2. Planning ahead prevents emergencies. Have your calendar easily visible for everyone, especially your spouse. My husband works a lot, so we have to make sure we communicate things. Our main tool for communicating dates, events, etc. is our phone. We use the Calendar and I can invite him to accept certain events that I want him to know about. He gets the notification and then I don't really have to even call him. He knows to check it and accept it if he gets it and makes a mental note. When I set the reminders, it also reminds him. Technology can be your best tool, use it to your advantage.
3. Recruit the little people. There ARE things they can do. They can be a true blessing when taught how to help you. Let them know what times things are happening for them, so they can help you get ready.
4. Having a plan and following a schedule is really not all that scary and intimidating once you have it complete and everyone in your family knows about it. Have your plan posted in front of you at the place you visit the most. (For me, it is at my workspace/desk.) When your family knows your work hours, they can help you achieve your working goals.
5. Plan and prepare over the weekend and get up at least an hour before kids wake up so Monday seems like a Tuesday! It's possible! I like to get up about two and half hours earlier to get my work day started. This extra two hours makes all the difference in what I accomplish that day so I am not stressed and frustrated later on in the day. Things come up and kids have needs. You have to plan, plan, plan, and then plan some more to make things work...but eventually it does work.
6. Taking care of myself (eating right, resting, and working out) help me take care of others and going to the gym gives me the "me time" I crave all day. With my husband's work schedule I alternate going to the gym in the mornings and evenings every other day.
7. It can "all" be done when we limit our social media and especially phone calls during the day to focus on our schedule, and saving those things for periods of rest. Letting close friends and family know your work hours, also helps.
8. Reward yourself with every small victory and achievement for true progress in every aspect (parenting, relationships, fitness, spiritual growth, even making time to relax).
9. Simple is better. Stop trying to complicate things. Learn to say "No."
10. Do not multi-task! More can get done otherwise. Finish the dishes...then do the laundry. Don't try to do both at once!
My Story:
It was just this morning, Monday morning to be exact. Everything was going smoothly, unlike last Monday when the city decided to cut off my water to work on the pipes in the middle of my shower leaving my hair drenched in conditioner with no way of rinsing it out. (Bottled water works nicely to finish your shower...it just takes a LOT of bottles!)
This morning, I woke the kids and we began getting ready. In passing, I asked my oldest son who is 8 if he would like to make the coffee. I had been teaching him how last week, and I was pretty confident he had it handled so I went to the bathroom to finish readying myself. Within 10 minutes he had the coffee made and he was standing in front of me with a coffee cup. My eyes widened. "Oh my, sweetheart! You didn't have to make my cup for me."
He was so proud. He held it up to me and I took a sip. It was perfect! He added creamer and a little sugar just as I had showed him. He felt so accomplished afterwards, and I felt I had taught him a great trade or something! I guess that's what happens when they get older...they get smarter and more capable huh?
I'm lovin' the help! ;)
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