Make the Most of Your Weekends- Being a Parent is Never Easy

Anyone who says being a parent is easy is either a liar or they’re not a parent … or both.  It’s Monday again and unfortunately that means it’s back to the grind. I don’t know about you guys, but the weekend was way too short! I’m sure those of you with kids had an even shorter weekend than I did. Are you wanting to make the most of every minute you have off from work? Here are a few ways to make your weekends feel longer, refreshing, and more fulfilling because being a parent is never easy.

• If errands are a must, try some silly games to keep them interesting. Have the kids race to find a certain product first, or have them point to a specific item on the shelf. Making an ice cream stop on the way home will also keep everyone in a good mood.
• Try swapping baby duties every half hour to an hour. This gives both parents a break to do other chores, and also gives them enough time to get the projects done. It also gives the baby an opportunity to spend equal time with both parents, and the parents get little breaks to be alone as well.
• Have set bedtimes for every day of the week. When the weekend comes, the kids go to bed at their normal time, avoiding grouchy children in the morning. It also allows time to be spent together as a couple. Take out and a movie on a Saturday night can go a long way when Monday hits again.
• Wake up 30 minutes earlier than the rest of the family to spend some quality alone time doing the things that relax you and get you ready for the day. Whether it be coffee and a newspaper on the porch, or watching the news and baking breakfast (muffins, cinnamon rolls), time spent along is valuable and hard to come by.
• Make meals as a family, even if the kids are too little to actually cook. They can set the table, stir ingredients, and just enjoy the time they get with their mom and dad.
• Find some free things to do in your hometown. Taking the whole family to a movie or bowling gets expensive, but taking the kids to the park can be a really fun way to spend an afternoon without spending any money at all.
• Find a church with a good children’s program. This gives the parents time to themselves and their thoughts, and the kids stay entertained as well.
• Take a night to have a babysitter take the kids out, and stay home. Enjoy the silence; it won’t last long!! Also, try to remember what life was like before the babies arrived.
• Instead of spending a whole day on housework, try to spend 5 minutes every weeknight to clean up. If you make a race out of it, the kids will be much easier to convince the kids.
• Instead of doing all the laundry in one sitting, try to throw a load in before work and put them in the dryer after work. If that’s too much time, put them in before dinner and swap them out after everything is cleaned up. If you do this every night, when the weekend comes, there won’t be any left to do! Also, use a different bag/basket for each family member. When the load is done, fold it and put it in the appropriate basket. Then take it to that person’s room for them to put away.
• When it’s bath time, clean the bathroom while the kids bathe. It’s a great way to ‘Kill two birds with one stone.’
• While the baby is on the floor playing, clean his/her room; when the baby is banging on pots and pans, clean out the cupboards; do yardwork when the baby is laying on a blanket in the yard.
• If you’re too tired after a long day of work, try eating out. I wouldn’t recommend it more than once a week, but sometimes there is just not enough energy to cook after working all day and walking into a house of demanding kids.

Sue Hanger

I asked Sue Hanger, one of our accountants, about her experience being a parent.  I asked how she managed her four kids when they were younger. Two of them are of driving age now, so things are much simpler, but when they were little…basically it was chaos! First, she said “I just did”…but that wasn’t a good enough answer for me, so I gave her a little time to think about it. Later in the day, I got a response from her, and her answer couldn’t have been more perfect.

Sue said, “Some days I ask myself that same question. You have to have lots of time, patience, and money. And no matter how crazy of a day you have, you have to remember the day will eventually come to an end and that good night kiss, hug and “I love you Mom,” makes it all worthwhile to get up tomorrow and do it all over again (no matter how crazy it seems). And don’t forget the occasional drink to keep your sanity.”

She also told me that having the right ‘better half’ makes everything seem so much easier. She gets a lot of help from her husband, Kevin, so she never has to worry about having to juggle everything herself. If you get a chance, try out these tips!  It may be just the thing you need to keep your life more organized and make the most of any free moment you get with your family. Being a parent is definitely never easy.  Family is the most important thing in my life, and finding more time to spend with them is a major priority!