calming the CHAOS

For many families, back-to-school season means back to a busy schedule with practices, lessons, meetings and activities. Parents may feel like the busier schedule creates a sense of chaos in the evenings. Feeding the kids a healthy dinner, keeping your schedule organized and getting homework done become challenging when you have multiple kids in multiple activities. How can families enjoy a full schedule while calming the evening chaos?

Family Calendar

Maintaining an accurate and up-to-date family calendar is key to managing a busy schedule and staying organized. For many families, if an event or activity isn’t on the calendar, it’s likely it will be forgotten or double booked. Some families may find a paper calendar works best, but others may prefer to use a calendar app so they can access the calendar on their phones while on the go. “My phone is set with reminders for every recurring event. Get ready for ballet, leave for ballet, ballet dismissed,” says Amy Cameron, mom of three. “I’d be a mess without it.”

Prep the Night Before

School mornings can be hectic. Particularly when your family also has a busy evening of after-school activities. To avoid stress in the evening and reduce the risk of forgetting something, lay everything out in advance. “I work ahead whenever possible,” says Kara Thomas of Shawnee. “I put all the equipment together the night before, so I’m not doing the scramble when I get home from work.” It might also be helpful to pack a separate bag for each activity, so the kids can grab the bag for that activity on the way out the door. This method can also double as storage for equipment, shoes and sports gear.

Find Dinner Solutions

“Crock-Pot meals are the only way for dinners when one kid needs to eat at 4:00 and another at 9:00,” says Angela Leever, Olathe mom of three. “This saved us during busy game and practice nights. I also prepared ready-to-assemble meals like a big salad or burrito with all the components ready.” Leever also suggests having quick, filling snacks on hand, such as yogurt, Uncrustable sandwiches and precut fruit, for busy nights. Stephanie Loux, mom of three with a spouse who often travels for work, says, “Having heavier snacks before activities if dinner will be late that night has been super helpful this year.” Cameron suggests planning all the meals on Sunday night while taking the calendar into consideration. “We’re all home at different times on Mondays, so that’s our CrockPot night.”

Use Creative Solutions

Even with careful preparation and planning, you simply can’t be in two places at once. Try to come up with creative solutions that can help you manage a busy night. Loux suggests carpooling with friends, having an older child help cook dinner, setting reminders on Alexa or your phone, eliminating screens until tasks are done and meal planning. “Depending on the day, homework is done right after school before they can do anything else or in the car on the way to a game,” she says. “I also told the kids ahead of time they needed to be flexible and helpful or we can’t do all of their things.” Two-parent households can try a divide and conquer approach to split up the activities. Some parents may also hire a babysitter who can drive or use the help of a teen sibling to manage rides.

Extracurricular activities have many benefits and are fun to participate in.

However, when you find yourself with so many activities that your children (or you) become overstimulated and stressed, it may be time to consider cutting back on something. Every family is different and enjoys a different activity level. You may find that your family thrives on keeping busy. Either way, careful planning and preparation and some creative solutions may be just what you need to calm the chaos

Sarah Lyons is a freelance writer and mom of six. She lives in Olathe with her family.

Easy Meal Planning for Busy Parents

Many parents find themselves so busy with work, school, homework, sports, activities and errands that cooking weeknight meals may seem impossible. In reality, eating at home can be faster, easier and more affordable, even on those busy school nights, with these tips.

Create a go-to list. Start by making a list of meals your family already loves. Keep it simple by adding quick and easy recipes that can be put together on a busy evening. Once you have your list, refer to it when you are meal planning.

Plan the week. With your go-to list of meals in hand, start by consulting the family calendar. For the busiest and most stressful days, plan a Crock-Pot meal. On days when everyone is coming and going at different times, try sub sandwiches with fruit. Pull ideas from your go-to list of meals to fill in the rest of the week. Meal planning will reduce the stress of the evening rush and solve your “What’s for dinner?” conflict.

Go shopping. Look over your meal plan and make a grocery list. Don’t forget to check the freezer and pantry for items you may already have on hand. When you have your list, head to your favorite store and pick up your items.

Prep. Prepare as much food as possible in advance. Wash and chop vegetables and fruit, brown meat and put into one-pound batches, put together casseroles in advance and thaw any items you will need in the next few days. The more you prepare now, the less you have to do on those busy nights after work.

Stick to it. The hard work is done, and it’s time to stick to your plan. Because everything is prepped and ready, you just have to finish your meals and enjoy. Unexpected challenges may come up, but with an organized plan, you will be able to handle most surprises with ease without getting stuck in the fast food rut once again.