By prioritizing, your family can have fun without feeling they always are rushing from activity to activity. After all, running should be part of the fun, not the way you get there.
Consider these family friendly principles for prioritizing your schedule.
1. Family Mealtimes
How often do you choose fast food because you have not planned ahead? Plan ahead which evenings will be restaurant or drive-through evenings and which will be cook-at-home nights. Stick to the plan.
2. Downtime.
Without downtime, you will burn out quickly. God did not create people (including children) to be on the go nonstop. Plan time to be at home without structured activities or responsibilities. Refresh, recharge, and get reacquainted with those you love.
3. Church Activities
Stay involved in worship and Sunday School. Pray about which other church activities will best help your family grow in their relationship to Christ.
4. School and Community Activities
Consider a reasonable amount of involvement for community and school activities. Many parents of young children find that one extracurricular activity at a time per child is a good limit.
5. Family Outings
Plan time for short outings (one or two hours or a whole day).
6. Special Occasions
Strive to keep special occasions special. You may have wonderful memories of homemade cakes and elaborate meals. Continue the tradition with your own family.
7. Chores
The laundry, dishes, and yard work can be part of a schedule. If there is a planned time to do the laundry, then it is more likely to get done. If not, it becomes an emergency operation in an already-too-packed schedule.