{"id":136428,"date":"2015-07-21T16:24:11","date_gmt":"2015-07-21T16:24:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=136428"},"modified":"2015-07-21T16:24:11","modified_gmt":"2015-07-21T16:24:11","slug":"5-ways-busy-parents-can-get-stuff-done-without-ignoring-the-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=136428","title":{"rendered":"5 ways busy parents can get stuff done (without ignoring the kids)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Having kids really does change everything … including your TIME.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Now that you have\u00a0kids, time is a luxury.\u00a0Remember those long periods of uninterrupted time you used to have?\u00a0Remember when 30 minutes was actually a short window of time, not a huge one?<\/p>\n

When parenthood begins, that reality no longer applies.\u00a0If you’re struggling with how to make it all work amidst the demands and the realities of kids, I have some tips for you.<\/p>\n

First, remember this:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Things always take longer than you think \u2014 no matter who you are and how many kids you do or don\u2019t have, this experience is common to all people.\u00a0More often than not, people plan to accomplish more than is actually possible in a certain amount of time.<\/p>\n

And now\u00a0that you have kids, you actually do have less time.\u00a0Little people take up a huge portion of your daily moments that were once free or otherwise allocated.\u00a0Whether it’s five minutes setting up a snack, monitoring them in\u00a0the backyard pool,\u00a0getting out the crayons,breaking up a fight, or\u00a0getting someone\u2019s clothes out, so much of your time is no longer available anymore.<\/p>\n

Your time windows, your movement, and your ways of accomplishing tasks are different now that you have kids at home. If you want to get things done\u00ad\u00a0\u2014\u00a0other than bum wiping and snack producing\u00a0\u2014\u00a0you have\u00a0to approach time differently<\/em>. Here are five tricks:<\/p>\n

1. Say Affirmations Daily\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

They seriously help the brain relax.\u00a0\u201cHoly sh*t,\u00a0how am I ever going to get this all done?\u201d and\u00a0\u201cI have enough time to accomplish all that I need to do\u201d have completely different energy patterns in your body.\u00a0You don\u2019t need me to tell you that one is infinitely better than the other.\u00a0So use positive affirmations.\u00a0<\/em>They are simple\u00a0but effective ways to calm your brain and body down, which helps you not only accomplish tasks, but also boosts your productivity.\u00a0It will amaze you how a few little words can make a HUGE difference.<\/p>\n

As an added bonus, these little brain relaxers\u00a0also make you more\u00a0available for your kids.\u00a0Instead of doing so distractedly while trying to work out how and when you’re going to get your “To Do” Items done, you can actually focus on them, knowing that the time and space for those other needs will come.<\/p>\n

Try these:<\/em><\/p>\n

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  • \u201cI have more than enough time to accomplish what I need to do.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • \u201cThere is time enough for everything.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • \u201cThe perfect time for me to accomplish ___ will arise.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    2. Use Your Tiny Windows Of Time<\/strong><\/p>\n

    You can accomplish a lot\u00a0in tiny windows of time.\u00a0OK, it may take longer for you to get things done, but as long as things are moving forward, that\u2019s a happy place.<\/p>\n

    I learned this from one of my husband\u2019s clients.\u00a0She was a house projector, like my husband.\u00a0When we had our first newborn she mentioned to him that, after becoming a mother, she learned how to accomplish big projects in 20-30 minute intervals. Sometimes that’s all the time you have.\u00a0Once you understand and make the mental change,\u00a0great things will happen within tiny moments, and you’ll feel at ease.<\/p>\n

    3. Keep Lists<\/strong><\/p>\n

    When you’re accomplishing things in tiny windows, you need a place marker.\u00a0A reference you can come back to at your next opportunity, since you might not have time to work out your whole strategy in one block of time.\u00a0Your lists and notes take you back to your last free moment.\u00a0They tell you, \u201cI was here.\u201d<\/p>\n

    But the best aspect of list making for me is this:\u00a0Between five\u00a0different requests for snacks,\u00a0a bum wipe, and \u201cMom, have you seen my red boat?\u201d,\u00a0I\u00a0don’t always\u00a0remember what was on my list to accomplish, but\u00a0my list helps me remember.<\/p>\n

    4. Try “Flow Time”<\/strong><\/p>\n

    I used this a lot when my first child was born, and I started to understand that time was no longer available to me in the same way.\u00a0In fact, without kids,\u00a0this is my most natural way of being.<\/p>\n

    It involves\u00a0internal questioning that goes something like this:\u00a0What time is it right now?<\/em>\u00a0The answers that arise are anything from, Time for me to make some website\u00a0tweaks, time for me to fold the laundry, time for me to jot down a few ideas, time for me to knit quietly while my kids are playing together, time for me to get dinner prepped, time for me to search for a new audio book on my phone, etc..<\/em><\/p>\n

    Using this method of \u201cflow time\u201d produces results.\u00a0If you follow the answers, if you apply the method, you find that almost miraculously and spontaneously all the things that you wanted to accomplish\u00a0get done.\u00a0The when and where sometimes aren’t what you’d expect, but you do<\/em>accomplish your tasks.<\/p>\n

    Now just for the record if you have two kids and one of them is under two\u00a0and you’re\u00a0sleep deprived, this method might not\u00a0work for you at the moment.\u00a0It\u2019s OK, it’ll\u00a0come back to you.\u00a0Practice it when you’re on your own (like when your kids are asleep\u00a0or your partner is caretaking them).<\/p>\n

    5. Go Easy On Yourself<\/strong><\/p>\n

    When I find myself most overwhelmed, I hear myself think this series of thoughts a lot:\u00a0This is the reality of my life right now [these extra demands\/these people\/this situation].\u00a0It cannot be that there is no way to accomplish what I feel needs to be done.\u00a0It looks differently than I think it should, but there is a way.\u00a0What is the way?<\/em><\/p>\n

    This series of thoughts usually floats by all in one blurb.\u00a0I understand. This is true. There is a way. Find that way.<\/em><\/p>\n

    I just lay off a bit and remember that\u00a0life with kids looks different than it did before. But it\u2019s okay, and it’s all still doable.\u00a0However, it does require me to shift.<\/p>\n

    If you can gestate, birth\u00a0and nourish a baby, you can do this, Mama.\u00a0You\u2019ve got it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Source: Yourtango.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Having kids really does change everything … including your TIME. Now that you have\u00a0kids, time is a luxury.\u00a0Remember those long periods of uninterrupted time you used to have?\u00a0Remember when 30 minutes was actually a short window of time, not a huge one? When parenthood begins, that reality no longer applies.\u00a0If you’re struggling with how to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":136432,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[36],"class_list":["post-136428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-corruption"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=136428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136428\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/136432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=136428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=136428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=136428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}