It’s almost the time for that dreaded “SCHOOL!!!” word to
kick into full gear. Are you ready? I’m assuming with all of the weekly
advertisements it is hard not to be very aware of the seemingly endless list
needed for a smooth transition back into the school year. However, as important
as classroom supplies, school clothes and sports gear is to your child’s
success in their academic growth, I would like to highlight another major area
in their life that can play a significant role in how much learning actually
happens this year……their routine at home.
As our children return to school and spend less time in the
home, it is very beneficial to be even more purposeful of the quality time and
efficiency they experience during the limited hours they are actually at home.
I would like to offer some helpful ideas to keep a sense of balance and routine
as an entire family that will not only set them up for success, but likely draw
you even closer connected to your loved ones…including the family petJ
Organization:
What
better way is there to get organized than to focus on your organization!?! For instance, where exactly do you expect your
children…and your spouse….to put all the books, bags and clothes they bring
home from their various adventures? Do you have a designated spot for
backpacks, paperwork, gym bags, etc? If not, I strongly suggest you do so,
because this simple step can eliminate a lot of time spent looking for lost
items that seem to magically disappear the night before they are truly needed.
Now, what if you already have a
designated place, yet no one seems to remember exactly where that is, or
perhaps they conveniently forgot how to actually place things in the designated
place? Well, there are two quick solutions. First, take a picture of what a
clean and organized space is expected to look like and/or have a bulleted
checklist of the items that are required to be present before a certain time
the night before (you could even make labels for those who love using a label
maker). Second, establish a new set of expectations that “those who can be
responsible for organizing their spaces, are also those who may continue to
keep the privileges they are regularly given” (if they can’t seem to remember…or
care…to put their things away, simply have a list of consequences established
so that they know what they are signing themselves up for if and/or when they
decide to test your expectations).
Another
way to stay organized during the school year is to commit to making a meal prep
menu for each week. By planning ahead of time (just like school cafeterias do),
you and your children will have a much more predictable menu and you can take
advantage of weekends or nights off to do larger meals and also consider
crockpot dinners and previously prepped frozen meals for those nights that are
a little more hectic.
Setting Limits:
This one
is a tough one. Especially in our modern high tech and socialized culture,
there are soooo many different things that can pull each of us in several
directions. There is such a competition for our time and energy as parents and
children alike. However, when you can give yourself permission to “not have to
say yes to everything”, which means giving your children the reality that they
will have to “learn to say no to some things”, it will allow a more realistic
time frame to work with and fit in family time and down time….such as sleeping
a full 7-8 hours. I strongly recommend putting a fair and reasonable limit on
extra-curricular activities, organizations and even volunteering. When you can model with confidence the
ability to accept limits and prioritize your priorities, it shows your children
the true value of having balance in their life despite the genuine
disappointment that comes from not being able to do everything available to
them.
Quality Time:
Having
additional opportunities for quality time is one of the main intended benefits
for focusing on organization and setting limits. However, just because we may
have additional time to use, doesn’t mean we always spend it as purposefully as
we could. I recommend you set relationship goals of both time spent and quality
connection activities to do with each of your family members and the family as
a whole. For instance, scheduling family dinner times and preparing a list of
family questions to discuss during dinner is a great way to incorporate a
requirement of eating with an intentional effort to connect. (Check out this link for ideas about
creating your own family’s dinner questions jar). It is also helpful to
designate certain nights of the week as “family game night” or “family movie
night” or even specific times of the night for “individual education time”
where each person (including you parentsJ)
picks a brain stimulating activity (not electronic based) that could range from
reading, drawing, music practice, Sudoku, cross words, etc. When your children
see that you value downtime and education time enough to participate in it yourselves,
they are much more likely to see the value for themselves.
In the spirit of keeping things simple, and knowing that you
probably are limited in the time you have to even read this article, I will end
here. I truly do hope that you can find at least a few ideas from above that
will help you better prepare and execute a plan to make this next school year
one of “many fruits and blessings”.
Justin
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