How to start Mondays well as a homemaker

As a homeschooling homemaker, I can tell you that my Mondays did not often start out well. Usually a feeling of dread or overwhelm would fall upon me Sunday evening as I would think about the week ahead. Not that my life is bad! Please don’t misunderstand me, I have a very blessed life as a homemaker of two girls. I truly enjoy my role and all that it entails. However Mondays always seemed to feel like a big task that I didn’t feel up to. That is up until I began my Sunday planning!

I’l be honest with you. I’m not much of a planner! Well, I like routine and to have a flexible plan in place but sitting down with complex plans and schedules is really not my thing! So when I say Sunday planning I don’t mean spreadsheets and schedules (however if that type of thing works for you then go for it!) but some simple plans and prep in place that has completely changed my Mondays and how the week ahead goes. I hope that it may help you if you also struggle in this area. 🙂

Sunday’s are typically a rest day or Church/family day for us however I usually have free time in the afternoon to prepare for Monday. Here is a list and break down of my prep:

Meal plan:

For meal planning I use a very basic template and on Sunday I fill in the meals for each day based on the grocery shop on Saturday. This means I have already planned meals before groceries but fill it in on Sunday. It is a flexible plan meaning I can swap meals around if need be, but I know I have the ingredients for all of the meals and snacks ahead. Even if you only fill in the meals for Monday it will help you with one less thing to think about at the start of your week. Which brings me to my next tip:

Baking: Just one thing!

I don’t have a special baking day during the week but rather spread out baking throughout the week. However I find that I like to bake something simple on Sunday so that there is something nice for the kids (and myself)! for morning tea on Monday. It helps sweeten Monday mornings for sure;)

Cleaning plan:

My cleaning plan is simple but effective. Apart from my daily chores, I do zone cleaning. Focusing on one room a day. Monday for me is the bathroom, but since I do wipe downs during the week it is never that bad! It is mainly the shower that I will do on a Monday. Knowing what I need to focus on helps with overwhelm of trying to do the whole house!

Another thing I do on a Sunday if I have time is do a general reset of the home. Going around tidying and cleaning surfaces so that Monday morning the home is in order.

Kids chore chart:

Speaking of cleaning! Having chore charts for all ages is really helpful way to start each day, not only Mondays. Of course chores can be age appropriate but they set up good habits for life. Making beds and wiping tables helps keep the home in order. Mothers shouldn’t be doing it all! Working as a team should be the goal.

Homeschool box method:

If you are a fellow homeschooling Mother then this one may be for you. We don’t do this every day but I do like to do this on a Sunday evening. Basically I go over the school work for the week ahead and print of some subjects for Monday and put them in a box. I look for some fun activities or projects so Monday is a mixed bag for my 10 year old and also add some for the toddler. We do a Christian Charlotte Mason inspired curriculum so the lessons are not so long. The reason I put this box together Sunday evening is so that my daughter can start doing the lessons without me as soon as she wakes up. This means we have gotten off to a good start for the week. Our toddler looks forward to seeing what she has in her school box also. 🙂

*Even if you don’t like this method, I still encourage you to take a look at the schoolwork ahead so that you know what you are up to and aren’t scrambling to figure it out Monday morning.

Bed earlier:

You may already go to bed early and so this may be obvious but I tend to stay up too late and it mucks up my routine for the rest of the week especially when I plan to wake early but I’ve had a late night before. So I make it a point to go to bed earlier Sunday evening so I can wake early and refreshed. This makes for a happier and organised Mumma!

Waking earlier is the best way to get a good start to your week and feel prepared and organised. I love to start my mornings with the Lord in His Word. This is the most precious gift for myself and my family.

A fun task! 🙂

This of course is optional but I usually include this in the homeschool box or add something fun during the day. It could be something as simple as making homemade popcorn, getting some new stickers or dancing to music!

Bonus:

As I thought about our Mondays I realised that we rarely plan appointments or errands on this day. Keeping Mondays as a home day really helps kick off our week to a relaxed but organised start. It also helps that in our little town most of the shops are closed Monday!

I hope this list doesn’t sound overwhelming because the whole point is to do some quick and simple prep to help start the week off well without stress! I find that when I take a little time to put plans in place, Mondays take care of themselves. Maybe you will need to make different plans but the point is to plan ahead even just a little.

God bless and happy homemaking!