Scheduling Children for Activities in 2009

If time management is one of your big concerns to 2009, especially regarding scheduling children into multiple activities, you should heed the words of Diane Laney Fitzpatrick in an article at Suite 101.

Here are some of her tips for scheduling children:

1. Pay close attention to the schedules of younger children who do not need to specialize in their interests. "No matter how much your son loves soccer, playing it year-round and on more than one team at a time is overkill." Fitzpatrick says if a parent wants to expose children to a variety of activities, choose one sport, a program in the arts (music, art, drama etc), and something that will emphasize socialization and relationships such as clubs or scouts. Kids are able to handle variety in their schedules better than we think.

2. Fitzpatrick suggests scheduling children in one sport at a time. She says that participating in more than one sport per season forces children and parents to juggle schedules to race from one practice or game to another. Fitzpatrick advises, "Tell your child that in order to be a good team member, (s)he can’t divide time between two sports."

3. Consider scheduling children in community-based, recreational activities which are often more low-key, less intense, less costly and require less time commitment than private clubs. When considering these programs don't forget time and costs required for travel.

Certainly, a good scheduling calendar would be of value for moms who are scheduling children and managing family calendars.