When You Need a Schedule: Day 3 – Establishing a Beginning and End

Day Three:

Establishing a Beginning and End

In this constantly bustling society, one area that often gets overlooked is the amount of sleep everyone is getting.  Some might be getting too much, but if you're a mom of young children, chances are that you aren't getting enough sleep.  I can be totally guilty of that – robbing time from sleep to get things done.  But if you don't have rest, it makes you much more irritable and less productive.  It is hard to be full of grace and patient when you are exhausted.  It is hard to find joy and delight in the Word of the Lord when you are falling asleep reading it or while you are in prayer.  The National Sleep Foundation outlines the following sleep needs by age:

I definitely know that there are seasons when sleep-survival is the key.  When my kids were babies and I was nursing them, sleep was sporadic at best.  Now my youngest is two, so with the exception of children awakened by dreams or the need for assistance to use the potty, my nights are generally restful.  Know and embrace the season you are in, and discover what works best for your family.

Today's Mission:

Map out a sleep schedule for everyone in your family EXCLUDING your spouse (they probably won't be super-excited about you scheduling their time!)  Basically, as you go about the day, think of the amount of sleep each you and your children need, and come up with a bedtime and rise time that should work well for each person on your schedule.  Strive as much as possible to choose a time that can be consistently met nearly all days of the week.  

That's it!!  Hope you are keeping up!  We are moving into more of the details of our schedule tomorrow!

This Post is part of a series titled "Creating a Family Schedule That Works for You".  The other links to the posts in this series may be found here:

Intro 1

Intro 2

Day 1: Developing The Vision

Day 2: Narrowing the Path

Day 3: Establishing a Beginning and End

Day 4: Activity List

Day 5: Adding It Up

Day 6: Redefining Your Day

Day 7: The Schedule Comes Together