Managing the Family Calendar
Managing the family calendar is no easy task! Families are stretched to the max. Most are overwhelmed.
How much is enough?
My family is too busy!
I’m exhausted and my kids are too!
These are the comments often made by both moms and dads when talking about the family calendar. It’s so easy to get on the hamster wheel of busyness and get spinning faster and faster until we’re exhausted. Calming Calendar Chaos is a popular workshop I lead to get the family calendar and busyness under control. Here are a few tips from the class for you to consider.
Tips for Managing the Family Calendar
- Determine priorities. The problem isn’t choosing the good activities from the bad; it’s deciding what’s best. Make a list of what’s important to your family and use that list when making decisions about participating in various activities and events. With so many terrific choices for families and kids these days, discuss what’s best to meet the needs of the particular child or the family as a whole.
Make dinnertime a priority for the whole family to come together as many times a week as possible. Change the time to accommodate the sports, lessons, and activity schedules. - Provide limits. Children do not have to experience every sport, cultural activity, or class before they start kindergarten. The trend is to do it all and as a result is creating totally frazzled families. Make boundaries for your family with regard to time and activities. Make family time a priority by blocking out an evening or weekend day that’s just time for being together.
With kid activities, encourage your children to choose one sport and one art or music activity per quarter. The child can do the research for dates, location, cost, frequency, and carpooling options. Give children an opportunity to present a “sales pitch” as to why the activity is of interest. - Plan a weekly family meeting to arrange the schedule. Getting the whole crew on the same page makes the family schedule run more smoothly. Family business is important business. Taking time each week to look over the calendar, schedule activities as a group, and plan family time will streamline the calendar and provide a more peace-filled atmosphere in the home. Begin the meeting with prayer for God’s guidance.
Busy is not a badge of honor. Taming the family calendar will make family life more peaceful and calm. Be encouraged to slow the hamster wheel to a speed that’s more comfortable or take a break completely. It’s worth it!
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
Psalm 23:3
© 2022 Becky Danielson. All rights reserved.
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