Halving Your Guilt

I loved the suggestion I received that I should talk about halving your guilt. It's perfect for me right now because I am stuck in a guilt-ridden situation. Right now, for example, I'm staying with my parents in a house beside a lake in the southern Adirondacks. My sister and sister-in-law are staying next door with all their kids. It is 8:50 am, the kids are all up and outside playing. My dh has gone to buy more milk. My mother is supervising breakfast for the laggards, and I.....am RIDDEN WITH GUILT.

As I will be for the next fourteen or so hours until I go to bed again. While I type this post I will feel guilty for not supervising the kids. When I go down to have breakfast I will guilty for being the last one up. When I do the dishes I'll feel guilty for neglecting the kids. When I take the kids swimming, I'll feel guilty about not getting work done.....

This, my friends, is freaking ridiculous.

So I'm going to try something new. I'm going to make a schedule for myself. Right now. I'm going to write it down and stare at it until it seems completely reasonable. I'm going to do my best to see that everyone's needs are met. There will be a time for breakfast and dishes. A time when all my attention is on the kids. A time I reserve to chat with my mother and sister. A time to attend to household chores. And each time I feel guilt I will say (to myself): "I am at peace. There is time for everything today."

How about it? Should you perhaps try this, too? I'm scheduling 15 minutes in tonight after dinner to go online. I'll post how it's going. I'd like to hear from you, too.