Working a Routine

This Saturday morning I kicked off the first of what will become, "Pancake Saturday"!!! The girls and I already have, "Friday Night Movie Night" when the girls and I grab our blankets and pillows and crash out in the living room and watch a movie! Todd gets to have , "Boy Night" which is just him and our dog (girl dog, but we'll let him have it), gets to watch some sort of boring history channel documentary that I usually protest to. So, everybody is happy! (except maybe my back...sleeping on the couch..not so happy).
Friday night is then followed by, "Sleep in Saturday" which is a favorite for Tayla, poor thing. I don't remember having to get up as early as 6:45 in the 1st grade...??
So this would be the Myers Homestead family traditions! Having a routine is good for kids and in this crazy world doesn't seem to exist that often or if it does not that many people talk about it. To me, it's important that my girls know that they have something to always look forward to. I know movies and pancakes don't sound very exciting but to a 4 and 7 year old, it is. They get to have something that no matter what, is always there. I've threatened "movie night" a few times when they were fighting but decided that it wasn't a good thing to use as punishment by taking it away so I've stopped doing it.
What made me think of having a simple, fun routine in our lives was when I noticed that a lot of my parent friends had routines of their own, only these routines didn't involve their children. Girls Night Out, Date Night, Quarterly Vacation Get-a-ways, Work, Drinking, I could go on forever. There's not too many mothers out there that have a fun routine with their children, in fact, it seems as if their routines are to get away from them.
I know life is hard especially when you are working 40 plus hours a week and have children. Then there are the single moms, I can't even imagine. But know that your children don't see any of this. So even if your routine is, "Taco Tuesday" or reading a goodnight story to them every night, it's something for them to look forward to. It's you removing yourself from everything and giving them something that they love, just for them.