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By now you're already
back in full swing with school and all its related activities-that crazy
schedule your family keeps from September to June! Here are some suggestions on
how to coordinate your kids' schedule, activities and school requirements with
yours and stay sane:
Start a calendar
center. Whether you do it on paper, electronically, or some other
form, start a family calendar that monitors everyone's schedule in one place.
If you're doing it on paper, color code or pick a sticker to identify each
member of the family. Microsoft Outlook is a great calendar tool if you're
tracking it electronically. Start each entry with the family member's name for
which it applies in all caps or use "FAMILY" if it's for everyone. Whichever
method you choose, pick the one that is easiest and makes the most sense for
your family. Make sure a copy of the month's schedule is posted on the
refrigerator or a bulletin board where everyone can see what's going on.
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Use the calendar!
Have everyone in the family consult the calendar daily to prepare for the next
day. Do they need to bring their instruments for after-school lessons? Are the
shin guards and cleats ready for practice that afternoon? Does everyone know
that you're having dinner together at grandma's house tonight? A little
preparation makes for a less hectic day. Call a Sunday night family huddle
around the calendar to work out any schedule conflicts for the week.
Get a file system
going. Every day your kids come home with a back pack full of
"stuff." Invest in a set of tiered wire baskets that you can position near the
kids' bedroom or in the kitchen. Teach your kids to sort through their own
backpacks every day after school and put papers that need "To Be Signed" by mom
or dad in the top basket. Another basket is for "Important Stuff Mom/Dad Need"
(PTA info., fund-raisers, school policies, etc.). Have a basket for "Supplies
We Need for School Projects" and a basket for "Art & Awards" as a safe
place for those items until you can display them. One of our Molly Maid Home
Service Professionals tells her kids that if it isn't in the "To Be Signed"
basket before mom goes to bed, then it's not getting signed for the next day.
Sounds tough, but it'll save you all of that last minute chaos, and it'll teach
your kids lifetime skills for planning ahead.
Examine your
activity level. Just because your kids want to do something
doesn't mean they should. If your family is constantly running with no time for
dinner together or other family activities, ask yourself "Is all this really
necessary?" One of our Molly Maid moms sits down with her family at the
beginning of the school year, and they review all of the activity options with
a calendar worksheet in hand. Decisions are made right there as to what can be
done and what can't. Disappointment is overcome by the prospect of having time
to do things as a family. Renowned child psychiatrist Alvin Rosenfeld, M.D. and
longtime family-issues journalist Nicole Wise talk about the issue of the
over-scheduled children at their website,
http://www.hyper-parenting.com/. They have also co-authored the book,
The Over-Scheduled Child: Avoiding the Hyper-Parenting Trap, available at
amazon.com.
School years pass so
quickly. Before you know it, they're all grown up and on their own. We hope
these tips will help you make sure you have time to build family memories along
the way.
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