Beyond Folders : family time

Top 10 Reasons to be Excited its Fall

Community Manager — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:30:00 GMT

Summer tans are fading, mornings becoming cool and crisper. Time to embrace autumn and its many pleasures. Having trouble saying good-bye to summer? Here are ten reasons to be happy fall is around the corner.

1. Salads give way to soups. All hail comfort food!

2. Cooler weather means AC-fueled electric bills come down. Enjoy the savings; at least until winter heating bills arrive.

3. Football season begins. Get ready to root for the home team.

4. Apple-palooza. Fall's most famous fruit takes center stage.

5. Good-bye bathing suits, hello sweaters. Fashion's most talked about season is always fall. Check out the September issues of fashion mags for the latest trends.

6. Couch-potatoes rejoice; fall ushers in a new television season.

7. Back-to-school season arrives, giving parents a needed break.

8. Halloween fun! Candy for everyone.

9. Fall foliage! Plan a leaf peeping trip to soak up the season's gorgeous colors.

10. Forget January, fall is a season of fresh starts. Gear up to kick start your goals this September.

Finding Time for Family Time

Community Manager — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:10:00 GMT

I don't know anyone who isn't pressed for time. The existence of the popular phrase "work-life balance" grew out of the time crunch of our always-on-the-go world and implies that sometimes one or the other is out of whack.

True "balance" may be a moving target but finding time for family time must be a priority, especially during summer, when kids have downtime from the rigors of school and sports. Don't let Labor Day dawn without having carved out some quality time with your loved ones.

Finding Time in a Packed Schedule

Erin Doland of the organization blog The Unclutter takes a step-by-step, list-driven approach to organizing both her home and her time. Read her post on organizing your household routine for strategies on finding more time in your day for family time.

Say No in Order to Say Yes

Finding time in a crowded schedule requires the fine art if saying no. Too often our schedule fills up with play dates, sports, camps and social outings. Protect family time by saying no to some of these distractions. Read this piece by the BBC for making the most of family time. The top piece of advice? Guard family time carefully.

Take a Family Vacation

Ah, the open road. Or is it, oh no, the backseat bickering? Sometimes travel with toddlers and teens can seem so daunting that we stay put. Instead, put the notion that family travel is too taxing behind you and read ParentDish's tips for family travel. Go ahead, make a memory.

How do you make the most of family time? Share your thoughts here and at the Pendaflex Facebook page.

School's Out: How Working Parents Deal With Summer Downtime

Community Manager — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:22:00 GMT

School's out: two simple words that elicit such joy in kids and corresponding dread in parents, especially working parents. How to fill those summer days when school's out but work continues?

Now What?

In The Cost of a Working Mom's Summer Non-Vacation, , Huffington Post blogger Stephanie Losee estimates that it costs her approximately $1,400 in babysitting and camp fees per summer week to keep her three kids, aged 2 to 12, occupied so she can work. That's a pretty hefty price tag.

Camps and babysitting may work for some families but not all can afford such arrangements. Other ideas for childcare include staggering vacations with your spouse to maximize parental (i.e. free) childcare blocs of time. This may not cover the entire summer but can buy you a few weeks. Likewise, tap willing family members for "Camp Grandma" or trade weeks with a working sibling; kids get quality family time and the adults get needed coverage.

Or consider creating a babysitting co-op with working families in the same boat. If two or three families team together, it can be possible to reduce childcare costs by splitting them several ways or to have participating parents cover the days. Creative neighbors can also band together to create a mini-camp within a neighborhood. Read Turning a Neighborhood into a Playground to learn how two Palo Alto moms run a neighborhood camp a week at a time.

Parents can also broach flexible work schedules with their jobs. By working longer four day weeks, it's often possible to take Fridays off. Some jobs may even be open to summer sabbaticals.

Finally, we leave you with an article with ideas on summer activities to keep kids engaged and learning while on break from school. While these ideas won't help solve the summer childcare conundrum, they will help make whiling away the long days a tad easier.

How do you balance your children's summer schedules with work? Share your thoughts here and at the Pendaflex Facebook page.