How to Manage Everyone’s Activities Safely and Efficiently

Hustling to and from afterschool activities can be chaotic. Having the right tools in place (such as an app that helps you navigate around traffic and a comfortable vehicle that makes the ride enjoyable) reduces the stress as you try to get everyone where they need to be on time.

Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do to make the afterschool hustle feel a little more manageable.

Simplify the Family Calendar

While one coach might email the practice schedule ahead of time, another instructor might use social media to keep everyone up to date on lesson times. Having so many schedules to keep track of in several different places can cause you to feel disorganized. And trying to recall everyone’s activity schedule off the top of your head can waste a lot of time and energy.

Simplify everything with a family calendar app that allows you to see the schedules in one place. Share the calendar with the whole family, so everyone knows the plan. And you can simplify your life even further by telling older kids that it’s their responsibility to enter after-school schedules on the calendar well in advance.

Be Ready for Quick Exits

Drop-offs and pick-ups can take a lot of time. An extra couple of minutes at each stop really adds up.

Using a vehicle like the Ford Transit can speed the process along. It offers plenty of cargo space to ensure that everyone can fit their sports equipment or instruments inside, and it also has easily-sliding doors so that the kids can grab their equipment fast and be on their way.

Outsmart Traffic

One accident or traffic slowdown can set you behind for the entire day. So use an app, like Waze, to get real-time updates on traffic. You’ll be able to avoid accidents, dodge traffic jams, and get to activities on time with much less stress when you let technology do the work.

The Ford Transit allows you to operate Waze¹ on the vehicle’s touchscreen. You can even use voice commands for hands-free control, so you can keep your eyes on the road.

Post-Collision Braking, Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking, Auto High-Beam Headlamps and Lane-Keeping System are a few of the features on the Ford Transit that are designed to help drivers stay focused on the road.

Park With Ease

Parking a large vehicle can be a bit intimidating, especially when you’re dealing with small parking spaces, reverse perpendicular spots, or parallel parking only. Driver-assist features, like those you’ll find in a Ford Transit van, make parking easy.

The Ford Transit is equipped with front, side, and reverse sensing systems, that allow for easier maneuvering in tight parking situations.

With available Enhanced Active Park Assist all you have to do is activate, shift, accelerate, and brake, and the vehicle does the rest. With side-sensing capabilities, you can also navigate out of your parking spot confidently when someone else is parked really close.

¹Available via iPhone in vehicles equipped with SYNC 3. Commands may vary by phone and Applink software. Don’t drive while distracted. Use voice-operated systems when possible; don’t use handheld devices while driving. Some features may be locked out while the vehicle is in gear. Not all features are compatible with all phones. Message and data rates may apply. iPhone is a trademark of Apple, Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries.