Monday, May 4, 2009
Strategic Time Management Tips for Busy Parents
No matter what we do or want to do in a given day, we’re all bound by 24 hours. There are many ways that we busy working parents can make better use of our time…but I’ve found you have to be a little strategic about it and you have to let go of perfection.Rethink Your Daily To-Dos
There are usually tasks that we end up doing every single day – laundry, dishes, making meals, etc. Moms especially, want to get it ALL done, but does it all necessarily have to be done every single day? Maybe the laundry gets piled up and done every three or four days, the dishes get washed every other day and meals are cooked in bigger portions so you have a meal to freeze. Consolidating these tasks can definitely free up some time
Get Ready Ahead of Time
Do you find yourself stressed each morning trying to help your kids get dressed? Lots of issues come up in the morning – whether it’s a missing sock, no clean jeans or an argument over a sweater. Here’s an interesting solution, after you do laundry, try creating outfits for your children for the whole week. Fold together the whole ensemble including socks, underwear, shirts and pants and have them ready in a drawer or shelf.
You can also save yourself a morning hassle by preparing lunches the night before. While you’re in the kitchen making dinner there are often wait times between stages of cooking that you can utilize to make sandwiches and sort out snacks. These simple suggestions make for a much more relaxing morning!
Do Things in a Different Order
My #1 priority is my family and spending as much time as I can with my kids. Yet, I often find myself getting caught up in doing housework instead of spending time with them. For example, after dinner I just want to clear the table and clean up the kitchen. But there’s only an hour at most between the end of dinner and the kids’ bedtime. So instead of me being in the kitchen for 20 minutes while my husband and kids have fun with each other, I’ve resolved to just let it be, spend time with the kids and then tackle the kitchen after they go to bed.
Maybe these ideas have inspired you to rearrange a few things you do to maximize your time. I know this is challenging for moms – especially for A-type personalities like me – but it helps to be strategic. Instead of worrying about getting it ALL done, we just have to start thinking about things in terms of timelines, priorities and deadlines.
I would love to hear your time management solutions! Please post a comment on what works best for you.
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