Juggling a Hectic Schedule of Multiple Sports

Do you ever feel like a new school year gets started and all the sudden life gets super hectic—for everyone? It’s not just the kids that feel the pressure of a new school year. Parents feel it too. From juggling a hectic schedule of our own to adding in multiple sports and multiple kids, life can easily become overwhelming. To help you maintain your sanity, we’ve come up with some tips to keep you organized.

A Family Calendar

What is life without a good planner? From my phone to my paper planner, seeing a visual is what helps me stay sane. But, when it comes to juggling everyone’s schedules, invest in a large printed calendar that the entire family can use.

Make sure that everyone is involved in the family calendar. From daycare pick-up and drop- off to your high schooler’s football practices, everything should be scheduled in. When your kids play multiple sports, it’s even more important to have a visible calendar up in the house. You need to know what uniform needs to be washed and ready to go, your athletes need to know when and where their practice is, your family needs to know about game times and parking info, etc.

There are so many elements to consider that a family calendar can be the difference between total chaos and coveted peace.

Organization

A calendar is the first step in making sure that your family is all on the same page. But, to make sure that everyone makes it to their functions on time with all of the right equipment, organization is key.

Use the calendar to prepare for the week. Create stations for the kids in the same place you hang your calendar. This location should have shelving—a place to hang their backpacks, practice bags, etc. Also create cubbies for bulky equipment, shoes, and lunch boxes.

In their stations, have drawers that they can place their clothes in for extra-curricular activities for the entire week. Pick a day to prep. Have the kids gather up as much as possible, packing up socks and undergarments along football pads, knee pads, or other gear. Having everything in one location will save you time and energy throughout the week.

Communication

The calendar is a perfect tool for creating consistency in the family. But it does no good if there’s no ongoing communication. Make sure to keep up with the calendar and talk about the different activities that are taking place. Of course, you can look at the calendar and plan to attend your kids’ games, but it’s nice for the kids to hear you talk about supporting them as well.