What is our schedule?
We've had a few people write in and ask just exactly how we can keep the schedule we do. How do we do it? Well, we have A LOT of help. When I went back to work after having MJ I changed my schedule to part-time hours. I work Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. I get to stay home with the boys on Wednesday and Thursday. Michael can stay home on Tuesdays so he gets the chance to spend the day with them once a week.
The rest of the week is when our village shines. On Mondays, my aunt watches the boys while we're at work. When my mom gets off work around 3:30 she picks them up, feeds them dinner, and watches them until I get home around 5:30. We stay at mom and dad's house until Michael gets home around 6:30.
On Fridays, Michael is fortunate enough to be able to take the kids to his family while he goes to work. He can drop them off before work and pick them up after his shift ends in the afternoon.
How our village works
This is the ONLY way Michael and I can stay at home with the kids. Without our village, our "modern" way of staying home couldn't work. We're so blessed to be able to split our time between staying home and running our offices.
We also utilize a pretty strict daily routine with the kiddos to keep everything on track. Each day's schedule is different than the next because we're not always home on the same days, but for the most part, we keep things as similar as possible. Michael and I start every morning by reading our Bibles. Currently, I pump while Michael feeds Mack and MJ. We meal prep MJ's breakfast so all we have to do is grab his yogurt smoothie out of the fridge and hand it to him. After feeding and pumping is done, we get the kids ready to go where they're headed, get ourselves ready, and it's out the door.
To make things as easy as we possibly can, we plan ahead and pack anything and everything we can the night before. We have both diaper bags, MJ's lunch, Mack's milk, and bottle parts ready before we go to bed. We meal prep Michael's lunches so it's one less thing to do in the morning. Coffee is set with the timer so Mama can grab a quick cup. (Don't worry, it's decaf).
We also meal plan for the month so there's no guessing about what's for dinner. Buying groceries at the beginning of the month helps decrease the amount of trips to the grocery store. All of the main staples and meat is gotten at the beginning of the month and we shop weekly for dairy and produce. We keep a big family calendar of everything that's going on hung up in the kitchen and a smaller fridge calendar that tells us what our meals are for the month.
Here's a list of everything we use to make our days run smoothly.
What can you do?
If you want to have a hybrid work and stay-at-home schedule, build your village. Surround yourself with family and friends that will support you and help nurture your family. Let God guide your family decisions and go where He leads you.
After graduating from chiropractic school Michael and I never imagined we'd ever do anything different than work 9 to 5 hours (if not more) for our jobs. It's been so fulfilling to spend more time with the kids and truly watch them grow up. I've been asked several times if I'll go back to full-time hours once the kids are in school and honestly, no, I won't. I love the flexibility to be available for the boys and the time we get to spend at home with them is so fleeting.
Before I had kids, I never understood the phrase "the days are long but the years are short". If you're a parent, you get it. Enjoy the time you have. Cherish it. Your family is important. Although it is a constant balance for us, our modern way of staying at home works for us, and we're so blessed to have the privilege to raise our kids the way we've chosen. Without our village, it just wouldn't be possible.
Sometimes life gets hectic and our village is unable to fill in the gaps. What happens then? Click here to read how Michael's day went when he had to take MJ to work.
Leave a Reply