Managing your time can be hard, especially if you have kids. Think of daily activities like preparing breakfast and doing the laundry. These two alone can chew up your mornings fast. To help you use your time better, follow these practical tips:
1. Plot the Week Ahead
Plan your week better by having a family calendar. Use the calendar as a family to update each other on essential events. This way, your family can remind each other if there are any conflicts in the schedule.
For example, what if you have a crucial business meeting miles away from your child’s daycare in Salt Lake City. You have to make sure someone picks him up in the afternoon. However, you find out that your partner is too busy to fetch him.
Thanks to the plan, you’ll know ahead of time that no one can pick him up that day. So you can call the daycare center in advance and authorize a trusted friend to pick him up. Scenarios like these happen every day, so it’s always best to plan the week.
2. Plan Your Meals Weekly
Take it a step further by having a weekly meal plan. Having a list prevents extra trips to the grocery. This saves you money on gas and last-minute panic buys.
It can also be a family-bonding activity, especially if you have older kids. You can even make this fun by giving your kids a budget for whatever they want to include in the cart.
3. Prepare the Night Before
Most people dread mornings, especially Mondays, because there’s so much to do and so little time to do it. It can be chaotic if you have a lot of kids as you have to make sure they’re all clothed and fed by the time the school bus arrives.
One way you can manage your mornings better is to prepare food and clothes the night before. Cook and pack breakfast and lunch into microwave-safe containers for easy reheating. Prepare your kid’s clothes so that they’re ready the following morning. When they’re older, teach them how to do it themselves.
4. Get Creative with Exercise
As a parent, you might be so busy that you do not have time to exercise. This is why you should get creative with when and how you work out.
At work, one of the best times to squeeze in a little exercise is during your lunch break. After eating, try walking around for 10 to 15minutes. This is proven to lower blood sugar levels and aid digestion. This simple activity will let you feel happier and fuller after meals.
5. Learn How to Delegate
By delegating chores, you’re doing two things: teaching your kids accountability, and reducing your workload. If you have older kids, great. First, teach them how to do the chore. This is a step a lot of parents neglect. Let them know the quality of work that you’re expecting when they do a task.
Next, spread the chores around by creating a chore calendar. Make one yourself or find one online, then print it out and stick it on a wall. Make a weekly and monthly table so they’ll be able to track their progress.
Time management is all about being in control of your life. But don’t forget that life isn’t perfect, and there will be times when things don’t go according to plan. When this happens, remember that family time is more important than always sticking to a schedule.
