3 in 30 ~ September 2011

It’s been a while since I’ve written about 3 in 30. Not that I didn’t want to.. I’ve been meaning to every month since the last time I did (was that March? April?) This month marks a new beginning, the beginning of our new school year. With that new school year comes a few minor changes and a lot of resolve to stay on track and be diligent. Jumping back in with 3 in 30 not only gives me a way to focus on 3 habits to aid that resolve but it also seems kind of fitting.

At beginning of the year I made a resolution to work on having a well-functioning home. The conception of 3 in 30 gave me a way to focus on that and I jumped in with both feet. Over the first quarter of the year I worked hard at it, and we established some good habits and routines in our household. April brought changes, GOOD ONES, and a very long Spring break, also GOOD, but both of those things pulled the rug out from under our routine and during the second quarter of the year I focused on regaining my footing more than anything else. July brought with it a new challenge — planning for the new school year. In addition to housework that was always a step away from “seriously behind” rather than staying a step ahead of it, and in addition to still having lost habits that hadn’t been recovered, I added to my plate the task of buying curriculum, lesson planning, organizing and the like. The third quarter so far has brought a little restoration of order. And now as we wrap up this third quarter with September, I turn to 3 1in 30 once again to help me put the rest of the “lost habits” back in place.

Goal #1 : Morning Quiet Time

This habit has faltered and sputtered a little over the past few months, but thankfully it hasn’t fallen off the wagon completely. Our morning basket has proven to be a nice useful tool–we just need to further cement the habit of having our morning quiet time first. I *think* that being back in the school year will help because there will be more purpose to our day and less of a lazy, relaxed attitude. Things I can do to help with this habit:

• start covering the tv at night again, to prevent the tv from coming on first thing in the morning. — This really works so well! It serves as a great visual reminder, and though the 5yo may whine about it a little, it’s mostly accepted by the children and it’s such an easy way to control the tv habit.
• make sure that I get up on time and get the children up on time.
• plan ahead for breakfast.

Goal #2 : Starting School on Time

It’s even more important than ever that we begin our school day on time. With adding more into our morning routine, I don’t want to neglect the start of our school day. Having added more to our school day I don’t want to get a late start and sabotage our day before it begins. Getting school started early and well affects how the whole day goes. Using 3 in 30 to really focus on that habit should help us get the school year off to a strong start. Things I can do to help with this habit (after getting the kids up on time, that is):

• Set a time limit for breakfast
• Set a time limit for morning quiet time
• Utilize a morning routine chart or list
• Set an alarm for the beginning of the school day.

Goal #3 Back on track with bedtime.

I MISS OUR BEDTIME ROUTINE. It went out the window with Spring Break. I’ve tried a little bit here and there to get it back but I haven’t tried hard enough, I guess. I suspect that getting back into the school year will help with this one also because being in school bring a natural order and purpose to the day. Getting up on time will help, too. Things to do to help with this habit:

• Make sure supper is on time. (Between 5 and 5:30.)
• Starting bath time by 7:30.
• Setting an alarm for story time at 8:15.

These are my 3 in 30 goals for September. These 3 things alone will bring MUCH order back to our day. And I need that. My messy, right brain, NOT self-disciplined self CRAVES the order. It also helps our home function, our family stay happy, our school get done and many other things.

You can learn more about 3 in 30 here.