention that has ever existed, IMO. You set a time that you want the little clock to turn green and you tell your kids they cannot come out of the room for the day until it is green. It took a little while to train them, we pushed it out incrementally by 10 minutes until we arrived at 7am. My kids now wait to come out of their room until the light is green. Brilliant.
So I made a list of all the things I wanted to accomplish before they wake up, then I figured out how much time those things will take…and then subtracted that from 7am. Below is my list. You might have different goals and desires from me, so your list might look different.
- Work Out
- Shower
- Read my bible
- Quiet Time
- Breakfast and coffee alone
So I wake up at 5:40am every morning. Yep even the weekends because…my children never sleep in. Ever. I really recharge on being alone, and when you are a mom of littles, you have to be creative sometimes to get your alone time.
After implementing this morning routine I am more patient and present with my children during the day. By naptime I am ready to conquer the things that I need to get done. This morning routine puts me in a good frame of mind that lasts. Back in my earlier mom days I would workout and shower during naptime. I really didn’t like the fact that I would have to get ready for the day twice, to me that was such a waste of time. Mama doesn’t waste time. So I decided to switch it up, and I’ve never looked back! Now naptime is work time.
Keep reading….Naptime Chronicles | Planning & Batch Work
Keep reading…Naptime Chronicles | My Evening Routine
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