Schedule with a 17-month old

Taking care of me is hard work! So I shall help Mommy to push the stroller to make her life easier!

Before I became a Mom, I used to wonder what does one do with a kiddo the whole day, 5 days a week? It's mind-bogging to think of how many hours one has to take care of / entertain a kid.

The first few months were crazy because I didn't have any regular schedule and everything was planned around Sammy's nap times. Needless to say, I was bored out of mind. As much I enjoyed becoming a new Mom, I longed for routine / regular meet-ups with like-minded Moms or people who had time during the day.

That was when I started attending various playgroups and making appointments with friends. However, it was never easy to find something that fits mother's and child's interests, personalities as well as daytime schedule of the little one.

I, for one, prefer to have afternoon meet-ups so that baby and I can enjoy leisurely breakfasts without having to start our days in a rush. I do make some exceptions however, but you'd notice that we don't have many regular morning appointments.

I'm so glad that these days, we have our nice little schedule down pat that we both look forward to every week. Of course the schedule would somewhat be altered when  #2 arrives and when we move house, but we'll just have to play by ear. At least I know that I wouldn't have to start creating a schedule from scratch and #2 would simply tag along for our meet-ups. 

Mondays
- 10 to 12 noon: English playground with other Moms who are native English speakers. I really like this mix of moms because other than being able to babble in my mother tongue, I enjoy having the international flair of different cultures. I also find this group very relaxed and not uptight about what one should do / not do / give unsolicited advice which I found pretty irritating in some previous experiences.

- 2 to 5pm: I would teach English to some neighbours during which my father-in-law comes by to babysit Sammy. Sammy usually naps from 2 to 4pm anyways so my FIL usually either goes for a walk with him in the stroller or if he wakes up earlier, he would play with my FIL at his place. I like the fact that I can earn some pocket money in the comfort of my own home and I don't need to spend time traveling to my students' houses.

Tuesdays
- 10 to 12 noon: Women's breakfast (ie. cellgroup) that I have with a bunch of other women. The leader of this group used to be our cluster leader and I enjoy having some spiritual feeding as well as fellowship with older women whose kids are mainly in their teenage years.

We don't plan anything in the afternoon as I prefer Sammy to get his full nap at home because Tuesdays are long days for us.

- 7pm to 9pm: We have our usual cellgroup with the young people whom we used to lead. We have known them since they were 17/18 and now most of them are around 23 / 24. We treasure this group a lot and our relationship with them have evolved to become very close friendships. Sammy's godparents are in this group too.

Wednesdays
We have leisurely mornings with extended breakfasts / just lazing in bed. I like playing my guitar to worship God and Sammy enjoys trying to grab the pick and throwing it into the guitar hole.

Some of the kids from his Wednesday playgroups taken in summer of course

- 3.30 to 6pm: Playgroup with women from my church, some of whom I've known since we got married and didn't have kids yet. This group is German-speaking but we also have people from the Czech Republic, Romania and Singapore of course!

Thursdays
Thursdays are my free days during which I either arrange to meet a friend in town for lunch or Sammy and I hang out doing whatever we want to do spontaneously.

First we went to an indoor playground (a church that is transformed to a playground in winter)

I've gone on Mummy-son dates with him and I thoroughly enjoy this 1-on-1 time with him. I can also sense that he enjoys having dates with me too because he's ultra cuddly and affectionate at the end of these days.

Then we went for lunch at a Chinese restaurant. See how he put his hand into my sleeve? One of his favourite gestures

Fridays
Daddy comes home earlier on Fridays (around 4pm), so we go swimming on these days. It's ultra nice too that the indoor and outdoor pools are heated a few degrees warmer so this is especially helpful in winter. Sammy LURVVVEs the feel of water on his skin and he's totally in his element in the pool. I'm thinking of signing him up for proper swimming lessons once he is old enough.

Hubby and I take turn to swim so I usually get about 1 km done in 40mins. Before Sammy came, I usually swam about 1.5km, but now I figure I get the extra exercise whenever I play with him in the pool and throw him around. Plus I'd rather spend some time with baby than to tire myself out with too much swimming. Or maybe I'm just getting lazy! LOL.

Yup! That's how my week days look like. I'm so thankful for this routine and even more grateful that I've got close friends to share this motherhood journey with.

If you're a Mom too, what does your weekly schedule look like? Would love to hear from you!