6 Ways to Make Your Life Easier as a Parent
Let’s be honest, parenting is the hardest job in the world, but it’s also the most wonderful and fulfilling experience! If you’re finding yourself stuck in a parenting rut or struggling to find the magic in all the chaos, you’re not alone and we’re here for you…
We’ve rounded up 6 parenting hacks that will help make your life easier, and we hope they help!
Easy-to-follow Routines
Routines make EVERYONE’S life run a little smoother. As parents, we learn that young children thrive when kept on routine, but it also makes them feel safe and secure. If you upkeep routines from a young age, they will become habits (well, hopefully), which means less repeating yourself. Following predictable expectations can save A LOT of energy!
Sometimes it's even fun, and helpful, to have a visual checklist for the family to follow along. And who doesn’t love a little arts & crafts every once in a while? (With all the spare time we have as parents…)
Master Meal Planner
Don’t you just love when someone asks “what’s for dinner” when it’s only 10 AM? Planning weekly meals ahead of time can reduce stress, headaches or any sort of fight that may break out over what to eat. Grab a whiteboard or notebook and write out the menu for the week! This also helps with those dreaded grocery store trips, trying to think of recipes while standing in the middle of the produce section. Double up on recipes so you have leftovers for lunch the next day… Or when you get hungry, later that night.
Be sure to check out our Balanced Snack Box and Balanced Pantry Box for some healthy late-night snacks and easy-to-make dinner ideas.
Reduce Clutter
Personal belongings add up quickly, especially with kids around… How many toys does one child need?? Be more particular about what goes where — and what doesn’t go THERE! Add some easy-to-follow chores to your family’s visual checklist we mentioned earlier. Making smaller, more attainable goals will allow you to celebrate each little success 😊 Also, having a few simple family rules sets the expectations of the house, which will hopefully translate to your kids not leaving Lego out for you to step on.
Ask for Help – Don’t Forget Your Own Needs
Did you know that it’s OKAY to ask for help? There is no need to think you have to do everything yourself (even though you may be able to). We’re willing to bet there are people in your life who would love to help you out. Day-to-day life can feel really hard if you’re not taking care of yourself. Self-care refuels you and is essential for your mental health. Consider everything that’s on your plate right now and who you could offload some tasks onto… Or whose house you can drop the kids off at for a couple of hours.
Focus on the Important Stuff
Some things just aren’t worthy of your attention. Take a deep breath and let it go. Stop wasting your energy on things that don’t matter or things you can’t change, and forgive yourself for past mistakes.
Live intentionally!
Just like we learn to pick our battles as parents, it’s important to do the same in your daily life. You can only stretch your time and energy so far, so feel better about the decisions you are making and cut out the things that aren’t worth it. Focus on the important stuff. Family. Friends. Your career. Your health. New shoes. You know, the important stuff!
To your Balanced health,
Your friends at The Balanced Company
