7 Sunday Habits to Prevent Monday Headaches

If you are a loyal reader of Home Made Modern, you may recall that I've been in a bit of a slump these days. I just haven't found my rhythm since the girls have gone back to school. I thought I was gonna have all this time to write, do projects, cook delicious meals, and have a clean house, and...well, I'm not getting much of any of that done. And I can't figure out why! So, as I was going through our Sunday night routine tonight--and feeling guilty for not having completed a single project around the house again this weekend--I realized that one thing that is working for us is our Sunday night routine. So I thought I'd share.

Here are 5 things you can do on a Sunday night to start your family's week off on the right foot.

Stock the Fridge and Plan Meals--After church Sunday morning, I usually make a run to the grocery store to stock up on lunch items, school snacks, and of course, things for dinner. But before I go, I make my list based on what I want to make for dinner that week. Saves me from running to the store during the week.

Start a Load of Laundry--I throw a load in the washer Sunday night, just to get a jump-start on the laundry.

Tidy Up--I save the heavy cleaning for during the week (oh, who am I kidding, I save it for right before company is coming), but I do tidy up and start the dishwasher. It helps my sanity to wake up to at least a clean-looking house Monday morning. (Fake a clean house with these 9 tips.)

Find Library Books--I don't know if this happens in your house, but it seemed like we were always scrambling to find library books right when the bus was coming. So on Sundays, I ask the girls to find the books they need to return to school or have with them for independent classroom reading and put them in their backpacks.

Pick School Outfits for the Week--Oh, man, this saves the girls and me so much time and so many tears on school mornings. I check the weather forecast, and we pick accordingly. Don't forget socks and shoes! Our girls are so darn picky about what they wear on their feet, so it saves us crucial minutes to make sure they know what shoes they're wearing with which outfits, and that they have sneakers picked out for the days they have gym.

Check and Sync our Calendars--It's the worst waking up on Monday, getting the girls off to school, and then realizing I have somewhere to be that I totally forgot about. At some point on Sunday, I check my calendar for the week, and I make sure that all family appointments are on on our shared Google calendar so my husband and I can be on the same page.

Read the Bible--Most nights before bed, the girls get about half an hour to read to themselves; but on Sundays, they take their showers and then we read a Bible story. It just winds down our weekend and puts us in the mood for a new week, I think. Our third grader received her first Bible in church this year, and what I didn't want to happen, was for her to come home and put her Bible in a "special" place in her room...where it would remain untouched. So we decided to pick one story each week, and our youngest reads from an easy-reader picture Bible, and then our oldest reads the same story from hers. This way, they get familiar with Bible stories and how to find them, and they practice reading at the same time. (And I get to snuggle with the girls before bed.) Win-win-win.

I hope these habits help you have a great Monday! Did You Miss These Great Posts?


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