Time Management Strategies for Busy Moms and Dads
For many families, the balance between work and family is constantly in flux. This is especially true for today's busy parents who are trying to juggle their jobs, parenting, and being involved in their children’s lives. A recent study found that the average working mom spends more than 100 hours a week on her various responsibilities. And while some may consider this to be a badge of honor, this type of lifestyle has been less than good for our mental and physical health.
That's why we've compiled these time management strategies for busy moms and dads who are looking for ways to increase the quality of time they have with their children while also balancing work life commitments.
Make Time for Your Children
If you want your children to be a priority in your life, you need to schedule them into your busy schedule. Just like any other commitment, if you want it to be a success, it needs to be scheduled and planned for. The key is not to overbook yourself. The best option is to schedule time with your children when you are most productive, such as first thing in the morning or mid-afternoon. This will help ensure that the time you spend with them can provide an opportunity for quality interaction and bonding. Involve Your Children in Schedule Planning Decide how much time with each child is best suited for him/her. And don't be afraid to use the "Block" feature on your calendar to ensure that you are scheduling enough time for each child. Schedule Longer and More Frequent Face-to-Face Time Since children tend to have more social and emotional needs than adults, you should be spending more time with them since they are still growing physically and mentally. And if you feel that you cannot devote enough time to each child, you should consider hiring a part-time nanny or babysitter. Schedule Less Time for Workouts Instead Of your workout routine being something that is realistically going to happen every day, allocate an hour or two of your day specifically for exercise. And if you feel that even this amount of time is unrealistic, then schedule it for when you are going to be your most productive. For many people, this is first thing in the morning. When it comes to exercise and physical activity, do what works best for you. Schedule Your Me-Time Well While not every busy mom or dad needs special me-time, it is important for everyone's sanity. A study found that mothers who don't take some regular time out for themselves are more likely to be stressed or depressed than those who do take time out regularly. Therefore, if you feel like you need some self-care time scheduled in, consider scheduling it at least a couple of times per week.
While it would be nice if we could all take as much time with our children as we wanted, the truth is that everyone has commitments and responsibilities. And if you want to be a better parent, you need to make sure that you are addressing your child's needs and scheduling activities for him/her. If not, your busy lifestyle may actually be having a negative impact on your children's development and well-being.
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Learning how to balance children and work is one of the most difficult but rewarding aspects of being an adult with responsibilities. When the two mesh together effectively, it can produce amazing outcomes for everyone involved in the process. However, as we make the transition from adolescence to adulthood, many of us tend to become less patient and more impatient with our children. This can lead to serious problems in the relationship. My philosophy is that if we can find ways to work together as a team, be more mutually understanding with each other and realize that taking the time to simply enjoy each other's company can accomplish so much more than working against one another, then I believe that our relationships will flourish into something meaningful on both a personal and professional level.
One of the best ways I have found for families to improve their relationship is by challenging themselves on a daily basis in regards to family time together. When our family time is scheduled and planned for the entire week, it becomes part of our routine and we are able to make it happen. The key is always to be flexible, go with the flow and enjoy every moment of together time as a family because they are the ones who will always remember how amazing you are as their mom or dad!
Always remember: There is no right way to do this! Just be sure that there is always some quality interaction with each child on a regular basis. The way to do this is to simply remember that there are no schedules as our schedule. Instead, we should be scheduling time for ourselves to put each child first.
Source: http://www.healthyfamilyandliving.com/time-management-strategies-for-busy-moms-and-dads/
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According to a recent study out of the US, women spent an average of 105 hours on childcare per week while men only spent about 36 hours per week on childcare. In a world where we have just come to accept the fact that the majority of mothers are now working outside of the home, this trend is truly shocking. And if that is not enough, three-quarters of these working mothers admitted that they are not able attend school or volunteer events with their children.
It seems as though there is no way around it, women are now taking on more responsibility for childcare than men in most households. It's sad when you consider how hard it was only a few years ago to get into the workforce for men. But now, many fathers are feeling the pressure of working outside the home, especially if they have young children at home.
According to a study, men can feel guilty if they babysit or help out with childcare duties on a regular basis since it seems to give off the impression that they don't consider their family responsibilities important enough. But it is important for men to take on some responsibility when it comes to childcare. Not only does having children change you as an individual but you are also responsible for the well-being of your infant and younger child since you will be around them more than your wife or partner.
This does not mean however that if no one else is home you should be saddled with the full responsibility of childcare. The best thing you can do is to look at resources around you to make sure your child gets the care he or she needs and deserves. There are plenty of resources out there to help with this including family, friends, neighbors, teachers, babysitters and a number of other options. Another great thing you can do is to make sure your child has lots of toys and other things that encourage creativity so that they aren't just sitting in front of the television all day long.
Conclusion
As a father you should also take the time to make sure that you are physically fit as well. You are likely going to be much fitter than your children or wife and should be keen about keeping yourself in tiptop shape so you can do all that is necessary to keep the family healthy, as well as happy and safe. It is important that you keep your body at a healthy weight so if it means training with weights or running, then it might be a good idea for you to give it a try.
Working parents have enough on their hands without having to worry about whether or not they are providing adequate childcare when they aren't home for their children.