Fall Schedules Without the Overwhelm

How to Organize Sports, Activities, and Appointments

As the temperatures start to drop and summer winds to a close, fall schedules start to tighten up as well. With school starting and work seasons getting busier, it can be difficult to balance all the appointments and activities your family is committed to. Having an organized schedule and a plan for keeping yourself on track will ensure peace within your home and excitement, not stress, for all the fun ahead.  

Keep a Calendar

The easiest way to keep track of everything going on in your busy fall schedule is to keep a calendar. You might be rolling your eyes, because everyone dolls out this advice, including us. But it truly is the best way to keep track of your schedule and the schedules of everyone you’re responsible for. There are multiple ways to keep a calendar, however. You can invest in a traditional month-to-month or weekly calendar and write down everything. You can even color-code items on your calendar by person if that helps you visually organize the information. You can choose to use a digital calendar through Google or from one of the many apps available; this allows you to keep your calendar with you wherever you are and get reminders when important events come up. You can even use an erasable whiteboard at home in the kitchen so that everyone can add to it and you can quickly identify and deal with conflicts. A calendar is useful when planning ahead, ensuring you don’t overbook yourself or schedule something for an already packed week. Whatever you choose to use, a calendar is your first step in keeping track of your schedule and setting a plan for the week ahead.  

Know Your Style

There will inevitably come a time when you have multiple demands in a week. You might have a meeting at work and school, or your child might have both soccer practice and a dentist appointment. Part of avoiding overwhelm is knowing how you and your family members prefer to navigate having multiple commitments. Would you rather have these meetings back-to-back and get them out of the way, or do you want them spread out over the week? Different members of your family will have different preferences, and these might change depending on the situation. Your high schooler will have more homework than a younger child and might need more time in the middle of the week than they would at the end of the week. When scheduling activities, talk to everyone involved about their schedule and what works for them. Making sure everyone knows what’s coming helps them all feel a little more in control. 

Plan Smarter, Not Harder

When you have a busy fall schedule, it can be hard to juggle the many tasks and activities you have going on. When you’re planning your schedule, think ahead to what you need to accomplish during the week. Include anything pre-scheduled like appointments and after school activities, as well as chores and errands that can be done at any time. Is there anything that can be done together or simultaneously? You might be able to go buy groceries while your kid is at rehearsal, or run to the post office while you’re on that side of town for an appointment. Giving yourself the time and the space to pause and think through what you need to do and what you can get done together will help you save time and energy in the long run, as well as save you some time.  

Schedule Rest

One of the most important things you can do to prevent being overwhelmed by a busy schedule is to schedule rest. It is incredibly important for you and your family to have down time without any commitments, activities, or appointments. When your schedules become overloaded and you don’t have a break, you can experience stress and burnout, making it that much more difficult to attend to your commitments. Whether you pick a day of the week that you dedicate to rest and family time or choose to keep an afternoon open each week as other activities shift your schedule, make sure not every moment on the calendar is full. Find that rest time in whatever way works for you and commit to creating that space for yourself and your family. It might feel like a small thing, but it will make a big difference in how you navigate your schedule. 

Busy schedules can be difficult to manage, especially when you’re still navigating new routines. Keeping your belt stocked with organizational tools and schedule plans will help set you and your family up for success. Don’t just be busy; be busy having fun.