Stress-Free Back To School Prep: Schedules

What is one of the most stressful part of the back to school process?

SCHEDULES.

Summers allow for those late night family fun nights. Conversations around the fire. Time spent TOGETHER.

Then BAM. All of a sudden school hits and those late summer nights become rushed early evenings, trying to get the kids to bed on time, to prevent those crabby mornings. When school starts, often all good intentions of having an organized school year get thrown out the window.

So how do you prevent a constantly stressed out school year? How do you enjoy the next 9 months and not wish for next summer to be here tomorrow?

It begins with having organized schedules.

1. Get a planner or create one. As much as I would love to say that you can do without one, if you have kids in school, I feel this is the best way to ensure your child doesn’t miss his/her first game of the year or their first concert. If you have a smartphone, keep your schedule on there if that is easier. Planners allow everything to be in ONE place, instead of having to look through 50 different papers each time you think there might be something scheduled that day. You can even use just a regular calendar or print one off the computer (many programs offer templates). Whatever is the easiest way for you to organize your schedules, purchase or create it.

2. Gather ALL of the schedules you will need for the school year. This may mean printing off sports schedules, talking to the piano teacher, checking the school website, looking at the church bulletin, etc. It may seem overwhelming to see all of these schedules sitting in a pile, but in the end, it will be worth it.

3. Color code and write down the various activities. For example, use a purple pen for all sporting events. Use a green pen for all concerts. Use an orange pen for practices. You probably get the idea. By writing down all of the activities and using different colors, you can prepare your mind for what is ahead. If you see a lot of purple and you try to attend most of your children’s games, you will probably have a busy week. You could also color code by family member, if that is easier!

4. Meal plan. When you see that you will be gone often in a week and have zero prep time for meals, but don’t want to eat out every time, this is when meal planning strikes gold! Imagine coming home after a hectic day and knowing exactly what’s for supper and possibly even having it already made? Planning ahead will save you oodles of time in the end. It may take 15 minutes at the beginning of the week to plan ahead, but it will make the week go much smoother and keep your family healthier!

These are just a few ideas on how to organize your schedule.

What is your secret to making sure you do not miss a single event?