Everyone benefits from routine, even though it may cut against the grain of your entrepreneurial spirit.
Researchers universally agree that young children benefit from routine, and if we’ll give it a try, it becomes clear that routine makes life feel better for adults too.
Even if your days tend to be a little chaotic and lack consistency, you can at least set up some daily expectations by using a family calendar.
What is a Family Calendar
Your family calendar can be anything you want it to be.
The only real requirements are that it shows at least a full month at one time, that you can write on it, and that it be displayed somewhere that any family member who can talk can see it.
Resist using an online calendar, because they are less accessible to the whole family at one time.
So it can be as simple as a white board that you’ve drawn lines on, or as complex as these calendars that are specifically designed to be family calendars.
As your children get older, you may also want to have a separate year long planner that can be kept in a drawer and used to write down events and activities that take place in the future months.
Benefits of Using a Family Calendar
Using a family calendar in your house has several benefits. Today we’ll look at five of them.
Giving Your Children Something Concrete to Look Forward to
Even older children are often uncertain exactly how much time a week or 10 days is.
If you have a family calendar where you write down all of her activities it makes it more concrete for your child and allows her to have the anticipation of “counting down the days.”
As special events get near for one child, she can have the honor of crossing each day off as the excitement builds towards the special day.
Taking Responsibility
As your child gets older, he can have more responsibility for scheduling his life if you use a family calendar.
As events come up that he needs or wants to attend, make him responsible for putting it on the calendar, for checking to make sure there are no conflicts, and for bringing it to the rest of the family for resolution if there is a conflict.
The calendar can also be used to help him remember certain deadlines and obligations.
If he needs to bring a poster board to school for a project, write the date on the calendar and make him responsible for looking at the calendar and remembering to bring the poster board on that day.
Teaching Math and Life Skills
The family calendar is a great way to teach math skills. If today is the 7th and something is happening on the 27th, your child can use the calendar and her math skills to figure out how many days away the event is.
Having something visual also makes it easier for children to learn the concepts of weeks and months and how long each of these are.
The calendar can be used to teach younger children the days of the week and the order they go in, as well as the months.
Family Bonding
Planning your life with a family calendar creates a sense of togetherness and bonding.
When your children are truly part of the process and not just being told what to do all of the time, it makes them feel like an important piece of the family, giving them self-confidence and self-esteem.
The family calendar will also help them develop problem-solving skills as they work with you and their siblings to figure out how everyone is going to get where they need and want to be on time.
Turning Your Business Into a Family Business
If you’ll write significant events in your business and even deadlines for big goals that you’ve set, it will make your children feel like they are a part of your business and they’ll become more invested in making sure you have good outcomes.
When your child knows a little bit about what’s going on in your business rather than just being told to “go find something to do, mommy’s working,” she’ll have less resentment about the times when you have to work.
If one of your goals is a Disney cruise, you might even find her encouraging you to work more!
Don’t Forget to Put Kids Party Characters on Your Calendar
Your child’s favorite day on the family calendar will undoubtedly be her birthday. And KidsPartyCharacters.com is here to make sure her special day is one she’ll remember for a lifetime.
With over 200 characters to choose from, KidsPartyCharacters.com has something for everyone. Our packages also include extras like cotton candy, face painting, and balloon twisting, making Kids Party Characters your one-stop party planning company.
Pick your date and start planning your party today at KidsPartyCharacters.com.
Need some party ideas and inspiration, or just want to see Kids Party Characters in action? Join us here on Facebook for daily updates.
No comments:
Post a Comment