4 MIN READ
PM Concept: Mitigate Risks
So it’s that time of the year again…
The kids have gone BACK TO SCHOOOOOL!! So, by now the school clothes and supplies have been secured and the extra-curricular activities are in full swing, but the real question is …
ARE YOU READY FOR BACK TO SCHOOL??
Has your mind switched from summer-time freedom to the bondage of school projects, football games, dance practice, and homework checking? Well, probably not.
If you haven’t thought through the impact that school, and ALL that comes with it, will have on your work schedule, volunteer schedule, and the all-too-forgotten ME-TIME than you are about the be hit by the proverbial school bus and knocked all out of sorts.
So, here are a few steps to help you anticipate what’s ahead, find a solution before it’s a risk, and hopefully preserve those work, volunteer, and ME-TIME schedules.
The School Website = Your Roadmap
All too often we feel caught off guard by the last-minute school notification of Curriculum Night or a Half-Day. In 2013, President Obama revealed a plan for 99% of the nation’s children to have access to affordable internet. According to EducationSuperHighway’s 2017 analysis & report, 94% of the country’s school districts have met the minimum Federal internet-access goals. What this means to you is that there’s a good chance that your child’s school has a website and is disseminating key info that can help keep you in the know.
If you’re lucky they may even have an option for you to download the calendar directly to your phone’s calendar.
Either way, look at that calendar, make a weekly or monthly habit to check it, and add key dates to your phone. Trust… it’s a lifesaver!
Summer-Time Fun or School-Time Necessity
Did you start some activities over the summer that you want to continue? Wait! You don’t have to say goodbye to one to make room for the other. Do this instead…
- Take that school calendar that you just added to your phone and overlap all those kid activities.
- Prioritize the activities most important to you.
- Select a day/ time to continue the activity most important to you – even if it’s only 1-2 hours/ week.
It will keep you sane during the craziness that is called the school year!
Know when to raise your hand and ask for help
Many times, kids won’t raise their hand in class fearful it means they can’t handle the work. So instead, they sit quietly making school harder than it has to be. Well, interestingly enough, Moms do the same thing. Know when to ask for help. It could be in any aspect of supporting the kids.
- Get help with transportation.
- Consider After-School Help – maybe a Part-Time Nanny or available church member.
- Bring to life that dream of having some help with the house.
- MOST IMPORTANTLY: Find extra-curricular activity buddies (parents of your kids’ friends) – you could do pick-ups and they could do drop-offs.
All of this allows you to smooth out that schedule and reduce your stress.
Change up your class schedule
If you have the kind of career or responsibilities that lend itself to an alternate work schedule or location take advantage of it. I analyzed where I spend most of my time and was shocked to find that I spend an average of 12 hours/ week in the car. If you can:
- Take advantage of work schedule flexibility
- Try shifting your work start time up or down to allow for carpool or on-time arrival to those extra-curricular activities
You may find that shift makes all the difference in the world to coordinate pick-ups and drop-offs with another parent.
And as hard as it may be…
- Plan weekday meals ahead of time. Cooking on weekends or even trying meal delivery services. We do a combination of weekend grilling and meal delivery. It’s a lifesaver especially when one or both of us are traveling.
- Wake up an hour earlier to just… meditate and focus. “Lose an hour in the morning, and you will spend all day looking for it.” – Richard Whately
By laying out a plan for the challenges that tend to derail our dedication to work, volunteer, and ME-time, we are mitigating the risk to those things important to you. The change of schedule doesn’t have to turn your life upside down. Use resources like the school’s website to load up on info. Carve out some time to keep at least one of those treasured summer-time activities in your life. Get some much-needed help to take some stress off of you. You work hard at that job and have earned the right to some flexibility – don’t be afraid to use it. And don’t forget the tried and true lessons of meal planning and time to meditate – they are sanity-keepers.
The new schedule for school will threaten to eat up the precious time that you carved out for family and self over the summer. These tips will help you keep those top priorities in place despite the change in schedule. A little planning and coordinating can go a long way in keeping your top priorities, top of mind and firm in your calendar.
