They need cake for Baker Man, a costume for Superhero day and there is soccer on a Monday and a Friday and ballet on a Wednesday and Thursday. It can get very overwhelming very quickly. It need not be though. With a little organising and planning you can get control of everything that is going on and there won’t be any last minute trips to Spar at 7h00 in the morning to grab cupcakes for Cake and Candy.
Communicate with your school. Most schools publish a term timetable of when Baker Man is, sports dates, projects and exams. Get this as soon as the new year/term starts. Some schools have the Communicator which is great for checking dates. Find out if the school has an email address that you can use to communicate if you are unsure about dates or what to bring etc.
Write it all down. Mark everything on a calendar that you can see daily. When new invites or events come in you will be able to see at a glance whether you will be able to make it or not. Keeping a copy on the fridge is a great way for the family to also keep up to date with what is going on.
Be realistic. If your son has soccer scheduled to end at 10h30 and a birthday party 45 minutes away at 11 and you have a family event at 14h00, decline the party. Do not try and squeeze in more than what is realistic because it creates unnecessary tension and stress.
Limit extra-muruals. Organising extra muruals can become a full time job, especially if you have more than one child. Their activities will more than likely be on different days at different times. Sit down as a family and decide what they really want to do and work out a plan of action. Too many activities not only add pressure onto you but also onto your child.
Set a time for homework. Set a time that works for everyone and stick to it. During that time focus solely on homework. Keep a set of stationery at home for each child.
Get ready the night before. Pack lunches and bags the night before. Get uniforms out to make sure that each child has socks, shoes, PE uniforms and whatever else they may need for the next day. Depending on the age of your children, get them to start being responsible for their own bags. Remind them what they have on and then encourage them to pack themselves and check afterwards if it has been done correctly.
Start a lift club. Take turns fetching and dropping kids from school or extra muruals with other moms. This network will be invaluable when you need help with your kids, or when you need to find out last minute what your child needs to study.
It can seem a little overwhelming but taking the time to organise your child’s school timetable will make it easier for everyone and remove some daily stress.
Author bio:
Laura is a mom to four which means she spends most of her day driving kids from one activity to the next. She lives in Pretoria with her husband, the kids, a dog and a bird. Laura blogs over at HarassedMom (www.harassedmom.co.za) and runs a small party planning business (www.journey2joy.co.za), Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Journey2Joy/10150128530740425 and twitter https://twitter.com/Journey2Joy
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