Weekly Family OS One-pager
A 30-minute Sunday planning template for ADHD families.
The 30-Minute Sunday Planning Session
Set a timer for 30 minutes. Gather everyone who lives in the house (or just you, if solo parenting). Use paper or a digital board—physical works better for ADHD brains because you can see it move.
The Agenda (in order)
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Brain dump (5 minutes): Each person lists everything due or happening next week—work, school, appointments, deadlines, family events. No organising yet. Just get it out.
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Conflicts (5 minutes): Scan the list for clashes. Two school pickups at different times? Parent working late Tuesday and no backup? Name them now.
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Non-negotiables (5 minutes): Circle the things that must happen: school runs, medication refills, one parent's critical work deadline. These go on the board first.
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Flexible items (5 minutes): Everything else gets assessed: nice to have, can move, can drop if needed.
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Quick role assignments (5 minutes): Who does school run Monday? Who handles the dentist appointment? Write names next to each item.
The Board Layout
Draw or set up four columns:
| Monday–Wednesday | Thursday–Friday | Weekend | Watching |
|---|---|---|---|
| School runs, appointments, work deadlines | Higher-risk days (tiredness, transitions) | Family time, recovery | Anything that might slip (laundry, meal prep) |
Put non-negotiables in the first three columns. The fourth column is your early-warning system—if these pile up, something's breaking next week.
Three Priority Rules
Rule 1: Only one "big thing" per day. A big thing is anything that requires sustained focus, emotional energy, or changes routine. Moving house counts. A tricky work meeting counts. Birthday party setup counts. One per day maximum.
Rule 2: If something isn't on the board, it doesn't happen. This protects against the ambient pressure to add more. If someone suggests something mid-week, the answer is: "Is that on the board?" If not, it waits until next Sunday.
Rule 3: Every person gets one "protect zone"—30 minutes where they're off-duty. Parent gets Sunday evening. Teen gets Thursday. Young child gets Saturday morning. No one books into these times. These are non-negotiable.
The Script
Start with:
"Right, we're planning next week together. Everyone's got five minutes to say what's happening. I'll write it down. No sorting yet—just what's in your head. Go."
When conflicts appear:
"School and work finish at the same time Tuesday. That's a problem. Let's put that in the watching column and figure out who handles it."
When someone adds something on the fly:
"That's not on the board. Let's write it down for next Sunday."
After the Session
Take a photo of the board. Put it somewhere everyone sees it daily (kitchen, family chat, bedroom door). Check it each morning: "What's today's one big thing?" That's all anyone needs to know.