How a little mindfulness and a simple meal plan creator can make this school year feel less chaotic
Every August everyone seems to get a little panicked over the prospect of ‘back to school’. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and anxious about the impending storm of ‘to-do’s’ that come along with the new school year. This year, make a vow to cut yourself some slack, manage through the chaos and give yourself some breathing time to savor these precious years with your kids. Here are three ways to simplify your life this school year: prioritize, try a meal plan creator, and take half an hour once a week to plan.
First, be your own advocate, grab hold of what really matters and commit to a less chaotic school year.
It sounds so simple, but often times, we can be our own worst enemy and overbook our own family lives. Say no more often and ‘yes’ more confidently. Give your kids the space they need to just be kids after school. More importantly, give yourself the space that you need to enjoy the time with your family. The dishes can wait!
Next, consider a meal plan creator to simplify your dinnertime drag.
Figuring out what to make for dinner night after night can be a drain on the energy and time you have to spend connecting with your family. It’s not easy to come up with meals that are easy, healthy and meet everyone’s dietary requirements, especially when you have to do it every night! There are a number of online tools that can help you plan your meals out more consistently. If you want to plan meals based on your food preferences and have the added feature of saving on groceries, a 2-week free trial to The Dinner Daily might be worth a try. It creates a personalized weekly menu of 5 easy, healthy meals for you. The menu is customized based on your dietary preferences and the store specials where you shop, and includes an organized, editable shopping list. The Dinner Daily meal plan creator reduces the time and thinking that you have to put into getting dinner on the table. It helps organize your shopping and avoid extra trips to the store, and saves you money by taking advantage of store sales. Best of all, it saves you from having to figure out what to make for dinner night after night after night. It’s all done for you!
Finally, pick a 30-minute time slot each Sunday night to think ahead and plan your evenings and after-school commitments.
Set aside just 30 minutes each Sunday night to plan. Scan the week, think about schedules and the evening rituals of homework and dinnertime. When you plan ahead, there are often a few quick to-do’s that can be handled right away, and then you can cross them off the list. Handling even one small meal prep task for the week’s dinners can really take the edge off of those chaotic dinner times. Why not cut those carrots now for Tuesday’s recipe?
What other resolutions will you be making this school year? We would love to hear your tips for getting through the school year chaos like a pro! Check out the comments section below.
Read more related articles:
The Bliss of Getting Organized with Dinner (and Saving Money at the Same Time!)
End Dinnertime Stress in 5 Easy Steps
by Anne Marie Messier
Anne Marie Messier is a business advisor to the Dinner Daily and an advocate of simplifying life to make room for the good stuff that life offers. She is a ‘been there, done that’ working mother of 2 young adults and a regular contributor to our Blog.
