Happy Wednesday! It’s time for this month’s LET’S LOOK!
If you don’t know what this is, once a month, Erika and I do a little link up where we “look” at different aspects of our lives (and then if you blog, you share and link up too!). We have been doing this little linky party for years now, and it’s always one of my favorite posts each month because most of the topics are YOUR suggestions!
Alrighty, just as a reminder, here’s what we’ve “looked at”so far this year…
In January, we looked at LOW LEVEL GOALS FOR 2025.
In February, we looked at HOW WE WORK ON OUR MARRIAGE.
In March, we looked at HOW WE RESET FOR THE WEEK ON SUNDAYS.
In April, we looked at MAINTAINING FRIENDSHIPS.
In May, we looked at OUR WELLNESS ROUTINES.
In June, we looked at OUR TRAVEL BUCKET LIST.
In July, we looked at THINGS I’VE CHANGED MY MIND ABOUT.
This month, I am sharing a look at JUGGLING FAMILY SCHEDULES.
The word “juggling” is just oh so appropriate here 😉 .
Okay, here we go…
Hi, my name is Shay, and like so many of you, I have a bunch of kids and a lot on my plate, and I’m a hot mess.
I think it’s funny that Erika and I are both sharing “how we juggle our family’s schedules” today because 90% of how I juggle mine is by talking it out with her.
Tip #1, get you an Erika. 😉
Alrighty, so I’m going to share my tips/tricks/ways and then for the love, I hope you share yours too. One cannot have too many “schedule juggling” tips, no?
Here are a few of mine…
CONSISTENTLY USE YOUR CALENDAR
I personally don’t think it matters which type of calendar system you use as long as you’re using it. Even the best system is useless if you don’t use it. I have always been a pen and paper girl, but after several years of you ladies encouraging me, I started primarily using the Cozi calendar app. I have a blog post about it HERE should you be curious. I’m not sure it’s “better” than other calendar apps, it’s just what was recommended to me and what we have been using. I say “we” because the HARDEST part about getting my family on a calendar app was having Mr. Shull participate. It took me probably a year of begging/bossing/insisting/pleading with him to use it until he finally caved. He has his own online calendar for his work appointments that he had been using…but I reallllllly needed a family calendar to be a team effort. Once I finally got him on board, it was MUCH easier to use.
Today, the Cozi app is our family’s primary calendar. This has been a gamechanger for me. As soon as we get our kids’ team schedules, I make sure they’re linked (often you can link them through the app so that if the coach makes a change on their end, it updates on my end too). If I can’t link them, I add them. I put every little detail (including deets about the dogs!) on Cozi. Having one calendar we all use is 95% of juggling our schedules.
That being said, since I am a paper and pen gal, I still keep…
…an old fashioned planner at my desk for my own personal things. I always keep my planners because by the end of the year, they’re kind of like diaries. They’re filled with so many notes and details about my kids and family and well, I just don’t get that from an app. My office manager told me last year to try a Callie Danielle Planner because…
…they’re seasonal and HAPPY!
Of course, I loved it and bought a new one for this school year too.
CARPOOL, CARPOOL, CARPOOL
A HUGE part of how I juggle our schedules is by sharing the driving load with other moms. Right now, Smith has to be at school ready to go for football practice at 5:15 AM every morning which means that he has to leave our house at 4:30. THANK GOODNESS, we have other parents who can share the load with us. We have worked out a system that doesn’t require me getting up and driving him there every single morning at that terrible hour. Whether it’s school, a sport, an extracurricular, a birthday party…whatever it is, working with other parents and carpooling is a huge part of our “juggling” act.
EVERYONE IS ACCOUNTABLE
Now that my oldest two are in high school…and especially now that one of them drives, I have released myself from the pressure of being on top of their schedules. Their coaches and teachers communicate directly with them, so they always know where to be and when which means, I can let them be accountable. I am trying my hardest to launch independent and confident humans into the world, so I’ve stopped micromanaging their schedules like I did when they were younger. I keep a broad overview of where they should be/what they should be doing (and I’m always happy to help!), but for the most part, I let them be accountable.
EDIT OFTEN
I think a big part of juggling our schedules is editing our schedules. The bottom line is that as much as we would all love to do “all the things”, sometimes we just can’t. Things that we prioritize are always on the calendar first and then we add the “extra” things. If the schedule gets too completely crazy, we trim some of the extra.
LOOK IT OVER THE NIGHT BEFORE
Before I shut down my computer and leave work for the day, the very last thing I always do is check my Cozi app for the next day. I never want to wake up surprised by that 9:00 AM dentist appointment.
It’s a constant juggle, friends. Don’t for one second think I have this all figured out over here. Most days it’s nothing short of a miracle that all the Shulls end up where they should be. I would LOVE to hear your best tips and tricks too! Please, please, please comment and tell me how you juggle your family’s schedule!
Okay, next time on Let’s Look, we are going to look at…
…MANAGING TEENAGE LIFE!
Today, I’m also sharing my review of the health and wellness book, THE COMFORT CRISIS. Make sure you check out that post as well!
Don’t forget, if you linked up today with us, please make sure you add your link below.
Have the best Wednesday, friends! xx
Erika Slaughter says
That planner is awfully cute!
Deb says
LOL at the kindness/teenager/quote 😂.
Elspeth Mizner says
Such great advice! My fiancé and I use a shared Apple cleaner for things that apply to both of us to keep each other in the loop!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Paula Hobbs says
What a cute planner!! So festive! 🙂
SS says
Shay,
I am old school and have a dry erase calendar on our fridge. Our kiddos have picked on me for years, but I did see them check it for different schedules!! I also keep paper calendars in key areas as well…one on the door and one in my office mostly for birthdays (there’s a lot of people in our family). I even made one for our oldest who doesn’t live at home.
