Family Management Tip #3: Getting Ready for the New School Year

Clothes. Check. School supplies. Check. No doubt you've got to have all the physical goods required to carry your child through the school year. But perhaps the most important way to get prepared for the new school year is by planning to spend your time and your family's time wisely.

It's important to take a step back from your busy schedule to think about how you want your family to spend the upcoming year. What are your most important goals? Peace? Happiness? Good grades? Harmony? Weight loss? Better health? While you're planning your family's activities, be sure to allocate some time towards meeting those important goals.

You don't have to spend the upcoming year as you've spent the past year - especially if the lifestyle of the past year is not getting you closer to the most important goals you have for your family. People often hear this and agree, but discard the thought as not being applicable to them - so pay close attention: overscheduling yourselves is not necessarily in the best interests of your family.

It is one thing to make a conscious decision that some things are more important than others and to make sacrifices to achieve specific goals. But if you're just going along for the ride, unsure about what you want for yourself and the family, then you're basically gambling with your life. The consequences of these actions will be felt for a long time in your family. So take a thoughtful approach to planning the upcoming year.

Time management is central to success - for an individual or a family. But what does that term really mean? It's not about just scheduling appointments or activities. It can only be successful if time is managed to achieve certain goals. The best way to achieve this is to come up with a daily plan for each family member - well in advance to the extent possible.

Here's how you can achieve this for your family in the new school year:

  • Plan school-related activities.

    You'll want to take care of this first. Before you schedule all other activities, make sure you account for homework time. Depending on how old your kids are, this can take anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours in a day. Of course, this gets top priority. If you're homeschooling, you'll need to plan for the curriculum as well.

  • Plan home activities.

    Straightening up the room, making the bed, bringing in the laundry, walking the dog, feeding the fish - a thousand things to do everyday. To keep things going smoothly during the year, you need to come up with a daily, weekly, and monthly chore schedule for each family member. A little bit of planning and buy-in from the family on this front will go a long way. Don't compromise on this or prioritize this lower than other activities - much stress builds up if this schedule falls apart, and you want to avoid this. If you have a conflict with other activities, you can schedule these activities at a different time on the days where you have a conflict. For example, if Mike has hockey practice at 6am on Tuesdays, you can give him a break from dog walking on that day, or maybe he can do it in the evening.

  • Plan goal-related activities.

    Pick one or two long-term goals for each member. Maybe it's health-related, like dropping a few pounds, or perhaps it's getting a higher degree. Whatever it is, unless you plan for it, it "ain't gonna happen", so schedule these activities in.

  • Plan extra-curricular activities.

    After you've accounted for the most important activities, and only after, consider how much time is realistically left for other activities, and fit those in. If you don't keep it realistic, you're always going to find yourself compromising on your longer-term goals and you'll never get out of that cycle.

  • Assess the overall plan and make adjustments.

    Once you've set up the whole plan, talk about it as a family and see if any adjustments need to be made.

  • Use a good family organizer to implement the plan. If every member of your family can have a daily plan for each day (and they could be guided to use it as they begin each day), it will give them a head start. Plan for success this school year - I'm sure you'll be happy with the results.

    ? 2005 by Saro Saravanan.

    Saro Saravanan is the Founder-CEO of Mediabee, which makes Mediabee Family Dashboard, a free family management tool built to address the needs of busy families and their organizers. Be sure to read the rest of his articles from this series on Family Management. Download Mediabee Family Dashboard today at http://mediabee.com and streamline your family life.

    executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport car
    In The News:

