Time Out!

All moms have an office that never closes and an inbox that never empties, whether we work outside the home or not. This daily grind can put us all on the fast track to burnout. If motherhood were a pet, and you were writing a manual for the Care and Feeding of Your motherhood, what advice would you give? The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot. Often our most important priorities are intangible or considered unproductive. That fact makes it very tempting to allow more urgent tasks to rise to the surface and overtake what is ultimately of more eternal value. Moms need time management tricks as flexible as their schedules, since there will always be those days when your infant gets a diarrhoea,your kindergartner announces that he needs 48 cupcakes by noon and your second hand Japanese car won’t start!
Here are some time management tips especially for moms.
Organize
Good organization is a stepping stone to time management.

1. Firstly try have some quiet time with the Lord in the morning before the kids wake up.
2. Have things packed and ready to go. Pack the kids lunch boxes the night before.
3. Organize your house
4. Write all of your appointments on one calendar.
5. Stick to a routine.
6. Know yourself. If your mind shuts off at 20hrs schedule your biggest tasks first thing in the morning.
7. Make a to-do list before you go to bed so you won’t waste that precious morning time.
8. Try to do something fun with your children every day. Sometimes it is reading aloud from a good book, at other times it is a board game, or a quick trip to the shops to pick up supplies and an ice cream.
9. Getting to bed early enough to have “Window Time” with your kids on the edge of their beds is an investment in your relationship. Kids will remember the times you played and talked with them long after they forget how clean the house was or how delicious the meals.If your kids’ disruptions are frequent, give them what they want. Spend at least 20 minutes offering them your undivided attention. No TV, no radio, just toys and books (depending, of course, on their ages). Play with them, read to them. Often, these disruptions are just a sign that they need a little one-on-one time.

Energize
Exercise to energize. Spending an hour a day on exercise can actually save you time. You’ll feel more energized and productive throughout the day, and you may even require less sleep at night. Cut the time spent working out by boosting the intensity. Don’t cut the workout itself.

Prioritize
As moms, we dash from one responsibility to another, but there is an alternative that we often forget: Give yourself less to do.The first step is to figure out what’s really important to you. Schedule several key tasks and outsource the rest.

Delegate
Delegating is difficult, but it will get easier with practice. If a plumber would cost less than it would for hubby to take the time to fix the bathroom leak,call the professional! Ask the maid or your dependant to wash and cut the vegetables for you.

Taken one step further, if you enjoy your work and would earn more money if you spent more time at it, why not give yourself that extra time (and money) by hiring someone to do the tasks you don’t enjoy?

Just Say No
We are here for our children. We are here for our husbands, our parents, our siblings, and our friends. But nowhere in the mommy manual does it say we always have to be here for the lady in the next block of flats who is having a kitchen party. Nowhere does it say we have to spend all our Saturdays at weddings, unless, of course, we want to.

Some experts say “no” is the only word you need for effective time management. We moms want to please, to help, and to make life easier for everyone around us.

The next time someone calls to ask for your help, agree to think it over. When you no longer feel pressured for an answer, ask yourself if you really want to help. Make sure you aren’t agreeing solely to please the person on the other end of the phone.

When we learn to respect our time, others will respect it, too.

Slow down
Learn how to take life as it comes. When you’re faced with a seemingly daunting task, promise yourself to take your time and enjoy it rather than rushing through. Time to cook dinner?Prepare your favorite meal.Put in your favorite spices and savor the moment!