Being a mom of four girls this hands down has to be the craziest time of the year. In talking with other mothers I have put together a list of Tricks and Tips on keeping organized and enjoying the last few weeks of the school year rather than pulling your hair out, which is never a pretty site.
1. Communication: Get your family together at the beginning of each week and talk about schedules, events, homework, and any other things that each member feels is important.
2. Put it in writing: This is where you can get creative! Here are a few ideas from other moms that I just love...
My Mom "Counter Calender" get a calender and leave it on your counter this makes it easy for every member of the family to see what is happening.
Gabby "We use a combination of iCal, Outlook, Google docs and a big family calendar made of post-it notes to manage everything.
Julie "I have a clip board on my counter that has a simple calendar that is broken down into days with every ones schedule the best part is the kids fun comments that get added as we go.
Lisa "I purchase every year a wall size large Calendar to keep track of the year end events. I then place it in my laundry room where every one walks past. I also give each child a colored marker so that they may change things and mark off as the count down begins to summer. I love this tradition it has made everyone feel important and independent.
Katie "I have decorated cloths pins with my child's name on it and I have placed a clothes line in our kitchen and then I place an agenda sheet to each of their names. During our breakfast together we sit and eat and talk about the daily events. This has been a fun way to keep organized and often other things gather on the cloths pin and this keeps it entertaining as well.
Kathleen "I keep a note book with me at all times to keep track of everything and then I also use post-it notes, this time of year I see all sorts of crazy things"
Sara "I put all my scheduled events in my phone and make sure that I get reminder calls and of course I make sure it is with me at all times"
3. Grab Bag: I have found that during this busy time of life the little ones are needing some extra help. I keep a small bag in my laundry room that has all the necessities that I would need to help keep the little ones entertained. Example; A charged Nintendo DS, book, colored pencils, coloring book, snack, water bottle, silly putty and anything else creative to help pass the time during those long events. Don't forget about a camera this is a very special time of year!
Please feel free to comment on any ideas that you might have keeping sane and enjoying this crazy time of life...the year end of school, dance, flute, soccer, piano and anything else that is coming to an end.
Good luck Mom's and be creative in all that you do!
Your Friend, Creative Dot Mom
