As back to school season comes and goes, you might find yourself quickly overwhelmed by everything going on this fall. Considering how much school and everyday life has adjusted amidst a pandemic, it is perfectly understandable that getting back into our fall routines might take a little bit longer this year. Chances are last fall your kids were not even going back to in-person school, which meant there was no morning commute or crying over missed buses. As we transition back to school and the calendar becomes overrun with carpool pickup/dropoffs, we want to remind everyone to stay centered and ~zen~. Since staying centered is much easier said than done we have complied a few of our favorite tips to help keep you sane.
- Share A Schedule
Between all the different fall sports, craft clubs, and violin, parents certainly have their plates full this September. And especially for parents with multiple kids, we know how challenging it can be to keep each kid’s extracurriculars in order. That’s why we love using shared calendars! You can find shared calendars on Google Calendars or you can share specific events (such as “Sunday Soccer Game @4 pm at Foothills Park”) with specific people via your iPhone. This way all parents, grandparents, older siblings, babysitters, and friend’s parents can be on the same page regarding the schedule. No more confusion over who has baseball on Tuesdays and at what time and field.
- Daily To-Do List
We know this tip is not groundbreaking but it is tried and true. If you have not tried making a daily or weekly to-do list we highly recommend that you start. There definitely is a reason why to-do lists are so universally used and recommended. Another tip is to include even your more mundane tasks on your to-do list. Crossing off tasks such as “work,” “showering,” and “cleaning” can make you feel more successful and increase productivity!
- Delegate
This tip is so important and forgotten by many parents! Just because “your” TODO list has 18 things doesn’t mean you for sure have to do all 18 things yourself. Older siblings make great helpers with laundry, lunches, and vacuuming! Also, don’t assume your younger kids can’t do anything to help, there is always a way to get them involved. Consider asking younger kids to throw away trash from their lunch boxes, sort laundry, or pick up their toys.
- Communicate
It is astonishing how many simple disputes were caused by miscommunication, which further emphasizes why open and honest communication is so important. Additionally, it’s not just what you communicate but also how you communicate it. Try to think critically about what you’re trying to accomplish and think about how your message will be received.
Overall, we want to emphasize that while back to school can be very overwhelming, it does not have to be. Back to school should be a happy transition between the freedom of summer and the excitement of a new school year. Finally, remember there are countless tricks/techniques that can help to minimize and alleviate your stress. And if one method isn’t working for you, just try another approach!