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by Molly Gold

Fall is here and for Moms everywhere, a new school year is underway.  New routines, new schedules, new teachers, new friends, new homework guidelines, new activities, new team, new carpools…are you tired yet?  I know I am!  The novelty of the season has worn off and I am faced with the challenge to stay one step ahead of our family schedule so we can accomplish what’s expected and enjoy ourselves all the same.  

Because our children start school in mid—August, just like clock work I will hit my wall with the new routine by the second week of September and that’s when it happens.   Armed with my calendar, school calendars, and any other piece of paper I have with a date for the year, I throw everyone out of the house for a few hours, crank up my music, and get down to the business getting my “organized Mom” game on for the year.  Why is this such a big deal you might ask?  Well, true confession; there are two factors at work here.  First, the prospect of daily homework, making dinner, activities, and new commitments actually stresses me out when not well mapped on my planner and with my family.   And next, the avalanche of paper that (hopefully) comes home in back packs, from teachers, and life in general makes me work overdrive to file and color code our lives into a lovely mosaic of balance and order.

There you have it, out in the open for all to hear…I get just as nervous as the next Mom about how I’ll get it all done with the 24 hours I have every day!   To orchestrate a well organized Fall that makes family time center stage, I use the following strategies to put the basics in place, allowing me the focus on the business of living instead of just doing, and let’s face it, the predictability of the school year schedule can be a struggle to enjoy, especially if you have children who have a list of other places they’d rather be 8 hours every day.  Give my tricks a try…I think you’ll find each one easy to do and when taken together, you’ll craft a fall full of fun memories and a great start to an exciting year of learning for all.

Attend Back to School Night – With your planner in tow, attend this important event at each child’s school and make the commitment now to get involved.  Not only can you meet your child’s teachers, but you’ll also get an overview of the year ahead.  Transfer important dates from the school calendar into your planner followed by all extra-curricular activities.  Plan now to attend parent/teacher conference days and take stock of the many volunteer opportunities both in class and throughout the school via the PTA.  Be the involved parent your child and school need you to be by protecting time in your schedule as you make commitments that work best for you.

Practice Schedule Syncing - Take time at the start of each week to review family schedules with your partner to insure all minds are on the same page.  Tackle your world as a team by working together to accomplish the necessary tasks in keeping up with your family and all that they need.  Determine who is covering which car pool or practice and look for pockets of time where you can knock out a few errands you might typically do on the weekend.   By efficiently tackling your own To Do List, you can better focus on your family and their routines, maintaining your role as the positive mother you aim to be.

Pick and Choose – If activity schedules dominate for months on end, hold a family meeting now to decide the best weekend to make family come first.  Notify coaches and teachers alike that for that weekend, all family members are unavailable.  When you communicate this at the beginning of the season, you are respecting fellow team mates and coaches or activity leaders alike as they can plan ahead.        

Play – From the first of September through the last day of October, our wonderful country is full of fall celebrations.  Street festivals abound, highlighting the best crafters every region has to offer.  And the fruits of the harvest are just waiting to be enjoyed, including apple harvests and pumpkin patches.   Check local Convention and Visitors Bureau websites or newspapers for a listing of regional events and cross reference these calendars with your family planner to see when your family can enjoy the best the season has to offer.

Celebrate - Create a Family Fun Jar and have each child place three ideas into the jar.  When it comes time to enjoy family time, pick an idea from the jar and celebrate your time together.  Perhaps a visit to the neighborhood pool or the local miniature golf course is the activity of choice.  Kids need more friend time?  Make your house the place to be with family and friends night.  Everyone invites someone over for pizza and game night, hanging out at home with a priceless gift…time together.

GO MOM! Founder Molly Gold is a mother of three and the creator of the GO MOM!® product line, which is produced via license partnership with Mead Westvaco Consumer and Office Products and sold online at www.dayrunner.com and in OfficeMax stores nationwide. Molly is known for her keen insights into Family Scheduling and has been featured both in print and on air. Learn more about Molly at www.GoMomInc.com