4Real Forums: Help with time management

Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.

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Topic: Help with time management

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Meredith
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Joined: Feb 08 2005
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Posted: June 13 2006 at 8:55am \| IP Logged

Erica Sanchez wrote:

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.

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!

I love the site Michele, thank you so much for linking here. It looks super!! I also LOVE the idea of using the various color codes too, very efficient and fun

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Meredith
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Cheryl
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Joined: Feb 20 2005
Location: Massachusetts
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Posted: June 13 2006 at 12:33pm \| IP Logged

This is the first time I've seen this thread and I just read the whole thing. Tomorrow will be two weeks since we've moved into our new home. Last night I wrote in my planner (Franklin Covey) "Make a cleaning schedule." This morning I listed all the rooms and cleaning tasks and thought about how often I wanted to do each task.... I'm thinking I should just go polish my dresser which is really dusty or vacuum the dining room floor which is starting to be covered with new carpet lint balls. But no, I think I am wired this way.(as I think Dawn said) I need a hardcopy plan/schedule to keep on track so that I can relax and enjoy the time that I've scheduled for fun.

I did do MOTH for awhile. My dh said it seemed too rigid. He was right. But like Elizabeth said, it was great for me to see that I wanted to do more than can be done in a day. It's a good way to get rid of those things that aren't priorities right now. I think I will be doing a pegs type of schedule. I like to know I do laundry on M-W-F. No laundry to be done on T-T-S-S. It doesn't matter what time I start or stop, but the earlier the better. I have been writing in my planner just a few daily tasks for each day. (EG- call TV repair man, clear off desk...) When my baby's napping and the dc are playing together quietly, then I can grab the list and check off a few things.

In June each child chose a chore for the month. I'm just starting the training process here.

ds 7 chose unload the dishwasher
ds 5 chose set the dinner table
dd almost4 chose laundry helper

We started out well, but now the whining is setting in..."Can I have a different chore?" "This one's too hard." "I'm tired...." Any suggestions on combatting this? Maybe it's time to hang this up again. Any suggestions to cleaning a large house with 4 dc 7 and under? How often do you dust, vacuum and clean toilets? Or is that to personal?

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Cheryl
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Mom to Matthew 13, Joseph 11, Sarah 10, Rachel 6, Hannah almost 4 and Mary 1

Erin
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Joined: Feb 23 2005
Location: Australia
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Posts: 5814

Posted: June 13 2006 at 4:17pm \| IP Logged

Cheryl wrote:

In June each child chose a chore for the month. I'm just starting the training process here.

ds 7 chose unload the dishwasher
ds 5 chose set the dinner table
dd almost4 chose laundry helper

We started out well, but now the whining is setting in..."Can I have a different chore?" "This one's too hard."

Cheryl,
My children also hold their jobs for a month, I find that the first three weeks they work well but by the end of the month they all slack off and I have to start 'pushing'

No ideas on how to stop this, I toy with two thoughts: one- that they need to learn discipline, or two- maybe the change should be bi-monthly, but we have enough trouble getting dh to find time to change the spreadsheet monthly.

We tend to use spreadsheets here. I don't know anyone who supplies Michele's lovely planners or the calendars over here and I figure it would be too expensive to import. Also I would have to be 'organized' to plan ahead to order

So chores go on a spreadsheet and so does our routinue for lessons. Colour coded though Michele, I agree that colour helps. Nothing else is writen down, I am more of a pegs person.

Dh pays the bills and anything else I tend to think over at the beginning of the week and then just do when we are out for training or music lessons. Maybe much more could be done if I planned more but that is not me.

Personally I feel more is getting done than ever before and it really comes down to what has been said, I have to start things and I have to set the habits and follow through.

Now that I have disciplined me, things are happening with more fluency.

One question I have though is how do many of you find time to blog? I barely have time to update my website. I've toyed with blogging but worry that I would neglect other areas. Any suggestions?

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Erin
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