This is a snapshot of our rhythm right now, and because it involves working outside the home and having only one tenth grader at home (other two children have graduated), it looks vastly different than when all three of our children were young. However, I think this sort of rhythm can also be the reality of many in these economic times and we are all striving towards more calmness, beauty, and order in our homes.

First of all, if you have small children, let me be very blunt in that I think if it’s at all possible, children should have their days based at home. I think this is important for neurological development, and I think in general the day care, school days, and after care are far too long for children under the age of 14 because the United States is not geared to families, working families, and children. I think the hours away from home are just too long. We are not like countries where children walk home for lunch in the middle of the school day and therefore I think the hours at school and work should be shorter. I don’t think children should have to be in daycare from 7 AM to six thirty at night. That’s my opinion, and realistically being home and having children not in daycare or preschool or longer school days with after care isn’t possible for many people with the way the economy is. If, however, you feel really led in this direction, I have numerous back posts regarding this matter. I also think it is vitally important that families feel supported in this endeavor of being home, and not feel isolated. Families at home need community and to feel that their children have community, and this seems to be a tall order these days. So, for many of us, we are at an impasse with meeting these needs.

For our family right now, a general week looks like the below (outside of farm chores, which are multiple times a day. Farm chaos or work emergencies can also bring things to a halt). Some of this varies if my husband is home or traveling as he definitely can jump in and drive our son to any outside class or activity and he and one of the children handle the vast majority of farm chores without me. I could not work outside the home if this wasn’t the case. It’s a team effort between us all, including our adult children too. I also put notes about where I want to go in terms of rhythm for the future. I am a work in progress and striving, just like many of you!

The most important thing to do is to treat ourselves (we mamas juggle a lot!), our spouses and children with a lot of love, kindness, and compassion. The best way to live a simple life is to simplify our attitude. This is going to look really busy to those of you that work at home and stay at home, and it probably will seem familiar to those of you that work outside the home and homeschool. It’s a juggle.

Sunday –Church and yoga day or just stay at home ❤

This is a day to reset the nervous system, and a day to meal prep. Sometimes everyone (grown children) is available for dinner so that’s always fun. This month I am doing more of a “Crocktober” month and that really cuts down on meal prep. Sunday is a good day for our son and I to catch up on any homework for outside classes. It can also a good night for my husband and I to see friends. Every now and then I have a patient emergency, but for the most part this is a guaranteed day of rest.

Monday – Homeschool and work day! I work on Mondays doing pelvic health physical therapy, and work with our son in the morning and at night after dinner and the gym. It’s also a good day to clean for a little bit! I like the Home Blessing Hour from Fly Lady to hit the high spots and then try to work the FlyLady zones for fifteen minutes the other days. At night, we like reading or puzzles.

Tuesday- Baby visits in the afternoon for work, and outside classes for homeschooling! On this day, I usually have a few pediatric/ lactation home visits in the afternoon and our son has outside classes. We go to the gym at dinner time if the rest of the family can handle the horses (unless I got to the gym in the morning).

I want to turn part of this day into more of planning day and setting goals for the week; a day for writing, making art or projects, or doing my online continuing education courses in the morning. We usually go over schoolwork in the late afternoons, specifically math, and at night as needed on this day.

Wednesday – Work, work, work and outside classes for homeschooling. This day is often my longest physical therapy work day, and our son has outside classes and Sea Scouts, so not much honestly gets done.

Thursday – Baby visits in the morning! I work in the morning with lactation and pediatric PT patients. Our son has Spanish class in the afternoon and he is usually busy in the morning with work for his outside classes. I try to run errands on this day while he is at class, and we usually we go to the gym on this night. Sometimes I get to see a friend during this time!

Friday – Homeschooling Day and get ready for the weekend! Sometimes our adult girls are at a horse show, either competing or catch riding so my husband might be hauling horses or doing something like that. This is a day where I try to put my own appointments if I need to, because our son can work independently enough that I can run and do something and come back.

I definitely like to reserve the late morning and afternoon as much as possible for being home, cleaning up, and preparing something yummy, almost like Shabbos cooking of my Jewish friends so we that we can have a restful night and peaceful Saturday. Our son works fairly independently during this time to get a jump on things due in his outside classes for the next week. He can also hang out with me in the kitchen and I can help while cooking! Sometimes we will do work at night if he has a sailing race the next day or the weekend is just busy.

Saturday – Reset and relax! Sometimes our son has sailing races, or we have a horse show, but usually this is the day is to be with family and at home. If I have to take an emergency lactation patient, I would rather do this on a Sunday than Saturday even. I just enjoy having some options on Saturday, whether that is to be outside on the farm or doing what I want inside the house. Or just relaxing!

As you can see, there is not a lot of margin with working outside the home and homeschooling. There isn’t really a ton of time to hang out with friends or date nights or take a whole day to go hiking like we did when our children were young. The horses have to be taken care of around dinner time, (and all the other times LOL) so that’s a barrier for sure, along with the fact that the week is just busy.

I am working on changing some of this with very set hours for outside work, but over the late summer and the beginning of the school year there really wasn’t a full day I was home, not even on weekends with continuing education, conferences, and patients. That was exhausting! The home visits that patients love can be very taxing on me and my family due to long drive times in my area so I am limiting my geographic radius for now for those visits. Charting also takes a lot of time. Getting stronger boundaries surrounding what I can and can’t offer should be helpful as we head into these last few months of 2025.

That’s just the way it is, and maybe you feel this way too about your own brand of controlled chaos or that you are evolving like me. I think my reality is the reality of what a lot of people are juggling. I would love a link to your blog or Instagram post about rhythm to help inspire all of us here. Of course, if you have small children, your rhythm will look much different than mine, I hope, and I am sure mine will change again when our youngest graduates high school as well. Then we will officially be empty nesters, and my husband actually mentioned retirement for the first time ever this summer! Very exciting!

Take your seasons in stride and enjoy the ordinary days that so often make up life. There is joy in lighting a candle at dinner, snuggling together after a long day, watching the sunrise or sunset, petting the animals, and knowing that life is beautiful every day. ❤

Warmly,
Carrie