Extracurricular Overload HowTo Demystify Your Kids’ Jampacked Schedules
Every parent knows that a poorly organized tangle of kids’ activities is a recipe for a migraine. As school starts up again, so does sports season, and your kids’ extracurricular ambitions pile up like the falling autumn leaves, Don’t let yourself get burned out. Here are some tips to stay sane in the midst of the extracurricular whirlwind. Consolidate all your scheduling, jotting, and activity-tracking into one system. Let’s get one thing straight: You can’t afford to be scrawling “Abby piano lesson rescheduled 9/21” on the first scrap of paper you come across. That doesn’t mean you have to be hyper-organized, but it does mean that you need to keep your entire calendar in one place, whether that place is Google Calendar, a fridge whiteboard, or the old-fashioned standby: a calendar with a lighthouse on every page. One particularly attractive option is the Cozi app (cozi.com), which not only consolidates an entire family’s calendars, but allows you to include to-do lists,
shopping lists, recipes, chore checklists, and more. Whichever system you choose, keep it updated. Its word is law. Form parent alliances. Those soccer practices Jacob’s going to? There are other teammates there, and they have parents shuttling them around, just like you are. Set up carpools — Noah’s mom drives them both Tuesday while you’ve got Thursdays — to manage scheduling conflicts between your kids and drastically reduce the time you spend as a chauffeur. To simplify the process and make sure everyone’s on the same page, check out the Carpool-Kids app at carpool-kids.com. It’ll let you directly invite other parents and set up weekly or one-shot carpool schedules. Maintain balance. You almost certainly will need to say no to additional extracurricular activities every now and then. Sure, simultaneous baseball, football, and soccer seasons might seem healthy and fun for your kid, but you need to consider and being away from it for this longwas definitely challenging. Flex PTwas, luckily, a great choice, and I’m glad I got to spend my recovery time here. The small group of people who work here are all very nice, and you get to know themwhile you’re here. I’m glad to finally be finished, but if I ever get injured during sports and I need therapy again, I’ll be coming back here for sure.” “One morning, I woke upwith excruciating pain in my left shoulder blade. I was in so much pain that I could hardly breathe. For my job, I have to sit in front of a computer for about 10 hours a day. I was in so much pain that I couldn’t even sit still for more than five minutes at a time. My chiropractor recommended Flex Therapy. Raffaele has been a miracle worker. He personally workedwith me one-on-one and provided –Gabriella L.
your own needs, as well. Many parents give their children free rein over what to choose, but limit activities to one or two per season. Johnny wants to do underwater basket weaving? Strange choice, but sure — though he’ll have to abandon either fencing or ice hockey. Make sure you weigh each child’s needs equally, and keep the rules the same for each of them.
Testimonials
treatment appropriate to my needs. In my case, that included simultaneous heat and TENS treatment, followed by a deep tissue massage, which loosened up my tight shoulder. He had me workingwith weights, Thera-bands, and pulleys to help strengthen my shoulder, and he gave me exercises to do at home in between therapy sessions. “I felt a marked improvement after only a few sessions. I just completed my 14th and final session, and I feel great. I am able to sit in front of my desk andwork again. I just make sure to get up about every half hour, so I don’t get stiff. Raffaele also gave me some Thera-bands to exercise at home with. The entire staff is very friendly and professional. I highly recommend Flex therapy.”
“Overall, my time here at Flex PTwas pretty great. After having surgery on my shoulder back in June, I found out that I needed to go to physical therapy. I was pretty scared at first, but walking in my first day, I felt verywelcomed. I would be lying if I said I didn’t have a good experience here. Coming in three times a week and doing exercises became second nature. It felt great knowing that, after putting in the work, I’d be able to return to sports. I’ve been involved in sports mywhole life,
–Eli P.
2 | 973.812.8000
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker