Family Time Management – Tips for Daily Living

Juggling a family, a career and a relationship with our significant other can be a challenge for a family. With two children ourselves, a husband in a demanding career, and being a work at home mom, I know our lives can be very interesting to say the least. Here is a list of tips for daily living that can help manage your time and may help make things a little less hectic:

• Keep it simple, give two choices instead of asking “what do you want ____”
• Set limits on things like television, video games, and phone chatter … for everyone in the household.  Eliminates arguing and gets everyone doing other things
• Make adjustments when you have to, you can’t be everywhere at once
• Don’t forget to consider your travel time, prep time, clean up time, waiting time
• Deal with things as they happen, (the mail came, sort it now instead of waiting until later – also eliminates clutter that you would have to clean up later)
• Get involved in a car pool to get kids where they need to go, school, soccer, baseball, football … sharing these tasks save you and someone else time and gas money!
• Follow routines and schedules, such as getting up at the same time and leaving at the same time daily…create a pattern/routine get home, do your homework, 30 minutes to watch tv/play game/read, dinner, get a bath, quiet time, bedtime
• Plan ahead for holidays and weekends with activities and things to do.  These are the most chaotic times, even if you do something spontaneous instead at least you had a plan ready!  You can always use the plan for the following weekend
• The goal is to get it done, not make it perfect
• Have a menu plan to save loads of kitchen and shopping time and leave more time for talking and enjoying the evening together
• Give everyone their own alarm clock instead of being the “mom clock” and explain the consequences of not being up and ready to leave on time
• Minimize distractions (putting video games and televisions in cabinets that close does wonders in a household)
• If you work at home make a schedule and stick to it!  From x:xx to x:xx you are “at work”
• Set your priorities and adjust as needed, they can change monthly, weekly, daily
• Keep a to-do list, things that need to be done, including time for yourself
• Have a family/household meeting to communicate each others goals and needs for the current timeframe (once a month?)
• Likewise for the family time, set aside 30 minutes each day that everyone is focused on doing something together … anything at all
• Follow a daily pattern or routine so that everyone is on the same page and knows what to expect
• Multi-task, put away the dishes while you’re on the phone, or dust the electronics while you’re waiting for a file to download
• Make room in the family budget for small outings like a trip to the movies, or a day at the zoo once a month to get everyone out and about and having fun together
• Finally, remember that bedtime, and not just for the kids, set one for yourself too so you can get a good nights sleep

More4kids