As a stay-at-home parent, it is very easy to become consumed with being a parent and not being very productive. I know firsthand how hard it can be to juggle it all. It seems like as soon as you finish cooking breakfast, it’s already bedtime! Since when did time learn to fly so quickly!?
Lately, I have been working hard to increase my productivity in ways that still allow me to be a parent while I get work done. I’ve recently been researching MLM companies, like Monat, and I’ve been searching for the best transcription companies of 2020, but I can’t seem to get anything done with a teething baby always requiring my full attention.
The changes that I’ve been making are seemingly minuscule, but they make a huge difference for me. Hopefully, they can help you too!
3 Ways To Stay Productive At Home As A Parent
1. Create a schedule and strive to stick to it: As parents, we tend to let the kids lead and we just go with the flow. While this approach is not all bad, it can make it hard to get things done. So, create a schedule and do your best to stay on schedule throughout the day.
Wake up by a certain time (I know it’s hard especially when the baby didn’t sleep much last night). Try to have the kids up and breakfast made by a certain time. Try to get the kids to start winding down so they might be able to take naps close to the same time daily.
Creating a schedule can also help you plan for appointments, cleaning, and more.
2. Meal prep: I know what you’re thinking. Everyone is always talking about meal prepping, but does it really work, and how can you do it quickly?
For me, meal prepping is a huge time saver. I can spend a couple of hours on a Sunday making multiple meals for the week, which saves me hours each day.
Let me give you an example. I typically like to bake my meats in the oven for about an hour and make all the sides at the same time the meat is cooking. If I make 3 types of meat at once, then that saves me 3 hours during the week.
I have also started doing this with breakfast by making breakfast sandwiches, burritos, muffins, and other entrees and freezing them. This is a more authentic way of prepping instead of buying the versions at the store that have all the extra preservatives.
3. Attack the naps: When the baby goes to sleep, that is when you attack. If your child is like mine, then those naps don’t always last as long as we would like, so you have to get as much done as you can in that short time frame.
You may be one of the lucky ones, though, where your kid sleeps for 3 or more hours at a time. Even still, you should be as productive as possible and take advantage of that quiet time. You’ll be able to think better and produce better quality work when you aren’t being pulled in 10 different directions.
Conclusion:
There you have it! Implementing these 3 small changes in your everyday routine will make a huge difference. Even if you aren’t able to plan an entire event in a single day, that doesn’t mean you weren’t productive.
Just try to get as much done as you can with the time that you have available to you. Make a schedule, meal prep, and work during naps and you’ll start getting more done in no time!