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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: May 25 2006 at 8:53pm | IP Logged
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Dawn wrote:
| I hope you do put together a book, Michele. Just from this message you wrote I have learned a lot and feel motivated to shape up. It would be a blessing to Catholic mothers everywhere! |
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Yes, indeed.
It would be a huge benefit to Catholic women! 
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
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Jenny
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I would like to add, I talked w/my priest about this a couple of years ago when I bought MOTH. His first suggestion was that the plans/schedule/rule of life, whatever you want to call it based on the book you have read  should not be a burden to my husband. Even if he is not home all day & not even a part of the system, my priest said a wife's system could become a burden to her husband.
Secondly, he felt like planning everything to the half hour or even hour was to much of a burden to the children & myself. He suggested morning/afternoon/evening.
For what this is worth 
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Jenny
Chris' wife and momma of 7. My blog: The Littlest Way--Bible Journaling, Inspiring Bible Quotes, Daily Affirmations, Prayer Journaling & photography
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ElisabethGrace
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We use several things to organize our time. We love Managers of Their Homes. I laminated the charts (to protect them from moisture) & have them posted on our refrigerator. I love being able to move the pieces around if the first plan doesn't work well enough.
In the past, I tried written plans for myself and the older children. I should have known this would be difficult because I had to look at three different papers to see what we all needed to be doing! Now I have everyone on one chart & can easily see what we need to be doing. My children like it too because they can see what they need to do for the day & they can also see "Free Time" on their schedules!
When we first began MOTH, I had to work with my eldest on NOT being the "Time Police"!  He would set his watch timer to go off at every schedule change. Needless to say, Mommy couldn't stand that for too long!
Now we don't stress if we are "off the schedule". We just finish what we need to, skip some things sometimes and move on down. Michelle Duggar, in one of the programs about their family, said of their schedule, "It would be a miracle if everything went according to the schedule...but at least there's a goal." This is how I feel about it. Before MOTH, I was always trying to think what comes next, what is the most important, etc. Now I don't have to waste that brainpower. (This is a good thing with a pregnant brain!  )
I have enjoyed MOTH so much, I recently purchased Managers of Their Chores from the Maxwells. I have been very pleased with this as well. I LOVE the scriptural reasonings for chores "work". I looked up all the verses in our Catholic bible and typed them up to use some as Scripture memory.
I also use Michele's Catholic Mother's Planner. I don't use it for lesson planning (I use Edu-Track for that.) but I LOVE having all of the feast days, readings, prayers, etc. in one place. I use it for appointments, to do lists, shopping lists and the like.
For me the most important time management tool is deciding what is essential & many times, letting go of the rest. I find this VERY difficult. There are so many things I would love to have time to do more often (scrapbooking, sewing, computer time....) but can't fit them in as much as I would like.
Sorry this has become so long.
Angela
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Dawn
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4mothermary wrote:
| I would like to add, I talked w/my priest about this a couple of years ago when I bought MOTH. His first suggestion was that the plans/schedule/rule of life, whatever you want to call it based on the book you have read should not be a burden to my husband. Even if he is not home all day & not even a part of the system, my priest said a wife's system could become a burden to her husband. |
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Jenny, this is an interesting and valid point. I was seeing it the other way around ~ my lack of a system (and resulting chaos) was a burden to my dh (who daily searches for matching socks ) but I can also see how an elaborately overdrawn schedule could be a hindrance to family harmony!
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Becky Parker
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I was going to post about children's schedules, but I'll start a new thread. I love this topic!
Becky
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JennGM
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Dawn wrote:
4mothermary wrote:
| I would like to add, I talked w/my priest about this a couple of years ago when I bought MOTH. His first suggestion was that the plans/schedule/rule of life, whatever you want to call it based on the book you have read should not be a burden to my husband. Even if he is not home all day & not even a part of the system, my priest said a wife's system could become a burden to her husband. |
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Jenny, this is an interesting and valid point. I was seeing it the other way around ~ my lack of a system (and resulting chaos) was a burden to my dh (who daily searches for matching socks ) but I can also see how an elaborately overdrawn schedule could be a hindrance to family harmony! |
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A while back Elizabeth and Lissa had a discussion about this. Lissa was saying the schedule should be hidden, known to the mother, but not hanging over the father's head. Not sure if I can find that thread....
