This guest article was written by Adrienne Carlson, who regularly writes on the topic of executive mba programs.
If you’re a mother, you know that 24 hours a day is just not enough – no matter how much you keep working, there’s always more work to be done. In fact, a mom’s job never ends. The day may end, but a new one comes around with the same things to be done over and over again. So you know how hard it is to find time to take care of your family and spare some time for yourself too. It’s an uphill task that involves making a lot of sacrifices. But when you continue to be just a wife and a mom without realizing that you are a woman too, one with needs that do not revolve around her family, you may end up resenting your spouse and kids. And to avoid this, you must find ways to manage your time better.
- Plan ahead: When you plan ahead, it’s easier to finish your chores faster. Putting out your clothes and getting the ingredients for lunch ready the night before save you a lot of time in the morning. Setting aside one day a week for chores like laundry, grocery shopping and other routine tasks ensures that you have a timetable to follow. And sticking to a plan means your tasks become routine and so easily manageable over time.
- Learn to get things done efficiently: Find the most efficient way to do things; for example, put aside dirty clothes in different hampers depending on their color and material so that you don’t have to spend hours just sorting laundry on laundry day. Stick to the policy of a place for everything and everything in its place so that you don’t have to spend hours clearing your home of clutter. And learn to be efficient and do things in the shortest possible time so that your chores don’t seem to take up most of the day.
- Use your kids’ nap time effectively: If you have babies or toddlers at home, the majority of your time is going to be spent with them. So put their nap time to good use to take care of all the chores that need to get done around the house. That’s when you can work faster and more efficiently because you’re not hampered by the demands for attention from your child.
- Get your kids and spouse to help around the house: As your children get older, get them to help you with the chores. Ensure that your spouse too assumes responsibility for simple household tasks. And get your kids to keep their rooms clean so that you don’t have to waste your time cleaning after them every day.
- Set aside time for yourself: Unless you do this, you’re going to end up feeling very stressed. Being a full-time mom can get to you at times, so you need to unwind and relax in order to rejuvenate yourself and be able to take care of your chores without your enthusiasm level flagging. So learn to pamper yourself once in a while, and the rest of the time as a mom won’t feel like a drudgery.
This guest article was written by Adrienne Carlson, who regularly writes on the topic of executive mba programs. Adrienne welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: adrienne.carlson1@gmail.com
