Let’s Look: Juggling Family Schedules

How do we all juggle our families schedules?

It’s a battlefield, friends. I am a mom of three kids that are very active and can’t drive yet.

I’ve been told that once one of your kids can drive, it does simplify things a bit. But we’ve got a few years before this happens.

Well today, I’m teaming up and linking up with bloggers everywhere. We are all talking about how we balance family schedules. Check out Shay or Erika’s blogs to find the links. I’m sure you’ll find great ideas or at least new, to you, ways to juggle it all.

Let’s get to it…

I am not a type A person, let’s start with that. I can present as one sporadically, but don’t be mistaken. I wanted to say this up front because type A people reading beyond this point will probably break out in hives with anxiety. 🤣🤣🤣 Okay- you’ve been warned.

Mom is the keeper of all information.

The burden of school info, sports info, special events, birthday parties, etc. come to and through me. Martin/Dad is in the dark on all these things. This works for us. We are very good at working this way. Martin never wants to know what’s coming up on the future. He likes to go day by day. So I’m the morning we usually discuss in person or via text what is on the agenda for the day/night. We make a plan on how we are tackling it and we execute.

Calendar is old school.

We don’t utilize a fancy digital calendar. I wrote everything down on our wall calendar that hangs in our pantry- this one to be exact. My kids know to go to the calendar if they have questions about what is coming up or when something is. Once again- I am the only one who writes on the calendar, so I only write what I need or want my people to see.

As for me, I put things into my phone calendar with alerts. I don’t put everything in my phone. I know myself pretty well, I only put events that I know will be tough for me to remember or prepare for.

Divide, Divvy Up, Help, and Be Helped and Conquer!

We can’t do it all. Make sure you know that. Don’t put unattainable expectations on yourself or your spouse. Divide some things up. Martin is always the “pick up dinner on the way home if we are busy that night” guy. He is our “I’ll go back and get it” guy when I forget something essential. Divvy Up some responsibility to the kids. They have to make their own water, get the right clothes on, pack their own snack if they want it. Help others when you can. If a mom friend needs help getting a kid to and from, help if you can. It takes a village and it is vital to remember what a blessing it is when you can be someone else’s village that they can count on. Also, allow yourself to Be Helped. If another mom offers to bring your kid home from the party, let them. Allow yourself a few extra moments of one less thing to do.

Have quick meals on hand.

I always make sure I have some frozen pizzas, lunchables, easyMac, cereal, etc. on hand. Most nights I have a kid or two that needs to eat dinner at 4:00 and then again at 8:00. These types of foods are quick and ready in minutes.

Listen to your kids before saying YES or NO

This lesson is one that I am still learning. My kids get lots of opportunities. We could have a tournament of some sort every weekend or a playdate every day if we wanted. I am trying to ask my kids what they want and value before answering YES or NO to things. I have found that I say YES to too many things. I need to understand the NO is a healthy decision a lot of the time. A NO can lead to an even better YES down the road.

What does ChatGPT suggest for moms trying to juggle the family schedule?

I asked ChatGPT that exact question and here is what it shot out…

Here’s a short, realistic system that works well for busy families with kids in sports and activities:

Shared Digital Calendar – Use Google Calendar, Cozi, or Apple Calendar. Assign each family member a color so you can see who’s where at a glance.
Sunday Night Huddle – Spend 10 minutes together reviewing the week. Note who’s driving where, game times, and any conflicts.
Carpool Coordination – Early in the season, connect with other parents to set up a consistent rotation.
Activity “Go Bags” – One bag per sport/activity with snacks, water, uniform, and gear always stocked. Restock right after each event.
One Central Spot – Have a hook or bin near the door for each child’s gear so it’s grab-and-go.
Meal Shortcuts – Keep quick, healthy meals ready (prepped ahead or frozen) for nights with back-to-back activities.