Structuring Your Schedule
Prioritize your time. Organize your obligations into “Do,” “Don’t Do,” and “Delegate.” Instead of trying to do it all, figure out which household tasks need to be done (your “Do” list), and which can wait (your “Don’t Do” list). If there are things you could get your partner, your kids, or a hired hand to do – washing the dishes, walking the dog, and so on – separate them into your “Delegate” list. This will rebalance your family’s time in such a way that you all have the ability to spend more time together, instead of you and/or your partner taking on a disproportionate amount of housework. Be realistic and honest when evaluating your time. Don’t add something to your “Do” list just because you feel guilty. Organize your work tasks, too, so that you can identify which things need doing and which you can delegate to a coworker.
Organize your things. You can lose a lot of time that can be spent with your family (or on yourself) by searching for misplaced keys, remote controls, and other essential belongings. Choose a convenient location for your wallet or purse, your keys, and your glasses. Get in the habit of placing these essentials – especially the things you seem to lose frequently – in the same place every day. For instance, you might choose to always put your glasses by the bedside, and your keys by the door.
Take advantage of all your resources. Look for ways to save time and use them whenever possible. For instance, if your dry cleaner offers free pickup, or you can get your pizza delivered instead of picking it up, spring for these convenience services. This will help you maximize your family time. If you’re enrolled in university, use the campus gym instead of trekking from school to the gym and then home.
Adopt family-time goals. If you’re the type of person who rises to a challenge, you might benefit from trying to make and meet unique family-related goals. Set a minimum amount of time to spend with your family each week – for instance, 15 hours. Or you could try a qualitative goal like making your child smile at dinner. Change your family-time goals regularly to keep the contest fresh. Don't set yourself up to fail with larger-than-life goals. Focus on small goals to start so that you don't feel like you're underachieving. For example, you could start with a simple goal like, "Today I'm going to spend 5 minutes with my kids." The quality of your commitment is usually more important than the quantity. Don't beat yourself up if you don't follow through with your goals sometimes and don't give up because of that.
Unplug when you’re at home. Instead of checking email, working on projects, and texting friends or coworkers when you’re home, turn your phone off and shut down your computer. This way, your family will get your undivided attention. After your kids and partner are asleep, you can log back on. This is especially important during family outings and meals. You can also use your computer and phone early in the morning, when your kids and partner are asleep.
Don’t compare yourself to others. Some people get discouraged because they think, “I could never maximize my family time in the way that my neighbor did.” This is defeatist thinking and will not help you maximize your family time. Instead, organize your time as well a possible without passing judgment on yourself. Remember, nobody can spend all their time with their family.
Talking to Your Family
Get your family on board. Maximizing family time only works if everyone is trying to increase the amount of time you spend together. Encourage your kids to limit their extracurriculars to one or two activities per semester. Ask your partner to improve their time-management and adopt the same measures that you do in order to maximize family time. Say to your kids, “Please keep your afterschool activities to one or two per school semester so that we have more family time.” Say to your partner, “I’m reducing my screen time, organizing my things, and finding other ways to maximize my family time. I’d like to help you do the same. Let’s do it together.”
Schedule family time. Calendars or personal planners are great for organizing time in a structured way. Many people assume that because spending time with the family is not a formal obligation, it doesn’t need a spot on the calendar. However, if you don’t assign a specific time for hanging out with your family, you might let it slip through the cracks. To maximize your family time, set aside a few hours each day for them. Schedule specific family events as well as general “family time” when filling out your planner or calendar. Schedule date nights at specific venues and restaurants, and plan on going to specific baseball games or fairs with your kids. Use automatic reminders in your phone or email to stay on top of your scheduled family time. Use vacation time to extend your holidays with your family.
Limit the amount of screen time for your kids. If you allow them to, kids will stay glued to their TV or computer. Set rules that limit the amount of recreational use your child makes of the TV and computer. One hour of TV and an hour of web surfing each day should be enough. Explain to your kids that limiting TV and computer screen time not only provides more time for moving and playing outside, but also helps maximize the amount of time that you spend together as a family. Simply say to your kids, “Please spend no more than one hour each day on your phone, computer, or in front of the television. That way, you’ll have more time to spend with your family.”
