Earlier this week I did a Facebook live session focusing on restoring calm to family life. All families have times where family life is less calm. When this happens to us there is a little process I go through which I share in the video.
It isn’t a hard structure but I work through each of these points until some calm has been restored. Here are some brief notes on the points I discuss:
- Look at me – Am I tired? Am I eating well? Have I had enought time for the activities I love? As the primary carer the family very much runs off my vibe, I need to look at what vibe and energy I am sending out to the family.
- Look at the kids – Are the kids at particularly challenging developmental stages (eg 3.5 year old or 13 year old!)? Have I missed a stage – eg does the toddler need to drop a sleep, does the teenager need more freedom? Do the kids need more time with me? Do any of the kids have stresses outside of the home that is impacting family life?
- What time is less calm across the day and do I have routines in place to foster calm? Perhaps mornings are tricky because the 3.5 year old cannot decide what to wear and has a melt down each morning. If so then maybe I need to get up 15 minutes earlier to allow space to cope with this calmly until the phase passes.
- Do I have schedule to fit in the most important activities for me and the family? If it isn’t scheduled it is unlikely to happen. If you have a newborn for example you could schedule Wednesdays as a super easy dinner, have your partner come home early from work so you can get to bed at 8.30pm. Getting to bed earlier in the middle of the week can help you remain calm under fire for the rest of the week.
Want to establish greater calm in family life?
Over the years of having five kids, I have worked out that planning for the known elements of family life means I am in a much better position to cope in a calm manner with the unknown that family life throws my way – the fighting kids, the sick kids, the extra activities etc. I have collated all my best plans, processes and tips in my e-course Planned + Present.
Planned + Present is a seven week e-course to take you from feeling our of control and overwhelmed to feeling planned and present. It is a step-by-step guide on how to organise the chaos of family life while still leaving space to enjoy it.
Disorganisation brings with it stress, tension and decreased family harmony. Even making a few small plans and processes will allow you to create greater calm in family life. Planned and Present includes seven in-depth lessons, for you to work through. And with lifetime access to the course, it’s okay if you fall behind. Step by step you can implement small changes that will build to have a huge impact.
To find out more about Planned & Present and sign up for the course head here – Planned & Present.