Let’s Look-Juggling Family Schedules

Hey Hey Hey! This title is PERFECTLY timed because if you noticed I missed out on my Monday post? Well, I’m blaming our schedules. 😉

Before I get down to the subject at hand, let me remind you that once a month, Shay and I team up to chat about a new topic. Here are some of the topics we’ve discussed this year…

January-We covered our Low Level Goals. These are the goals that will make us feel productive but aren’t anything too difficult. I’m happy to report one item has already been crossed off my list!

February-We shared how we Work on our Marriage.

March-We discussed how we Reset for the Week.

April-We looked at Maintaining Friendships.

May-My Wellness Routine and I shared what that looks like on a weekly basis.

I was MIA all summer during these Let’s Look posts and they were GOOD topics! I need to go back and get caught up. Let’s talk JUGGLING FAMILY SCHEDULES!

I often say August is the hardest month in our house because Tab is traveling to training camps for sometimes a week at a time plus working a preseason game on the weekend which means we see him about one day out of the week. School starts, there’s back to school night, new routines, new bedtimes, new carpools, fall sports begin for every kid, and meanwhile my partner-in-crime leaves for almost the month. This is a tough month but after six years of doing this I’ve found a few things that REALLY help keep our schedules straight.

Tips that Help Me Juggle Schedules:

1. Write it ALL down-This isn’t my steering wheel but it’s actually not a bad idea! Ha! I write everything down in my Cozi app. If I have to grab a few more school supplies at the store, I write it down. If I’m driving carpool to school three days that week, I write it down. If a birthday party on Saturday is the only thing I have the entire day, write it down. If a kid has something they’ve had every week for six years, guess what? I still write it down. There’s already so many things I have to remember the less of anything my brain has to keep up with, the better.

2. Not only do I write it down, but I go over my calendar/lists multiple times a day. This is to remind myself what I have going on so I don’t forget anything.

3. Carpool-I’m a carpool queen. If I know another mom and I are headed to the same location at the same time, I’m gonna suggest we carpool. Camps? Practices? School? You name it. Carpooling during the month of August SAVES me. I’m one person and simply can’t get three {I have one driver now} other people to everywhere they need to be usually at the same time. Find a carpool for some trips in your life, Mama!

4. As great as carpooling is sometimes it doesn’t work and I just pay someone to help. Now that I have a driver I have built-in help with this but when she’s busy and unavailable, I’ll pay someone to get that kid wherever they need to go.

5. Do my best to be at EVERYTHING and have zero guilt-this fall season a few sports things overlap. I’ve added it all to my calendar and have plans to attend as many things as I possibly can but the things I can’t attend, I’ve gotta let go. There are a few nights where one of the boys has a football game while Britt has a softball game. I can send Ebby Lee to softball while I go to football. Football games just happen once a week and most weeks Britt has two softball games a week so it all evens out. As a mom, I’m doing my very best.

I don’t have anything that’s a super hack you’ve never heard of but wish I had some magic like that for you. The thing I’m going to urge you {and myself} to do right now is to ENJOY these moments! They truly are my favorite days-getting to see my people all do and participate in things they love that keep us busy with schedules to juggle. A friend just texted me yesterday about something and ended her text, “Stressed because we’re blessed”. I couldn’t agree more. I hope you guys all remember you’re stressed because you’re blessed in these busy days.

Next month we’re chatting about Managing Teenage Life. Can’t wait to hear your tips!

XO