Focus on family: 5 ways to make things less hectic

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-- am -- out of making checklists juggling work play dates and planning birthday party seems all too familiar.

And it does maybe it's time to slow down our next guest is a proponent of the solo parenting movement she's.

Author of fed up with frenzy Susan Sachs Lipman good to see you -- that that scenario is very familiar to a lot of parents out there we -- out of sports to that where -- Shuttling between eight different athletic activities what was the moment that you said okay.

We need to slow this.

-- for them why right there was a very distinct moment for me thank you for having me here by the -- Edinburgh to be here.

The moment for -- came at this school drop off zone.

I don't know if you have those -- you live yes a place where right -- are grown up right stuff for five seconds you at the door -- in the -- off exactly.

And for aspect just seemed a little too frenzied a little too out of balance.

So what we did we made one small change we parked the car just a few blocks away from school.

And started walking into the school.

And that one small change made a huge difference in our lives in terms of the time we had the fond memories we made just marking that ten minutes.

So I advocate to parents to make one small change like that that's great and that's just one tenant of the slow parenting movement that you are spearheading here's another one.

Make -- time meaningful Heidi do that yes well again I know parents are so busy everybody is stressed.

People don't know how they're gonna slow their busy lives.

So I suggest taking something that -- are already doing.

Perhaps having a meal together which is wonderful family time or making a meal together.

So I suggest that people.

Have fun at mealtime conversation and sometimes kids don't respond to how was your day just as as adults -- -- respond but I have lots of fun tips in the book.

Like what color was your day.

Or what flavor ice cream was your day things like -- might respond to and you might get them to reveal something that they wouldn't reveal ordinarily.

-- -- do this at Thanksgiving and my kids just they weren't registering.

Let's get out of pocket a I'm guilty of number three where my -- to stop once -- -- how how we replace the sport in this upcoming session.

Do you need to say no -- -- -- -- you do you actually an especially at holiday time.

Holidays are particularly frenzied time.

Because we want everything to be perfect we want the perfect home we want our kids to do every activity we want to enjoy everything.

And I'm saying sometimes you have to say no and choose one or two favorite activities one or two sports at a time one -- -- holiday activities.

If you miss something you can do it again later.

But sometimes those couple things will become be Leavitt family traditions and you let go of some of the frenzy and you have important down time.

Here's one it's very hard for everybody give electronic the day off what is does -- do it -- 24 hours yeah.

It's -- well fortunately I have a lot of ideas in my book for fun -- low key.

Easy games crafts things that many of us have forgotten how to do -- -- do you advocate giving electronics if not the day after bats to -- an hour off take an hour take fifteen minutes after dinner.

Go for a walk around the neighborhood enjoy your family enjoy your time your kids just want to be with -- just wanna spend time with you.

So we can just make this -- changes.

It -- have a huge impact in our lives staved off the iPad and iPhone after the show that Obama's book is fed up frenzy slow parenting.

And a fast moving world Susan -- -- great tips I hope we can.

Put these in the track up and I try to do it I can tell you one game of monopoly in -- -- hours guarantees us due to attack and about -- Iraq.

-- thanks so much coming up smoke.

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Focus on family: 5 ways to make things less hectic

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