How We Plan Our Days to Avoid Burnout As Parents of 5 // Free, Focus, & Buffer Days

[@The.Journey.to.Freedom]

Helpful tips!! It's so freeing to have a focus for the day...whether its a true focus day filled with larger work tasks or a day to catch up or just rest. It's great to have a general single goal with flexible options under that to follow. I love and admire that yall notice when the other needs a rest day and you encourage each other to rest. That's so special! Thanks for sharing!

[@alisongriedl205]

The love you two share is incredible. You both want to give so much to/for the other complete selflessness. You are very blessed.

[@galileecarlisle8950]

Where does keeping up with family/friend/neighbor communications fit in? That is one of the things that I feel like takes up so much time that it really needs to be scheduled IN, so it does not push other things off the "plate". I am not saying I do a great job with this....would love to know how others do this....

[@katiegoitz7815]

You guys are awesome! I look forward to every single video you put out each week as well as your podcasts. Thank you so much for giving us a glimpse into your lives

[@sarahjacobsen3244]

You guys are the reason I’m productive these days. Thanks for all the time and effort you put into your videos! Absolutely love it!

[@teagranola]

I really appreciate that instead of giving a schedule, you all are giving systems to make a schedule.

[@-living4jesus4ever-]

Do your kiddos have quiet times or someone with them while you’re having your focus times like planning times together?

[@The.Harrises]

This was super helpful to my husband and I! Thank you so much for sharing!

[@TheBibleDIET]

I really appreciate you sharing your schedule, it is very inspiring! It gives me ideas for the bumper and free days. Friday is clean up day for me too and prep day for Sabbath! Saturday is our gold day :) it’s church, fellowship and family day. We take walks in nature and enjoy each other and communion with God on this special day ❤ But we try to have some other “gold” times during the week. Thanks again your channel is a blessing !!

[@LindsayChinainSimpson]

I'm really grateful for this video. We just had our third baby 4 months ago and up until then, I had been able to be efficient and productive almost everyday wihtout too much struggle. This past week, I seriously started feeling burnout and falling behind. I am so glad I found this video so I can start planning my week differently. I'm really excited to try different things out and figure out what fits into each sort of day! Thank you for your amazing content. Whenever I feel like I am getting distracted and want to be more intentional again, I run to your channel :) Really appreciate you two! Thank you thank you!

[@laurens8623]

Sometimes it's holy spirit popping up unexpected to allow us to not always be in control and on a plan. I see with family you need some structure but it's also good to ask the Lord what is his plans

[@stephj4940]

Best podcast yet! Such great helpful real examples. Please keep the content flowing

[@e.i.3202]

How can you plan this with 5 kiddos? Do you stick to your plan every week? That sounds to me almost to good to get true for me. Anyways, so inspiring what you say! Love your videos! God bless you!

[@123lauraashley]

I was just doing a little free day today when I saw this was posted! Shopping, reading, and prayer at a coffee shop helped me come back to my family reenergized and relaxed. Thanks for the idea (from the last time you mentioned it!)

[@s.tolley7528]

This was amazing!! I was just wondering today about how to avoid burn out because I know so many parents struggle with it, and then I saw you posted this video! I really love the ideas you have shared; thank you for providing such useful and informative content. Any suggestions for finding someone to watch the kids for silver free days? I know it's super important and beneficial for your marriage to have time just the two of you, but sometimes it can seem so impossible to find someone to watch the kids!

[@joannenaylorsingersongwriter]

Thank you so much for sharing! Great advice :)

[@katelynmeek3521]

Thank you guys for this video! You know the part that hit a homerun for me in this video was what Katie actually said in passing at the end! Being able to be flexible with certain days if they were originally set up as “focus” days to be willing to determine the state of your bodies and schedules to see if it wouldn’t be best to change it to a buffer day if you are starting to burn out! Brilliant!

[@serenafreitas63]

Thank you for this video! Just wondering what the kids do when you have your focus days? I’m home with my kids 24/7 and struggle to get housework done at the best of times let alone work on my business. I usually end up having to work on my business on our weekends while my husband takes the kids out for a bit. It means we miss out on more family time as he works 5 days a week. Thank you!

[@pellowfamily8569]

That was awesome! You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for that video. My husband and I are just working on a new schedule for our upcoming homeschool year and we will definitely be including these ideas into our life! Wow! Thank you! That was timely and a God send! Keep up the great work. You guys are a blessing!! 🥰

[@amyfaircloth8955]

Man, you guys are amazing. This was so helpful and encouraging!

[@tarabanks4676]

As always, such wonderful ideas shared. I am always so encouraged by you both!

[@FostersFollowingJesus]

Do you go over night for your silver date days? Also how many times a year do you do them?

[@christinamhall1]

Please do an updated video on sleep training! I love your tips!!

[@katiacleroux7376]

We're expecting our fifth as well around Christmas, and our eldest is 7! We've been having focused, efficient days 7 days a week lately and it just won't be sustainable. I've had our Sabbath heavily lay on my heart and started implementing steps for it, buy i love the idea of the buffer days!

[@laurensklenars2608]

Any advice for kids who are clingers and not okay with being left with a babysitter? (Im assuming you use one for focus days together and silver free days as you dont live close to family?).

[@thepioneerhomestead]

“I don’t know words anymore”😂🤣😂🤣😂 Loved this! Thank you and many blessings!💗

[@pichuponcho]

Hi. I wanted to know if you guys eat pork, shrimp, shellfish? Thank you for all you videos!

