“A schedule defends from chaos and whim.”
(Annie Dillard)

As in all areas of life, there are two extremes to following a routine: All, or nothing. Most people naturally gravitate towards one of those two poles and in doing so, they miss the point entirely.

A good schedule provides a balance of work time with down time and gives everyone involved a sense of purpose. In parenting, for instance, if you have school-age children, now is a perfect time to reevaluate your routines and make sure you’re emphasizing the things you find most important. If your kids are still too young for school, that doesn’t exempt you from creating a schedule. They probably need one even more than the older ones. What times of the day are most stressful to you?

Maybe all you need to do is build in a little more structure around those times in order for everyone to function better. Give it a shot.

Peace begins with pause,