26 Time Management Tips for Parents

Time management tips for parents may not be hard to find, but many parents overlook them because they think they are not effective enough or are hard to follow with kids being around. In this article, we give you time management tips and techniques for parents that are easy to follow and give you the motivation to accomplish more in a day.

1. Keep it cool! Have the right mindset for efficient time management

A lot of things seem like they are out of your control; Things like weather conditions, kids’ routine diversions, small little accidents that we as parents have to manage every day, and so on. Don’t waste your precious time to change these things you can’t control. Instead, think about how to manage the assets you have to accomplish more in a day. But to get the kids’ management in the right tune you have to take it with a cool head, so chill first and start planning…

2. Get up early. It will increase your productivity twice!

As a busy mom/dad who is looking for time management tips for parents, we advise you to use your morning time wisely; especially if you are living in a busy household with several kids. Try to wake up at least 2 hours before everyone else to have some time to plan your day at work and home. Make/revise your schedule, exercise/meditate, prepare breakfast/lunch, while jotting down tasks that you will have to perform during the rest of your day.

3. Create a schedule together with your child

This is one of the most classic time management tips for parents that still works wonders. Scheduling helps you set goals and gives you the motivation to get things done on time. You can simply write down your tasks of the day during your morning routine and do them accordingly. Don’t forget to plan and manage some fun time with your kids. Ask their opinion about the things they want to do together.

4. Do things together with your kids

You might have noticed that children are very curious about doing things that you do. This is how they learn. In fact, many education principles depend on this observation. Use it to your advantage and start doing things with your kids. Ask them to help you in the garden, at home, or just keep their stuff organized. Making salad or baking together can be some good examples. Don’t forget to praise them when it comes right! 😉

5. Make time management your family thing

Train your kid to do some house chores regularly (!) (age-appropriate of course). You can ask your children to water the plants, clean up their rooms, prepare simple meals, and so on, all at a given interval of time (daily, weekly, etc.) This will bring up time management concepts to your children from a young age and greatly help you along the way.

6. Select a specific “Play Time” with your kids

Playing makes you feel better and is a great way to bonding with your children. By selecting a certain hour in a day and declaring it a “playtime” allows you to spend fun time with your kids regularly, chances are they cooperate more and distract you less when you need to get the job done.

7. Plan family menu weekly

It sounds simple but this is a serious time management tip for busy parents. Sometimes people spend too much time deciding what to cook. Knowing what meals you’re going to eat during the week eliminates the time you need to run to the supermarket to buy the required ingredients.

8. Enroll your children in online courses

In this way, you can make sure they are busy learning something useful like coding in the comfort of your own house, while you save time on fetching them to the development classes all over town. Also, less TV and computer games are always good. Find more about the benefits of online classes and register your children in one of our online coding courses.

9. Make use of productivity apps to manage your time

You may have seen them before; Google Keep, Google Tasks, Todoist, Toggl… the list just goes on and on. Pick one that suits your needs best. Organizing your tasks and studying your time blocks give you insight to have better time management ideas and accomplish more in a day.

10. Exercise regularly

Exercising makes you feel happier and healthier in general but what does it have to do with time management tips for parents? When you exercise, you grow more brain cells and your cognitive functions improve. Developing your cognitive functions means a sharper mind with more critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. So, next time you think you’re stuck with a problem, just go for a run and think over it while doing it.

11. Eat healthy

Eating healthy has the same effect as exercising regularly. Healthy food keeps your energy level up and you’ll get tired less. Keep healthy snacks like dark chocolate, nuts, and fruits within hand’s reach, and don’t forget to drink water frequently. These little things will help you a long way while managing your parent duties.

12. Pick your top priority

Figure out what your top priority is. Organizing your schedule based on your top priorities gives you the ability to think clearly. Watching TV shows, checking your social media accounts, and following celebrities daily lives is not your top priority. Is it?

Manage your timetable based on the importance and urgency of your tasks.

13. Simplify tasks

It’s easier to do little tasks than time-consuming ones that seem won’t end. Break down your projects and duties into smaller ones for having more efficient time management as a parent. For example, if you need to clean up your house, divide it into different sections and don’t do it all at once. Likewise, don’t make all your phone calls together. Spread them between your major tasks if they are not urgent.

