Things can get pretty crazy in my home, especially as I have two hyperactive children. My family’s normal weekend plans are filled to the brim with things to do. But something was always going wrong, we were either late for an appointment, forgot to pick someone up on time or just plain old forgetting to do something important altogether. Then through the help of a good family friend we discovered the power of the dry erase board calendar.
I decided to use this method after one ultra crazy Saturday. I went online and searched for ways to organize my family life and that is where I found the dry erase board calendar. It is like organizing everything else in your home, except instead of physical things, you are simply organizing your time better.
The toughest part of using dry erase board calendars is selling the idea to your kids and getting them to use it. It’s best to sell the idea to them when they are in a happy mood as they will be more receptive and open to the idea. My approach was to pitch the concept like an advertisement. Personally I have yet to meet a child that jumps for joy at the thought of being organized, much less making a schedule of their lives. I made it a point to stress on the many times that I made them late for practice or how I forgot to pick their friends for sleep overs. You need to make your children feel as if the calendar is the key to you doing things for them on time, every time. Even if that may not always be true.
Due to the type of board you have the flexibility of making changes where necessary while maintaining neatness. You do not need to waste paper, or use a pencil so that you can erase what you’ve written. You can always erase with these boards whenever you need to. It’s time to get organized. What you will need to do is get everyone involved? Start by outlining the days of the week in a simple way. Next you will want to put the name of each family member. Start with the important stuff, such as any sports games, practices, trips, classes, parent teacher meetings, etc..
It will not be the easiest thing to get your family in the routine of using the dry erase board calendar and in the beginning there will be glitches. But keep working on it and eventually they will be having fun getting to things on time and doing what they want to at the right times.
Do you end up forgetting things you need to do or just seem late all of the time? A dry erase board calendar just might be able to help you get your time organized.
Filed under Time Management by Amy Marks

