Working parents: Make life easier
photo by trialsanderrors
Parents who work outside of the home have to be creative. After a full day’s work, you have little time to juggle the rest of the evening of tasks and still make room for family. You probably have your own routine, but maybe I can share a new tip that can help you maximize your time. If you have a streamlined tip or trick that helps you manage your time, please share it. Both at-home and career parents can benefit from your ideas.
LAUNDRY: Start a load of laundry before work. Put the clothes into the dryer when you get home. Don’t skip a day and let it accumulate. Wash, dry, fold and put it away when you put the kids to bed. Make it a habit so your weekends aren’t spent doing tons of laundry. This takes self discipline. Get into the routine. Stick with it even when you don’t want to. Leisure time is your reward. Facing Mount Laundry can become an uphill, never-ending battle.
LUNCH MAKING: I always made lunches the night before, but I have discovered that making them while cooking dinner is the best use of my time. Doubling up tasks helps a lot. This works for more than making lunches. If you have family and friends who call you on the phone, you can do simple tasks at the same time. For example, you can sort mail, chop vegetables, dust, etc. Better yet, screen calls. It’s your time; don’t be afraid to respect it.
SLOW COOKER: Make a slow-cooked meal once a week. Put your ingredients into the slow cooker in the morning, and dinner is ready by the time you get home.
USE A TIMER: It’s easy to get carried away watching television or checking e-mail. Set a timer to limit your time, so you don’t get sucked into wasting it. Idle time isn’t the same as leisure time. Timers are great motivators for doing chores quickly and to help you stay focused. Kids do well using timers when cleaning, too. Set it to several small increments so they don’t feel overwhelmed. You can play beat the clock as a family cleaning game, too.
QUANTITY COOK: Cook multiple meals on the weekends to heat up during the week.
UTILIZE YOUR LUNCH HOUR: Run errands during your break at work that would eat up time if you waited until work was over.
MENU PLAN: Write your meal plan on a calendar or dry-erase board. This gives family members an easy reference to jump in and help as needed. There isn’t any time wasted thinking up what to make for dinner.
GROUP CLOTHING: Whether it’s together on a hanger or in a drawer, gathering clothing (shirts, pants, socks, etc) beforehand prevents morning chaos. For my kids, I use either a weekly hanging-closet organizer or I simply set clothing out on beds each night.
COAT RACK: Backpacks and coats can be a challenge. Install a hook system so kids have a set place to hang their gear. There won’t be any last minute frantic searches. A similar strategy works for the adults, too. Have a designated area for wallets, purses, keys, badges, etc.
AUTOMATE BILLS: Set up as many automatic bill payments as you can. You won’t have to take time to write out your bills.
LABEL: Family members often aren’t sure where to put things. Label the places that things belong. There won’t be any excuses. Everything has its place, and everyone can pitch in. Learn to delegate if you don’t already.
CARE FOR YOURSELF: Eat well, exercise and get plenty of rest. You’ll be more productive.
Posted by Sara Noel
on November 28 2008. Filed under Home & family.Sara Noel owns Frugal Village, LLC and is a nationally syndicated columnist with Universal Uclick. Bio, Follow me on Twitter, Join us on Facebook
I’m the main homemaker for my family, but also work full time.
I noticed a big difference in what I could accomplish on family tasks during the day when I had a half-hour commute to work vs. when I lived five minutes away. Not only could I come home for lunch when I lived near my workplace, there was more time available during the business day to take care of errands.
I realize that a lot of people are stuck in their current homes because of mortgage situations. But if you can pull it off now or in the future – keep at least one parent out of the commute loop.
1[...] can find practical tips for working parents at the Frugal Village blog (many of which I’ve used myself). You can also [...]
2You wrote about using auto bill pay as a time saver. Auto pay can also be a money saver if you have ever been hit with a credit card late fee. I know about how much I charge each month and about what the minimum payment will be. I set auto pay to send a minimal check each and every month. I never “forget” to make a payment incurring a late fee. If I don’t adjust the auto payment amount before it goes out, I’ll just send a second check for the remaining balance.
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