Managing Back-to-School Activities, Sports, Homework & Motherhood

Managing Back-to-School Activities, Sports, Homework & Motherhood

The following is a guest post from momAgendaCOMM blogger Kris Cain.

Life is busy. This is especially true if you have children. In the beginning, it is pretty easy. Your children are small and cute but as they get older, they go to school, activities get added, they get invited places and they may even participate in sports. This makes life for parents even busier. With back-to-school upon us right now, it is time to evaluate your life and schedule and make sure that you are ready. I’m a working mom, so I have even less hours in the day for household stuff, so my schedule needs to be tight.

How can you manage the madness?

It is all about keeping organized. We are not perfect, but with some preparation you can stay on track. I’ve been trying to do much better about this myself. My kids are still young, so there are not many extracurricular activities yet. But, we still need to stay on schedule. All of my kids have gym on different days. Then there is science, field trips, and dance class. Add to that doctor appointments and special activities, and it is quite a bit to keep track of.

I keep a separate area on my calendar for my own appointments, kid’s appointments, and business appointments. This way there is no question about who needs to be where and when. Besides having our schedule clearly laid out, it also helps to have the house organized. This is an ongoing struggle. I recently wrote a post about my efforts to get back in the swing. It is not easy. In that post, I listed a few things that may help you get ready. These included things like a schedule for laundry, having lunches prepared ahead of time, and having clothes laid out. Here are a few other tips that might help:

1. Network help – Carpooling can take its toll on mom. Have a backup in case your schedule runs over, or you just need a break.

2. Limit the amount of activities – I love having lazy days at home. Having to run nonstop every single day of the week has its toll on the family. This is especially true for working moms like me. So, schedule some lazy family time to hang out at home and watch a movie.

3. Delegate chores to the kids – No matter how young, if they can move around, they can do chores. And this leaves less for you to do. Kids love to help sort laundry, put up toys, and even wipe off the table. Take advantage of it while they still think it is fun.

4. Cook for the whole week – If you are a working mom like me you will get home later and have less time for cooking, homework, bedtime baths, and cuddles. You can add a little more time to your schedule by using your slow cooker to cook for the whole week.

These are just a few things that come to mind. Of course it seems as if there is always more to do. There is always more laundry, more cooking, and more homework. Figure out what works best for your family and stick to it.

What are some of your tips for balancing it all this time of year?

Kris Cain is a member of the Council of Media Moms at momAgenda. She writes about technology and her busy life on her blog, Little Tech Girl. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.