Life can be difficult, even in the best of times. We face challenges every day, from the moment we wake up until the moment we close our eyes at the end of the day. There’s a lot that’s not in your control.
And when children are involved, all bets are off! You never know what might happen or what they might do or need.
The best we can do is set ourselves up for success by being prepared for adversity. Planning tomorrow the night before, leaving home a little early in case there’s traffic, and preparing in advance for the next day. These are all things that we can control.
That way, when something we can’t control pops up, we’re prepared for it.
How to Prepare for the Day
At this stage of parenthood, you probably have the school day routine down. But if you don’t or you’re looking for a few tweaks you can make to simplify things, here are some new tools you can add to your toolbox:
- Create a station by your front door that includes everything you and your family members need during this season. In the winter, that might include boots, scarves, gloves, and jackets. In the spring and summer, that might include a rain slicker or a baseball cap. Having everything you’ll need in one place as you try to get out the door will save time and frustration for everyone.
- Meal prep, as much as you can. This doesn’t mean that you have to spend weekend days making all the meals for the week; you can meal prep in smaller batches. Double tonight’s dinner recipe so you can bring the leftovers for your lunch tomorrow. As you’re packing your kids’ lunches for tomorrow, make extra for lunches later in the week.
- Pack up the night before. Have your kids gather their backpacks and anything they need for the next day and place them by the front door. And do the same for you too! For lunches that need to be kept cold, pack them in lunchboxes and leave in the refrigerator to grab and go.
- Create a family calendar so everyone can keep track of who has what school or work event and when. Google calendar is a free option that allows you to share calendars for multiple people across multiple devices.
- Plan out your errands with as few stops as possible…and that includes bringing everything you need when you leave the house. Having to go back home to pick up that package you need to ship or that garment you need to return takes up precious time and serenity.
There’s so much in life we can’t control and it’s important to plan ahead so we’re not left struggling. I recently talked with Canadian teacher Ryan Racine on the podcast about borrowing hacks from ancient times. His book, The Stoic Teacher, focuses on using stoicism in the classroom, but the principles he talks about are helpful for anyone who works in an ever-changing environment. (Hello, parenthood!)
We all face challenges every single day, but the more tools we have in our toolboxes, the more we can help and support our youth.
I hope you’ll tune in. I learned so much from this conversation, as always, and plan to implement some of Ryan’s suggestions into my daily life. How about you?
And if you’re interested in finding out more about LEADPrep and all we have to offer, be sure to attend one of our virtual open houses or contact us today.
