I must admit from the start that I am not a schedule person. I love to follow my body’s energy and my mind’s curiosities through a day, and allow the same freedom to my daughters.
However this is why I fell in love with Nicole Kavanaugh’s idea of breaking the day into 3-hour blocks, modelled on the work cycles in a Montessori classroom. As she explains, “During these blocks, I’m flexible about what has to happen. I just need to make sure the things I have to get done, get done.”
I wanted a day planner that would help me remember key tasks, avoid burnout, and support me in creating a prepared environment at home. I couldn’t find one that quite fit my needs, so I designed my own (see below for downloadable template!)
Two key principles are built in:
Less is more. I want to lower my expectations of what I can do in a day. Within each time block I’ve included just the essentials for me — mealtimes, getting outside at least once, and rest time — plus reminders of when to start prepping for those (packing bag, meal prep). Prepared sensorial activities or a second outing will be occasional bonuses. With less activities, I can slow down more to allow participation in practical life activities, such as dressing, cooking, or housework.
Self-care. When I don’t make time for myself, I am more stressed with my husband and less present with my children. So this schedule incorporates pockets for self care throughout the day. Following Nicole’s lead, 9–12 will be when I focus fully on the girls (or at most turn on a podcast or music for me!). But I’m allowing 12–3 to be my guilt-free rest time. This coincides with my toddler’s nap time and even if I am tending to my infant I will try to find ways to do things for me, such as reading, journaling, showering, etc. Most importantly, this is is a no-chore time!
Mornings (6–9) and afternoons (3–6) will allow for more housework, and after 6 when my husband is home I will retreat into prepping for the next day and self-care while he gets time to connect with the girls during bath & bedtime.
Currently I have an 18 mo old and a newborn, so my daily plan (sample pictured above) mostly focuses on the toddler’s schedule which is more predictable, while we will follow my baby’s lead on breastfeeding and naps. Once that settles into a more predictable rhythm I will add that in to help me plan around it. A blank template is HERE to fill on your own!
