No matter how much we deserve more time, we are all only allotted a mere 168 hours a week to get it all done. Single parents, and those who face the majority of the responsibilities of raising children and making a house into a home, are constantly facing challenges as many responsibilities may compete for one's time. Find practical tips for developing time management skills that may result in a much higher quality of life for everyone in the family.
Assess How One's Time is Spent in a Normal Week
A very important first step for managing time is to discover exactly how one is using the hours currently. Write down activities for a normal week and determine how many hours one spends doing each activity. This list should include items that might easily be skipped, such as sleeping, eating, watching television, driving, personal hygiene activities, etc. Do not think about how the hours will add up – quickly list the activities and times. Finally, add the hours. Make a list of one's top three priorities on another piece of paper. Place a star by each activity that relates to the priorities.
If the hour total is significantly less than 168, keeping a time management journal for a week or so may help one to see exactly how the time is spent to better determine how to use the hours more wisely. Others in the family may be able to give insight into how one spends time. Many people may underestimate how much time is spent on activities such as checking emails and shopping online that seem to rob life of the together time you and the kids deserve.
If the hour total is significantly more than 168, look for items on the list that might be cut, particularly if they do not relate to one's biggest priorities in life. Sleeping faster is not typically a viable option that will work forever. Some activities may indirectly relate to a priority. For example, someone might take online classes with a long-range goal of a better career in mind. Many caregivers are great at multitasking, but everyone has a limit. If you and/or the kids are in several different sports, clubs, extra-curricular activities and more, sit down and discuss which activities are most important to everyone. You may be surprised and relieved because many children also feel overwhelmed with a schedule that is too full.
How to Save Time Around the House
Activities of daily living can be quite time consuming, especially during those times in which the kids are learning new skills. Children often adopt the time management skills of their caregivers, so this can be an important life lesson to teach by example. Adults often find that it might be quicker and easier to simply do everything that needs to be done, but allowing the children to assist with age-appropriate activities around the house may provide great returns in the future. Even toddlers can help put clothes in the washing machine and begin to learn to sort socks.
Find ways to use small moments of time to your advantage. Packing a backpack love note to send with the kids to school or making a snowman together can provide a great way to connect. Cooking a meal together can be a wonderful activity that can be turned into a math lesson or a way to teach the kids about an ancestor who loved to cook. Granted, this will take some prior planning and a bit of patience. Allow time for the kids to make their own mistakes with a bit of careful supervision.
It may help to look at those occasions when time tends to run the shortest and see if the activities might be rearranged. For example, if school mornings are a mad rush for finding backpacks, packing lunches, getting dressed, and checking to see if homework is done, find ways to problem solve. Help the kids finish homework the night before, plan to sign forms at that time, and designate a certain place where the backpacks are kept. Children may be more likely to eat a packed lunch if they participate in choosing the foods and packing it themselves. Encourage the kids to lay out their clothes and bathe the night before. Limit TV and screen time of the kids and oneself as necessary. The children may have some great suggestions for managing time better.
If the kids seem to be dragging in the mornings, consider a lack of sleep as one possibility for their sluggish behavior. They may need an earlier bedtime and/or a more predictable schedule. Provide the kids with an alarm clock. Show them how it works, and have them take the responsibility of getting up and out of bed. Sit down and discuss exactly what tasks need to happen each morning and create a chart or flashcards of responsibilities on a weekend or in an evening. This could make a great craft opportunity for the kids and for those who like to add educational opportunities into daily life. Place the list or cards by the alarm clock so that these will be readily available when the kids awaken.
Continuously reassess time management plans and how they are working for the moment. Life has a way of throwing unexpected circumstances into the mix, and sometimes priorities may change dramatically without notice. What worked yesterday may not be the best plan for tomorrow. Learn to adapt instead of insisting that the hexagonal peg will eventually fit into the diamond-shaped hole.
Manage Time Effectively
Children are constantly changing and growing each and every day. I have cared for hundreds of cancer patients in 17 1/2 years of nursing on a bone marrow transplant unit, and I have yet to care for someone who said they wished they had worked more hours on the job; however, some have looked back with regret to say they wished they had enjoyed their kids more. Time is a precious gift that is never guaranteed. Learning to manage time more efficiently can have great rewards that may last a lifetime and can carry over to the next generation.
Katrena Wells - Katrena Wells is a RN in NC with 17 1/2 years of experience in oncology, an educator since 1995, and has taught exercise classes since ...
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