Tuesday, December 29, 2009
10 Ways for Parents to Simplify in 2010
As a working parent, I know all too well how hectic it can get. I’ve been blogging about this topic all year, sharing tips and strategies that have helped me simplify. With the New Year right around the corner I wanted to share my top ten tips for simplifying:
1. Get Ready Ahead of Time
Do you find yourself stressed each morning between breakfast, packing lunches, and getting everyone dressed and out the door? Preparation makes all the difference. 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.
2. Avoid Over-scheduling
Avoid cramming too many extracurricular activities into your already-busy life. Pick a couple activities your children really enjoy but don’t feel like they have to have an activity scheduled for every day. If life gets too frantic and hectic it’s not fun for parents or children.
3. Learn to Say NO
I think most women have a hard time with this one. The key is to remember that when you agree to new activities, you are saying "no" to something else as a result. Because of the limited number of hours each week, each activity you choose to take on will eliminate a different choice. Stay conscious about your choices and you’ll start figuring out what needs to change.
4. Consolidate Your Tasks
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
5. Keep all the Stuff to a Minimum
When you have kids you often end up with tons of “stuff”. Make time to sort through everything on a regular basis. Figure out what you’ll use immediately, what you need to store for later and what you’ll never use so you might as well return it, sell it or give it away. If you have a hard time figuring out what to keep recruit a friend or a professional organizer to help. (Simplify has a great organizer! Contact us to learn more.)
6. Streamline Your Home with Work Stations
Instead of running back and forth to get everything in one spot to do a job, try creating some work stations. While each family has different needs, most people could utilize stations under the kitchen sink, in each bathroom and in the laundry room. Streamline by having all of your cleaning or work supplies in each of these stations.
7. Give Yourself a Break
I've always believed that a well-rested parent with some down time functions more efficiently than a parent who is frazzled. Find a sitter or trade nights with other parents to get an occasional night out for yourself. If you still feel like you have way too much to do, consider hiring help with the laundry, house-cleaning, and household work. You’ll enjoy more time with your kids so consider it money well-spent.
8. Let Go of Perfection
One of the biggest adjustments I had to make as a new mom was to stop trying to do it all. We want to feel like we can do it all, but really, do we really have to do it all? Try to be reasonable, perhaps the beds don't have to be made every day. Your house really doesn't need to be spotless, just not dirty.
9. Have Some Fun
You love your kids but take time to remember who you are when you're not actively mothering. Do something unexpected – go to a rock concert, drag your husband out dancing or scream all you want on a roller coaster. There's a life outside of chasing after the little ones, homework and Hannah Montana. So have some fun and you’ll inject joy back into your life.
10. Outsource
There are still times, even in the current economy, when outsourcing is your best option. Maybe it’s time to reconsider some services that you would love to outsource – whether it’s handyman services, personal meal preparation, lawn maintenance, or dry cleaning drop-off/pick-up. Remember that outsourcing doesn’t have to be major ticket items, just things that save us time, emotional energy and many times even money.
I fell in love with the concept of simplifying and have been working at simplifying, streamlining, and adjusting my attitude towards what’s truly important to me. It’s not always easy but I think these suggestions will help you take steps toward a simpler, less complicated and less cluttered life. Please contact us if you want suggestions on how to simplify. We offer a complimentary in-home consult.
I fell in love with the concept of simplifying and have been working at simplifying, streamlining, and adjusting my attitude towards what’s truly important to me. It’s not always easy but I think these suggestions will help you take steps toward a simpler, less complicated and less cluttered life. Please contact us if you want suggestions on how to simplify. We offer a complimentary in-home consult.
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1 comment:
As a professional organizer and productivity coach, I train my clients to understand that prioritizing their to-do lists each day is the key to simplifying. Once they realize that IF something is barely worth doing, they should just barely do it THEN life becomes much easier. Visit my websites press and media page at www.OrganizingMindOverMatter.com and find the article titled HOW TO MAKE SURE YOUR TO DO LIST GETS DONE for my suggestions.
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