Need a Personal Assistant to Manage Your Kids’ Crazy Schedules?
Teamwork Makes the DreamWork
School has started. Youth sports are in full swing. Work is crazy. Food has become more about necessity than enjoyment. All of this can only mean one thing: Fall has begun. The crazy schedules this time of year can make it tough for parents to keep their heads on straight; making it through the insanity sometimes feels more like survival than life. But there are tactics you can employ to turn the tide and find more time for yourself. Tag Team There’s no reason to try to do everything on your own. The phrase “It takes a village to raise a child” exists because managing the stressors of life requires help. A great place to start is by establishing car pools with a parent group you trust. You can alternate drivers weekly, which provides the opportunity for you to focus your attention on other priorities — or if you’re lucky, have some freedom.
While you’re busy trying to rally the troops at soccer practice, the scene at home resembles a horror movie. Laundry is piling up, food is spoiling in the fridge, and the dust bunnies around the house now have names. Housecleaning is a part-time job in its own right. The only
way to stay on top of duties around the house is to work together. A chore chart with clear responsibilities is a great place to start. Whether you have one child or eight, everyone is capable of pitching in.
You can have all the organizational abilities in the world, but the best way to manage life’s madness isn’t by directing day-to-day tasks;
The Right Tool for the Job Technology makes organization easier and more accessible than ever. By using a tool like a shared calendar, you can coordinate the entire family’s schedule so you never miss a beat. And apps like Mealime and MealBoard give you the ability to whip up food that is cost-effective and delicious.
it’s by managing stress. Instead of using these tools to control life, look at them as a way to free up time so you can decompress and enjoy the things you love.
Meet Joe Cole
A Therapist Inspired by His Injury and Motivated by His Patients
HealthMasters/Fyzical PT and clinic supervisor Joe Cole has firsthand experience of what his patients endure during the recovery process. At 17 years old, Joe was a star baseball athlete at Parkland High School in El Paso, Texas, but with one fateful swing of the baseball bat, his shoulder popped out of place, resulting in the need for surgery and physical therapy. “It was very life-changing,” Joe says. “I went from being in the best shape of my life to not even being able to lift one pound.”
hopes of better understanding the complicated issues some of his patients face. “It’s just the complexity — and being able to get people to use their hands better — [that] really interests me in the hand,” says Joe, who is also a member of the Texas and American Physical Therapy associations. As a physical therapy success story himself, seeing the triumphs of his patients is one of Joe’s favorite parts of being a physical therapist. “It’s really nice when people come in, and they’re unable to do what they love … and as they go through therapy, they’re able to start doing more and more with their grandkids and friends and family,” Joe says. “The progress from where they start and where they wind up — it totally makes the job worthwhile.” Furthermore, the camaraderie between Joe and his coworkers has kept him passionate about continuing to work at HealthMasters/Fyzical. Outside of the office, Joe’s other passions include anything outdoors-related, including camping and fishing. We’re lucky to have such a dedicated therapist like Joe working for us and our patients at HealthMasters/Fyzical. Keep up the great work, Joe!
It was that injury, combined with watching his grandparents utilize
physical therapy to gain back some of their daily functions, that motivated Joe to pursue an education and career in physical therapy. Joe earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science in 2011 and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2014. He’s currently continuing his education to become a certified hand therapist, with
2 • healthmasterspt.com
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