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Family in Feast and Feria
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Elizabeth
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Dawn wrote:
I definitely overplan (how could I possibly forget to brush my teeth? ) and it robs me of the time and energy to follow through. And yet at the same time I feel like if I don't write it down (not teeth brushing, but maybe like "put out newspaper girl's payment before bed on Friday night") I'll probably forget. I sometimes think I have too much going on in my brain! And not all of its constructive!!  |
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I don't think you can overplan. I think it's really helpful to have a detailed written plan. At the beginning of this school year, I wrote out a very detailed plan. It included things like remembering to put the cell phones on charge at night. A few weeks later, we added a one-year-old to our school day. I didn't go back and re-write the plan; I just adapted in my head. Then, in January, I was so sick for sixteen weeks that I literally could not stand many days. We didn't re-write the pan. My husband was gone for 15 of those weeks.I joke that the house ran itself. Or I joke that the nine-year-old ran the house. The truth is that the house ran on the power of the plan. It was all there in colored detailed for anyone who needed it.
I rarely look at it. For me, it was a way to ensure that I wasn't cramming too much into a day or a week. It was a great exercise in finding a place for everything. Most of it is committed to my memory, but on days when I am overwhelmed by the responsibility of seven children, a dog, education, and my husband's business to run in his absence--when the enormity is crushing--the plan is there to help me just see "the next thing" so that I can do it. I don't wake up in the middle of the night and feel compelled to go find the office phone (the only one with long distance) so that it's fully charged and I can call him in the morning. I've reminded myself to do it before I went to sleep.
Usually, we just use a pegs chart to help us stay on course or to remind us that we are off course. But the thought invested in prayerfully considering priorities of the detailed plan is invaluable for me. It's the underpinning of the simplified plan that the children usually see.
Last winter, when I was so sick and went literally no where, I learned that I don't need more hours in the day. Those days lasted forever  . What I need is fewer distractions. I need to pare down to the essentials and it's amazing what is truly essential.Committing it all to paper and then literally crossing things out helps to do that. I did mine on a computer and then sent it to a mom with a family the size of mine and a dad who travels.We helped each other see what was negotiable.
Plan away and then really live the plan for three weeks, tweaking where necessary. Then, put the plan away. Keep it hidden but be aware of your carefully considered priorities. Pull it out when you need to kick yourself in the pants. Or when you are feeling overwhelmed and need to be reminded of "the next thing." Or when you are ill or called away from your family. That plan will bless more than just you.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Dawn
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Elizabeth wrote:
Plan away and then really live the plan for three weeks, tweaking where necessary. Then, put the plan away. Keep it hidden but be aware of your carefully considered priorities. Pull it out when you need to kick yourself in the pants. Or when you are feeling overwhelmed and need to be reminded of "the next thing." Or when you are ill or called away from your family. That plan will bless more than just you.
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Elizabeth, your post is like music to my ears.  As much as I think I over-plan, it is just the way I am wired. Lists, planners and calendars do me good, but lately I've gotten away from them. And things have started going haywire! I need to feel more in control again and not feel like things are coming at me left and right and faster than I can handle.
Where do you all keep your schedules, whether they are out of sight or out in the open? Do you post them, or keep them in a notebook of some sort for yourself? Sorry to be so nitty gritty but this is all so fascinating and really very helpful to me. I hope others are benefitting from this thread!
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Elizabeth
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The detailed plan is on my computer. I printed it out those first three weeks and then I put it away. I have one of Michele's planners for date keeping. I keep it in my rather large purse/bag.
