Ten Tips To Simplify The Lives Of Working Parents

There can’t be enough said about the unbelievable amounts of mess cleaning, diaper changing, day planning, problem solving, multi tasking and running around you do as a working parent. Twenty-four hours? That’s nothing as compared to the tasks you juggle. There’s no way to magically add an extra hour to your day...but what you can do is use these ten tips to make your life feel more like a cruise and less like a roller coaster ride. 

Order online :The most obvious benefit is that you don’t have to travel all the way to the shop, browse through products, wait in lines to pay and drive back home...and sometimes, back to the shop again when you forget something important! Plus, you can access lists of recent purchases and collect frequent buyer points when you shop online.

Purchase in pairs Another shopping tip that will save you a great deal of time and energy – buy essentials like toothbrushes, craft material, sweaters, socks, scissors, hair bands, handkerchiefs, diapers and pacifiers in pairs. It’s always helpful to have a spare.

Make menus : Take one extra hour on Sunday to put down what you want to cook during your week ahead; you’ll avoid tons of time spent cluelessly staring into your fridge after returning home from work. If your children are old enough, let them pitch in ideas as well.

Feed medicine with pacifiers Getting your baby to gulp down medicine can be such a tough task! Pour the medicine into the pacifier’s opening; the pacifier will do its job while the medicine goes down smoothly.

Shield suits with bathrobes We all know what happens when you’re all dressed for work and in a hurry to feed, bathe or dress your kid. Things spill and splatter. A lot! Slip on a bathrobe for full protection.

Differentiate shoes with stickers It takes a while until kids can finally tell the left shoe from the right. Cut a sticker into two and paste each half on either shoe.

Avoid door-trapped fingers with pool noodles Uncommon but effective, this hack prevents doors from closing on your little one’s tender fingers. Slice a pool noodle in half and attach it to your door.

Keep your kid busy in an inflatable pool Successfully keeping your child busy (and safe) is a boon when you’re working on a Saturday afternoon. Inflate a pool and instead of water, fill it up with your kid’s favourite soft toys.

Fight monsters with magic potion When your child complains of monsters under the bed, shoo the invisible away with your “special magic potion” – water and glitter in a spray bottle. A quick and creative solution!

Race, don’t rush You often have to force your children to get out of bed, bathe and dress for school on time. Turn this drill into a fun contest where whoever gets ready first wins goodies.

Bonus Tip!

Begin trips with photos A day at the park with your kids can turn into a nightmare when you lose them, even for ten minutes. When they’re all dressed, take a photograph so that people know exactly how they look on that day.

Go ahead and give them a try!

Contributed by Christina Bird