by Jaime Gomez

6-minute read

Find tips for managing time effectively from a nurse and mother of three.

No matter how much we deserve more time, we are allotted a mere 168 hours a week to get it all done. Single parents and those who face the majority of the responsibilities of raising children and making a house into a home constantly face challenges, as many responsibilities may compete for one’s time. Find practical tips for developing time management skills that may result in a much higher quality of life for everyone in the family.

“No matter how much we deserve more time, we are allotted a mere 168 hours a week to get it all done.”

Assess How One’s Time is Spent in a Normal Week

A very important first step for managing time is discovering exactly how one uses the hours. Write down activities for a normal week and determine how many hours one spends doing each activity. This list should include easily skipped items, such as sleeping, eating, watching television, driving, personal hygiene activities, etc. Do not think about how the hours will add up – quickly list the activities and times. Finally, add the hours. List one’s top three priorities on another piece of paper. Place a star by each activity that relates to the priorities. If academic responsibilities are among those top priorities, consider seeking support to optimize your time—such as using an essay writer for hire at essaypro.com to help lighten your workload without compromising quality.

Hour Total Is Significantly Less Than 168

Keeping a time management journal for a week or so may help one see exactly how time is spent and better determine how to use the hours more wisely. Others in the family may be able to give insight into how one spends time. Many people may underestimate how much time is spent on activities such as checking emails and shopping online, which seem to rob life of the time you and the kids deserve together.

Hour Total Is Significantly More Than 168

Look for items on the list that can be cut, particularly if they do not relate to one’s biggest priorities in life. Sleeping faster is not typically a viable option that will work forever. Some activities may indirectly relate to a priority. For example, someone might take online classes with a long-term goal of a better career. Many caregivers are great at multitasking, but everyone has a limit. If you and/or the kids are in several different sports, clubs, extracurricular activities, and more, sit down and discuss which activities are most important to everyone. You may be surprised and relieved because many children also feel overwhelmed by a too-full schedule.

How to Save Time Around the House

Activities of daily living can be quite time-consuming, especially when the kids are learning new skills. Children often adopt the time management skills of their caregivers, so this can be an important life lesson to teach by example. Adults often find it quicker and easier to do everything that needs to be done simply, but allowing the children to assist with age-appropriate activities around the house may provide great returns. Even toddlers can help put clothes in the washing machine and begin to learn to sort socks.

Use Small Moments to Your Advantage

Packing a backpack love note to send with the kids to school, or making a snowman together, can provide a great way to connect. Cooking a meal together can be a wonderful activity that can be turned into a math lesson or a way to teach the kids about an ancestor who loved to cook. Granted, this will take some prior planning and a bit of patience. Allow time for the kids to make their own mistakes with careful supervision.

It may help to look at those occasions when time tends to run the shortest and see if the activities might be rearranged. For example, if school mornings are a mad rush for finding backpacks, packing lunches, getting dressed, checking to see if homework is done, and finding ways to problem-solve. Help the kids finish homework the night before, plan to sign forms at that time, and designate a certain place where the backpacks are kept. Children may be more likely to eat a packed lunch if they participate in choosing the food and packing it themselves. Encourage the kids to lay out their clothes and bathe the night before. Limit TV and screen time for the kids and yourself as necessary. The children may have some great suggestions for managing time better.

Earlier Bedtime and Schedule

If the kids seem to be dragging in the mornings, consider a lack of sleep as one possibility for their sluggish behavior. They may need an earlier bedtime and/or a more predictable schedule. Provide the kids with an alarm clock. Show them how it works, and have them take the responsibility of getting up and out of bed. Sit down and discuss exactly what tasks need to happen each morning, and create a chart or flashcards of responsibilities on a weekend or in the evening. This could be a great craft opportunity for kids and those who like to add educational opportunities to their daily lives. Place the list or cards by the alarm clock so that they will be readily available when the kids awaken.

Continuously reassess time management plans and how they are working for the moment. Life throws unexpected circumstances into the mix, and sometimes priorities may change dramatically without notice. What worked yesterday may not be the best plan for tomorrow. Learn to adapt instead of insisting the hexagonal peg eventually fit into the diamond-shaped hole.

Manage Time Effectively

Children are constantly changing and growing every day. I have cared for hundreds of cancer patients in 17 1/2 years of nursing on a bone marrow transplant unit, and I have yet to care for someone who said they wished they had worked more hours on the job; however, some have looked back with regret to say they wished they had enjoyed their kids more. Time is a precious gift that is never guaranteed. Learning to manage time more efficiently can have great rewards that may last a lifetime and can carry over to the next generation.