For all my frustrations with parenting and schedules, I have to say (with a grumble) that I'm really not too bad at either one! That is what really gets me! Our house is not a free-for-all. Meals and bedtimes are relatively normal. I play with my kids and teach them. I work hard to teach manners, lead by example, to discipline and most of all to love and affirm them.
As against the grain as it is to say, since parents (moms in particular) are pretty hard on themselves, I AM a good mom to my boys! I think I'd want to be my kid.
But, there are obvious issues we are facing that have to be dealt with. So, I've broken down (or gotten smart, not sure which) and made a written, semi-detailed schedule for us to follow.
I'm going to do something extreme (for me) and wake my kids up at a certain time each day. I pray, pray, pray, pray that in doing this we can set an internal wake up clock for the kids and have some normalcy to the start of our day. If I can have some guarantee of when they will wake up, I might be able to wake up before them and get myself centered for the day. Maybe that will help them sleep better. And if both of them can have a good idea of what the order of things are each morning, we can try to eliminate some of the whining, boredom and laziness that often creeps in. If K can know when it is play time, when it is time to learn and when it is time to clean or eat, maybe he'll grumble less. If mealtimes are at an enforced time, at the table and all together, maybe I can cut down on K's constant asking for snacks, as well as his tendency to eat while moving around (making a huge mess).
I have big hopes for this. I've often made lists and plans for my own time, but I don't usually try to set things up for other people. I'm praying hard that this will make a difference. That I can stick with it and turn at least a few things in life around for the good.
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