monday.

Mondays…ew.

There was a time when I fucking LOVED a Monday. Like, love love loved a Monday. When the kids were little, the weekends felt long and exhausting because there were double them as us. Yeah, I loved Monday. When they went back to school, I felt I could actually accomplish things around the house.

These days? Mondays are fucking dumb.

The kids are older. They’re not as messy. They’re not as needy. They’re more fun, and time with them is so enjoyable. And it’s not that the time spent with them wasn’t enjoyable when they were little, but let’s face it – little kids are needy as fuck, and they’re exhausting.

Today, our kids are needy in an “I need money, I’m going shopping,” “I need money, I’m going to dinner with my friends,” “I need money, I’m sending a 385686^th college application in just to see if I can get in even though I don’t actually want to go there,” way and exhausting in a “we are all playing sports and involved in clubs at the same time but only one is old enough to drive and has her own car so the other three need us to get them here, there, and everywhere else 89 nights a week,’ way. But they’re a lot more fun.

And that’s why I no longer love a Monday.

I like it when the kids are home from school. I hate sending them back and knowing it’s five long days of drop-off lines, pick-up lines, practice here, a game there, a match somewhere else, late pick-up, errands, groceries, meals, lunches, laundry, etc. I like weekends when we are all together, and the requirements in our lives are the ones we create for ourselves. They go by significantly faster now that there aren’t diapers to change, noses to wipe, diaper bags to pack, car seats to buckle and unbuckle, and little needs.

Now that I’ve officially entered my Mondays are Fucking Stupid Era (all my mornings are Mondays stuck in an endless February…that’s a line that hits different on actual Mondays anymore), I’ve had to learn to make some adjustments to my life, mentally. Which my friends will tell you was unhelpful because I’m still mentally unstable, but I’m convinced that’s what makes me the most fun. So, here’s a bit of my unstable Monday advice.

Decide what actually matters this week

Deep breaths are required before I open my color-coded calendar app because I know damn well the overwhelm will feel instant. However, I look at the calendar, and I decide what’s important, what’s not, and how to delegate.

The best way for me to mentally unclutter my week is to decide what my biggest priority is. Everything after is secondary. Which means it can be delegated and reframed if necessary.

Make fewer decisions – on purpose

Listen, I know I speak for most moms when I tell you decision fatigue is real – and I’m married to a man who grocery shops, cooks, cleans, does homework with the kids, takes them to school every morning, and participates in all our lives, so I can’t even imagine what it’s like to be married to a ‘you handle the house, you handle the kids, you cook, clean, grocery shop, etc.’ kind of horrible husband.

Here’s how I make fewer decisions on purpose:

On Sunday mornings, my husband and I discuss how many nights we will eat at home during the coming week (Sundays are non-negotiable…he runs a beautiful steak salad Sunday during which he chooses a gorgeous steak and creates a decadent salad and spends hours in the kitchen making croutons and dressings and breads, etc. it’s a fucking delight) so we can loosely plan meals. We aren’t rigid, but we like to make sure he picks up everything we might need for the meals we discuss.

I make sure everyone goes into Monday with clean sheets. Honestly, it’s a big deal.

The couch blankets are washed and refreshed.

Our cars are cleaned and tidied (easy because I’m an Obsessive-Compulsive neat freak and I can’t stand messy cars at all, so they’re always clean).

All laundry is done (I mean, we still do a minimum of two loads a day all week because there are six of us, but Sunday night we go to bed without any laundry to worry about).

Everything is organized in bins for lunches throughout the week.

Everything is spotless (which, again, it always is because crazy OCD bitch here, but it’s extra spotless on Sunday).

That helps me go into Monday without needing to make 600 decisions.

I hit the gym

Listen, I’m not forcing myself to go to the gym every single day, but I do on Mondays. It just starts my week off on a high. Friday? Pass. I’m not doing a fucking thing on a Friday that I don’t want to do. But Monday? Workouts help my mood.

I make Mondays easy

I don’t try to start the week strong. If we are home for dinner, I make it a relatively easy dinner so I don’t burn myself out with elaborate meals before we are even halfway through the week. If we don’t have a sport, I don’t plan a Monday evening activity at all.

Dinner at home, check. Do the kids want to watch a movie with us? Okay. Do they want to play a game? Yes, queen. Whatever they want to do, as long as it only involves pajamas and being at home. Mondays don’t need to start with a bang for the rest of the week to go smoothly. They need to start with me not being a raging bitch because I’m overwhelmed.

Mondays shouldn’t feel heavy.

They should only feel dumb (because they are).

I’m not saying you have to do what I’m telling you to do, but I do recommend finding a way to make Mondays feel lighter and a little more manageable if you’re in this season of all the things Monday-Friday because you have a hundred kids who all have to do the most.

Seriously, what are the odds ALL FUCKING FOUR would be overachievers in every avenue of life? Like, I’m super proud, but really? All four? At the same time? Every day?

Happy Monday, friends.