Make new traditions. Everyone gets together on holidays, but you should aim to spend at least one night each week with your family. For instance, set aside Friday nights for pizza and card games with your kids. Ensure everyone in the family is participating by forbidding phones and tablets during the designated family time. Other traditions your family might enjoy include: Dining out at a new restaurant together Seeing a new movie together Going for a family bike ride Having a Sunday brunch together
Saving Time
Look into ways to streamline your daily commute. Riding public transit is great because it gives you time to answer emails, read work-related materials, or work on your laptop during your commute. This means that you’ll have more time to spend with your family when you’re at home. You could also check for alternate routes and short cuts. Lay a map out on your table of your municipality. Trace your route to work on the map. Look for alternate routes and give them a try. If they save you time, use them instead of the route you’ve been taking.
Look for ways to streamline your time at work. There are several ways to streamline your time at work so as to maximize family time. You could change when you work, how you work, or where you work. Working from home will increase the amount of time you’re able to spend with your family. Use your breaks to spend time with your family. Work from home. Many productive and enjoyable occupations can be done at home. If you are a writer, graphic designer, or artist, you might be able to convince your employer to let you work from home – or go into business for yourself. Before asking your boss if you can work from home, talk to someone in your Human Resources department to determine if such a request could be accommodated. Cut back on work-related travel. Ask your boss if you could conduct conferences that you’d normally have to travel to via an online webcam program like Skype. Volunteer for shorter trips that don’t keep you away from home for so long instead of the longer trips that take you further from your family. Encourage your boss to assign some of the work-related travel to other employees. Take care of emails and projects early in the morning before your family rises, or late at night after they are asleep.
Shop online. Shopping can take a lot of time. In order to cut back on time wasted on shopping, buy things online. There’s no traveling to and from the store, no standing in line, and no wasting time browsing the shelves to find what you’re looking for. Online shopping is fast and convenient, and can help you maximize family time. To shop online, just buy through the website of your favorite retailer. For instance, if you enjoy shopping at E-Mart, just visit the store’s website, pay for the items you want, and wait for the delivery. In some cases, the extra costs associated with shipping might make online shopping impractical. Compare prices carefully before deciding to shop online.
Make meals ahead of time. Making twice as much food usually doesn’t take twice as long. Instead of making dinner every night, double up on certain recipes that you can eat as leftovers the next night, or even the one after next. For instance, if you make a big pan of lasagna or a big pot of stew, you should be set for the next few nights. You can refrigerate any meal for at least two or three days. If you make a really big batch of chicken, turkey, or most veggies, you can easily freeze them for even longer.
Get it to go. Carryout meals are not generally recommended because they tend to have higher calorie counts and are less healthy than home-cooked meals. However, if you’re located near a quality diner and can get some salads, wraps, and other meals to go when you’re busy, do it. Just don’t make take-out a habit. Avoid getting fast food, even when you’re busy. Fast food is loaded with salt, sugar, and fat, and does not contribute to overall good health.
Choosing Activities
Encourage spontaneity. Don’t be afraid to try something different during your family time. In addition to encouraging suggestions from your kids and partner, you should be flexible and willing to do something totally different if your family wants to switch things up a bit. The more fun everyone has, the more likely they will be to make family time a centerpiece in their own lives.
Find out what your family likes to do. You probably already have an idea of what your family enjoys. But hobbies and tastes change over time, and your kids or partner might have a new hobby that you could all enjoy as a family. Maybe there are even some things your kids or partner would like to do but haven’t had the opportunity to try yet. You could ask your family, “What would you like to do during our scheduled family time?”
Offer suggestions to your family. Your family is interested in what you have to say. You should feel that you can offer suggestions for family time activities, too. But don’t foist your choices on others. Ensure that you and your family have a pleasant conversation about possible options, and arrive at a consensus afterwards. You might suggest: Going to the park (For instance, you could ask your family, “How about going to the park?”) Taking a walk (For instance, you could ask your family, “Would you like to take a walk?”) Playing a game (For instance, you could ask your family, “Does anyone want to play a game?”) Canoeing (For instance, you could ask your family, “How about taking the canoe up the river?”) Hiking (For instance, you could ask your family, “How about hiking in the woods?”) Visiting a local museum (For instance, you could say, “There’s a new exhibit at the museum. Let’s see it together.”)
Try outdoor activities. Don’t get stuck inside. Spending family time inside watching movies and playing games has its place. But, weather permitting, you should head outside and enjoy a walk, bike ride, or other outdoor activity with your family. For instance, you and your family might enjoy: Swimming at the lake Mountain climbing Parasailing Hang-gliding Spelunking
Enjoy lazy mornings together. Stay in bed for a bit longer instead of waking up in the morning as soon as possible. You might also enjoy a sit-down pancake breakfast with your family. Take a meandering stroll together after brunch. Those extra few minutes you spend with your family will add up in the long term, giving you and your family a stronger bond.
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