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While the blazing heat steadily reminds us that it is mid-summer, our days will soon be interrupted by the hustle and bustle of the school year and the activities that come along with it. I only have a three- year- old who is not in traditional school. However, myself and my husband are returning to full time student status….AT THE SAME TIME! Needless to say, our household will need a revamp and increased productivity come mid- august. Whether it’s back to school season for you or you’re a recovering procrastinator like myself, learn How  to Increase Productivity as a Family  during the school year and beyond!

 Plan Your Schedule and Check It Regularly

Getting into new habits and schedules can be a hard task but not planning can make it nearly impossible. There is no better time of year to get ahold on making plans and regularly reviewing them than the beginning of the school year.

While apps are useful and handy, there really is something about writing it all down in a planner that makes you “feel” like you’ve got your life together. I use my planner to plan out my content calendar, write down school assignments, homeschool lessons for my son and reminders for my family as well. If you’re looking to increase your family’s productivity, sit down at the beginning of every month and write down everyone’s important dates and times. That way, there are little to no surprises. Planning your schedule early and checking it regularly is the best way to stay on top of your productivity.

Starting A Planner that You Love with Pilot Pen

I knew that I would want to get a better handle on our family productivity after my husband and I enrolled in school at the same time plus keeping up with our careers and homeschooling our son. So, I visited my local Walmart during this Back to School season to pick up a new planner and Pilot Pen packs.

I chose the FriXon Colorsticks 10 Pack Assorted for my planner because not only does it write smoothly in gel ink, it is also erasable which is a win! Things change day to day, so it’s important to be able to erase notes and rewrite them as needed.

My husband preferred the Precise V5 RT 8 Pack Assorted for his day to day in the military and school assignments. The precise line is just as the name suggest. This smooth writing ball point pen collection allows for writing with precision and comes in a variety of colors. This is perfect for note taking in class or case work/paper work in the military. No wonder it is the number 1 selling rolling ball brand in America.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Pilot Pen sets were on rollback at Walmart for the back to school season. Check your local Walmart for these awesome rollback deals:

• G2 20pk on Rollback for $19.86
• G2 10pk + Bonus on Rollback for $9.88
• Precise V5 RT 8pk on Rollback for $9.88
• Precise V5 4pk on Rollback for $5.87
• FriXion Clicker 3pk on Rollback for $4.77
• FriXion Clicker 10pk on Rollback for $9.88

Planner Building Tip:If being organized and planning is not your strong suit, I suggest making the task into something you love or a family affair. I also purchased stickers and inserts for my planner to make it as festive and themed as possible. That way, planning felt more like a hobby and less of a job.

Productivity Tip 2: Complete Work in Blocks and Be Creative

Having a ton of tasks to complete can be the most overwhelming feeling. Moms know all too well how it feels for everyone to require your help and attention, leaving little room to complete your own tasks. The best way that I have found to combat this is working in blocks of time and being creative.

Working in Time Blocks

Trying to accomplish tasks with no set time or plan will either burn you out or give the procrastinator in you more of an excuse. Deciding to work in blocks of time will take the pressure off you by helping you to plan your productivity times and the times that you want to put it all down. By planning my work in blocks, I know that I am only working for an hour for example and then, I am required to put my laptop or phone down and give my son my undivided attention. Not only does this make me more productive because I am working as hard as I can in that 1 block of time but I am tending to my son’s needs.

Get Creative with your Tasks

Getting creative with your tasks is realizing that learning and working can be accomplished while doing anything and making it fun instead of a chore.

Creative Learning Tip:My family and I have been teaching our toddler Spanish while working on our skills as well. Instead of teaching conventionally, we have been learning through song and labeling for vocabulary. I use my Pilot Pen sets to create note cards and sticky sheets that label everything in the house bilingually. This way, we are constantly learning the material without trying. This tip can work for studying any subject.

Prepare+ Delegate Tasks and Ask for Help

One of our biggest time savers as a family has been preparing the night before. My husband typically leaves at 5:30am or earlier for work. Instead of me getting up that early, we prepare the night before by laying out clothing and packing up lunch. This way, we are not fumbling in the morning and wasting important time.

Delegation of Tasks

The Quickest way for a family to be unproductive is not sharing the load. The purpose of having family is to help one another and serve as a support system. That said, delegate tasks and ask for help when needed. Examples:

• Delegate times to complete tasks: I do homework as soon as my husband gets home from work. Then, he takes the second half of the night.

• Share the tasks: “I will wash and dry the clothes if you agree to fold and put them away”

These are my tips to start your journey as a productive family for this school year and beyond. Head to your local Walmart and pick up Pilot Pen pack to help you plan your most productive year yet! Click HERE to see the Pilot Pen selections at your neighborhood Walmart.