Controlling Family Chaos - Time Management for the Family

Balancing a family's varying schedules can be near impossible. Soccer, hockey, dance, skating, Brownies, Scouts, skiing, swimming, school activities, homework, not to mention play and sleep time, fill our children's lives. Now add in the parental activities, including work, fitness, volunteering, and home maintenance ? and well, 24 hours just doesn't seem to be enough.

See if the following list of strategies can help your family learn to gain control of their time:

1. Hold a Family Meeting

? First parents need to objectively determine some initial priorities for their family. These need to be based upon last years schedule, the individual family member's personalities, finances, current commitments and the comfort level of the family. Some questions that will guide this process are: Do they want to focus on activities or academics based upon last years performances? Will the demands of school or work change? Do they want to fill time with activities or a balance of activities and free time? Do different family members have different needs? Is everyone enjoying their schedules? Is there time for friends, for family, for quiet time, for reading, or for playing?

? Once the family guidelines are determined, hold the meeting and give everyone a chance to choose one or two priorities for the session or year. If one member is having trouble narrowing their list down, have them put them in order of importance. Make sure everyone shares their list and explains why they put it in that order.

2. Create a Family Calendar

? Get a large calendar and input everyone's current schedules for the upcoming month into it.

? Add or remove commitments based upon everyone's priorities determined in the family meeting.

? Make sure this calendar includes school hours and activities, work schedules, activity schedules, religious events, family time, mealtime, homework time, sleep time and most importantly NON-scheduled time.

? Take into account hidden time- travel time, preparation/clean up time, waiting time, etc.

? Determine where conflicts lie ? and as a family see if you can figure out solutions. Maybe one child can suggest a friend they could car pool with, maybe another can walk to their activity, or maybe one can bring their homework along and do it while their sibling is in a lesson.

? Depending on the comfort level of the family ? activities may need to be removed or postponed. Some families thrive on being busy while others need to have a more relaxed schedule.

? Make sure that everyone is in agreement or can live with the schedule.

? Try it for one month and then have another meeting and evaluate the schedule. Make sure it works for everyone and make necessary changes.

How to Handle Those Schedules and Not Waste TIme

Once the priorities and scheduling are done, there are few things that families need to do to make sure that they can handle their schedules and not waste their precious time.

ESTABLISH ROUTINES ? If everyone follows a routine that works, life will run much smoother. Some areas where routines are a must are: before and after school, homework time, chores and meals.
ELIMINATE CLUTTER ? Looking for things wastes a lot of time. Have set places for the things you use daily ? keys, school items, library books, bags, purses, lunch kits, etc.
DEAL WITH PAPER IMMEDIATELY ? Read and recycle mail right at the mailbox, write all pertinent information off school papers, newsletters, mail, flyers, etc on your family calendar and recycle them.
AVOID PERFECTIONSISM ? Aim for completion and excellence. A little dust or a wrinkle won't hurt.
LIMIT DETAILS ? We have so many choices available to us in life. Limit the decisions you offer your family. Ask questions like "Would you prefer a peanut butter or ham sandwich?" rather than "What do you want for lunch?"
TIME WASTERS ? Limit the amount of time family members do the following: watch TV, play video games, surf the Internet, or talk on the phone ? unless you are a teenage girl!

When we have children in school, we can't help but be busy. But being busy with things that are important to us is very different than being overwhelmed by disarray. If we take the time as a family to determine our priorities and work together to eliminate time wasters, we will be in control of our time!

Tracy Lyn Moland, B. Ed, is a Mom Expert. From having written the best selling Mom Management, Managing Mom Before Everybody Else (tgot, 2003) to being a highly sought after consultant on the trillion dollar Mom Market, her advice and information has been featured in over 300 media outlets and to many conferences and corporations. For more information on Tracy Lyn's consulting or presentations please visit http://www.tracylynmoland.com

custom home cleaning Lincolnshire ..
In The News:

