Guest Post: Tips and Tools for Using Time Wisely
Guest Post from Kristy Howard at Homemaker's CottageI'm 26 years old and my husband and I have been blessed with two little girls--ages 4 years and 19 months--and are expecting a baby in May. My husband is a pastor and we are, obviously, very involved in our church. Learning to manage my time wisely has been a must, simply because there are only 24 hours in a day and so much to be accomplished!
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are some tools and habits that have greatly helped me in using time wisely over the last few years of motherhood:
Put God first. This probably sounds cliche, but it's amazing how much smoother my day goes-- and how much more I actually get accomplished--when I purposefully take time to spend in God's Word and prayer. Even a mere 10 or 15 minutes in the morning (or afternoon or evening, as the case may be) makes a huge impact on both my mood and my day--it changes my perspective, puts a song in my heart, and I honestly think that the Lord has a way of stretching the minutes in my day when I honor Him!
I might also add that it is just as important to put God first in your week--faithful church attendance is not only demonstrating obedience to Scripture, but opens the door for God to bless you and your family in many ways: spiritually, emotionally, and even materially and physically. God honors those who honor Him!
Keep a daily schedule for myself and our children. I enjoy routine and order, so this comes pretty easily for me. I've found that charts, lists, and schedules add a certain "predictability" to our day that helps things go much more smoothly.
We try to keep naps, bedtime, and wake-up-time on a basic routine. I don't plan to be out grocery shopping--or otherwise away from home--during the girls' nap time. I plan our menu once-a-week; nothing elaborate or complicated, but it helps to know at a glance what I need to do to get the next meal underway.
That being said, I am not "married" to our daily schedule. We enjoy a spontaneous "family day" with daddy every little bit, and the break from the routine does us all some good! On days when things get way off track, we simply pick up the next day and start over.
Set goals for each day and week. This ties right in with the daily schedule, since both give me a real sense of direction in my day. Instead of getting up in the morning with no clue as to what needs to be done or how I'm going to accomplish it, I know that my "goal" for each morning is to get several things accomplished before lunch: dress the girls and myself, makes beds, eat breakfast, tidy up the house a bit, start Amy's school, begin lunch preparations, maybe throw a load of laundry in the washer, or fold and put away a basket of clean towels, etc.
I strive to keep my goals both practical and attainable, that way I'm not frustrated all day and feel like I'm running against my own clock. On the other hand, reaching the end of a busy day knowing I've gotten done what I needed for to that day--even if it's only a few mundane tasks- gives me a wonderful sense of accomplishment!
Multi-task! I guess this is something that every mother has to learn to do eventually! For instance, I often load the dishwasher or start lunch preparations while Amy works on her school and Emily colors at the kitchen table. Getting a meal going in the crock pot frees me up to do housework, grocery shop, or spend some time with the girls and Jeremy while lunch is being cooked without much effort on my part. While I am only one mommy and can only do so much at once, it's amazing what can get done when I resist the tendency to have a one-track mind!
Don't own a television. I might add to this, we watch very few movies--maybe one a week. Our girls have several favorite DVDs they are permitted to watch, but overall we spend very little time glued to the monitor.
I was once asked, "What do you do all day?" when I mentioned to an individual that we don't own a TV. I replied, "Believe me, there's plenty to do!" My point and case exactly!
Obviously there are other "time wasters" besides TV, but this seems to be a major one for many families. We've found it's rather difficult to idle away hours of your time in front of a television set if you don't even own one! :)
Take life in bite-size pieces. I used to be an "all or nothing" girl. If the house was a mess, I spent the entire day cleaning it from top to bottom. If the laundry basket was overflowing with dirty clothes, I washed, dried, folded, ironed and put away laundry until it was completely finished.
I am now a mother with two small children and am expecting another baby to boot--"all or nothing" would probably mean "nothing" on most days!! Instead of sitting around the house moaning at all the work to be done, I tackle the tasks at hand in bite-size pieces. If there are 6 loads of dirty clothes waiting to be washed, I may set a goal for that day to get 3 loads washed, folded and put away; the next day I try to finish the remaining 3 loads.
I no longer have time to spend hours at the ironing board pressing Jeremy's shirts, pants and slacks; instead, I make it a priority to iron a few shirts or jeans as they are washed, that way he at least has enough ironed clothing to get him through a few days. True, his closet is still full of mostly wrinkled shirts, but by the time he needs another one I'll probably have several more ready. Spending 20 or 30 minutes at the ironing board is a bite-size job compared to ironing a closet full of wrinkled shirts--I bite off what I can handle and enjoy the feeling of getting something accomplished, regardless of what else is still waiting to be done.
Last night we got in a little later than usual from church, and I found the house unacceptably cluttered with toys. Instead of launching into a frenzied cleaning spell at 9:30 at night, the girls and I went through all the rooms of the house and put the misplaced toys, books, and other "stuff" into a baby doll buggy. It took all of 5 minutes to do and I felt better about not having to wake up to a mess. This morning, I put away everything in the baby buggy and that was that.
I love what Martha Greene put in her weekly reminder in this year's Yearbook for the Homemaker: "Don't get overwhelmed; JUST DO THE NEXT THING!" That's good advice!
Strive for perfection, but leave room for reality. Obviously no day is perfect. Even on "really good days", I go to bed knowing that more tasks and responsibility await me with the dawning of the next day. While I keep a list of things I'd like to see accomplished during the day and week--and plan how I'll get them done--I'm learning to make room for interruptions, delays and distractions.
For instance, I plan to keep my home orderly and neat, but also realize it's not a "sin" if an extra day or two goes by before I get to the dusting or vacuuming. I would love for our girls' room to always stay moderately organized, but I realize it's more important for me to spend an evening reading books or playing dolls with them than to constantly be on their case to clean, clean, clean.
Yes, my children are being trained dailyto keep their toys put away and enjoy an orderly environment, but being a mother also entails putting up with a little imperfection now and then. I strive to enjoy my family along the way and incorporate them into my daily tasks, even if they "slow me down" a bit. :) Expecting a few imperfections along the way makes it a lot easier to keep my smile and joyful spirit in place when things go "crazy", as days occasionally do.
These "tips" are nothing new but they certainly work for us! I look forward to learning more along the way... especially when baby #3 makes his arrival in a few months! :)
-Kristy Howard is a full-time wife to Jeremy, and Mama to Amy, Emily, and Keith (who is due the first of May!). She loves love reading, writing, baking, gardening, shopping frugally, and learning how to better care for her wonderful family. Visit her blog, Homemaker's Cottage, for more encouragement.
Graphic from AllPosters.com
posted by Crystal Paine at 8:00 AM
2 Comments:
I liked this post, especially the bit about taking bite-size portions of projects. I have a question though that I can't seem to find much information on, and I'm hoping you can help. I currently do not have children but will be coming home to be a SAHW in the fall. I'm worried that I won't have enough to do, especially since kids will not be involved. Any help/ideas?
A amazing post! I love and agree wit all. I think this all wonderful advice!
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