Kelly says
The best thing we ever did as a family was have a quick 10 min family meeting Sun. night (we called it “week at a glance”) and we hashed out what everyone had going, and what night or nights people would all be home so we could have at least ONE family dinner together. This was the night people stated who needs what, who had what, etc. We also used it as a time for our kids to see that mom and dad also have a life and things going on, and when we had a busy week, the rest of the family could step up to help that person out. It worked awesome. It’s not all about the kids and they need to see the things we have going too. This was an awesome perk.
Mix and Match Mama says
I LOVE this idea!
kristen says
4:30 am. Brutal!! I can’t imagine! I’m with you on letting the teenagers be accountable for their own schedules though – we remind/checkin/oversee at a distance, but try to let them manage their time and schedules independently.
Marisa Patel says
Luckily our schedules are not as hectic as yours so we are able to manage it all (most days) using our family calendar in google/gmail. I cannot wait for your post next month, I too have two teenagers at home and a 3 yo grandbaby that thinks she is a teenager!!!
Heather says
It’s wild juggling all of the schedules on top of working too! Once my kids were old enough to drive, they 100% managed their own schedule and so that’s a huge piece of advice I’d give moms as it will also set them up for success when they head out to college or into the real world. We live in Frisco and my son went to a private high school in Dallas and played football there too. He had the craziest football schedule and had to work that on top of timing rush hour on the Tollway. At 16, he figured it all out and never missed a practice or was late. Kudos to you for starting your kids the same way once they become drivers…it will pay off when they leave the nest at 18! (And on a side note, I sent an email on 6/24 and 7/14 about possible travel planning but haven’t received a response back….my email domain gets flagged as spam occasionally though and so not sure who checks the inbox, but any chance they could check the spam folder and see if they find it? It was sent from the same email I’m tagging to this comment)
Mix and Match Mama says
I emailed you, Heather! I found two emails from you in our general inbox spam. I am SO happy you left a comment!!
Vanessa says
Stupid question here but how do you download the sports schedule in to your calendar? I am so afraid that if I hit the “link” button that my calendar will appear for everyone to see. Does it just link one way?
Mix and Match Mama says
Well I’ve never worried about that until you just said it, bahaha! Okay, yes, it’s easy (I use the Cozi Gold). You just add the link, and it’s on your Cozi.
Katie says
Managing all the schedules is a job in and of itself! I look over my calendar the night before and I set alarms for the following day. I was finding with how busy we were, even if I was going over the calendar the night before, I’d still be scrambling. Often an alarm goes off and I have to take a look at the calendar to remind myself where to be 😂. It keeps me on track though, and I haven’t been late to pickup a kid or to an appointment since I started doing this!
Laci says
Teenagers being accountable for their own schedules changed my life! When they started driving, even though a new fear was unlocked, I realized I was raising soon to be adults. Before they were driving, I juggled everything on a wish and a prayer (and a fantastic village of friends and family)
Kristy Moore says
4:30am wake up and a 5:15am practice? That is just mean! 😛
I always attribute you to Erin Condren planners. I know you used them for years! When did you switch over? Do you like the Callie Danielle planners as much? I agree that my paper planner (I’m a Happy Planner myself) is like a diary and a memory keeper. I have a stack now to look back upon!
Mix and Match Mama says
4:30 leave the house…4:00 AM wakeup. I am getting a lot done with all of this extra time in the morning, hahaha! I love Erin Condren planners! I think I bought 10 or 12 over the years? So many! When my office manager showed me her Callie Danielle, I thought it was adorable, so I switched last year. I am a sucker for seasonal stuff 😉 .
Bren says
Ladies, I am reading this out of the mix, having raised three teens who all had crazy, busy schedules. I’m so thankful they had so much going on and were busy with so many things…but oh did today’s post and comments remind me of how happy we were when we had drivers! Well, a mix of anxiety + relief as sending them out on their own was always a bit nerve-wracking for me.
I now use an online program for managing my work and personal life schedule and oh how I wish I’d had that capability “back in the day”. Yet I too still love a paper calendar and, Shay, that one you shared is so cute! May have to look at getting one!
Katie Compton says
I couldn’t agree more with holding teens accountable for their own schedules! We started this basically in high school with our daughter (we obviously helped with driving until she got her license). We also held her accountable for her school correspondence. Fast forward to now… she leaves for college in a week and today she bought her own parking pass, called the financial aid office b/c a scholarship hadn’t shown up yet, AND started packing. It will be so sad to let her leave the nest but she is SO ready to fly!
p.s. I already made my hubby and I dinner reservations for the day after we drop her off so we can toast ourselves for a job well done! 🥰
Erin says
I made the switch to a digital calendar for appointments, games, practices, etc. but I sure do love paper for my to do lists. Going to check out this planner!
Abby says
Great advice on letting teens manage their own schedule! I will definitely start now that my oldest is a sophomore.
I do all of the things you do to plan life for my family, but I do have one to add. As I meal plan each week, I review the calendar and when I know we will be tight on time coming home from work and then eating and heading off to practices, I make sure I’ve got leftovers that are quick to heat up. I like to avoid drive-thrus at all costs and always prefer a home cooked meal during the week. This way, if people need to eat at different times, they still have a healthy meal.
Mix and Match Mama says
YES!!!!! Great tip!
Terry says
You should check out the Skylight calendar!
Julie says
Is there any particular reason you stopped using the Erin Condren life planner?
Mix and Match Mama says
No, I just decided to try something new. I still love all of my EC planners (I kept them all), but this was just a fun change.