After-school activities, homework, dinner, laundry, and chores require a simple plan. Yes, it’s that time of year again: end-of-school-year time. That means soccer, softball, gymnastics, music lessons, and much more. Then the kids have end-of-the-school-year homework, projects and tests. And since that doesn’t seem to be enough to keep your family busy, the school adds some school programs and plays for your kids to be involved in. Whew! How can we possibly do it all? You’ve got to SIMPLIFY it!
The Big Picture
Start with a large calendar.
- Write in special occasions, such as birthdays, parties, school programs, etc.
- Write in all after-school activities.
- Write in major homework projects and tests’ due dates.
- Then, break down homework projects into steps and put on calendar, when each step should be completed.
- Schedule at least two days each week as “free days”. That means time to just spend together as a family without activities or homework. You need it!
Simplify Your Daily Plans
Plan ahead for busy evenings.
- Plan easy 30 minute dinners.
- Help your kids plan their homework, so they aren’t doing projects at the last minute.
- Eliminate the unnecessary. You only have so many hours in a day so, for now, forget about trying to do it all. You’ll probably have extra time in the summer to catch up.
Prep The Night Before
Look at the next evening’s activities and make a plan.
- Figure out where each child needs to be and at what time. Be specific and plan your driving time. What time do you need to leave one place to drop off or pick up each child?
- Plan an easy dinner. Be realistic. Plan exactly when you will fix dinner and when everyone will eat. Fix dinner ahead of time, if possible. Sometimes it’s best to pack a dinner to go and let one child eat while at another child’s activity. Make it fun! Call it picnic night.
- Prepare clothes and after-school equipment they’ll need. Have everything laid out the night before, preferably by the door, so they can just grab it and go.
- Plan specific times for homework to get done. The most miserable evenings are when kids have lots of activities and lots of homework. You might need to find small blocks of time before activities. Backpacks should always be in the car so homework can get done on-the-go, if necessary. Of course, major projects should be planned for ahead of time to avoid that frustrating “night before it’s due” dilemma.
How To Make It Work!
Simplify and be efficient!
- You know this is one of the busiest times of the year so, for now, you’ve got to embrace it, enjoy it, and forget about trivial, unnecessary things. TV, video games, movies, and things like that can be put off till summer.
- You have to delegate! It takes teamwork! Give every child a few chores and emphasize that they must do chores to participate in activities.
- You have to multi-task! Your car, mini-van, SUV, or whatever, is your new second home. Pack it up so you can get things done on-the-go, if necessary. At home, you can help with homework while fixing dinner, or doing other “busy” work instead of watching TV.
This is a crazy-busy time for your family. Simplify it! Organize it! Have fun with it! Please leave comments and let us know some of your best tips for managing your family’s after-school activities.