My toddler is 13 months now and it already is so tiring! On a typical day, I am found running from room to room all the time, cleaning up the toys on the floor, picking up the bag and baggage thrown onto the floor for no reason, drying out his washcloths, washing his bowls-spoons-cups-bibs; ordering diapers and essentials online and all of that!
It gets ‘too-much-to-manage’ sometimes and you won’t believe but I have spent a lot of time thinking how to manage my time better. The question that arises after waking up every morning is, how to manage the ten different tasks that lie ahead of me right from the moment my day starts.
The answer to all such questions is just one: “Take it Easy!”
So,for the benefit of all stay-at-home and work-from-home Moms;here I am, sharing random experiences of mine on how you can make things better by “Taking it Easy”:
Early to bed, rise up when you like: There is no point in going to bed every night thinking you will get up at 5 in the morning and finish all your chores before the little devil is up. I am not a morning person at all and hate to wake up at 5 am in the morning. (The earliest I can wake up is by 7 am and I am already doing that.)I wake up when I feel comfortable and when I’m done with my sleep. Of course, with the exception of the domestic help knocking at my door a tad early on some mornings.
Sleep time is work time: I feel like a queen when my son is asleep. I feel like half my work is already done and almost the whole battle is already won. I do not only the laundry, dusting, cleaning up of cabinets, and blogging when he’s sleeping, but also read spiritual books, help out others at home and sometimes even manage to get an afternoon nap (If at all, the list mentioned here – ends!).I make the most of the time when my kiddo’s sleeping as there’s no wriggly wiggly creature to look after in those two hours.
Take shortcuts: I order my pantry stuff over phone and get it home delivered. I take help from my husband to get fruits and veggies once or twice a week.I order as much stuff as I can over the Internet, in order to not waste time in going to a mall or supermarket to buy it. I Whatsapp people instead of calling them every now and then only to end up getting engaged in 45 min long conversations.
Minus One: I believe in being practical and realistic while setting goals. I do not aim at finishing all my tasks in one day. I don’t mind if I’m not able to roast the spices for the week on Monday.I don’t mind if I am not able to fill all water bottles in the fridge, before going to bed. I don’t mind doing all the tasks ‘Minus One’. I just prioritize and take up the tasks that can’t be put off and I am at peace on most of the days.
Smart with a Smartphone: Toddlers often make it difficult for mothers to sit with a laptop or tablet in their laps and that is when smartphones come real handy. I have all useful apps downloaded on my phone, like, LinkedIn, Whatsapp, Twitter, Google+, Gmail, Trello, TOI and so on (Not to mention, Candy Crush Saga, after all I am still human!).I use these while using the washroom, waiting for the microwave to finish its business, waiting for my turn in a queue, while travelling, late in the night when my husband and son are off to sleep and I am caught in between snores! Lol! These apps are real time savers and can be used anytime, anywhere.
Preparing for tomorrow: Before going to bed every night, I finish up planning a lot of things for the coming day. The food menu for the day, tasks to finish, things to learn, people to contact and even what to wear (‘cuz for me, it takes up a lot of time to decide). The more I plan, the more ready and confident I feel and that makes it directly proportional to the amount of time saved.
Weekends are The End: I take it really easy on weekends and they are the real The Ends for me, when it comes to tiredness.I go out on pleasure trips with my family on weekends, don’t bother about the cooking, left overs in the fridge, laundry waiting-to-be-done, the dirty sheets or the shoe to be fixed. I just consider it a complete off and enjoy totally.
I am managing my toddler, life, family, home and work like this since the past few months. I would say, past few months only, because in the beginning of my life as a mother, I was pretty stressed out with the burden of managing everything.
But, all issues in life come with a solution and so did mine!
You now know how I take it easy. What’s your way of taking it easy?
