5 Ways to Manage Multiple Family Schedules
Did you know that having kids in different grade levels is a positive thing? One child is busy with homework, sports practice, or other activities. While another child is home from school and able to babysit. Or one child will be old enough to drive the younger one somewhere. Your children being in different grades helps to make managing their schedule easier. Yet, this can also create some challenges. You have to learn how to find balance between family activities and each child’s needs. Luckily, there are several ways you can manage many family schedules. Especially, if you have kids in different age groups. Here is our list of 5 Ways to Manage Multiple Family Schedules
Create a shared calendar
- Which days and times you’ll go to the gym
- When and where your kids’ sports practices and games are taking place
- When you schedule family outings, and who is taking the kids where
- Which weekends your spouse needs to work and when kids have appointments (doctor’s visits, parent-teacher meetings, etc.).
Rotate driving duties
One way to manage a busy schedule is to rotate driving duties. If your kids are old enough, have them each drive the family car at least once every few weeks. Not only will this help you keep track of gas mileage, it ill benefit the kids too. Your kids develop good driving habits and they will feel more like part of the family. If you have younger kids, rotate driving with your spouse. One parent picks up the kids from school every two weeks and takes them to their activities.
Involve kids in the process
Having kids at different ages means that they’re at different developmental stages. While some are likely capable of driving, others are still too young to have a license. Some might be old enough to have a part-time job, while others are still too young to work outside the home. It’s important to give age appropriate activities and responsibilities to your kids. Involve your kids in the process by having them help you come up with a list of what they’d like to do and be responsible for. This will help them feel important. You can also use this list to get feedback from your kids on what they think should happen and when.
Be flexible
It can be challenging to have regular mealtimes with kids in different grade levels. With younger children, mealtimes tend to be more structured and scheduled. Older kids might prefer to snack throughout the day without a specific schedule. You may want to have more flexible meal and snack times with your entire family. This will help make it easier to manage multiple family schedules. Having flexible bedtimes can also help keep your family on track. For example, if your kids all have different bedtimes, it may not be workable to have them all go to sleep at the same time. Flexible bedtimes might be the best way to manage many family schedules. You can also help your kids stay on track by scheduling activities for different times of the day.
Don’t forget to celebrate!
Plan fun activities throughout the year that celebrate your family’s grade levels. You might schedule a father-daughter dance, or go to a sports event together each month. You can also plan family outings that occur every few months. Celebrate your different ages all while also giving yourself some much-needed time together.
Conclusion
When you have kids in different grade levels, things may get a little hectic, but that doesn’t have to be the case! With a little bit of organization, it’s possible to manage many family schedules. This article has provided a few ways to help make this process easier. Do you have a tip or suggestions for keeping a busy schedule with kids? Let us know below in the comments!
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