…by effective time/stuff management
One of the hardest things about going back to work after having a baby, particularly if that baby is your first is time/stuff management.
When you were last at work, all you had to manage or think about was work and yourself. And that was hard enough. Now you have to manage, work, yourself and a baby and all the additional stuff a baby carries around with it. It can be exhausting. Mentally and physically.
If you don't get on top of it at the beginning it can quickly deteriorate into mental and physical chaos.
You have to think about the organisation of your child as a military exercise, or another job entirely. Go about organising and planning accordingly. Precisely, with forward thinking and down to the minute time-keeping.
One huge skill you learn as a mum or dad is effective time management/time efficiency.
Mothers are some of the most efficient workers on the planet. They don't have the luxury of nipping out for endless coffees, cigarette breaks and just staying late to catch up. When you have to pick up a child by 6 o'clock WITHOUT FAIL, there is no two ways about it: It's get to work, get your work done and leave the office by 5.30. No excuses.
Time and Stuff management is all about organisation It's organising your home, office and head. Once you get organised, everything else is so much easier. No last minute panics because you have forgotten to make sandwiches, can't find a drink bottle or don't know what you've done with Freya's excursion permission slip. If you follow some simple rules, you will rule time, not the other way around.
Apart from looking for lost or misplaced "things", a last minute child care breakdown is probably the thing most likely to disrupt your entire day, or week. So have a child care plan B, C and D! Ready to mobilise at any moment.
These practical tips are adapted from Gina Costa's article in American Baby will help become as good at time-keeping as a Swiss watch:
- Assess your time. Look closely at how you spend your time. Experts say that most people spend up to an hour a day on tasks that could be put on hold or completely eliminated from their schedule. Can you think of things you can completely eliminate? Or at least only do once a week instead of every day?
- Prioritise. Some things are important, others can wait. The key to organisation is knowing which is which. Experts suggest that you divide your to-do list into three sections: those things that need to be taken care of immediately, those that can get done anytime during the week, and those that are long-term or ongoing projects.
- Think ahead. Look for ways to delete steps from a task or cut the amount of time you spend getting ready. Put clothes out and pack bags and lunch packs the night before. Or set the table for the next meal with the dishes you unload from the dishwasher.
- Organise, organise, organise. Get a filing cabinet and keep a folder for each child so you know exactly where to find all of their information (school, doctors, passports, medical cards etc). Make copies of things such as phone numbers and class lists, and keep one at home and one at work.
- Pick your battles. Decide what you can live with and what really gets under your skin. Maybe you can't stand a dirty floor, but you can live without the bed made just right.
- Multitask. Learn to consolidate jobs and get things done during downtime. Pay bills or go over your child's homework while you're sitting in a waiting room. Get a phone headset so you can do other chores while making phone calls.
- Ask for help. You don't have to be Supermum or Superdad and do everything yourself. Recruit other resources when you're running short on time (and sanity). Can you and a friend help each other out? She runs some errands one day if you can watch her son for two hours another day.
- Give everyone a job. Whether it's sorting laundry, licking stamps, or picking things up, there are chores that even the littlest of helpers can do. The earlier you can train them the better.
- Post it. Hang a family wall calendar to keep track of everything from dance classes to dentist appointments. Post an ongoing grocery list on the fridge. Buy a wipeable white board and hang it in the kitchen to post lists and reminders.
- Be ready to go. You know you had that bag packed in readiness for going to hospital to have your baby? Well keep it that way! Have a bag packed with essentials and keep it by the door. Fill it with baby gear, snacks, bottle of water, wipes, nappies, kids drawing pads and activities. that way you'll be ready to head out at a moment's notice.
- A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place! One of the biggest time-wasters is looking for things! Make sure things are put away after use so you always know where they are. And put them in logical places. Always put your keys in the same place. How many times have you found yourself late because you can't find your car keys? It's simply a matter of training yourself and your family until it becomes habit. And then it's easy!
- Baskets! There's nothing like a good basket for a quick tidy up and also to keep everyone's bits and pieces organised. Put a good-size basket in every room to store toys, books and DVDs. You can go through them at the end of each week and put everything away in its permanent storage place, but the basket it a great temporary storage facility! Put one for each family member by the door to store backpacks, shoes, and whatever else goes out with that person in the morning.
- Always over cook! Don't spend a fortune on takeaways or ready meals for emergencies. Whenever you cook a favourite meal, always double (or triple) the recipe and freeze the extras. That way when you're in a rush you will always have a quick meal that can be quickly heated up in the oven or microwave.
- Delegate! If you can, delegate it! Involve other family members in your daily routine. The earlier they start the better. It might take some training but it will be worth it.
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