Now that you’ve been pulled into the back-to-school madness, how do you keep it together? Homework, meals, extracurriculars, the kids’ social lives, and your own work and social life. Oh- and don’t even get us started on the mess we know this can bring into the house. Keeping your Sturbridge home in order while all this is going on is just icing on the cake. It’s not easy, but here are some tips on how to keep it together after school- the next hunger games- may the odds be ever in your favor.
Tip #1: Prioritize
Acknowledging that getting everything done would require Mary Poppins is the first step. Recognizing that without a floating umbrella and magic bag that you can pull everything you need out of, getting everything mentioned above done is impractical. So, prioritize what’s most important to you and your family. For example homework is pretty important, but it won’t kill the kids to miss a sports practice if you have a busy week, or to order out instead of cooking if you’re too exhausted from juggling the rest of the world on your plate. Maybe you want to prioritize a date night and hire a sitter- whatever it is, just figure out what is most important to you and focus on the more important tasks.
Tip #2: Organize
This tip is easy for the person who loves lists and schedules. Now that you’ve got your priorities straight, organize for them! If homework comes first, setting up a schedule where homework happens before play time, snacks, etc., and keeping track of assignments can help you maintain it as a priority. If cooking healthier meals for your family ranks high on your list, organize meals at the beginning of the week. You can shop and meal prep on the weekend, or simply plan out what meals you want to make for the week, at any level, organization is key to getting the job done in a manageable way.
Tip #3: HAVE FUN!
When all is said and done, don’t forget to enjoy what you are doing and have fun. Accepting you might not be a superhuman and are unable to have everything done perfectly should help relieve some stress. If you enjoy cooking, don’t let the thought of meal prep for the week overwhelm you. Cook what you love and make the kids do the dishes/cleanup! If you love cheering loud for them at a sports game, make sure you bring a good lawn chair and forget about tidying up that night. Do what you love and have fun whenever you can.
Use these tips and get the most for your family out of this school year! You got this!