Late!

Since quitting my job lo those many months ago, I haven't been able to summon two craps to give about when/how/why or how often daylight savings time changes occur.  I don't have to be at a desk and I don't really care if my kids go to bed at the time that the clock says 7:00 or 8:00, just so long as they go to bed. 

But this year?  I forgot to change the kitchen clock and the result, two whole days later, was that we were an hour late for preschool this morning.  I felt like such a loser walking in after school had already started, too.  Oops.  I didn't notice my mistake until it was WAY too late for us to make it to school even remotely on time. 

Am I the only one who sucks at keeping her kids on a schedule?  With everyone complaining about how the time change is affecting their kids, I'm wondering how y'all do it.  I don't think I've spent even a single day of my life doing the same thing at the same time as any other day of my life, unless it was completely random.  I get up when the baby wakes up.  I go to sleep when I'm tired.  The only thing that's constant in our schedule is that Alex goes to preschool on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  I'm allowed to drop him off any time between 7:30 and 9:30, so even those days tend to be pretty flexible.

I can't tell you how many times I've  sat down and tried to come up with a housework schedule.  If only I could always do laundry on Tues/Thurs afternoons and vacuum Mon/Wed/Fri mornings, my life would be complete and I would be blissfully happy.  Only not.  I can't do it.  My life keeps getting in the way (and by my life, I mean literally ANYTHING other than housework.) 

Is that awful? 

Comments

[Arwen]

If it's awful, then I'm awful right along with you. And I only have the one baby!

My take is this: if there is enough routine in your life to keep the kids happy and secure, you're good. They just need to know that their needs will be met - and it sounds like you're totally fine in that area.

I think there's a lot of pressure on mothers to get it right, to always have the laundry done and the floors vacuumed and dinner on the table by six. All that stuff is fine, but if it can only happen at the cost of interaction with the kids, then maybe it's okay if it doesn't get done sometimes. They're young for such a short time, and I think enjoying this age should be first priority.

This is not to say that a lack of order can't get out of hand - and I've known families where it does - but it seems to me that it's not a big deal if the laundry piles up a little or you miss vacuuming one day. As long as the kids are happy and secure, all is fine.

(By the way, the walking - wow! My nephew is two weeks younger than Genoa and he just now mastered crawling. You really do give birth to toddlers.)

[Jenny H.]

My two are on a half-ass schedule. They take naps and go to sleep about the same time everyday. That is pretty much it.

Laundry, dishes? Those get done when they go to bed. I attempt to pick up the rest of the house, but it is kind of pointless because of Thing 1 & Thing 2!! So that ALSO gets done after bedtime! Who has time to do anything else? I try not to let it bother me. I would rather play with them and have fun while they are young. There will be plenty of time for a super clean house later on.

[Patti]

It's so hard when you have two little ones, and are basically in your own little world of "just trying to survive the day alive mode". Don't sweat it! This is just one of those small things that slips on by and really doesn't hurt or help in the great scheme of life.

[Nikki]

Heh. I wish I could be more half-assed about a schedule... I've given birth to a schedule-junkie. The kid wakes at the same time every day, naps at the same time every day, and eats at the same time every day. There is little to no wiggle room-- you deviate from the tiny tyrant's schedule, and YOU WILL PAY. Sigh.

[Obabe]

There is only a routine of sorts in our house b/c I work full time, and have a nanny, and wanted certain things to get done every week, so it helped to make days for those items (wed is change sheet day, friday is full out cleaning). If i didnt work/have a nanny, it would probably be more half assed. And i have kids who do well with routines and structure in terms of sleeping/naps, so we do have set bedtimes (obviously, there is room for flexibility here) and naps as well. But im with the "if your kids are happy/rested/etc then go with it" type of deal. to each his own!!!

[theotherbear]

Vacuuming 3 times a week - now that IS awful! :)