As a parent, it can be incredibly challenging to stay organized. Kids are unpredictable and their lives are nearly always filled with activities, schedules, and unexpected happenings. And if you work from home running your own business, challenging can then feel more like impossible.
But not to worry, there are plenty of workable solutions that won’t cost you a fortune or result in family feuds. From juggling your kids’ schedules to keeping your documents organized to doing household chores and meal planning, making a plan is step one.
Planning
Use a family calendar. Keeping a family planner is essential to keeping your family all on the same page. You can use a physical calendar or an online calendar like Google Calendar. Have everyone in the family enter their activities, appointments, and events. Add your business schedule appointments, too, so everyone else knows when you’re available.
Declutter Regularly
Clutter can make everyone in the house feel stressed. Not only because clutter alone increases anxiety, but because it’s hard to find anything when you’re surrounded by clutter. If you need something and you can’t put your hands on it, everything feels chaotic. So make it a routine to declutter and organize regularly and make sure the whole family is involved. Then do the same thing with your home office. Another tip that can help is to get rid of some items before purchasing new ones. That way, you know you’ll have the space for it. This is another way to keep clutter at bay.
Organize Documents
For your children, keep vaccination records, medical history, and school transcripts in one place. This could be a file folder, a binder, or a digital folder on your computer. You’ll probably keep those as PDF files. There are plenty of free tools that let you modify PDFs quickly and easily. For instance, if you need to convert a file, here's an option that you can use for free. Simply add in the document, insert new pages, and save the newly updated file.
Meal Planning
Planning your meals in advance can save you both time and money. If you sit down with your family and let everyone have input into what you’ll be having all week. Then make a list of everything you’ll need for the week’s meals and you’ll only have to go to the grocery store once. If there are meals that you can make in advance, that can save you time too, especially if there are events planned for the week.
And remember, not everything has to be cooked “from scratch.” Though you want to avoid fast or processed foods, there are plenty of ways to make nutritious meals using both fresh and frozen ingredients like steamed vegetables and pasta. And don’t feel guilty. Frozen vegetables are flash-frozen as soon as they’re picked, making them even more nutritious than the fresh produce that traveled all week on a truck.
Take Advantage of Technology
There are plenty of apps and tools that you can use to help you stay organized. Family communication apps like Life 360 help you keep track of where everyone is in real time. Or you could try Cozi, which helps coordinate and communicate everyone’s schedules and activities, track grocery lists, and manage to-do lists. There are meal-planning apps and online message boards that keep everyone in the loop.
Staying organized with a family to care for and a business to run is no small feat. But with planning, organization, and prep as well as taking advantage of the tools and tech available to you, you can make it happen. Remember to stay flexible and adjust when needed and you’ll be well on your way to a more organized and less stressful life.
TheraPlay4Kids.com invites you to become a Guest Speaker or a Guest Blogger! Contact Judy for how to join this free networking and marketing exposure opportunity for you, your business, your passion. This is a free service to help you connect with others around the world.
