DISorganized Mom Looking for HELP
Author: cfelz
Photo by re-ality
A major struggle for me is to keep myself and my family organized. I seem to have a terrible memory and have to write EVERYTHING down in order to remember anything. I have been diligent about keeping a calendar with all of our appointments, social events, and the like. E adds his information to it, too. I also depend on routine because that means that I don’t have to think about quite so many things. I seem to run on autopilot, which makes me more efficient with the mundane things that need to get done when you are living as a mom.
I am still running into trouble when there is a change in the schedule, though. This is particularly troublesome with our Occupational Therapy appointments. The schedule has changed with the holidays, and now I have missed two appointments. Technically that means that we should lose our slot, but the office manager showed me grace and allowed us to keep our space. Since it took 6 months to get into this OT facility for C4′s SI therapy, I cannot afford to lose our space!
I am appealing to all of those organized and seasoned moms. How do you keep it all together? I am barely keeping my head in the game, and when life throws me a curve ball, I get lost. I would love advice on how to be more organized.
Posted in Balancing It All, Motherhood, SPD | 
Tags: organization, routine, scheduling, seasoned moms
Great challenge. Personally, I’ve been using the FranklinCovey Planner since 1988. Either the paper version or the online version (accessible with your laptop or phone) gives you constant access. I don’t go anywhere without my phone so I always have my calendar with me. Flylady (www.flylady.com) recommends reviewing your calendar each night before you go to bed. Personally I review our week’s schedule when I”m planning our homeschooling agenda for the week. In the morning before school, I check email and our calendar for the day. I’m on vacation this week so I’m avoiding it all . . .LOL. Hope that helps
Theresa, I will definitely look into the FranklinCovey Planner! It sounds like a great help. Yes, I need to also check the calendar multiple times a day to be sure that I don’t miss anything! Now how do I get E to do the same…
I think Managers of Their Homes (www.titus2.com) is an incredible book about scheduling. It was written a few years ago by a homeschooling mother with a batch of kids and she *really* has a grip on her schedule. While her actual method is a little more regimented than I need, there were several general ideas that I was able to adapt for my life.
If it’s just a calendaring thing that you’re looking for, I agree that Franklin Planner makes wonderful products. Real Simple has a cool calendar that lets you move events around via stickers. When an appointment changes, I just move the sticker to the new day. Bonus: the stickers are color-coded so I can assign a different color to each person. (http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/product/0,25451,1185568,00.html)
Post-It makes a similar calendar and I’ve seen both sold at Target.
Hope this helps a bit!
Lisa
Hi there- found your post through a tweet on twitter.
I use a notebook system that i created myself. It works for me. I write everything i do in that notebook down – it’s all in one place.
I also have calendars from which I transfer information onto that notebook system that i use.
It sounds like you might have adult ADD. It’s not as bad as it sounds. It’s just that our brains are wired differently than the average person. I know because i have it and since I’ve learned to work with my brain instead of against it – it’s helped me a whole lot. ADD is not an illness in my opinion. It’s a different way of processing things and remembering things.
Usually people with ADD remember better with visual reminders.
Try creating systems that work for you. And implementing them.
Hope this helps and if you need any help just tweet me ;o)
Blessings,
Eren Mckay
I used to always forget my daughter’s orthodontist appointments, so I share your pain!
For doctor’s appointments, etc., I always put them in my calendar in my email program. It sends me a reminder and an email, and that’s helpful. But I also use a regular weekly planner for household stuff, cleaning, etc.
I’ve put them up free on my website. You can get them here:
http://sheilawraygregoire.com/freehouseholdorganizationchartsp345.php
Hope that helps, and that you get super organized in this new year!
LOL I am the wrong person to ask. I have post it notes everywhere!
Great questions though….