[@Dana-mb1hd]

Love you guys ❤. I need some help in this area. Thank you both.

[@ioanaanghel2241]

Do you have suggestions for how we can teach the Bible to kids if we dont know where to look up verses and such?

[@esthermaddock6277]

This all sounds great but what about people who don’t have this option? What about big families like mine where there are unrelenting medical / emotional needs and appointments through the week and still a million things to be sorted and a husband who works til late every night just to make ends meet? Do you have any advice?

[@kellicupstid2514]

Yes, we have all different needs and we are all in different seasons. I have a daughter with pandas/pans, autoimmune encephalitis and Lyme. I highly encourage you to read Psalm 32 especially starting in Vs. 8… The LORD is good to guide and direct us and give us advice for directly where we are at. ❤️

[@lynnettehorning915]

What do the kids do while Katie is having a focus day? Having an entire afternoon to focus on something without interruptions sounds glorious!

[@nowthatimamother]

They are with me, aside from on Mondays when we film! :)

[@kellynelson8337]

how are you able to focus on these days? would love to hear more about this! i feel guilty when i focus on food for a long time and don't have focused time with them during that chunk of time. thanks Katie! love your videos @@nowthatimamother

[@shelbys2750]

Any idea how you would do this with a spouse that works a standard 9-5 5 days a week?

[@Dana-mb1hd]

Yes I’m wondering that as well!

[@emmakate6518]

Just make it your own.. since your spouse works a standard job you can change the focus day from being finance focused to maybe get things done around the house day?? Just pick something that’s a weekly “job” that needs done and do it then 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@jessicacarlson347]

Does Elijah watch the kids when Katie gets her focus days? Any suggestions for people who don’t have someone to watch the kids? Do y’all adapt well when things throw off the schedule?

[@nowthatimamother]

Great question, Anna! I am with the kids on my focus days aside from on Mondays when we film. A babysitter comes for three hours during that time so we can record for KZbin and the Podcast and go out to eat. Before I dropped all my work aside from filming 1x a week, my focus days usually consisted of getting up at 5am and getting 2 hours of work in, and another 2 hours at naps.

[@juliakuda8169]

Does it mean you work 3 days a week? I needed to listen to this few times. We both work 5 days a week, and this sounds like a Dream.

[@EyreEver]

Sunday is a set-up day?

[@laurens8623]

Do you guys ever take naps?

[@gooseandroseimagery]

They have mentioned on the sabbath they do at times..

[@raquelacevedoreyna3003]

Katie has mentioned she naps during the kid's nap time sometimes.

[@jamie-leewatson3565]

Do you take your baby on your 24hour gold days Katie? or do you wait until bub is old enough to be left with Daddy? Id love to implement gold days in my home... Maybe when baby is 18 - 24 months i guess.

[@JanaeAlexis95]

I like this !

[@LindsayChinainSimpson]

Question about the gold free days for mom. Does the frequency change for Katie when you guys have a new baby? Do you leave the husband with breast milk/formula for that 24h period? Or is your gold free day just shorter? Just curious how that looks like

[@lsturmer1980]

How do you do gold free days with a breastfeeding baby?? Maximum I can be away from my little one is 3 hours…

[@lisam1438]

I was wondering this as well

[@tarabanks4676]

I was going to ask this as well.

[@KatieJane31]

Get either two hours to yourself, or if you have other kids, just take the baby with you.

[@lsturmer1980]

​@@KatieJane31 Yes that's what I do, but they mentioned spending a full 24 hours alone a few times a year.

[@KatieJane31]

@@lsturmer1980 not really possible for me with a baby 😆 wait til the baby is a toddler and do it.

[@jacobslice2644]

What state do y'all live in? I'm from South Carolina!

[@iyashalom9650]

You keep the scriptural sabbath? 🤔

[@devanbryant3649]

They do honor sabbath. I just checked out that video. Very good advice and prep work to help!

[@emmakate6518]

Great to see right?!

[@dailyoccasions9539]

Thank you for sharing all this such value to those of us who can’t afford your private $297 Get It All Done😀

[@dr.anyatemer500]

Curious, what are the kids doing while you guys have focus days and take time on Sunday to plan your week?

[@annaryan3198]

It seems as though much of what allows for this scheduling is that you guys have non-traditional ways of earning money-and I’m thankful for it, as I’ve learned so much from your content! However it seems slightly dishonest to not also cover the big question everyone is asking: who is with the kids during Katie’s 2-3 hours of focus time 2-3x/week? You posted a video a while back called something like “how I get a month’s worth of work done in a day.” The short answer was that your sister was in town to watch your kids the entire day. I appreciated knowing the reality-there’s no way that amount of work could be accomplished in that time in the midst of also parenting four kids.

[@nowthatimamother]

Hey Anna! Great question! We have always had a babysitter come once a week for a date night for 3 hours. Now, we film for 1.5 hours or so, (youtube and the podcast) and go out for our date. :) The rest of my focus time I am with the kiddos.

[@dr.anyatemer500]

Would love to hear more details as how you set up the filming and scripting etc. it takes me many more than 3 hours to record content and I’m not even close to the quality and quantity you guys are putting out! This sounds amazing only 3 hours and you get to go out at that time??? :) how do you guys do that!

[@roxyperson8328]

9:23 itisims