In today’s society it is becoming more and more normal for either a mom or dad to be a stay at home parent. Many parents have visions of have relaxing days at home while being with their kids. Of course, there will be the daily chores but there will be plenty of time for playing, reading, and making delicious meals. At least that is the dream.
Then reality sets in, and everything you once had visions of and dreamed about is not coming to fruition. The meaning of free time in non-existent and you often times thing what life would be like if you went back to work. How do you get things under control? Well, the reality of it is life will not always be under control. But there are way to remain productive and balance the demands of being a stay at home parent.
How to Stay Productive
Think Routine. One of the most important things of remaining on task is going to be to develop a routine. Things that need to be done will take twice as long if you have to think about them, so write them down. Work off of a to do list and start checking things off. Develop daily routines, get up, get dressed, make the bed, make breakfast, have a cup of coffee, get the kids up. During the evening hours, plan time to make dinner, pick up the clutter from the day etc. Following morning and evening routines will make life so much easier and your house will remain in decent shape. Keep tweaking routines until you find the right one that works for you and our kids.
Kids Need to Help
At times it can seem like quite the process to teach kids to do chores the way we want them to be done as parents. But take advantage of the fact that your children want to learn and help. Give them simple tasks like folding the kitchen towels, or get them to sweep up even if they are not really sweeping anything. It keeps them occupied and busy. It also empowers them to want to help more and instills them with good work ethic. They are a part of the family and can contribute to household duties as well.
Make a chart of some kind that they can also mark off when tasks are done. Then when all the items are marked off for the day it’s play time. You are happy, they are happy, it’s a win win.
Family Calendar
You will want to develop a family calendar. Give everyone in the family their own color and when they have an event or an appointment put it in their designated color. That way at a glance you can see who is doing what and where people need to be. Plug in soccer schedules, school schedules, church schedules, whatever it might be. Put the calendar in a location where it is visible to everyone in the family making it easy for people to check it out at a glance. Keeping track of activities and appointments is a must for a stay at home parent.
Meal Planning
Do not get caught up in the little things that with advance planning are made easy. This will help you to save money and keep on task. Take some time each Sunday (or the night before your week starts) to plan out the meals for the week. Do not forget to check out your calendar to be sure you aren’t planning to have a meal at home one night, when in reality people need to be places around dinner time. This is a huge time saver, again, if it is planned and written down you just have to follow the plan and not think about it. If you are not the greatest cook, there are other options you can take advantage of to help you plan meals and even create shopping lists for the items you need.
Relax
It is a lot of work, but ultimately take a deep breath and enjoy the fact that there is no better person to be home with your child than you. Reflect on the reasons you chose to be a stay at home parent. It is OK if your house isn’t squeaky clean. It’s OK if something doesn’t get done one day. Make your home your own. Learn to enjoy your family.
By Michelle, Free Stuff Finder Contributor
