Great Idea: Over-Scheduling 101
Today's How-To is a lesson in how to Over-Schedule yourself, given in 43 easy-to-follow steps:
First of all, you need to remember that the very most important rule of over-scheduling is that you must learn to say "YES" to everything asked of you or even suggested. ***
1. Agree to help decorate the set for the Elementary school play, the day before the performance.
2. Also agree to design and print off the iron-on transfers for the cub scout day camp, so they can make their shirts tomorrow at scouts.
3. Make sure that your kids make it to call-backs for the community theatre production they auditioned for on Saturday.
4. They also need to be to the dress rehearsal for the afor-mentioned school play, after the call-backs.
5. Fix, wash and get costumes ready for the play, too.
6. Now you can relax and finish up the orders that you got over the weekend from your business.
7. In addition to regular morning chores, and taking care of your two kids who are not in school, the next morning run to store to get a new color ink cartridge for your printer so that you can actually print off the iron-on transfers for the afor-mentioned scout shirts.
8. Print off the transfers.
9. Run to the school before the assembly performance of the school play so that your kids have all of their props...and the part of the costume they forgot to stick in their backpack.
10. Go back to the school to pick the kids up and make sure that your son makes it to Cub Scouts so that he can make his Day Camp shirt...and don't forget to leave the transfers with the Den Mother.
11. You also need to stop at the post office and drop the orders in the mail to be shipped.
12. Get dinner made early so that you can hurry to the school...after picking up your son...and save some seats for the school play performance.
13. Don't forget to charge the batteries on the camcorder and camera!
14. After the play, stay after to help un-decorate the set and clean up the school gym.
15. The next morning get kids ready for school field day.
16. After dropping them off, run home and throw a load of laundry in the washing machine.
17. Go back to the school at 9:30 so you can register your 5-year-old for Kindergarten.
18. Don't forget the immunization records and birth certificate.
19. At 10:30 get back in the car and drive half an hour to your 37 week maternity check-up with your doctor...you still have the two youngest kids with you...unless you were able to find a generous person to watch them for you!
20. Come home (picking up the kids on the way, of course), and throw the laundry in the dryer.
21. Try to put tags on the items you've finished up for the craft fair you are attending on Saturday.
22. After school, take your oldest daughter to her Activity Days meeting at 4:00.
23. Pick her up at 5:30.
23. Finish getting dinner ready so your hubby has something to eat before he leaves to go to scouts, since he's the Scoutmaster in your neighborhood.
24. Throw the laundry in a pile on the chest in the living room, and hope that you have time to fold it before the three-year-old gets to it first.
25. Bake a cake for your friends' daughters' birthday...which you agreed to help out with.
26. After letting it cool, stick in the freezer for tomorrow.
27. Turn on movie after movie for your children to watch as you spend the day finishing up items for the craft fair, putting tags on things, and generally ignoring your family, while you frantically try to get everything together for Saturday.
28. Last day of school.
29. Take kids to school....come back at 9:30 for the awards assembly.
30. Come home and give your kids mac 'n' cheese for lunch.
31. Mix -up frosting...try to keep the three-year-old away from it for 15 minutes.
32. Take the previously baked cake out of the freezer and frost it...again, try to keep the three-year-old away from it for 15 minutes.
32. Get everyone loaded in the car and drive an hour to the birthday party.
33. Forget the present at home and make a stop at the store to get another.
34. Finish decorating cake at friends' house, and help get everything else ready.
35. Have fun at the party!
36. Stay a little too long to help clean-up afterward, because you love your friend.
37. Drive home and fall into bed....and then don't sleep because you're trying to remember if you got everything done for the craft fair.
38. Wake up way too early and load up that car with everything for the craft fair.
39. Get dressed cute and business-like...so you'll make a good impression on potential customers!
40. Set up the table, canopy (because it's supposed to rain, of course), and all of your wares by 9:00 am.
41. Spend a fabulous day at the fair, while you let your hubby take care of the kids!
42. Clean-up stuff, take inventory, and head home.
43. Sit on the couch and be thankful that next week doesn't look like this.
There you have it. So simple. So foolproof. Over-scheduling is as easy as "1" - "2" - "43!"
You can, of course, use these steps as guideline in your own life...just add any other items to your itinerary that you feel are necessary!
I'd love to get your feedback on this highly important phase of woman/motherhood.
How do you plan on implementing the art of over-scheduling into your own life?
P.S. I REALLY hope none of you take this seriously, and aren't offended by my complete tongue-in-cheek post!
I sooo know that we as women tend to be natural over-schedulers...and as I looked at my calendar for this week, I just laughed. I'm grateful to have a sense of humor about this right now...I've been feeling like a failure to my family in so many ways lately...but I realized that so many of the 'things' I do are FOR my family.
But. I need to let myself have some breathing room, too.
***It's okay to say "NO" if you really don't have the time. People will understand. Your kids will understand. They just want you to be happy, too.
One thing I've learned is that an over-scheduled mom is a cranky mom.
So.
Enjoy your week. If it's as crazy as mine is, hang in there! Have fun with life!
And say "NO" when you need to!
