Ralph and Robin are going through the rituals of life like so many other couples. The ability to offer their children great things is truly a blessing. However, the busyness of children and their activities, home chores, and work responsibilities can begin to drive a family’s schedule.
Life can silently and unknowingly get out of control when the week is based on the schedules of children’s practices and competitions. It is too easy to add this item or that; without knowing it, we are unknowingly being led to chaos. This usually puts the marital relationship on the back burner, which can be dangerous. Without fostering that relationship, the family can begin to erode.
A friend of mine offers their children one sport and one fine arts event per school semester or the summer. I appreciate the idea of providing opportunities yet restricting options to realistic schedules.
I also like the idea of “calendar night.”
At the end of each week, the couple sits down with the calendar and looks at the next week. The known events get posted on their shared calendar. The children’s activities and any anomalies in the adult schedules get posted. This is not ironclad, but a guide for the week. Here is the opportunity to see how they will handle the children’s activities—whether they need to do it separately or together. It is time for them to schedule their weekly date night, whether going out together or just setting aside time to be alone without the distractions of daily life stressors.
After the week has been discussed, it is a great time to look six to eight weeks ahead and begin conversations about future holidays, trips, birthdays, anniversaries, or any other event that will require their participation. This helps focus the family's attention on impending events, keep them on track, and ensuring their priorities are met.
Ralph and Robin are working on controlling their calendar rather than having their calendar control them.
How are you doing with managing your family schedules?
Watch for the blind spots.
To help with this principle, I have a weekly calendar template you can download and print: https://www.jerrydclark.com/weeklycalendar
If you know someone that could benefit from discovering blind spots, like, share or comment on this post. I appreciate your feedback and getting the message out.
If you want to find out more about discovering your blind spots get your book today.
Blind Spots in Relationships
What I don't know I don't know about myself
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