The holidays are behind us. Schools have started again, and there are others that will start again after this weekend. Play dates, sports training, tutoring and parties are the order of the day again. That means; too little time. A quiet breakfast and spontaneous pajama days are over…
In a busy family it is necessary to plan things well if you want to save time instead of running out of time. And I can tell you… the feeling of always having too little time, that's not good. It's the nature of the beast for me, I always pull too much towards me… but when it really starts to get tense… then it even causes physical complaints. A few months ago I set a number of goals for the new year, including a private one. To this day I can conclude that I have failed miserably in this so far. Fortunately, I still have a few months to go before we start the new year again 😉 .
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Happy parents...happy children is our motto! In short, fill your cup with energy! So see where you get that energy from. Working full-time, exercising two evenings a week or taking a bath with the door locked? Selfish? No way! If that gives you energy, then that is the right choice for you and you will probably become a happier and more energetic mom! So even if you think you're short on time… go find your energy!
Psssttt… don't your kids want to leave you alone when you really need some time for yourself? Try such a block with different colors (at our school they also use them in the context of self-motivation; this is worth a blog in itself 😉 ).
No block at hand? A certain color of pillow also works wonders 😀 .
Sum up what costs you energy, what gives you energy and what you don't get around to. Just make a simple list. Sports, meeting friends, reading every evening with the children? Put everything on paper. This way you can immediately see whether the scale is in or out of balance and whether you can solve your lack of time in a certain way. Do you have a partner? Compare and discuss (again) the division of tasks, who knows, it may save you the necessary time.
Does the day always start in a rush or does your afternoon consist of taxiing and bickering in the backseat? Not great. We all know that. Not long ago I wrote a piece about our morning routine and the stress we always have. Of course the most obvious tip was… get up a little earlier. I was very hesitant about it, but I do see an immediate effect. Not only with myself, but also with the children. Best tip ever:consciously make more time by getting up a little earlier. You will be amazed at the time you suddenly have instead of running out of time! In addition, you don't start the day irritated, which is a huge plus in my opinion!
Are your kids playing a sport? And are you used to being a taxi driver all Wednesday afternoon and standing along the sports field all morning on Saturday? A shame, because it could be much more effective. Plan a handy pick-up &delivery schedule with other parents of teammates via www.datumprikker.nl. Ideal to save time. And let's face it… all that gossip along the way in the meantime, doesn't make you any wiser?!
In addition to play dates and sports, homework such as extra reading with your child also requires the necessary time. Here too the following applies:quality over quantity. In short, it is better to plan a quiet and pleasant reading moment 2x a week and 1x at the weekend instead of trying to do everything in a row in one day. No child reads (and sleeps) better if there is a race reading moment every night and it is certainly not effective. Also fun to do:write down the reading moments on a weekly planner and put a big curl together afterwards.
A weekly planner is not a bad idea anyway. It is still quite difficult for toddlers to remember when it is a normal day or an after-school care/stay day (although ours noticed surprisingly quickly when she can stay over and when I am at the school yard). Still, it is useful if they can see what there is to do that day on a weekly planner. Can't they read yet? You can also get those nice boards with image magnets instead of writing something down.
Modesty is good for man, that's true, but always being modest doesn't get you anything in the end. Give yourself (and someone else) a pat on the back or a small reward every now and then. Did you already get all those heavy groceries at home today? Then you really deserve that delicious cappuccino. Also, just sit down for a while instead of going straight to work. Charge it up and then pop it again. You will see that it will save you time at the end of the ride because you are more focused.
tip:Also nice; What makes you such a nice mother? Ask your kids and have a round of compliments! Nothing is more endearing and original than your child's compliment. Excellent fuel for your cup of energy 😉 .
Try to have a little quality time with your child at a certain time of the day (and that doesn't necessarily have to be the bedtime time) even if the time seems to be running out, this is going to be your time. care. Really one on one. You will see that this results in a satisfied feeling with you and a zen moment with your child. After all, you really don't have to be busy with your baby at every moment of the day. Better to be really together for half an hour than for an hour and a half but listen with half an ear…
Fun things to do together are, for example, going through the sleep chat book of Geschijn, writing together in the face script, or just playing a game such as Memory or something similar.
Good luck with your planning!
More articles about time and what time does to you 😉 :
