Life is busy. (And I only have 2 kids) Being the mom, I am in charge of a lot! One of the jobs that I am tasked with is being the calendar scheduler . It’s not my favorite job, but someone has to be in charge of scheduling the events in our lives.
2 kids schedules + 2 adults schedules = 4 schedules to upkeep! (+ A dog…)
Our Calendar houses all our family activities: school, school projects, school activities, fundraisers, homework, spelling word tests, library due dates, birthday parties, playdates, soccer practices, soccer games, t-ball practice, t-ball games, volleyball practices, volleyball games, DR appointments, church activities, girls night, date night, friend get-togethers, veterinarian appointments, groomer appointments, teacher conferences, PTA volunteer work, grocery shopping, holidays and travel.
And my kids want to eat 4 times a day and wear clean clothes…
A booked calendar overwhelms me. I set the tone for my home and if I am overwhelmed than my family will be as well. I can’t control the world happening around us, but I can control our calendar and what I allow to occupy our time.
Instead of doing everything, we decided to be intentional with our planning and how we use our time. We want free time. We want no plan weekends. We want family time. We want alone time. Time to enjoy life and not rush from one activity to the next. We want time to catch up on household chores and with each other. We want time for spontaneity. We want time to REST!
Here are a few of my tips for creating your own Intentional Calendar:
1. Block Off “Rest Days”
I start a month or two in advance and highlight two full weekends that we don’t make plans. (We still go to extra-curricular games, but I don’t book our entire day). Every week I make sure to block off a Friday or Saturday for family movie night or date night.
2. Limit Activities
We limit our kids to two extra-curricular activities each. (This still seems like a lot…)
3. Say NO to Things, Events, & People
I can’t do everything and when I try, I don’t do it well… Now, I SAY NO! I say no to birthday parties or nights out with friends. PEOPLE DON’T HATE US FOR IT!
Need an excuse??
We are having family time today! Maybe next time!
Since implementing rest into our calendar we are now able to make last minute plans. If someone invites us over for pizza, we don’t have to schedule another date a month from now. We say, “We love pizza, what time!?” We’ve found we were missing opportunities to connect as a family and with friends.
And a little Bonus Tip: I schedule my gym and grocery time. That way I actually do it…
How do you schedule your family’s time?
