There are definitely those stretches of time when I feel like I would love to let go of the “secretary” or “personal assistant” part of my job as a single parent. Between doctor’s appointments, trips to the dentist, meetings with school personnel, college visits, therapists, entrance exams—you can probably see and relate to how just managing the appointments for a moderate-sized family of three kids and one parent can be pretty exhausting!
My datebook is a constant mass of scribbles. It gets tough when there are overlapping appointments and one of the realities of my single parent scene is that I will have the calendar and appointments scheduled in a very workable way and then my kids’ other parent will schedule a family dinner or another activity and it will slop right onto a previously-scheduled appointment. Back to the calendar.
Even with a good calendar system and reasonable organizational skills, appointment-setting is only the start of the managing. We then have to make sure we get everyone where they need to go, on time, and with the appropriate method of funding in hand. (Appointments and expense just go together.) Then, there are those follow-up appointments!
A good datebook is required for a single parent, as is some training for family members to make sure that all of the appointments and requirements get to mom’s or dad’s notice. ESPECIALLY if there is money involved, since most of us have to keep a fairly tight budget. It took a few years, but I finally got my kids trained on how we handle appointments in our little family—and anything involving cash outlay on my part needs to be told to me in advance so that I can make sure to have the money to cover it.
I don’t think there is anything that I can do, short of hiring a secretary or personal assistant, to get a better handle on the appointment management in a single parent family—but I can dream!
Also: The Role of Timing
How Far in Advance Can You Plan Things?