Is there a better time for a sense of fresh beginnings than the onset of a new school year? As children pick their outfits for the first day and parents sit down to outline fall activities, the upcoming months of the school year brim with potential. This is why many people consider September 1st to be the “true” New Year.
However, if we aren’t conscious about structuring our school-year routines, our aspirations for an organized family life can quickly deteriorate. With packed schedules, weekday evenings can turn into tense drives to ensure kids arrive at swimming or hockey practices on time, often culminating in hurried family dinners consisting of snack crackers and chicken nuggets consumed in the car.
New Year Resolutions for Time Management
Achieving flawless organization in family life is unrealistic, especially with children in the mix, who often introduce unexpected factors such as pink eye or tantrums, alongside forgotten professional development days.
Nevertheless, there are foundational principles and proven strategies that can help you increase your chances of maintaining a smooth-running household.
Be Selective with Activities
Dedicate some time to thoughtfully evaluate how many sports, lessons, and other activities your kids can realistically handle. This is crucial for fostering a family life that feels manageable. No app, system, or family schedule will help if your life is overloaded.
Productivity coach Clare Kumar, who is also a mother of two, points out that we often add commitments without assessing what might need to be set aside. As children advance in their favorite activities, such as sports, the time commitment can escalate. The challenge arises when we fail to reassess whether there’s still room for additional pursuits like piano lessons. “It’s easy to overlook the overall balance,” she observes.
Don’t Forget Your Own Interests
As you organize your family calendar, make sure to include your personal activities, whether it’s indoor soccer, yoga, a running group, or a watercolor painting class. “In discussions about work-life balance, we highlight the importance of adult leisure—many have forgotten how to indulge in play due to their hectic lives,” Kumar notes.
Think back to when your parents and grandparents enjoyed games, sports, or hobbies like knitting and carpentry. Aim to reconnect with what once sparked your enthusiasm. It’s essential for maintaining your well-being and happiness.
Moreover, it can be valuable for children to witness us embracing a lifestyle that doesn’t revolve solely around them. Consider scheduling that spin class, planning monthly outings with friends, and prioritizing date nights. This isn’t selfish; rather, it demonstrates to our children the importance of self-care and maintaining relationships as they grow up.
Plan Your Meals
It may sound repetitive, but preparing a meal plan is one of the best ways to alleviate weekday stress by knowing what’s for dinner in advance. Standing in a store line with cranky children, who can only think about chocolate bars, is an experience no one enjoys. A nightly rush to fix dinner is also a significant source of chaos.
Take a little time on the weekend to outline your dinners for the week, and you’ll find it worthwhile—not just for avoiding long lines but also for the quality time family dinners provide.
Kumar mentions, “My children are 13 and 15, and throughout most of their lives, we’ve eaten dinner as a family regularly. It creates opportunities for conversation and connection.” She shares that a friend opted to make breakfast their cornerstone family meal, preparing a cooked breakfast each morning to foster their connection since evenings were often too chaotic with three kids.
Encourage Independence in Kids
In our busy lives, many parents forget to teach their children fundamental household skills that are essential for their future and can also ease the burden at home. For instance, even young children can help pick their snacks from a designated cupboard or bin, while preteens should be capable of preparing their own lunches.
Melinda Blau, author of Family Whispering (Atria Books, 2014), emphasizes that kids under three can manage small chores like throwing clothes in the hamper, preschoolers can sort laundry and set the table, five to seven-year-olds can make sandwiches and fold laundry, and tweens can chop vegetables and do their own laundry.
“We need to cultivate a team atmosphere to help with dinner, lunch prep, and organizing backpacks,” Kumar advises. It’s beneficial to involve kids in these tasks from a young age.
