Parent to Parent: Schedules

WSVN--Like most of us, Manon Mohammady-Guenther leads a hectic life.

With two children in elementary school, another two in boarding school, a husband who travels for work, and a house that's under construction, keeping things in order is a must.

Manon Mohammady: "I'm pretty busy. The day starts early at 6 o'clock and ends at 10 o'clock sometimes."

But to top it all off, Manon is a flight attendant, who jets off to Europe every other month. So she and the family have to follow a very strict schedule.

Manon Mohammady: "Oh, yeah, it's busy, especially with me being gone four weeks at a time. I cram everything into the four weeks that I'm here."

Lynn Martinez: "But as all parents know, getting a lot done in a little bit of time requires good organization. Experts say the key is to make sure you schedule everything including bedtime and playtime."

Dr. Sally Goldberg: "The schedule is your help for getting things done. It takes so much off your mind when you know that certain things are going to be taken care of because you have already planned them."

Dr. Sally says not only does a schedule provide structure, but it's a great way to get your kids to listen.

Dr. Sally: "This takes away all the negotiation with children. I don't want to do this now, no, this is not negotiable, this is when we do it."

But don't worry if you can't finish everything on your to do list. What you don't get done today, re-schedule for tomorrow.

Just make sure you're realistic. Give yourself time for delays like traffic.

Dr. Sally: "Add a little extra time to your schedule to allow for the delays that you already know are going to happen."

And remember it's okay to say no and be flexible.

Dr. Sally: "Planning is a key word, for success in any event that you're going to participate in. Plan, plan, plan and your schedule will run as smooth as possible."

Manon's fortunate. She gets help from both her husband and her nanny.

But she knows she still couldn't do it all without her Filofax schedule.

Manon Mohammady: "It is a system and it won't work otherwise our life just won't work and they know that. And I think they appreciate it because they know that they can rely on me and when I see I'll get something done, I'll usually do it."

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