Amazon Prime Day shoppers face threats from 120,000-plus scam websites as cybercriminals prepare phishing traps and malware ahead of the July sales event.
Fox News' AI Newsletter brings you the latest on this rapidly evolving technology.
The AEON humanoid robot tackles labor challenges with Nvidia AI, Microsoft Azure cloud and advanced spatial awareness, working alongside industry leaders Schaeffler and Pilatus.
Google's Ask Photos feature brings AI-powered searches to your photo library, letting you find memories with natural language queries while maintaining privacy controls.
The return of blue book exams emerges as universities fight widespread AI academic dishonesty and educators debate whether to ban AI tools or teach responsible usage.
Signs your phone might be hacked include strange behavior, unauthorized texts, battery drain and pop-ups, while protection involves updating software and avoiding public Wi-Fi.
Tokyo startup H2L has launched Capsule Interface technology enabling full-body robot control with muscle sensors, offering immersive remote operation.
The A.I. industry seems set for growing pains as Big Tech companies scramble for solutions to the medium's unprecedented strain on the power grid.
Fourth of July fireworks cause a 60% spike in lost pets, but GPS trackers and AI photo-matching services like Love Lost can help reunite missing dogs with their families.
Protect yourself from jugging, the rising crime by which thieves monitor ATM users and follow them to steal cash, with six practical safety tips to stay alert and secure.
U.S. airlines like Delta, American and United are selling your domestic flight records to government agencies through the little-known Travel Intelligence Program.
Autonomous robots from Uber Eats are rolling out across U.S. cities, featuring LIDAR sensors, secure compartments and all-weather operation for food and grocery delivery.
Costco has expanded into EV infrastructure with new ultra-fast charging stations that can charge most electric vehicles to 80% in 20-60 minutes while shoppers browse the warehouse.
The new Gemini Robotics On-Device AI allows robots to perform complex tasks without internet, offering enhanced privacy, reliability and adaptability for real-world use.
Protect yourself from Amazon phishing scams by spotting red flags like suspicious sender addresses and spelling errors while using Amazon's Message Center to verify communications.
GAC Group's new Govy AirCab flying car combines lightweight design with advanced safety systems and smart cabin technology to revolutionize city travel with an 18.6-mile range.
The Berkeley Humanoid Light (BHL) is a lightweight, open source humanoid robot that anyone can build using 3D-printed parts and off-the-shelf components.
Meta’s new AI chatbot is getting personal, and it might be sharing more than you realize.
A new threat targets both Android and iPhone users: SparkKitty, a powerful mobile malware strain that scans private photos to steal cryptocurrency recovery phrases and other sensitive data.
Thanks to a team at the University of California, Davis, there's a new brain-computer interface (BCI) system that's opening up real-time, natural conversation for people who can't speak.
Privacy risks are hiding in plain sight, as your personal data is likely being collected, tracked, and sold without your knowledge.
VenHub, a fully autonomous, AI-powered smart store just opened at the LAX/Metro Transit Center in Los Angeles.
A woman's Facebook account takeover reveals dangerous social engineering tactics and provides lessons on recovery, avoiding scams and enacting stronger security measures.
Shanghai engineers are using 432 walking robots to relocate a complex, preserving Shikumen architecture while creating space for a modern underground hub and cultural center.
Major healthcare data analytics firm Episource had a cybersecurity incident exposing 5 million patients' medical records and personal information in recent breach.

Overcome Procrastination - Discover ways to get more done in less time

So What Then Is The Opposite Of Procrastination? Urgency is... Read More

Time Invested Wisely = Your Dreams

This past Friday I was asked to speak with a... Read More

How to Make More Time For Your Life

Do you wish you could work less and play more?... Read More

The Myth of What We Manage

Perhaps it is merely semantics, but an underlying problem I... Read More

Time is Money?

Not 1 in 10 people can tell you where money... Read More

Time Management And How It Affects Your Kids

Last week I attended a presentation from Parenting Expert and... Read More

Time Is Everything

Time is wealth;Time is health; Time is power; Time is... Read More

Perfekt!

Are you obsessed with getting everything just right? Do you... Read More

Time Management -- Urgent vs. Important

"It's just been one of those days?I can't seem to... Read More

Procrastination - Understanding & Overcoming it

Whenever I've worked on 'de-cluttering' my living or working space,... Read More

Keeping YOUR Calendar Full

When do you want to make time for a networking... Read More

Sprint Through Your Workday, Even if Youre a Marathoner

Whenever you have projects that can't be done in one... Read More

Too Many Unfinished Projects?

Q. I have several projects going at once -- but... Read More

Make Procrastination Wait

Reflect on the rewards of kicking the procrastination habit. They... Read More

10 Tips on the Right Time of Day for Your Personal Best

Does choosing which time we do an activity really make... Read More

Freelance Productivity: Do One Thing Extra Each Day

This may not sound like a big deal. But it's... Read More

Time Management - Honor Your Time and Energy

Your time and energy are the two most precious gifts... Read More

How A Simple Four-Letter List Can Make or Break Your Business

One of the biggest problems most people have when it... Read More

How to Conquer the Five Major Time Wasters?

* spreading yourself too thinTaking on too many things at... Read More

Do You Have The Time?

Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number... Read More

Webmaster or Web Slave? Time Saving Tips for Cyberpreneurs

Time is money in your online business, just as in... Read More

How to Define a Successful Time Management Strategy

One of the most challenging aspect in life is time... Read More

7 Ways To Improve Your Life In 7 Days

Choose to be HappyHappiness is a choice. You can choose... Read More

Organize Your Time

Most people want to start a home-based business to make... Read More

Taking Time Out to Play - Summertime and the Living is Easy

As the song goes, this is the time to relax,... Read More

move in cleaning service Glencoe ..