How do you deal with changes
to your family routines?
Look, life can be pretty crazy sometimes
when you have a family,
so it could just be back to school time.
It could be changes at your job.
Maybe you've changed your schedule,
maybe working from home more now
or maybe you got a new
family member like we did.
This is Hugo - around the neighborhood
he's known as Handsome Hugo,
and he came to our family during
the quarantine at the urging
of our three kids.
My name is Dustin Riechmann
from EngagedMarriage.com.
And I just want to share three quick tips
that have really helped us navigate some
crazy changes in our own
family routines and schedules.
#1 is to discuss it
openly with your spouse.
Obviously, you're going to come together
and discuss the practicalities
of how you're going to adjust.
But what I want you to do is come to this
conversation with your husband or
wife with opportunities in mind.
What positive things can we change as
we're changing our schedule
and changing our routines?
Also, any concerns, you know,
write down concerns, really think about, what am I worried
about with changes here?
So you guys have an open dialogue and
really have some quality communication.
#2 is to involve your kids.
I do not mean to involve your
kids in that initial discussion.
I also don't mean to let your
kids dictate the schedule.
However you want to be open with your kids
that things are changing and that you guys
have a plan and that
you're going to make sure that they're
secure and that it's a positive
change for the kids.
Kids really crave routine.
They really thrive when
there's a sense of certainty.
So you want to make sure that they're
aware and they're involved
in this discussion.
And #3 is to write it down.
We all get in our own heads.
We all have intentions.
We have assumptions that we're making.
Anytime there's a change,
it really helps to write things down.
This is my new schedule in this new
season of life with back to school,
with handsome Hugo, with changes
with some of our job situations.
So we're dealing with a lot of change,
what could be a lot of uncertainty.
Three different kids with three different
school schedules, hybrid and otherwise,
sports, you know, all the stuff
that's slowly coming back at this point.
But writing it down really helps to match
up schedules and helps me
communicate with my wife.
Bethany,
I don't stick with this hour by hour daily
schedule every day, of course,
things change, things happen.
But it gives me a blueprint.
It gives me a template to work from.
And then we can modify this as we need.
So it really helps with clear
communication and clarity
when you write things down.
So above all, when you're using these
three tips, have grace in the process
because change is always a process.
I wish we could flip a switch
and just switch overnight.
And this is our new schedule.
Things are happy and we're healthy
and we're really enjoying life.
That's not the way it works.
It's a process.
It's going to be gradual.
The other thing is have grace
but also keep in mind,
we're open to the opportunity
that this is a new season of life.
If your family routine is changing
there are always opportunities
to grow, grow closer together with your
spouse, grow closer with your kids.
So I hope you can put these tips
into practice and enjoy the ride.
