It is that time of year again. That magical time that lets us know colder weather is around the corner and allows us to be best friends with total strangers, for a few hours at least. I am of course talking about that glorious season known as football season! (Insert Hank Williams, Jr. singing about being ready for some football here to help get you pumped up!)
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I will admit that on game days for my team, I can be kind of useless. I have been known to encourage cereal for dinner on game nights and once was relegated to writing a 10-page paper for a class in college during the Super Bowl half-time show (sorry, Teach). Luckily for you, you can learn from my mistakes and use these tips for how to be productive during football season and game nights especially.
Make Commercials Work for You
Before the game starts, set a series of small goals and tasks to accomplish. During commercials, race against the clock to complete these tasks. Make sure your goals are super specific:
- Put away 12 dishes.
- Get trash out of can and set by the door.
- Take trash to outdoor can.
- Dust television and entertainment center.
- Put new bag in trash can.
- Vacuum rug in living room.
If you are watching the game somewhere other than home, you can still be productive. Pick tasks that you can do anywhere:
- Make To-Do List for the following day.
- Update or sync your calendars.
- Add items to your budget for events you know are coming up such as:
- Birthdays/Parties
- Festivals
- Book Fair at School
- Halloween Parties/Costumes
**Tip: Don’t worry about working these into your budget yet. Just notate them on the months they are coming up. This gives you a jump start on your next budget session.
Plan for Meals Early
If the game falls right around meal time, you don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen for it. Luckily there are so many options available, you don’t have to be.
- Set the crockpot. Crockpot meals make it super easy to have dinner ready with minimal prep and time.
- Have a living room picnic. Throw together something quick and easy, like these toasted ranch chicken sandwiches or these taco roll-ups. Then put a blanket down on the floor and eat with your family there. Kids will start to love football days if this becomes a tradition!
- Have meals earlier. If it’s a late game, plan to eat dinner at 5pm instead of 6:00 or 7:00. If your family starts getting hungry during the game, whip up some popcorn for them to snack on during half-time.
Don’t Forget about Bedtime Routines
Again, if you are looking forward to a late game, don’t forget about your kids’ bedtime routines. Get baths done and jammers on before the game starts. This is also great opportunity to start some family traditions. Buy some special game night jammers for everyone in the family (or make your own). The best part about these is that each person can get them in the team they love!
Trust me, these tips will help make football season more enjoyable for everyone in your family. (Even those crazy pants who don’t “understand the draw of it”.) Cheers to a productive season!