by Dana Neal
(Lawton, OK)
We find that using dry erase boards is a great way to organize family time.
To help my family stay organized and not waste time, we do several things.
First of all, there is a BIG dry erase board by the back door and everyone goes past it when they leave the house. On one side, I put the days of the week and the events taking place for the entire week. On the other side, it is where we put things to remember for that particular day. It helps all of not to forget things to take with us, after school meetings, etc.
The kids have "chore" boards in their rooms and they each have two or three small chores to do each day to help the family run more smoothly. These are not paid chores, but just chores they do because they are a part of this family.
They may get paid for other things, but it is necessary for everyone to pull their weight and not leave all of the work for one person. This helps to teach them discipline. One thing to remember is that if the kids do not see the parents having discipline in their lives, it will be a hard thing to teach them. Start with yourself first - lead by example.
We plan our nights together as a family and even put it on the dry erase board. We spend a lot of time doing things like board games, puzzles, taking walks, playing with the dogs. We try not to watch very much TV as a family, but spend it talking and doing things together! The kids have told us how much they enjoy doing these family things together and how they do not want to just watch TV!
When we take trips, we make sure it is a trip that everyone wants to take. We do "kid friendly" things that they will enjoy and not just take them shopping...but do fun things like amusement parks, water parks. The kids feel included and important when they are given input on things and most importantly, when they feel HEARD!
Kell's reply: What great ideas Dana. The idea of bringing the family together as part of the planning process is great. And of course....I like the "lead by example"....if we as parents don't have discipline in our lives then how can we expect our children to.
Thanks for the great family time management tips.
All the best,
Kell