Tuesday 24 July 2018

9 Sunday jobs that help win the week ahead

To try and keep the whole family organised and on track I've been working out processes and routines for the way we do things regularly.


This is in part to make myself redundant. So that, should anything ever happen to me, others can step in and keep things moving.

(and eventually the goal is to outsource all these things to the kids.)

But right now it's mostly because I'm fed up with feeling like my life is out of control, and having routines in place provides me with some semblance of balance.

Sunday for us is often about lazy mornings and quiet afternoons of gadget time for the kids. We generally don't plan anything for Sundays, preferring to utilise after school time and Saturdays for any household or yard work that needs to be done.

With the kids busy with YouTube, it's the perfect opportunity for me to do things without constant interruptions and nagging for food.

I do some baking


While having some prepackaged snacks available for lunch boxes is handy, it can get ridiculously expensive when there's 7 packets of biscuits in a box and 4 kids, the packet won't even do 2 days worth of lunches. So I try to have biscuits or slices available, at least for the start of the week. I'll often need to bake again by Tuesday or Wednesday (or notice that absolutely nothing has been touched)

I tidy the kitchen


Douglas and Natalie alternate nights washing dishes, so on Sundays I take some time to give the bench tops a quick scrub, and tidy the pantry and table. Sometimes I'll need to run the dishwasher, and other times I'll pull out the mop and bucket, depending on how things are tracking.

I wash a load of clothes


I have found that washing clothes on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday is best for us. Towels and bedding is done as needed, and if Steve has come home from work, I'll often need to run a load on Saturday.

I update the meal plan


By Sunday we're at the end of our grocery week, or running low on food and ideas, so I take a moment to make sure I've still got everything for the plan, or adjust as needed.

This post from Lauren at Create.Bake.Make. reminded me how expensive the idea of topping up can be so I'm trying hard to only need fruit by Sunday.

I wash kids hair


20 years, 5 kids, hair washing battles have been a part of life for a long time. I'm not sure if it it's because I've implemented this routine, or because the bigger kids do it by themselves now (but probably a bit of both), but those battles are a thing of the past.

Of course, in summer it's a little more often, but the kids know that every Sunday I'm going to wash their hair, and there's no arguments (or tears) from anyone.

I set up my bullet journal


Using a bullet journal is still the best method of controlling the clutter in my brain. And I still use the same weekly set up, taking some time on Sunday evening once everyone is in bed to think about the week ahead, keep track of appointments, and plan my week.

I supervise living area tidying


I've given up on ever having tidy bedrooms, although I do want the kids to pick up their clothes and put them away. But with two big dogs and a paper-and-scissors-obsessed small girl, staying on top of the living areas is a must.

The kids do a quick toy and rubbish pick up, and I'll sweep or vacuum as needed.

I make lunches for tomorrow


The one thing I have done that has changed my mornings. Lots of experts suggest doing this, but I really had no idea how much of an impact it would have. It means the kids can get started on packing lunch boxes straight away in the mornings, and I can take my time over breakfast without having to rush anything.

I send everyone to bed early


By the end of the weekend I am often noised out. Sending everyone (even Douglas, much to his disgust) to bed early means that I can stretch my Sunday evenings out just a little bit longer without interruptions. And there's no sign of cranky kids come Monday morning, because they've had a reasonable night's sleep.

How do you get ready for the week ahead?

Linking up with Kylie Purtell for IBOT

bit.ly/ChristmasPlanner2018
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6 comments

  1. Sundays are my day to get organised, well in the morning anyway and the afternoon is just for me! Love Sundays

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    Replies
    1. Sundays are almost as enjoyable as Mondays!

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  2. What happened to Sunday being the day of rest?? LOL I like to do many of those things too. I have 4 kids and I like to start our week as organised as possible.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Setting the week up so the kids can do things for themselves is restful :)

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  3. Sunday afternoon was like that for me and our family when I was teaching/working full-time. It sure does make the week ahead easier for everyone.
    Denyse #teamIBOT

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  4. Sunday’s are my batch cook day. It definitely helps me get ahead for the week!

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