Time management for parents: 5 quick tips to save your sanity

Time management for parents: If we get it right, we can have more of this with our kiddies.

As a working parent, whether you go to the office or you work from home, part time or full time, do you find you are always rushing around, chasing your tale? Time management for parents is NEVER and easy task. I have had experience here…

I recently left my office job to work from home as a life coach and be there more for my children. The idea of choosing the hours in which I work, having the luxury of taking my children to school and picking them up, had me dreaming of having lots of time to do it all and do it with a much gentler pace.

Almost two weeks into the new routine, realisation is hitting that my dream is not so real. Timing is one of them. I had made assumptions how drops off and picks ups would work, how long I would have to ‘work’ on my business before picking up the kids and how my afternoons/evenings would be. While it’s great to have a plan, an idea, I am now having to revisit how I can work with reality and the actual time I have.

Here are my top 5 tips to manage you and your time:

1. Be realistic

Be realistic with how much time you actually have in the day. Block out actual hours/minutes you have and see what that figure actually is. It might surprise you, how little or how much time you actually have and then work with that. Acknowledging your situation and making it work for you.

2. Have TWO lists

What you do with your actual time. Create two separate lists. One list holds what must be done in the day ie feed the children, go to work, put the washing on. List two holds what you need to do, what you would like to do ie read to your children, do a yoga class, organise that dinner party.

3. Plan ahead

Before bedtime each night, make a list of what needs/must to be done the following day. Always bearing in mind, how much time you have in the day, so you are realistic with your to-do list, not feel overwhelmed and feel you are in control.

4. Be kind

Be kind to yourself and breathe. Always make time for you, even if it’s 5 minutes to recharge the batteries. What would that look like? And be intentional when you do it, know your doing it and why.

5. Get support

Get support from those around you, even your children. How can you all help each other, so you are all contributing and make it fun.

I believe there is more than one side to a challenge, a challenge has many sides, many angles and it starts with how you are feeling about the challenges, going from a place of support and creating your to do lists from that place.

I work with parents to put structure in their day, while not loosing sight of who they are, their goals, their needs and creating a fulfilling life for them and their families.

This is a guest blog from Sonia Calvo, who is a life coach working with mums to support them with time management issues, transition, and identifying their needs whist  also supporting their family. Sonia’s website www.creatingserenity.com.

How do you do YOU time management for parents? Do you have tips to help us all out? Please let us know below.

Image above courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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