New plan

I usually take the beginning of the new school year to revamp family systems and schedules. This is a good time to do it because for us the summer slide means a slow decline into entropy as far as anything being organized. If we had a schedule of any sort, everyone, including myself, has forgotten it, so it makes the perfect time to come up with something new.

Now, don't take this to mean we are starting school. We aren't quite to the middle of August and still have a couple weeks of summer left. The advent of this new plan was a result of me looking at my calendar for the next two months and realizing how many 5:00 pm clients I have coming up. I didn't really want to make 8:00 pm dinners any more regular than they already are. 

I remembered that years ago, when the oldests were in their teen years that I made a dinner schedule. Each of them had one day a week that they were responsible for dinner. I would buy the food and help plan the meal, but they would prepare it, asking for help when needed. It worked well. They gained cooking skills and the ability to make a complete meal and I had a small break. Of course I might have either been pregnant with twins, nursing twins, or chasing twin toddlers, so that break thing is rather relative. 

I decided it was time to revisit this idea. I suggested it yesterday and the four involved were amenable. They also helped decide what they wanted to make. So far I have only had to answer two questions and they were more for clarity than anything. (Teaching middle school children how to make a white sauce has paid off.) They are good cooks. 

So for this season, this is what we'll do. J. and I have the weekend meals. I also gain another hour or so to my day which I very desperately need at this moment.