You’re a Family Manager, Not a Stay-At-Home Parent
In 2011, I found my family at a transition point, again. We are a military family, so transitions are something we experience frequently. We had just moved for the sixth time in 12 years, our school-aged children were older and needed me less. I was optimistic about the amount of time I would have for myself. My husband had finished a grueling assignment, was home from a deployment, and we were living in a place filled with opportunities that peaked my interests.
I was positioned to re-enter the workforce – something I’d always talked about with my family. I was ready to dust off my resume and begin my career again. However, something was off. I couldn’t get my act together on my home front long enough to accomplish anything on the career front.
Our daily routines, home environment, and relationships were so mismanaged that I actually anointed myself Miss Managed 2011; however, it didn’t come with a crown and sash. It came with a to-do list that seemed years from being accomplished and a family that was in chaos.
As the stay-at-home parent, I found myself in charge of managing our family’s time, nutrition, household, activities, budget and emotional needs – all before my own. I needed something or someone to help wrangle the flurry of activities and feelings of being overwhelmed in order to make our house a functioning and thriving home.
After extensive searches online and talking to others, I read an article about a Family Manager® Coach and felt like I had found an answer. The coach was helping a family analyze their lifestyle, re-assess their priorities, and implement solutions to improve their chaotic environment. The coach’s approach sounded exactly like something I needed to determine why my family’s lifestyle felt so chaotic and how to change that. After a little more research on the family manager model, I found I readily grasped these basic principles:
Who is the Family Manager?
Typically there is a lead adult in a household who takes on the primary role of ensuring the needs of the family and the household are being met.
What is Family Management?
The Family Management model is based on a business model in which a mission statement is developed, and a strategic plan is created to achieve that mission.
Why use the Family Management Model?
Family Management strategies bring calm to chaos, reduce stress in your family’s environment, increase fun and create a positive climate that boosts brain power in your home.
How does a Family Manager bring calm to chaos?
- Develop a family mission statement that reflects your family’s values, defines priorities and establishes goals.
- Create a plan of attack utilizing strategies that will help your family achieve your goals.
Ultimately, instead of hiring a coach, I decided I would become a Family Manager® Coach. Seriously, if I could make this model work for me, I could make it work for anyone! Throughout my coach training, I confirmed the family management model was something my family could embrace. The foundation of this model blends business management strategies with family values. This is an effective approach to managing a household because families utilize concrete strategies that adhere to their unique life circumstances and defined family priorities.
With a little practice and focus, any parent can give away the crown and title of Miss Managed and embrace the new title of Family Manager. Join us this summer as we share useful tips and tools to help families manage their home front!
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