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Tips for keeping busy family life in balance during the school year

By Susan Dalzell, Contributing Writer Updated 9:56 PM Monday, September 6, 2010

When the school year begins, many families find themselves strapped for time. With dinners to make, homework to do, soccer meets and ballet classes to attend, life gets hectic, fast.

It doesn’t have to be so hard. We asked local families for their tried-and-true tips for saving time — and sanity — when school is in session.

Professional organizer Jamie Novak, author of five books on time-saving and organizational strategies, also offers parents advice to keep their kids and lives on track this year.

Get organized with bins

Novak is a fan of bins — homework bins, excess bins and project bins. “You can get the kind that you might think of as a shower caddy, with the central handle and two sides,” she said.

Homework bin: Fill a bin with the items your child will most likely need for homework, be it glue sticks, pencils and erasers or a protractor and calculator.

“It’s easy to grab and use and saves time because you’re not looking everywhere each night for the things,” Novak said.

Excess bin: This is for storing extra school supplies purchased at the beginning of the year.

“It’s your own supply caddy that you can ‘shop’ from throughout the year without having to make repeat visits to the store,” she said.

Project bin: This is for collecting odds and ends — sea shells from vacation, toys from fast food meals — that could be put to good use when the inevitable homework assignment to create a diorama comes along.

Pack lunch while you make dinner

Many Miami Valley parents recommended packing lunches in the evening.

Novak ups the ante a bit: “Make your lunches when you’re making dinner. That way, you don’t have to clean up twice.”

She also suggested dedicating a drawer for lunch supplies, including bags, clear wrap and plastic storage containers, and putting a tray in the fridge dedicated to sandwich food and fixings that can be pulled out easily onto the counter.

Create an ‘extra’ bathroom

An extra bathroom would come in very handy for most families in the rush to get out in the morning. “The competition is often really for the mirror,” Novak said.

“Hang a nice mirror somewhere with a basket nearby for hair brushes and hair elastics.”

Make a checklist

Staying organized goes a long way toward saving time. Technology can be your friend. “On your personal cell phone, create a morning checklist.

Just put in a few things personalized for each day, so if it’s Tuesday, it says to grab the band instrument, and if it’s Wednesday, to get the Scouting bag. It’s so much easier than trying to remember,” Novak said.

Also, try signing your family up for a free website, such as www.cozi.com, that can keep calendars, shopping lists and to do lists accessible from computers and smart phones.

Old-fashioned paper can also be useful, if handled correctly. “I love a household binder. You want a three-ring binder with plastic sleeves, file dividers and a pencil pouch,” Novak said.

She suggested one per child or school and make it a household go-to, filling it with items such as school calendars, lunch menus and homework due later in the week.

“I’d also include baby sitters’ phone numbers and passwords for the school’s website.

“It’s for all the stuff you don’t want to leave on the counter or on a bulletin board.”

Set time aside

“Sunday is family day for us. We started it this summer, and it’s going well. The rest of the week is really busy, so it’s nice to take a day just for us.”

— Tabitha LaPrarie, Fairborn, mom of an 11- and a 5-year-old

Check online

“I look online to check the school’s website for their grades. You know what’s going on a lot sooner. They do send paper grades, but when you check online you get very specific information, like what they’ve turned in, if anything is missing and what’s coming up at the school.”

— Sharon Blankenship, New Carlisle, mom of a 16-year-old, two 15-year-olds and a 10-year-old

Have a plan

“When I go out, I have some kind of plan. I try to do everything in one trip — stopping at the post office and grocery store and so forth. When I take my son to the mall to the play area or the library, I do something myself. I have an iPhone, so I’m always looking at e-mail.”

— Lynn McClung, Dayton, mom of a 4-year-old

Cook ahead

“We plan our meals on Sunday. I make some of the food ahead and have it ready to go in the fridge.”

— Heather Decker, Vandalia

“We also put stuff in the Crock-Pot in the morning, and it’s ready when I get home to feed the kids.”

— Rob Decker, Vandalia

Parents of a 2- and a 6-year-old

Prepare for the week

“As far as clothes go, we have been laying out her clothes on Sunday night for the whole week, Monday through Friday. We put out everything from socks to accessories. We also buy the school’s meal tickets in advance and her lunch calendar is on the fridge. She picks and marks what days she wants to pack and what days she wants to buy.”

— Jennifer Gephart, Lebanon, mom of an 8-year-old

Use your evenings

“I’m in school, so I have a set bedtime for my son. Once he’s gone to sleep, I know I can study and get the housework done. I’m usually up late a lot.”

— Ruby Delaney, Urbana, mom of a 4-year-old

Follow a routine

“We try to do everything the night before. Ironing our daughter’s clothes and making sure she has her lunch money. We make sure her backpack is filled so we don’t have to look around for things in the morning.”

— Vanessa Long, Dayton

“When it comes to homework, get them on a routine of doing it at school or as soon as they get home.”

— Richard Long, Dayton

Parents of a 13- and 17-year-old

Use your calendar

“Every day I go to check our calendar and see what we’re doing, and I make sure the kids know. If it’s not written down, I forget.”

— Melissa Wannemacher, Troy, mom of an 8-, a 6- and a 3-year-old

One-stop shopping

“I don’t do store trips throughout the week. I try to save it all for one day, usually Saturday or Sunday. It’s easiest to go to one store and shop — a Meijer or a Walmart — and get everything done in one trip.”

— Jennifer Scisson, Troy, mom of an 11- and a 9-year old

Multi-task

“I do a lot of multi-tasking. When they are at dance or tennis, I go and do the grocery shopping and run errands. They do a lot of their homework while we’re driving to activities or waiting for the next thing to start. I also put a load of laundry in the washer in the morning, leave it there, and dry it at night.”

— Ivy Ahmed, Brookville, mom of a 16- and a 13-year-old

Routine is essential

“Routine, routine, routine. It may become redundant, but children learn to live by it (especially during the school year). It may take some time to establish, but knowing what is to come keeps my boys moving right along. After school comes snack time, some playtime followed by homework and dinner. After dinner a bit more playtime, bath, a story and bed. No surprises, no complaining. We are a bit more lax on weekend, of course.”

— Darci Jordan, Springfield, mom of three

Share responsibilities

“My husband does a lot of the cooking, and he does the grocery shopping. It’s important to have a good support system. My oldest child really helps with the youngest. She fills in when I’m not there. Everyone has to have a role.”

— Rhonda Anderson, Montgomery, mom to a 17-, a 16- and a 7-year-old

Share chores

“The kids help around the house. I have a chore chart. They each have to do their bedrooms and it rotates each week on who has to do the kitchen, living room and bathroom.”

— Libby Pitzer, Greenfield, mom of a 12-, a 10- and a 7-year old

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