Planning for your future as a family is sensible, but it is something few people do beyond working out if they want to get married and have kids and maybe whether they want to go for that big promotion. The thing is, there are lots of ways, big and small that would benefit from some forward planning if you want your life to flow as easily as possible. Let’s take a look at some of them right now:
1. Holidays That Don’t Cause a Meltdown
We’ve all been there. It’s July, the sun is shining, and someone pipes up: “Why don’t we go on holiday?” Great idea, except all the good places are booked, the dog needs a sitter, and you end up camping in the garden with a leaky tent.
Here’s the fix: plan your holidays early. Find somewhere everyone can agree on (good luck), book well ahead, and lock in your travel dates. Bonus points if you involve the kids, so you’re not faced with a tantrum about why the theme park isn’t on the itinerary.
2. School Terms, But Make It Fun
If you’ve got school-age kids, forward planning isn’t optional—it’s survival. Term dates, school trips, sports days, and non-uniform days (that you always forget) need a place on the family calendar.
Pro tip: keep a stash of coins handy for the endless stream of charity days. Nothing says “planned parent” like not raiding the car for loose change at 8 a.m.
3. Birthdays: Balloons or Chaos?
Whether you’re dealing with a five-year-old who wants a superhero party or a teenager who pretends birthdays are “cringe” (but secretly expects a feast), planning ahead saves you from last-minute panic.
Order the cake, book the venue, and decide who’s on balloon duty well in advance. Oh, and for the adults? Maybe pencil in some aspirin for the morning after.
4. The “Big Stuff”
Okay, time to get serious. Forward planning isn’t just about holidays and parties—it’s also about the big life moments. Yes, we’re talking wills, life insurance, and even, dare we say it, funeral plans.
For example, have you ever thought about the cost of coffins, or funeral cars, or even about what you want your final send-off to be like? Probably not, but doing so now is one of those things that makes a difficult time a bit easier when it eventually happens. Having these things sorted ahead of time means your family won’t be left guessing—and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing your send-off is sorted.
5. Christmas, Because It’s Coming Faster Than You Think
It doesn’t matter if it’s April—Christmas is always around the corner. Start planning early, whether it’s budgeting for gifts, deciding who’s hosting, or setting up the family debate over turkey vs. gammon. Your future self will thank you.
Planning ahead for your life might not seem like the most exciting or important thing to do right now but it will make your family’s life so much easier when you know what you are working towards, and when you have already made plans and provisions for as much as you can, which means you can all enjoy life, worry less and have some fun!
Laura x