Time for change

At the end of year I run a reader survey. I find the feedback I receive an essential tool in helping me plan the content for the following year and working out ways how I can best improve the blog.

I sincerely appreciate the time readers take to complete the survey. Over 530 readers completed the survey last year and were so generous with the time they took to add extra notes and comments to give me a fantastic feel for the key issues in their family life and how Planning With Kids can play a part in helping to make life that bit easier through plans, processes, inspiration and motivation.

It also gave me a new to do list of things I need to improve on the blog. How long the blog takes to load is an issue which I am working on addressing, as with creating clearer category navigation through the archives.

It is a delicate balancing act to try and incorporate all feedback on the content that is published on the blog, as some posts some readers love on the blog, others would rather see less of. I am however trying a few new things in the upcoming months after reading the feedback, which I hope will hit the mark with readers. I will ask for feedback on this through out the year as well.

If you completed the survey you will have noticed a theme of “change” through a number of questions. The blog is a reflection of my life stages and this year is a year of change for me in many ways.

This year our youngest child went off to primary school, our daughter changed schools and our second eldest changed to secondary school. This is the first year where all our children are in school!

This year I have also changed agents for managing the commercial activities of the blog and am now working with the fabulous Ngahuia (Laney) Galligan founder of Agents of Influence. Laney will be helping me work with brands in a different way than I have previously done before. We have some exciting things planned!

Making change in 2014

Answer OptionsResponse Percent
Change exercise habits21.60%
Have a child starting primary school10.80%
Return to work10.60%
Change diet8.80%
Other (please specify)8.60%
Move house8.20%
Have a child starting preschool / kindergarten8.00%
Have another baby4.80%
Return to study4.40%
Become pregnant4.00%
Start a business4.00%
Have a child starting secondary school2.20%
Leave the work force2.00%
Complete study1.80%
Remarry/ settle with new partner0.20%
Have a child leaving home0.20%
Separate / divorce0.00%

And the results of the survey show that 2014 isn’t just a year of change for me either. 501 out of 535 respondents highlighted an area of their life that is changing in 2014 or that they would like to change in 2014.

The top for responses,Change exercise habits (21.60%), Have a child starting primary school (10.80%), Return to work (10.60%) and Change diet (8.80%) are all things I have changed myself in the last couple of years, so I will be sharing what I have done in these areas over the coming months, highlighting what worked, what didn’t and tips to hopefully make the process easier for those embarking on these areas of change.

If there was one thing about your family life at the moment you could change what would it be?

There were lots of differing responses to this question in the survey, but there definitely was a reoccurring theme. 434 readers wrote an answer to this question and the word time appeared 175 times! Here is a small selection of responses, which I am sure most parents can relate to:

  • Be more organised so I can spend more time with my family
  • Finding more quality time together
  • More family time
  • More meaningful time spent with kids
  • More time for me
  • More time to do one on one things with my kids
  • More time together on the weekend instead of having to spend it on chores!
  • More time with children when not tired
  • More unstructured time
  • Need more time
  • Structuring my time more wisely
  • Take time to slow down and enjoy ‘life’ aka kids more
  • That I had time to focus on my kids a bit more
  • Time and money 😉 for more holidays
  • Time management
  • Time spent cleaning
  • To have more time for each other
  • Would like more “me time “
I have written about time management before, but it is good to hear others thoughts on time and how to make the most of it. Tomorrow on the blog I have a guest post looking at this very issue, so drop by tomorrow if you have nodded your head as you read the above!
Have you started on the path of change this year?