Time
management is of the essence when back-to-school is on the brain. With multiple kids going in multiple
directions, keeping track of schedules, activities, homework, and meals needs
more than planning; it needs some designing.
To
keep over-scheduling at bay, have a realistic plan for how much your family can
truly take on at once. That may mean
cutting back on extracurricular activities if last year left you feeling
overextended. Keep a master calendar and
write in everything that takes up blocks of time: travel, parties, events,
meetings, practices, games, and so on.
If it helps, schedule downtime so there is unstructured time to just let
everyone “be,” like free weekends or a cleared weeknight. Have a definite plan for how paperwork moves
through your home office area to ensure notices from school come to you and not
just the bottom of book bags and birthday party invitations make their way to
both the calendar and the shopping list.
Think
ahead to keep last-minute rushing from wrecking your mornings. After afternoon homework, have the kids pack
their backpacks for the next day and store them in their appointed spot so
there is no hunting post-breakfast. If
they play sports or participate in other activities, get all that gear together
the night before and pre-load the car. Pick
out outfits the night before just before bath and bedtime routines are fully in
motion. That includes laying out
everything – belts, jewelry, socks, shoes, and hair accessories. Those last minute decisions can eat up
precious time during busy mornings.
Type
out a master grocery list with columns of your regular household food items and
products, print several copies, and highlight things as you run low or run
out. That way, you always have a
consistent running list that makes trips to the store organized and thorough. Pack as much of the lunchboxes as you can
after dinner before you clean up the kitchen.
Keep a drawer or part of a shelf in the refrigerator designated for your
prepped lunchbox containers.
Designing
a plan to keep your family on track and on time as school gets back in gear
will make this fall-to-summer swing so much smoother. Stay organized and prepared to keep last
minute, late-making tasks off your to-list altogether.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star August 26th.