I pulled out the detailed plan three times this year:
1)when I left the children with a friend here in the house and went with my dh to Florida for 3 days.
2)when I was sick during the first half of this pregnancy, in order to show my children the detail of what needed to happen.
3)when my husband couldn't find socks  when packing at four AM. He said something like, "If you would just schedule it all out, nothing would be forgotten." He was pretty chagrined by the schedule Ip roduced at the click of the mouse and he also discovered that the sock issue had nothing to do with me and everything to do with the two boys who share his shoe size .
The task chart is the visual for the children, but the corollary to the task chart is what makes the house run well when it does. When it's not running well, it has everything to do with the corollary and very little to do with the plan.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Karen E.
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Dawn,
Such wonderful answers and discussion -- I have little to add! But, thought I'd share that I do love Michele's planner. I didn't buy one this year (I was being frugal and am getting by on a $5 planner) and I do miss it.
The year before I discovered Michele's planner, I did make one myself, using calendar pages (I think Lissa might have pointed us toward this website) from this page of printables. I used the one labeled "Weekly Calendars" and really liked the amount of space it provided for notes.
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Karen E.
mom to three on earth, and several souls in God's care
Visit my blog, with its shockingly clever title, "Karen Edmisten."
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Becky Parker
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I have several places that I post our schedules. On the fridge is the "Master Plan" which has each persons schedule in it. It takes up 4 pieces of paper so it is quite large. I have it on the side of the fridge which is right next to where the computer desk is. I also have a smaller version in my binder cover. It is a binder that has the clear sleeve on the outside. I printed the schedule quite small and slid it in. I'm planning to make a "picture schedule" for my younger children. I have the perfect spot to post it, right outside the bathroom door. It is right in the middle of the house and can be viewed as soon as they wake up, when they come into the house through the side door, and whenever they go to the bathroom. I also have the chore chart, which needs a change, hanging on the front of the fridge.
Becky
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Becky Parker
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I really like your "Task Chart" Elizabeth. I'm wondering if I could use something like this to make the picture chart I mentioned above. Being a visual learner myself, I would love to see a picture of it. Is that a possibility?
Becky
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Elizabeth
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Becky,
There's a picture of it here. I can't seem to get one with more detail.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Dawn
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I have been working on my task lists the last two days since starting this post; there's a lot to do and remember! But so many of the things I wrote down are things we end up forgetting to do, so I hope listing them and then scheduling them visually will help me be in better control ...
Things like ~ the month our car inspection stickers are due. (More than one year I've completely forgotten!) Also the month to expect (and budget for) the excise tax bill or water bill. The week I need to call and order my cat's diabetic needles so I can pick them up before they run out. The weekend to wash the flannel sheets so we can make up our winter beds. These things I (easily) forget if I don't see them written on "today's to do" list. This must make me a visual learner!
I once spent a whole lot of time printing out 180+ pages (I used both sides) of a year's worth of daily checklists specific to each day. I had it spiral bound at Staples. For example, the first Sunday in Advent had notes for celebrating (what decorations to set out, special foods to serve, the books to read, Christmas cards to begin) right alongside Sunday's normal daily routine. I am sorry to say I abandoned it, because I think it could have been a great resource to me, and I may try this again.
I really need to open up a page and see Saturday, May 27th ~ 1. Take American flag out of storage, inspect for damage and hang. 2. Buy plants for visiting graves on Monday. If I don't see it, the flag may or may not get hung up and I probably won't add a stop at the nursery to my errands list and then the plants won't get bought. Does any of this make sense or am I completely overthinking everything? Actually I think I am just thinking out loud here and should wrap up this post, while I mull it all over some more!
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys
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Becky Parker
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WOW! That's really neat Elizabeth. Thanks! And Dawn, I need a book like that too! I can't imagine the time it would take to put together though. Birthdays are a good example for me. I have them noted on my calendar, but what I really need is a note the week before that tells me to buy a card and get it in the mail. Someone could probably start a business by making books like this for people!
