Family Organization Using Mindmapping Software
A family schedule provides structure and ensures that your household runs smoothly. It’s an effective way to make sure that your family’s goals and each family member’s accomplishments are communicated and recognized. Creating a daily schedule for your family can be simple, and can have long lasting benefits. Providing structure and a setting a good example of organizational skills to your younger family members will foster skills that can be carried forward into other parts of their lives.
A good place to start is with an analysis of a typical day. Start with a time study, noting down what goes on within your home at various times of the day. You’ll need the entire family’s cooperation with this activity in order to get a clear picture. Pay attention to problems that may arise during the day due to scheduling difficulties. Take a good look at which times you normally expect certain behaviours from your children, for example, such as the time of day they become tired or agitated. This is a good signal as to when you can effectively plan in a nap, or snack time. If your four-year-old typically starts to throw tantrums at around 4 pm each afternoon, consider implementing a nap time before his or her grumpiness sets in, in order to avoid the problem. If your teenager has problems finishing his homework on time, and you discover that he is playing video games everyday between 3.30 pm and dinner time, it may be time to implement a schedule change!
As a family, you should come to an agreement about what the purpose of making a schedule is. Are mornings too hectic? Is your house a mess? Is homework being forgotten? Maybe you want to find more quality time to spend with your children or your spouse. Make sure you consider both the needs of the children and the adults in the house.
Using a mind map format to record your new family schedule is an excellent way to structure the schedule so that all family members can understand it. You can start off by brainstorming ideas with your family, and then once you’ve completed the schedule you can make up a final copy using mindmapping software. The example here shows how to structure the schedule as a clock, so that each member of the family can see what needs to happen at what time. Print out your mind map and post it where everyone can see, so that everyone can be clear on what needs to be done by when.
It will likely take some time before following the new schedule becomes natural for your family. Make a real effort to try and stick to the schedule for a full week. During this time you and your family members will need to refer to the schedule often to be sure that nothing has been forgotten. At the end of each week, sit down with your family again and adjust your schedule. Go over each aspect and decide which parts worked well and which didn’t, and which parts should be changed. It’s important at this stage to consider input from all family members. Together, you can evaluate which input is valuable, and where the changes need to be made.