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SALT LAKE CITY — Time is something there never seems to be enough of in the world of parenting, between cooking, cleaning, shopping, work, homework — not to mention merely keeping your children safe, healthy and happy. Oh, and laundry … don't even get me started on laundry.
Furthermore, I haven't even mentioned taking care of your own needs and having a good marital relationship with your spouse.
However, there are those who seem to be able to get it all done. We look at them and think, “How do they do it all?”
I remember one such mother whom I looked at and thought the same thing. It was eight years ago. I was a new mom with two little babies and I was teaching kindergarten. She had six children, one of whom was in my class. Each of this woman's kids were all so well-behaved and smart, and had smiles that could brighten up anyone's day.
She was my room mom and right-hand lady. To top it all off, I would see her exercising early in the mornings as I drove to work and was told that she also ran a business as a dance teacher out of her basement.
Here I was, a young mom with not even a fraction of the tasks she had, and I couldn't seem to find the time to get things done. So one day I asked her how she did it all.
Her answer was simple: “We are all given 24 hours on a use-it-or-lose-it basis. I am committed to using all 24 hours.”
That simple yet profound statement stuck with me, and it was from that day on that I made that very same commitment.
Now, with my own six children, I often get asked the same question I asked that mom. While my reply is the same, I have found over the years that there are ways of making the each hour count. Here are some of those ways:
- Take inventory of your day. Look at what you spend your time doing each day. You will be surprised at the amount of time that you spend idle. Take note of those times and fill them with more productive things.
- Take care of you first. Just as a car can't run on an empty tank, neither can you. I fill up every day with exercise, scripture study, play time with my kids and a morning hug and kiss from my husband. I know that if I have these things taken care of, it will give me what I need to carry out my other tasks.
- Be aware of the time. Time is always ticking, and often faster than you think. By being aware of the time, you will find snippets here and there where you can get things done. I will often look at the clock with three minutes to spare before I need to pick up my older kids from school. I know that it takes about that long to run a load of laundry, or to vacuum the front room or wipe down the tables. When I take the time to do these things, I am much more ahead of the game.
- Expect the unexpected and roll with it. As much as we would like our days to always go as planned, that is not the reality of parenthood. Whether it is a phone call from your daughter who forgot her library book, or the stomach flu making an uninvited appearance at your house, things happen, and you just need to roll with it. It is those days that your priorities shift. Don't let them frazzle you; it is all part of being a parent.
- Multitasking, when done right, can save you so much time. Folding socks while watching the 12 o'clock news, nursing a baby while eating lunch, or planning out the week's events while out on a run. These are all examples of productive multitasking; Facebooking while helping your child with homework is not.
- Time with family is never a waste of time and should take precedence. When my youngest daughter is pulling on my leg to go outside and jump with her, everything else can wait. There is plenty of time to clean, but never enough time to listen to her laugh.
- Make time to zone out. Just as your muscles need time to rest, so does your brain, whether it is during 30 minutes of yoga or even while watching your favorite television show. Allow time for your brain to not think. This is often best done before bed, as a natural progression to sleep. Which brings me to my final point ….
- Make time to sleep. Sleep is the day's end reward for a job well-done. It is a time when you can rest from your worries and the best part: dream.
Arianne Brown is a mother of six who loves running the beautiful trails around Utah. For more articles by Arianne, "like" her Facebook page, follow her on Twitter @arimom5, or visit her blog, timetofititin.com. If you have a story to share, contact her at ariannebrown1@gmail.com.