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Dawn
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Becky Parker wrote:
| WOW! Birthdays are a good example for me. I have them noted on my calendar, but what I really need is a note the week before that tells me to buy a card and get it in the mail. |
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Becky, this is exactly why I made the book! For instance, today we are stopping at Michaels to get camping-themed stickers. My oldest ds's bday party is next month, so backtracking, we need to mail the invitations next Saturday, so that means today we need to buy the materials so we can make the invitations during the week. I also have to remember to bring my son with me (usually I go alone) so he can be pick out what he likes!
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MicheleQ
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I don't think any of this would be considered overplanning. If it's what you need to do to accomplish things then do it. Overplanning in my mind is spending time planning things that you will remember to do anyway (like brush your teeth - though maybe some do need a reminder? ) and spending so much time planning or organizing that you never actually get things done. I don't see that happening here. In fact I'm gleaning some really good ideas.
One thing that's been really helpful for me (I'm really visual too) is using different colored pens to write different tasks in my planner and on the calendar. The colors help me to focus and separate things better. It's odd but I get more done.
BTW, I think in Time Management for Catholics he recommends having only one calendar or planner for the whole family. Personally I don't think that's feasible and for me it's certainly not desirable as I write personal things in my planner that my family doesn't need to know. We use this calendar for our family calendar. It's quite large (22" x 17") and liturgical as well. We color in the top squares according to the season so that makes it fun too. We (Family -Centered Press) were considering making a similar calendar to sell but then I found this one. Like Viv said, "if it ain't broke. . . "
God bless,
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JennGM
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MicheleQ wrote:
| BTW, I think in Time Management for Catholics he recommends having only one calendar or planner for the whole family. Personally I don't think that's feasible and for me it's certainly not desirable as I write personal things in my planner that my family doesn't need to know. |
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When I heard Dave Durand say this, it didn't agree with me, for the same reasons. There are things that the family needs at a glance, easy to find. What I'm going to cover in confession, they don't need to see . But to have another expert give their opinion helps me!
MicheleQ wrote:
| We use this calendar for our family calendar. It's quite large (22" x 17") and liturgical as well. We color in the top squares according to the season so that makes it fun too. We (Family -Centered Press) were considering making a similar calendar to sell but then I found this one. Like Viv said, "if it ain't broke. . . " |
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Thanks for posting this! My mother used to (actually, she still does) buy a large desk calendar like this and tape to the refrigerator. But since it didn't have feast days, the small free Church calendar was on the wall beside...so we had to look at two things. This solves that dilemma! I can't wait to get one!
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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lilac hill
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Our family calendar is the size of the cabinet door (from Staples) over the phone/desk area. Each lined square is 3x2 with room to write what is needed.
I do copy apppointments and my husband's schedule into my planner from Michele. That is where I do my personal notetaking. The copying is a bit of a pain but I carry the smaller planner with me so need the dates. I keep my planner on the phone /desk area when I am home so both are accessible.
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Viv
Wife to Rick (7/83), Mom to dd#1(6/87), dd#2(1/90), and dd#3(6/94) in central PA.
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Erica Sanchez
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MicheleQ wrote:
One thing that's been really helpful for me (I'm really visual too) is using different colored pens to write different tasks in my planner and on the calendar. The colors help me to focus and separate things better. It's odd but I get more done.
We use this calendar for our family calendar.
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I just ordered this. Thank you soooooo much for posting this, Michelle! I've used a large one from Staples for years now and I ordered your planner awhile back (which I love!). But, to have all the Catholic information that yours has on the large calendar is just what I need! I use colored pens as well. All piano lessons are written in purple, for example. I love your idea to color in the top of each square/day with the color of the liturgical season - brilliant!
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Erica in San Diego
(dh)Cash, Emily, Grace, Nicholas, Isabella, Annie, Luke, Max, Peter, 2 little souls ++, and sweet Rose who is legally ours!
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Topic: Help with time management
