Regardless of whether she has a full-blown career, a side-job, or is focused on her family only, every mom knows that stress is simply a fact of life for her. There never seems to be enough time to finish all that she wants to finish, and the strain of constantly running around on practically no sleep at all tends to be very draining. Every good mom, whatever her choice of lifestyle may be, is a true superhero in our book. And, of course, every mom deserves all the recognition and help that she can get, and that’s one of the reasons why we’re writing this. For all you busy, brave ladies who are putting all your love and effort into making your family happy, here are some tips that should help you find a little more time and make it easier to be a parent.
Get a family calendar
A big family calendar that you keep in the kitchen is a great way to establish good routines and plan things ahead. Of course, as a parent, you’re probably aware that plans often tend to fall through when kids are around, but certain things like doctor’s appointments, important school plays, and afterschool activities can still be scheduled successfully. This way you’ll be making sure you never forget anything important, but it’ll also serve as a constant, visible reminder to your kids and partner. They’ll be able to see upcoming events and prepare for them instead of relying on you to keep track of everyone’s obligations alone.
Multitask like a pro
Chores are an everyday reality for busy parents, but if you get clever, you can actually use them to bond with your kids. If your child is eager to follow you around everywhere, why not have them help you wash the dishes, set up the table, or clean the room? This way you can chat about your day, teach them how to be responsible, and still get everything done. If you have a newborn, you can get a soft lightweight baby wrap and hug them close as you go around the house, finishing your tasks. All in all, it’s an excellent opportunity to make chores more fun and to spend some quality time with your little darlings.
Utilize technology to your advantage
If you don?t have time to go shopping for groceries, that?s fine?order them online and have them delivered. A bunch of things can simply be ordered online, but you can use technology to your advantage even further. For example, apps like Keepy allow you to save and organise your kids?\’ homework to help them at school, and Sworkit helps you create custom workouts that you can easily fit into your schedule. Use your phone to your advantage because it can definitely save you a ton of time.
Learn how to do meal prep
Even stay at home moms don’t have time to cook every single day, and sometimes you just need to free up time for other activities. To make everything easier, learn how to do meal prep basically, you want to start making big amounts of food that you can divide into containers and keep in the fridge. This way you can make sure you have lunches or dinners ready for the whole week and that you don’t have to rush home from work and frantically attempt to whip up something healthy for your kids to eat. If you’re a beginner, here’s a meal plan for one week that you can prepare on Sunday evening.
Ask for help and take time for self-care
Stop feeling guilty whenever you ask for help! From tiny things like asking your partner to wash the dishes instead of you, to finding quality child care and good babysitters you deserve to have people come to your aid. It’s totally okay to order in instead of cooking occasionally, and if you feel stressed and like you’re about to burn out, it’s okay to call the babysitter and go out so you could unwind. Self-care should take priority because you can’t help anyone, least of all your children, if you’re tense and unhappy all the time. Whether you go to a yoga class, to a friend’s house to watch Netflix, or to a bar to have a couple of drinks, it’s all okay. Do whatever you need to do to get your mojo back.
Finish whatever you can in advance
Little things like trying to track down your child’s other shoe and shoving files into your bag that you have to take to work tend to add up and make mornings ten times more stressful. Get into the habit of doing every possible thing you can do in the evening so you could start your morning smoothly. Get yours and your children’s clothes ready, have everyone shower, make sure homework is finished, make sure you’ve planned the breakfast, and put your keys next to the door so you wouldn?t have to hunt for them.
And one last thing, try to laugh more. As hard as you work and as much as you plan, things will still go wrong, and life will still be messy. So, take it in stride and laugh at the things that happen instead of worrying all the time. This kind of attitude will take a lot of the strain away and make you appreciate your life and yourself as a mother.
Article provided by Stella van Lane.
Stella van Lane is a mother and mental health advocate based in Sydney. She spends her free time blogging. Stella is in love with coffee, chocolate, music, books and good vibes. Her top interests are health, yoga, meditation and interior design. She enjoys helping other people by sharing her experience and knowledge.