    Getting virus alerts on your iPhone? Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you learn how to handle fake scam alerts and boost security.
    Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says opening emails is safe, but risks arise from interacting with links, attachments or HTML content.
    Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals four signs of compromised Social Security numbers and offers five steps to protect yourself.
    Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how MAB Robotics' Honey Badger 4.0, a versatile robot, now walks underwater with amphibious skills.
    An updated Android trojan called FakeCall hijacks bank calls. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says Android phone manufacturers and Google need to step up their game on security.
    The Massimo Modular E9 is a sleek, smart and comfy tiny home in 409 square feet. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson takes a closer look at what the future of housing might look like.
    Every stock trader should consider a virtual private network to safeguard their trading, according to tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson.
    Apple recently announced its new lineup of Macs and rolled out Apple Intelligence, its latest artificial intelligence-powered feature for its products.
    A Swiss-engineered robot can climb ladders, showing why it's at the cutting edge of autonomous robotic solutions for harsh industrial settings.
    Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson presents the cities targeted most by robocalls, why this is happening and what you can do about it to protect your privacy.
    Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents
    Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson shares tips and suggestions for how to get the best use out of the updated Calendar app available with the latest iOS update.
    Your Social Security number, your unique identifier used for many purposes, has likely been leaked on the Dark Web; here are some steps you can take to protect yourself.
    Researchers have developed a new technology that creates strong, sticky fibers capable of lifting objects and capturing things from a distance.
    Smart rings track the same things that smartwatches do, including steps, sleep and a general overview of your overall health, and they tend have more battery life than smartwatches.
    Researchers have developed a robotic finger that can perform routine medical exams like those conducted by doctors, helping to address the growing shortage of trained professionals.
    Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
    Insurance administrative services company Landmark Admin reported that a data breach from a May cyberattack affected over 800,000 people.
    Sotheby's will auction the first artwork created by Ai-Da, the world's first robot artist created in 2019 by British gallerist Aidan Meller.
    More than 250 million users of the Verizon Messages app will have to switch to another app. Verizon is shutting down Messages in the next month.
    Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson provides a list of 10 celebrities who are the most targeted by deepfake scams, including Tom Hanks.
    Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how Vast's Haven-1, launching in 2025, transforms space living with human-centric design.
    UnitedHealth confirms over 100 million Change Healthcare users had their data stolen. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals what happened and what caused the breach.
    Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how iOS 18 brings new text formatting and animated effects to the Messages app.
    Whether you're a social media veteran or novice, Facebook friend request scams are common. Kurt the CyberGuy provides tips to keep your account safe.

    Declutter Your Home in 11 Easy Steps

    Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of organizing your home? Start... Read More

    Organized Living in a Disorganized World

    We are bombarded with so many factors that perpetuate disorganization.... Read More

    Improve Your Workplace to Make Your Life Better

    What does "quality of life" mean to you? If you... Read More

    Clutter Crisis?

    Clutter costs you time, money, space, and peace of mind.... Read More

    Letting Go Of Your Excuses

    At this point, you have probably run across some belongings... Read More

    Organizing Solutions for the Disorganized Entrepreneur

    After more than 20 years as an entrepreneur and a... Read More

    10 Minute Tricks to Help You Get Organized

    Whoever thought you'd be able to get organized in just... Read More

    5 Tips to Banish Clutter From Your Life For Good

    Studies show that 80 percent of what we use comes... Read More

    Life Lessons - Get What You Want; A Lesson from a Green Sea Turtle!

    Sometimes major life lessons come from the most unlikely of... Read More

    Balance- What Does It Really Mean?

    Balance- what a popular topic these days! Finding a work-life... Read More

    10 Simple Ways to Clear Clutter from Your Home and Office

    There is nothing worse then spending ten minutes looking for... Read More

    The Organized Move: Unpacking with a Plan

    (This is the third in a series of three articles... Read More

    Overwhelmed? Try the Red Zone Tactic

    Some people seem to be born organized. You probably remember... Read More

    Digging out of Paper Clutter - part 1

    Digging out from under stacks of paper might seem like... Read More

    Four Tips For Clearing The Clutter

    Spring?. Fresh breezes through open windows, sleeping trees come awake... Read More

    The Organized Move: Packing Made Simple

    (This is the second in a series of three articles... Read More

    Can You Really Improve Your Organisation Skills

    I'm sure most of you have heard of Zig Ziglar... Read More

    Tired of Endless Chores and To-Dos? Stop Running Around in Circles and Enjoy Life Again

    Do you feel like you are running around in circles,... Read More

    Four Easy Steps to An Organized Closet

    The National Association of Professional Organizers has dedicated January to... Read More

    The Balance of Balance

    Life is about maintaining a balance of all aspects. At... Read More

    Clutter-Clearing and Your Authentic Self

    Have you ever felt so discouraged, your life so out-of-control,... Read More

    Are You A Collector?

    Collections are the outward manifestation of a deeply-felt principle or... Read More

    What Clutter Clearing Can Do For You

    You can get a pretty good idea of the benefits... Read More

    Organize (and Decorate) Your Home on a Budget with Baskets

    What's an item that can help you organize every room... Read More

    Organization and the Opposite Sex

    In many of the companies I have worked in, there... Read More

    O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..