When we overschedule ourselves we end up with frazzled transitions and stress.
- Schedule fewer activities. In the years of littles I worked to keep my outings to just a few times a week. Loading children into car seats and making sure the baby is fed is intense, and when we limit outings it can create more peace.
- Create a time cushion. While I had limited outings, I often tried to cram too much into the time before we left. I recommend scheduling an hour just to get ready, gather shoes, feed the baby, etc. I was often trying to get schooling done and then leaving too little time for preparation.
- Plan ahead. Prep lunches the night before, soak oatmeal in the Instant Pot , and pack up the diaper bag ahead of time. The Peaceful Press Planner includes a week at a glance schedule so you can plan meals and outings for a more peaceful week.
- Have a vision. When you begin to evaluate each activity you are involved in and classify it as life giving or life draining it can help you eliminate things that are infringing on your peace and stealing the joy from your family!
Peaceful Holidays
As you begin to nurture more peaceful homeschool days, work at applying these principles to your holidays as well.
Before you buy decorations, or enroll your children into another activity that will require a holiday performance, take some time to list out what holiday celebrations are life giving and which ones are life draining.
This activity is included in our Unearthing Wonder Advent Guide, and is essential preparation for a joyful holiday.
You don't have to run your family ragged at the holidays.
You and your children can spend an afternoon going through these steps and then nurture happy memories at Christmas.🌲
1. Write down every activity you do over the holidays. Include tasks like wrapping presents, hosting parties, driving to performances and practices, visiting family, cutting the tree, baking together, etc.
2. Now, assign each activity to a column- life giving or life draining. Try to remember how you felt last Christmas so you can be really honest about this step.
3. Next, take time to evaluate which of these activities could be eliminated. Could you draw names in your family to reduce the shopping/wrapping/financial stress?
4. Finally, download our free Christmas planner and add those activities to your holiday plan.
