It can be difficult to get everything that needs to be done accomplished in the day and still find enough time to really be with your family. The house needs cleaning, meals need cooking, homework needs doing, and work needs to be finished. With so many things on the go all the time, it can be easy for moms and dads to feel overwhelmed, and like bad parents for not spending enough time with their kids and with each other.
The key is to learn how to be more efficient with your time management. If you can save time on your must-do responsibilities around the house and at the office, you can enjoy far more guilt-free time just being with the ones you love.
The To-Do List
Breaking your daily, weekly and monthly responsibilities down into manageable tasks on a list will definitely help you feel more in control. You can also separate things into those that you know you have to do, those you want to do, those you can delegate to someone else, and those you know you aren’t actually going to get to. That last item, you should just cross off the list straight away and not worry about it.
Working out what you can delegate to someone else will also take a big load off of you. Perhaps you could learn to share the school run a bit more evenly with your spouse, or you could get the neighbor to walk your dog or water your lawn for a small fee. You’ll then have a bit more time for the other items on your list.
Your Daily Routines
Along with your to-do list, you can make a map of your daily routines. Sit down with the whole family and work out where everyone needs to be and when. Ensuring the kids are involved makes them feel included in the family life and helps them to take a bit more ownership of their daily lives.
The key areas to focus on in your routines are the periods of movement – the school run, heading to the office, going to sports practice, getting home. These are where you can save time, if everyone is on the same page and works together. Chores can be divided up depending on where people are going to be and when.
Organize Your Home
Take a moment while drawing up your to-do lists and daily routine maps to look at where your stumbling blocks are. Does getting out the house in the morning take forever because you need to triple check you have everything? Do you make too many trips to the grocery shop because you never have a complete shopping list?
These little time wasters can easily be avoided by a little bit of organization. Create a space in your home where everyone lays out what they need for the next day before going to bed. Go digital with your shopping list and let everyone contribute via an app on their phones, then it’ll always be up to date.