Being a parent is a massive game of tug of war that can feel like you’ll never win.  From keeping up with your kids’ education to helping them with hobbies, cleaning, laundry, and then doing your job and trying to keep up with a life and personality of your own all while looking at Vancouver homes for sale: there’s a lot to be overwhelmed by.  Instead of trying to perfect your child’s life or become a hover parent that every child fears- here are things you can do to help manage your own time as a parent.

Work On The Go

Unfortunately, multitasking is a large part of every parent’s life.  The best way to handle this is to make it work for you instead of bending to work around all of the things you have to do.  Make a list of the things you need to do in a day, and figure out which items can be done simultaneously.  Do you have to wait for the water to boil while you make pasta?  Take that eight minutes to gather everyone’s laundry into the washer.  Does the floor need to get vacuumed while you’re listening to a lecture for work?  Pop in the headphones and get to work on both!

Don’t Become The Everything Person.

Whether you’re in a relationship or have kids, you don’t live alone if you’re with family.  Don’t fear asking for help and making it clear what you need. If your husband decides he’d instead not vacuum, or your wife doesn’t like the feeling of handwashing dishes, that’s fine- barter out a deal so that they’ll still do other things.  Many people take their household’s weight onto their shoulders when they can and should work with others.  If all else fails, offering your kids an allowance is a time tested way to get them to pitch in around the home!

Rework How You Do Laundry

What problem is most extensive in your household?  For many families, laundry can be a source of stress and frustration.  Instead of saving all of your clothes for the weekend, work to do a couple of smaller loads during the week.  This plan could mean that everyone has to put their laundry in the washer at the end of the day, and when it’s full, it’s time to run it- or that you gather laundry into the washer on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays before dinner and toss it in the dryer after dinner.  Doing more loads spread out makes it easier to manage and allows you the chance to avoid the dreaded giant pile-up of unfolded clothes.  Work in small batches and get it over with!

Make Sure You Rest

Don’t run yourself ragged.  If you’re tired and unhappy, you won’t be able to keep up with the work around you.  Get at least seven to nine hours of sleep every night, and make sure you’re mindful and considerate of yourself.  Although we like to think of ourselves as parenting machines, we’re just people trying to raise other people.  It’s okay to take a break.