Have Sippy Will Travel

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When your kids are juggling school, homework, and myriad activities, it is not only stressful for them, but for the whole family. While you certainly want you kids to be well-rounded and prepared for everything that life could throw at them, you don’t want things to get so hectic that everyone suffers
a nervous breakdown (you included).

So when it comes to finding time to stop and smell the roses, you may just need to schedule it in. Finding a balance might not be easy, but there are definitely steps
you can take to ensure that you achieve a healthy balance in life. Here are just a few ways to create a schedule that works better for everyone.

1. Just say no. Too many activities can leave your kids tired and surly from lack of sleep and burnout. So think about ways that you cut down on the list of obligatory activities and give your kids a break once in a while. The upside is that you will also find a little extra downtime to tend
to your own needs, helping you to relax and enjoy your family during the rare moments that you have them around.

2. Prioritize. Your kids may be interested in music, dance, sports, and clubs, but that doesn’t mean they have time in a day to devote to all of them. Instead of trying to turn them into Stepford kids, have them choose one or two activities that they like the best and put in the time needed to master them.

3. Stay on top of grades. No matter what activities your children prefer, they need to know that extracurricular pursuits are secondary to schooling. So if they’re neglecting their studies in favor of after-school fun and it’s starting to show in their falling grades, then it’s time to lay down the law and say no more activities until the grades come up. This could be an uphill battle for both you and your kids, but falling behind in school could affect them for years to come and you
simply can’t allow it.

4. Make kids responsible. If it comes to your attention that your kids are slacking on practice (when they were the ones who begged to join a soccer team or play the piccolo), then do not hesitate to rescind activities. If they don’t want to do the work to master a sport or an instrument, then there’s no reason for you to waste your time and resources on pushing them into it. If they come back to it later on, you’ll know it’s because they’re ready to put in the time and effort required.

5. Give yourself some leeway. Just because your kids are content to have activities going every night of the week doesn’t mean you can handle the added burden. Between acting as the chauffer, the tutor, and the personal chef, you’re doing everything they are and then some. It is the plight of parents to give everything they have for their kids, but if you’re not leaving yourself any bread crumbs you’ll soon suffer from burnout (and then you’re no good to anyone). So try not to overextend yourself.

You may soon be dealing with bigger issues like broken hearts, peer pressure, and perusing college rankings to get your kids into one of the 50 best colleges; but for now you simply need to deal with the day-to-day battle to keep everyone healthy, happy, and sane. So when it comes to balancing out time for academics, activities, and all the rest, creating a workable schedule with a little wiggle room can mean the difference between operating at a break-neck pace and having the time to enjoy the ride.

Guest post by Evan Fischer