Family life is hectic. Most of the time, you do not know which way to turn next. The list of things you need to do is usually a long one. So, anything you can do to make life easier for yourself is a plus. Here are a few suggestions that will help you to do just that.
Secure your parking space
Having to park three streets away and make several trips back and forth to get the kids and their stuff home is stressful. It burns up a lot of time and energy.
If you have a driveway or parking spot outside your home you want to be able to use it. One of the most effective ways of making sure that you can park on your drive is to buy a no parking or stopping sign from myparkingsign. The vast majority of people will see it and not park there.
But, it is wise to check local bylaws before you put one up. Some states, cities, towns, and neighborhoods have rules about what you can and cannot say on these signs. For example, you cannot usually say that people will be fined if they do not comply. But, you can say something like, “by law”. There may also be restrictions on where you can put them up. Most signage companies will be able to tell you how to find out what the rules are, in your area.
Join a carpool
Recent research carried out by transport network specialists HopSkipDrive shows that 51% of parents spend an average of 5 hours driving their kids around. Joining a carpool will enable you to significantly reduce the number of hours you spend ferrying your kids around. It is not for everyone but is certainly worth giving a try.
Cook and prepare food in advance
Preparing meals for the family is very time-consuming. If you are not already doing so, try bulk cooking and freezing some meals. You will usually be able to save quite a bit of time by doing so.
This change will also enable you to take advantage of more food special offers. When you see a real bargain you can buy lots of it and quickly turn it into meals. Making everyone’s sandwiches once a week and stacking them in the freezer is another way to take some of the pressure off.
Use checklists
Checklists keep you on track and ensure that important things do not get forgotten. You just need to sit down once to make a comprehensive list of what you need for each activity, for example, a camping weekend or a day at the beach. Once you have the checklist you just print it out. You can even plasticize it so that you can use it more than once. There are plenty of downloadable family checklist templates that you just need to personalize, available online. The more you use them the better you will get at putting checklists together. Being organized reduces stress levels and makes it easier to hand responsibility for packing for a day of hiking, over something similar, over to your partner or an older child.
I think your suggestion to cook and prepare food in advance is a great one. Dinner time always seems so hectic…the kids usually are both hungry and getting tired. Preparing ahead makes it a lot less stressful.
These are some great ideas. Life sure is busy these days.