Check out the free Daily Rhythm printable file down in the text below (No e-mail required!)

Why I needed a Change

Without a daily rhythm, sometimes the days can begin to feel like they run together. Time moves slowly yet quickly. Motherhood and homemaking are unique in the sense that no one (typically) makes our schedule for us. We make our schedules and we are in charge of our lives minute-to-minute. While this can be such a wonderful blessing, it is also certainly a challenge. What is life without some challenges though? 

For the first 9 months of my son’s life, we had no schedule. Frankly, it was amazing. If you ever have the chance to stay home with your firstborn, I highly recommend not creating a schedule. Of course, this is assuming your baby knows their days and nights! 

He ate when he was hungry. He slept when he was tired. I napped whenever he napped. It was wonderful. He was always in my wrap or eating. I did homemaking tasks while he snoozed in my wrap and just generally soaked in those precious newborn days that I knew I would never get a chance to experience in the same way again. We pray for more children, but between homeschooling and a makeshift homestead, those days of napping whenever baby naps will be long gone by the time another little soul joins the crew!

While I don’t regret not having a schedule and am excited about the future even though it will look very different, around the 9-month mark, I was ready for a change. My son is starting to settle into a predictable 2-nap rhythm and is quite active when he isn’t sleeping. I still wear him at least a couple of times a day, but he is no longer content to sit in a carrier for hours. So, we have been in a season of transition. The house became a bit more chaotic. Chores take longer to complete.

I began feeling a little overwhelmed with the daily clutter and felt like I couldn’t catch up on the larger chores that need to be done in the home. Laundry and dishes were being done, but frankly, that was about it. 

Since I knew I wasn’t much of a strict schedule follower, I found most advice online to be a bit worthless. I don’t sleep train, so my son’s sleep patterns are predictable but also vary day by day. He will take his naps and wake up at different times, even though he follows the same general schedule day in and day out.

How the Daily Rhythm Schedule Works

So, I decided instead of giving myself the time I had to accomplish things by myself, I would give myself blocks. These blocks are dependent on factors other than the time on the clock. When we wake up, whether it is 5 am or 7 am, we have the same tasks.

The same goes for nap times. I have tasks that need to be completed while my son takes his first nap; if he goes down at 8 am or 10 am. I definitely don’t always complete all the tasks! Sometimes he only takes a 45-minute nap so he helps me out with the rest of the tasks. Sometimes he surprises me with a 3-hour nap and I get a little bit of extra reading or blog work time. It varies day-to-day and the “schedule” reflects that. 

Rather than “schedule”, I have decided to use the term “Daily Rhythm”. This method of planning has totally changed my homemaking and motherhood. Prior to children, I never planned all of the tasks I needed to do throughout the day. I woke up and cleaned for an hour until the house was spotless and organized to my heart’s content. Maybe I did some errands and went to an appointment. Usually, I had time to make dinner and still enjoy some downtime watching TV or reading a book, or sewing. Things are different now, and that is okay. In fact, it’s wonderful.

Having children and needing to schedule things into my day such as “Spending one hour outside” or “Lunchtime” is fantastic. I never made the time to do these things before. I am such a happier, healthier, more loving person when I am fed and spend time in nature. In addition to just being generally more pleasant, I find myself being a more joyful wife and more present mother. Who doesn’t want to be those things? 

A predictable daily rhythm is changing how my home operates and is relieving so much stress. If you are having trouble managing your home, whether you have children or not, I highly recommend giving this method a try. I have a free printable included, no sign-up is necessary! There are two forms, one with my actual daily rhythm, and one blank that you can download and edit or print out and pencil in by hand!

I would love to hear about your experience with a daily rhythm planner. Tell me all about your thoughts in the comments below, or tag me on Instagram @makeshifthomestead with your story!