Mondays can be crazy in our family so I assume that may be true for you as well.
In our family, because Sundays are the biggest work day of the week for my husband, Mondays can often feel a bit overwhelming as we are all a little extra tired and even a tad bit grumpy. This is especially true after big weeks for our church, such as Easter, because the responsibilities and pressure are more on all of us. And because yesterday was Easter (Happy Resurrection Day!!) I thought today’s Intentional Mama post should be a practical resource to help you mamas make the most of Mondays.
As our family has grown so has the tendency for craziness (insert: more bodies to clothe, more breakfasts to make, etc.) however I have a hard time allowing the start of our week to feel so unintentional and hurried. So, I have a few tips that help keep our family smiling on Monday mornings and I hope will help you too!
- Plan your week / tasks on Sunday evening. Have a checklist that you use each Sunday! I use the Day Designer by Whitney English and have a sticky note with my Sunday checklist that I transfer from Sunday to Sunday. I find it helpful to list out the responsibilities I need done before the week starts so I don’t start the week feeling behind. My Sunday list includes:
- laundry (washed AND put away)
- meal plan for the week
- grocery list made (I grocery shop on Monday morning
- weekly to-do list (family & work)
- Set out outfits for the morning. Lay them out where the kids will see them first thing! Make sure to communicate your expectations to have them get dressed in the morning. (We ask our two oldest to get dressed and put their p.j.s away before they come out of their room. And brush their teeth before heading downstairs for breakfast.) Outfits pictured.
- Make lunches on Sunday evening. Super simple task that will alleviate stress on Monday morning. Lunchbox Pictured.
- Have a set wake time for you & the littles. This wake time should be different from one another and yours should be earlier. Spending even a small portion of time alone, readying yourself for the day is invaluable. (I drink coffee, read my Bible and spend some time in prayer, asking God to settle my heart and rest in Him before the day begins.) We use this alarm clock ‘OK To Wake Alarm Clock’ in our boys’ room! It lights up when to signal they are allowed to come out of their room.
- Prepare simple, healthy, ready-to-go breakfasts the night before. I actually have not done this one yet, but I purchased the ingredients necessary to start making overnight oatmeal and am ready to make this part of our night time and then morning routine. It is super important to my husband and me for our family to have a healthy breakfast so we typically end up both hurrying around trying to make said breakfast. I think this recipe will be a great start to making the mornings, especially Monday mornings less crazy.
How do you tackle Mondays mornings in a way that leaves you smiling? I would love to hear your tips!!
