Recently I have started planning my day with a written schedule. It has been sooo nice! I am not the type that is intuitively organized. I tend to have a scatter brain. So, If I don't have a plan for my day and a list of things I want to accomplish, things don't end up getting done. I got the idea to start making a schedule from the book "Potty Wise" by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam. I have read a few books in their series and have really enjoyed them. At the end of the book, which is mostly about potty training, there was a section on structuring your child's day. It talked about how frustrating and unfullfilling it can be for moms who have no plan. The kids fight with each other and get into things because they have nothing else to do. I could relate to that feeling! Having this schedule has helped me so much to feel more productive! We just moved to a new area and I haven't made any real friends yet. I was having a hard time with Tom being gone a lot, and many times I would be in tears by the end of the day because I felt I had nothing to do all day but sit and stare at Reina.

He suggested working the following things into your children's schedules:

• Room Time-this is a block of time where the child pays quietly in his/her room. The mother would provide the activity and then leave the child to play. It should be something other than the toys they regularly play with or it won't hold their interest. Reina and I have really enjoyed this so far. Today I just gave her some bowls and spoons and measuring cups so she could play "cooking." Other times I pull something out of the closet that she hasn't seen in a while. Younger babies would have blanket time or playpen time instead of roomtime. You keep them where you can check on and hear them, but they should be playing with toys without interaction. This time teaches them to use their imaginations and play independently without have to be entertained. I use this time while she is in her room to do some cleaning and decluttering.

• Free playtime-this is when the child gets to choose their own activity.

• Structured Playtime- This is when mom chooses the activity. It helps children learn that they don't always get to do whatever they want. This could be coloring or doing puzzles at the kitchen table.
• Playtime with mommy-this is just to make sure that the children get some one on one time with their mom. Even if it is only 10 min. a day.
• Playtime with siblings- kids should have a time each day that they spend doing things together. He says that this can help the younger kids from bugging their older brothers and sisters for the rest of the day because they have that attention they are looking for. This can overlap with some of the other activities.
• Playtime with friends- It's nice to have the kids socialize with other kids maybe one day a week.
• Video time- he suggests that instead of having the children watch a movie when they are driving you nuts, you have a specific time planned that works best for you. For example, I like to have Reina watch a show while I am getting dinner ready, and I try not to let her watch movies during the rest of the day.
• Family time- just time when the whole family spends time together
• Couch time- This is where the mom and dad talk on the couch while the kids play. He says it's important for kids to see that their parents are important to each other and spend time with each other. It is also good for your marriage to spend a few minutes talking together without the television on. You should tell the kids not to interrupt you during this time because it's a special time with mommy or daddy.
• Daddy time- This is a time when dad spends one on one time with the kids. If you have more than one child, this may only be one child per day. It could be as simple as dad giving one of the kids a bath or playing with one child while mom gives the other a bath.

The example schedule in the book only had the child's activites, but I have added my own scheduled activites. This way I can plan out what I want to be doing in conjunction with what Reina is doing at that time. I have my exercise, cleaning, errands, dinner and free time all planned out. I will post an example of what our schedule looks like soon. All of this might sound really complicated and stressful, but it has been so nice! The important thing is to have goals for what you want to accomplish and the skills you want your children to be learning. Then you just take those goals and put them into a schedule! Of course the schedule can be changed and rearranged as different things come up, but it forms a good backbone for your day.