There's no doubt about it. Our children are busier than ever. I have three children so I know this firsthand. Their schedules rival that of a busy executive. From soccer practice to music lessons there's barely a chance to grab a family dinner together. What can your child's busy sports activities teach your family about juggling a busy schedule?
Who's on First?
First, make a list of all of the activities your family has each day of the week. Do this faithfully the first of the month and then every Sunday to update any changes. Be sure to include all of your doctor appointments, playdates, school, sports, and church activities. Leave nothing behind. And most importantly do this with your children. When they see the list of activities and what's involved to keep everyone on time, it helps them understand how their day flows and what is needed to run a tight ship. They are part of the family team, after all.
Time it Right
In football terminology it's the end of the fourth quarter and there are 10 seconds left to play. In the carpool world, school gets out at 3:00 pm and piano lessons start at 3:15 pm. Time it right and you won't feel rushed to win in the scheduling game. The very best thing you can do to maintain everyone's sanity is to develop a great calendaring system. Whether it is a large printed calendar posted in a key place in your house, or an electronic one such as your computer calendar or an app for your smartphone, it is the single most important tool you will need. I keep an electronic family calendar so that my husband is aware of all activities. Everyone in my family is copied on all activities so they know who is doing the chauffeuring. I also keep our holidays, school vacations and other key dates on that calendar so everyone has access to that information. You can even color code activities for a quick-glance method. [Continued on Yahoo! Shine]
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