Monday, May 31, 2010

Time Management

Being a stay at home parent can be very stressful if your days are not structured properly. Disorganization leads to chaos and confusion for both you and your children. Keeping a schedule (if even a very loose one) can help eliminate so many problems. Schedules can be tough to adjust to, but implementing them gradually will help this transition. I personally love The FlyLady's method. It is very easy to follow and can be altered to fit your family's needs. The FlyLady's system is all about baby steps and doing things in small increments of time so that you do not feel overwhelmed. 

In this system she suggests having a family calendar. Personally, I prefer an electronic calendar. With so many dates to remember, it's just easier. I use Google Calendar and Cozi. Google allows you to create multiple calendars that are embedded into one calendar and Cozi syncs with your Google Calendar. You can make a separate calendar for each member of your family, one for dinner plans, one for bills, the list is endless. Cozi helps keep your family in the loop too. You can text or email your family members reminders directly from their website. I love it!

Setting up schedules for your family members is easy if you take this process one step at a time. Don't jump in the deep end, this will be too overwhelming. For example, here is a great article on how to help your children be more organized in the morning: Tips For Getting Kids Up and Starting the Day. Hope you enjoy it. 

My question to you? What do you do to make your household run smoothly?

3 comments:

  1. I love Flylady! I use a big desk calendar to keep track of family stuff. It helps a lot!

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  2. Me too! She's great. I've been using her system off and on for many years (I get lazy). It is so easy to jump in right where you are though and start all over again and not worry about being behind.

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