Improving Families Time Management

Every mom struggles with getting their family out the door for an appointment. Or getting everyone to sit at the table at dinner time. Here are some tips to improve your family’s time management:

* Don’t forget to consider your travel time, prep time, clean up time, waiting time
* Make adjustments when you have to, you can’t be everywhere at once
* The goal is to get it done, not make it perfect
* Keep it simple, give two choices instead of asking “what do you want ____”
* Set limits on things like television, video games, and phone chatter … for everyone in the household. Eliminates arguing and gets everyone doing other things
* Deal with things as they happen, (the mail came, sort it now instead of waiting until later – also eliminates clutter that you would have to clean up later)
* Follow routines and schedules, such as getting up at the same time and leaving at the same time daily…create a pattern/routine get home, do your homework, 30 minutes to watch tv/play game/read, dinner, get a bath, quiet time, bedtime
* Plan ahead for holidays and weekends with activities and things to do. These are the most chaotic times, even if you do something spontaneous instead at least you had a plan ready! You can always use the plan for the following weekend
* Get involved in a car pool to get kids where they need to go, school, soccer, baseball, football … sharing these tasks save you and someone else time and gas money!
* Give everyone their own alarm clock instead of being the “mom clock” and explain the consequences of not being up and ready to leave on time
* Minimize distractions (putting video games and televisions in cabinets that close does wonders in a household)