How to Plan in Uncertain Times by Clean Mama

I have my non-negotiable Cleaning Routine Tasks on my Cozi + Clean Mama App – this keeps me on track and keeps the house tidy. Some days I spend 15 minutes before the kids get up on a cleaning task, some days it’s all hands on deck and we work through a task together – flexibility is the key and the goal is to clean up after ourselves and keep the home consistently clean.

I was a teacher for almost ten years and this.is.hard. Three kids, 20 teachers between the three of them and there’s just a lot to manage, not to mention trying to figure out the technology components for what each teacher is doing. What’s working for us? Having a set school time during the day – 9am-11am – seems to be working. The two middle schoolers go to a quiet place in the house and work on their school work and I work with our 2nd grader through his assignments in my office. If he’s reading or doing something independently, I squeeze in a little work time – answering emails or questions is typically what I can concentrate on in little spurts.

If you’re still heading out to work, that’s a must and you’re probably planning differently or more right now. If you’re suddenly working from home, you have a whole new set of rules to worry about, if you’re reporting to a boss, working for yourself, or doing the work that comes with being a stay-at-home mom, you are working. Treat your work time as an important part of your day and do what you can, when you can. Finding a work space in your home and having a clean and clear workspace can be helpful. I also find that turning off notifications is really helpful for me right now – keeping the phone on silent helps me focus.

Everyone needs a little breathing room and time alone – this used to be the coveted nap time, now we call it quiet time. It’s a little time in our room or in a space by ourselves to do a ‘quiet activity’. This typically takes place for an hour or two after lunch – if I have a phone call I schedule it around that. Some days I need to work longer than this time so our oldest will babysit for a bit while I work. I’m not a big fan of screen time but this has relaxed right now and I’m fine with it.

I start the day with coffee and a little quiet time and will go for a run or a long walk as soon as it’s sort of light outside. This is just my normal daily routine and it feels good to keep this going. The kids and I will go outside and get some physical activity before dinner and fresh air even if it’s just for a couple minutes to run the dogs in the yard or to play catch.

Meal time could be a free-for-all, but in order to keep tabs on our groceries and stretch out the food we do have, meal planning is a must. I’ve been ordering food every 7-10 days for milk, eggs, and produce and working through our freezer for meats and protein. I plan the way I usually do but am a little more stingy with portions and try to make extra for lunches or leftovers.