14. Find and manage the things that make you less productive

If you find some tasks that take you away from managing the rest of your parenting, think over them. Give it a try to limit them gradually and free up some time for other tasks. If that’s not an option, find a way to get them done more efficiently or delegate them.

15. Be flexible

Sometimes you just can’t follow your daily schedule (things happen). Include 20% flexibility in your calendar to rearrange your tasks if needed.

You can also opt for monthly, weekly, and daily schedules. Create them in the same way. Don’t guilt-trip yourself if you’ve fallen short. The whole point of time management tips for parents is to feel better about yourself while accomplishing more in a day.

16. Prevent clutter

Clutter makes distraction and decreases your productivity. Besides, it takes a lot of time and effort to reorganize your place. A simple but practical time management tip is to stay organized to save time, boost your productivity, and get more things done instead of tidying up. You can also change this into a family game (if necessary twice a day) and make tidiness a habit for your kids.

17. Avoid going out in rush hours

Avoid traffic jams as much as possible; Even if it means sacrificing a few minutes of your sleep or lunchtime to get to that place. Go to work earlier and save yourself the stress and time wasted. You can use this time for planning your day ahead of time or reading a book. Or just work harder and get promoted. Who knows!

If you are a stay-at-home mom/dad or a remote worker, take your kids to the playground in the morning when it’s less crowded or enroll them in online courses for having better time management as a parent.

18. Save time commuting

Remote working has become so popular these days. Find out if your employer allows you to work from home permanently or just for a few days a week. Keep this time management tip for parents in mind when you’re looking for a new home/job.

19. Delegate if possible

No one can do it all alone. Get help when you need it even when you think you can do it better. Delegating tasks, both in the house and workplace gives you time to work on the projects you hardly find time for. Besides, you’ll find more time to spend with your child.

20. Don’t procrastinate

This is a constructive piece of advice for life not just one of the time management tips for parents! “Procrastination makes easy things hard, harder things harder”. Start with what needs to be done right away to put a stop to procrastination. Forgive yourself for doing so in the past and commit to the task to accomplish more in a day. You can also ask for someone to check on you. Peer pressure works for many people!

21. Become a single-tasker

What do we mean by a “single tasker”? A single tasker is a person that has an extraordinary focus on a single task to completion. You can achieve this by working in smaller chunks and setting unrealistic deadlines for yourself!

That may seem odd among time management tips for parents but if you give yourself half of the time you actually need to finish a task, you’ll avoid distractions, work harder, and are more focused.

22. Avoid distractions for a better time management

Put your smartphone in another room, turn off any background noise, and keep your workplace and room clean. There are other things that some people find useful like saying empowering mantras and disconnecting their Internet connection if they don’t need it constantly while working. Try them to figure out if these time management tips for parents help you to accomplish more in a day.

23. Follow your energy level

Do you work better in the early hours of the morning or late hours at night? Find your most productive hours and put your hardest tasks at your peak time if it is possible. For office meetings and the things that require less energy, use the afternoon hours while you are less productive.

24. Maintain work/life balance

What is the point of time management tips for parents if you don’t take time for something that brings joy to your life? Break the vicious cycle of revolving your life around your job. Set clear work-life boundaries and switch off from your professional duties while you are at home. Don’t check your emails at the dinner table and let your coworkers know when and where communication can happen.

25. Get inspired by the success of others‘ time management

Look what famous and successful people do. Of course, they’ve done other things too to become successful. But without committing to proper time management no one can simply achieve anything in life. Try to follow their steps if it applies to you.

26. Reward yourself for following time management tips

Last but not least time management tip for parents goes to giving yourself rewards on the way. By doing this regularly, your brain will link pleasure to finishing a task. This is the kind of motivation you need to drive further. Do this not only because you deserve it but also to feel better and to reinforce positive habits.

Effective time management for parents needs dedication and commitment no matter what time management ideas, tools, and techniques you use. Whatever you do, just remember to work steadily and don’t burnout yourself on the way.

Editor: Michael Mitryakov | Writer: Negin P

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