After a good nights sleep, you should feel fresh, calm and rejuvenated as you wake up early morning, with birds chirping all around and your beloved sun all set to rise upon you. Alas, that time of the day is most stressful for some of us who lack proper “Time Management” skills. Especially in a household where both parents are professionals with school going kids, the morning mess and pandemonium is almost legendary.
You definitely need to incorporate the following simple time management tricks, lest you and your kids are labeled “late comers” for life:
1. Get a timer
Besides the early morning alarm, timer can also be used to set quotas in terms of time for each activity your kid does. This is helpful especially when your kid spends a tad too long in the shower or takes too long to put on one sock. This could turn the stressful event into a game for them when they are motivated to beat the clock.
2. Stick to regular morning routines
Set up a fixed morning routine to command discipline. The order in which kids are supposed to do their activities each morning should rather be kept consistent, lest they fickle around and consume more time. Sticking with the same morning routine day after day will make kids do their thing more efficiently, that too without any constant reminders.
3. Check out the weather forecast the night before.
It always makes sense to act pro-actively. Know the night before itself, what it is going to be like next morning, so that you can plan ahead. If you know it is going to snow or rain next morning and the temperatures are going to fall drastically, you should be ready with your rain boots and heavy outer wears before hand.
4. Pack up beforehand.
Get your kids in the habit of packing their school bags the night before and not create an issue out of it early morning. Homework notebooks, library books, stationary items, everything that needs to go to school along with the kids should be packed beforehand. If they have school uniforms, get the kids to arrange the same properly every night, so that there is less confusion and time wasting the following morning.
5. Make lunches ahead of time.
If you are a working professional and find it tough to make lunch boxes for everyone who heads out of home each morning, you could try some easy lunches that can be packed the night before. Sandwiches can easily be made the night before. If you do not like the idea of packing the whole lunch for the next day in the night itself, at least arrange the items that you need in the morning on the same shelf so that you do not waste time looking for things. Cheese, fruits, milk, water bottle, snack items etc can all be stocked together.
6. Make it a team effort.
If you alone take all responsibility, you are likely to feel burdened after some time. This may show up in your behavior towards others in the family as well at other places. Making it a team effort is not just a great idea for your own self, but it also benefits children. When they know, they have a role to play, they feel important and contribute towards the common family goal effectively. As per their capabilities, you can designate some work to kids. This will also instigate the feeling of “ We are Family” amongst children.
The above mentioned simple habits certainly make your life easier.
