How do you manage anticipation and scheduling when every day has something in it (apart from the usual weekday getting-up-and-going-to-work-thing) and every weekend for the foreseeable future is booked?
Especially when it’s not just yourself that you have to keep track of things for, but your entire family? Things that have to be remembered in our household any given week include the following:
Monday
Gym bag for Martin, Chess club for Martin, remind kids to do their homework (evening)
Tuesday
Gym bag for Martin & Karin, remind kids to take their homework (morning) and do their homework (evening), Piano lessons for Martin, Karate lessons for Karin, possible AWC activity for Liz
Wednesday
Minigang Music/Play group for Karin, Badminton for Martin & Karin, remind kids to take their homework (morning) and do their homework (evening), Choir practice for Liz
Thursday
Gym bag for Martin & Karin, Hemspråk for Martin & Karin, remind kids to take their homework (morning) and do their homework (evening), Karate lessons for Karin, probable AWC activity for Liz
Friday
Swim lessons for Karin
Saturday
Hockey practice for Anders
Sunday
(every other) Scouts for Anders, Martin & Karin
We are still trying to get and keep all of this straight, and even though I am generally VERY organized and very good about remembering things and reminders, this level of activity has even me dropping the ball. If I’m not forgetting to remind the kids to pack their gym bags, I’m forgetting to make sure Martin has the house key. Neither kid seems to have a clue when it comes to remembering their own responsibilities yet and I’m getting a little frustrated at being the primary responsible rememberer for all of this stuff.
If you have kids, how did you train them to remember their own responsibilities? I’m not talking so much about remembering to drive Karin to karate or Martin to chess, but the stuff that is in the afternoon, after school, when I’m not even home to keep track of the time…how do I teach them to keep their own schedule and deadlines in mind? Reminders in the morning are long gone from their heads by the time school is over and they are home playing computer games and unwinding.
I can feel the Barky turning gray just thinking about it all.
Edited to add: Since I’ve gotten a couple of comments suggesting it, I guess I should have made it clear that we already DO have a monthly family calendar showing what activities/events are scheduled for each day; which is kept updated, hung in a convenient right-before-we-go-out-the-door spot. Even so.