In yesterday’s post, Mau reminds me that we need to be flexible, especially when considering the typical military man’s schedule, which is not very family friendly.
I agree! (One of the reasons I homeschool is to take advantage of family time when we can, not when the school system and the military schedule happen to mesh.)
But I don’t think having a routine means slaving over school work on Dad’s day off. I think having a routine means ensuring the family’s needs and priorities are met.
If I stay on top of the laundry every day, we can take a day off (even two) for family fun and still find clean underwear in the drawers.
If there is a set time during the day to do chores, the entire family focuses on getting the house in order, so that when we decide to go to a free outdoor concert after dinner, the condition of the house at our very late return doesn’t make me regret that choice.
If there is a set time in the morning for breakfast and other things, I don’t feel guilty at 630 am telling my early birds to leave me alone while I type a blog entry. I will give them my attention at 7 am.
If there is a set bedtime for the kids, there is a set mom-dad time afterward.
I don’t want to be a slave to a routine, but I also don’t want to be overwhelmed with basic household maintenance. Not prepping dinner, a family necessity, means not having a healthy dinner or means eating late. Not expecting my children to do chores at regular intervals means raising children with very bad habits and expectations and means having parents who are angry that the kids make messes and don’t clean. Not doing the bills on time means paying late fees.
None of these options are good choices.
Later today or tomorrow, I’ll share my schedule. I think it’s fairly loose – has a lot of “margins” – and really just lays out family expectations and priorities.
Reit This Way 
I think it was Elizabeth Foss (either in her book or on her blog) who introduced me to the idea of rhythm, which isn’t in opposition to routine, but maybe a better way to explain how family life works. And, as I’ve been mulling it over the last few weeks, THAT is what I’ve been struggling with myself – RHYTHM.Good things to think about in these last couple of posts, Michelle.
Michelle,Have you read Holly Pierlot’s book: A Mother’s Rule of Life? That was my summer read last year and I implemented a lot of her ideas for our family without getting too bogged down by the schedule. Your post is completely dead on. Just remember, a schedule/routine should serve you, you should not serve the schedule.Blessings,Maurisa
I think of a daily routine as something to make our lives work more smoothly and that helps in a military family as we are always getting moved about and hubby is sometimes deployed. When the household has a regular scheldule the children are more calm- they know what to expect, even when things are crazy with boxes on their beds and one less parent to tuck them in. Our general scheldule/routine:7am-up, dress, brush teeth and hair, eat breakfast9am- school12- lunch1pm- free time, 1 movie allowed if Mommy gives okay3pm- clean up house5:30- dinner6:30pm- baths and start storytime8pm- bedtimeI didn’t care so much for Mother’s Rule of Life, it seemed to want every 15 minutes of the day schelduled-I can’t live like that. This general daily to-do list gives me the time to make sure the laundry is folded and put away, but also time to lie down and read in the afternoon!