Kids like to stay busy. With sports, clubs, and friends, you may find that you are away more than you are home! With my three kids, we are always busy. I look forward to time at home because we are away so much. When you have one child, it can be easier to balance all the activities they enjoy. When you throw more children into the mix, you can quickly become overwhelmed with what you have going on. Thankfully, there are ways to balance the daily schedule to ensure each child gets to enjoy what they love and you don’t go crazy!
A calendar is very important. You can use a physical calendar, Google calendar or your mobile phone to keep track of what is going on in your life. This is extremely helpful when you have kids. As soon as one sport is over and practice is scheduled, take note! You will then be able to look at your calendar or be reminded when you use your mobile device. This will help you keep track of games, practices, lessons, etc. with ease. I know it is hard to be organized at times, but with today’s technology, you can easily keep track of what you need to with just a click of the button.
When you have multiple children, as I do, activities will overlap. This is when you divide and conquer. Have your spouse or other family members help out when they can. You want someone to be on hand to support your child when you cannot. Grandparents love to attend events and are certainly willing to help out when they can. You can also rely on other parents to help out. Make friends with your children’s friends parents so you can help each other out by carpooling or picking up and dropping off kiddos when needed.
Sometimes, we have to learn how to slow down. Sure, your child loves to play basketball, softball, and swim. But do they really need to have each week filled with activity? Sometimes, you have to narrow down the activities your child is involved in. If you find that your child is constantly busy, ask them if they want to cut back on activities. This way, you will be away from home and have more time to enjoy each other’s company, rather than be going here and there for practices, games, and events.