Blast away Boredom with a daily schedule

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by

Amy
in

Part of the Blast Away Boredom summer-long series on MomsToolbox.com.

Check back every Monday through Thursday for ideas to have more fun all summer long.

Need more ideas? Try this one to get you set for anytime boredom sets in…

On with today’s idea…

A Daily Schedule

Relaxing and living the carefree, unscheduled days of summer can be fun…. But it can also weigh on me.

Years ago my sister-in-law suggested I draw up a daily schedule for each child and myself, rotating activities to include time with each sibling, time with me and alone time. I actually scheduled time playing different sorts of things (ie doll time, Lego time, coloring, playdoh, help with meal prep, nap or quiet time, reading with xxx, etc.) in 30-minute intervals, also including a time slot for free choice.

I don’t use the play schedules every day, but I do pull them out and use them quite often.  They keep the kids from getting bored, and they insure that all the jobs that need be done get done and they make sure we play with more of our toys and not just the same three.

By having things written down on the schedule, I’m not struggling with coming up with new ideas every day and there are fewer arguments, too.

I shared the schedules with my babysitter one day last summer, giving her the option of using them or not. I could tell she thought my idea was crazy. But then she must have tried it because a few weeks later she came to work with schedules she had planned for the kids activities that day… and then she was hooked. (I guess she and I like to play different things with the kids. And that is okay with me.)

So give it a try. Write a blank schedule for each child and yourself, breaking it down into whatever time element you think would work for each child. (15 minutes? 20 minutes? 30 minutes?) Plot in mealtime, naptime and go from there. Feel free to make 7 schedules for a week or 2 or 3 that rotate. It’s up to you!

Do you think this might work for you?

What activities will you definitely make time for by using this plan that you might forget if you don’t? (By using this plan we get to the messier things like painting that I might not do otherwise.)

Comments

4 responses to “Blast away Boredom with a daily schedule”

  1. Kelly Avatar
    Kelly

    Wow, I schedule all of ‘my’ household chores, but i don’t schedule anything for my girls. I’m going to try this :) Thanks.

    Reply
  2. Becky Avatar
    Becky

    Enjoyed your post–this is something I have tried several times, but I struggle with consistency.
    I have an almost 3yo, a 15-mo-old and another on the way. I feel like their capabilities and needs are constantly changing, so a month or two after I get the schedule figured out, it’s now obsolete!
    Soooo to cheat a little :-) do you mind posting a sample 3-year-old schedule?
    My daughter is almost 3, and she loves playdoh, learning her letters and Bible verses, reading books with mom or sitting looking at them by herself, water paint, going to the park, riding tricycles, doing puzzles, etc. . . My struggle is keeping them both occupied at the same time.
    My son has the attention span of a flea, and has no interest in books or anything involving sitting still. He loves action and is happiest climbing the playground or going to the zoo.
    Any advice on keeping both occupied at their differing abilities?
    I love the fact that my husband wants me to stay at home, but I still have a lot to learn, coming home after a 10-year career in the business world!!! :-)
    Thanks!
    .-= Becky´s last blog ..Micah’s 1st Experience with the Goats =-.

    Reply
  3. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    I’ve planned out my days a little more loosly – scheduling activities on Mon, Tues, Wed (swim lessons & gymnastics) and then leaving Thursdays and Fridays wide open for special activities. Then we just fill in with pool time, play dates or free time. But I like the idea of being more structured with my free time on MTW since I am currently sitting in front of the tv with one child while the other plays in her room. :-)

    Lisa’s last blog post..Weekend Photos

    Reply
  4. Monica Avatar
    Monica

    This is such a great idea! I was just thinking this morning about our schedule and getting it written down and printed out to have something concrete.

    Monica’s last blog post..Mommy Bliss: Reading with My Baby Boy

    Reply

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