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that everyone chooses their clothes the night before.
6. Beware of special needs for the next day, such as permission slips, doctor's appointments, money for lunch if necessary, etc.
7. If some of the kids are slow starters then wake them up first and let them take more time to get ready.
8. Write out instructions for the baby sitter, day care, etc the night before.

9. Of course, be flexible and have a Plan B.

Establishing House Rules
This involves changing the family culture. Family members should know the reasons for house rules. In fact, the entire family can get involved in this and can help set these guidelines. This way, they will make small changes gradually and stick to them without a constant reminder.
1. Let people pick tasks they want to do. After they pick them, they own these tasks.
2. Do not get into arguments regarding chores and do not get into blame games. Everyone is responsible for his/ her behavior.
3. Be consistent.
4. Be flexible and reasonable

Evening Survival
Evenings are also difficult periods for families. Almost everyone comes home hungry and there is pressure on the parent(s) to complete dinner quickly. The following items may be helpful:
1. Plan dinners ahead. There are many healthy meals that only consist of four (4) to six (6) ingredients. Take your crock-pot off the shelf and use it to make mixed rice. Any kind of pre-cocked peas or beans will work. Or how about a casserole or a Shepherd's Pie with vegetables in between? (There is nothing wrong with using instant mash potatoes, by the way). How about frozen dinners for everyone?
2. Similarly with breakfast, give everyone some responsibilities.
3. Cook and freeze meals meant for later use during the weekends or whenever you have more time.
4. Plan your meals a week in advance and shop accordingly.
5. If finances permit, you can purchase some side dishes and prepare the easier dishes at home.
6. Do certain "prep work" ahead of time and have them ready. For example, pancake mixes, cut vegetables, pressure cook kidney beans or any "hard" peas or beans.

Beware of the Television
This section is particularly important. The TV is an enormous time waster. Many people put on the TV as soon as they walk through the door. Others do not even turn it off before they leave for work. TV watching should not become automatic but rather an active decision. Parents should monitor what their kids watch, when they watch and how much they watch. Adults should monitor themselves as well. Let the TV be the reward for completed assignments and other accomplishments.

Not all the techniques and tips outlined in this paper should be implemented at once. All changes, including changes to personal habit, are stressful. Daily life habits are the hardest to break. There are those who will be discouraged from time to time and failure in some aspects may occur. If and when this happens, a gentle reminder to do better next time is all that is necessary to keep going. One must not give up. Slowly, the new way will become the right way. The solutions cannot be found in the in the behavior of others. We all need to be assertive with our time since it is not anyone else's responsibility.

Learn more about this author, CC Swift.
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