If you have school age children, you know that March madness is way more than a national basketball tournament! March madness consists of all of the plans, activities, sports, spring school events and more…the calendar fills up quickly as the weather starts to get better. The days have more daylight and the days also have more squeezed into them. Parents are always asking me how to manage the madness, so here are a few tips:
~Be sure to keep a calendar – in whatever format works for you. Consider having a family calendar posted somewhere in your home so your kids can have a visual reminder of where they need to be & when. If you use an electronic calendar, be sure to sync it with other family members.
~Meal prep – As the weather gets better and spring sports begin, dinnertime is almost always grab and go. To make sure the grab and go is healthy and balanced, create a spring meal calendar (especially for dinners) and create your shopping lists with your meal plan in mind.
~Create a snack station. Whether it is a shelf, a drawer or just a space on the countertop, a place for kids to grab healthy snacks is a must!
~Declutter and organize your mudroom or related space. As the temperatures warm up and we no longer need coats, hats, mittens and boots, etc., clear these out of your mudroom or entry and place only the items currently used/needed in the mudroom space – backpacks, athletic bags, musical instruments, sports uniforms, water bottles – whatever items the kids need to get out of the house.
~Create checklists – one checklist per family member or per activity – having a checklist to quickly review will help to make sure your kids don’t run out of the house without the essentials.