Keeping a Family on Schedule
Posted on | October 21, 2009 | No Comments
Having a hard time keeping your life on track? It’s no surprise. People’s schedules and lives are so hectic that it is hard to keep up with it all. This is especially true for working parents. Kids add a lot of new elements into the equation. Use these tips to get your life in order and stay on top of things.
The first thing to do is to conquer the everyday things. It begins with getting up in the morning. Make a routine schedule for getting ready for work. Carry a little timer or set the time on your watch to time yourself for each part of getting ready.
For example, if you give yourself fifteen minutes for a shower, you won’t accidentally stay in too long if the timer goes off after fourteen minutes. Do the same for eating breakfast, choosing what you are going to wear, etc. The kids can incorporate this into their mornings also, keeping them on track while you get things done.
Next comes your “home from work” routine. When you come home, what is the very first thing that you do? Do you throw down your keys, wallet, laptop, mail, groceries and coat? The entryway into most people’s homes can become a disaster area, holding you up every time you try to leave your home. When everyone unloads in the same spot every day, it is bound to happen.
Clearly label where everyone is supposed to put their things. Provide special hooks, bins, hangers, shelves or cubbies for each person to put their things. Make sure that you provide yourself a spot for newspapers, cell phones to charge, the mail, umbrellas, or whatever you might be bringing in after work. Provide a bench for family members to take off their shoes and store them below.
Designate a certain time for homework. A good time is when you are making dinner. If the kids are at the table doing their homework, then you are available for questions while you get dinner prepared. You can also make sure that they are getting it done. Books can be put away when it is time to eat, and brought back out after dinner if the homework isn’t finished.
Keeping track of all of the little things that pop up may require that you make friends with a certain notepad or calendar. It may be a good idea to keep a white board calendar by your front door. If someone says that they have a soccer game at 2:00 on Saturday, then you can tell them to put it on the board. Make a “to do” list for the day and mark things off as you go. Add to it whenever necessary throughout the day so that you don’t forget little things.
Keep daily chores around the house in check by rewarding good efforts. It doesn’t have to be with money, you could reward extra TV time, later curfew, or whatever is appropriate. For small children, assign simple chores and help them out so that they are sure to succeed. Children as young as two can use infant hangers to hang shirts. Children’s hangers are much easier to handle. Baby hangers are small and are actually good for developing fine motor skills and encouraging a love of helping.
About the Author: Kurt Adams is on the staff of Only Kids Hangers, a leading provider of infant hangers. The right baby hangers, like wooden baby hangers and children’s coat hangers, keep baby clothers organized and children’s hangers are great for retail stores. For more information, please visit www.onlykidshangers.com.
Tags: baby hangers > children's hangers > family schedule > family time management > infant hangers > organize day > organize family