Does the start of the school year have you feeling bombarded? Overwhelmed? Stressed? Busy? If you said YES, you are not alone! My son’s calendar is already filling up into October – between flag football, birthday parties, and school activities, we are booked! I have put together a list to help us moms navigate this busy season.
Family Planner
There are many different options when it comes to planners. Some people do shared scheduling on their phone calendar and others need to visually see everything. My family has a big calendar magnet that we hang on our refrigerator. We put all activities for everyone and meals. There are also new tech savvy options – Amazon has an amazing calendar system with the Echo Show 15.
Chamomile Tea and Lavender Oil
This combination is sure to relax the most stressed individual! You can put the oil in a diffuser (they even make car diffusers) or dilute it and put it on your skin.
Gas Reward Points
All the activities equate to more gas usage. Stores all over have point systems. Kroger has been a personal family favorite. They normally have 4x fuel points on Friday and 4x fuel points on gift cards. There is nothing better than saving money!
Meal Prep
Both my husband and I work full-time, so we like to do some meal prep for the week on Sundays. Putting together a list of dinners ahead of time and then prepping them on Sunday makes it easier when Tuesday rolls around and you are just walking in the door at 6 p.m. It cuts down the frustration of trying to figure out what to make and the hustle trying to get it all done.
Chores
Redefine the chore system in your house. Do not try and accomplish everything by yourself. Our 6-year-old knows how to load the dishwasher, and he is responsible for feeding the animals (which significantly helps with you have 3 dogs and 2 cats). The new workload duties help redefine a team within the family and teaches the little ones a bit of responsibility.
What are some things that you do to help ease/navigate back into the school year? Everyone approaches situations in their own unique manner, so I would love to hear from the readers.
Also, just remember to breathe! There is not enough time in the day to do everything that we may want but there is always tomorrow.
