It’s no secret that being a mom is a full-time job and a crazy one at that. As a parent, you want to give your children the best childhood possible, packed full of happy memories. The only problem is that sometimes the stresses and strains of family life can get too much. We all have those days where parenthood gets too much, and we don’t even have the energy to cry about it.
The fact is family life is hard – we love our kids but raising them is no walk in the park. In the past, almost every family had nannies to help make life that little bit easier. While lots of families still opt to have help raising their kids, it’s not something that we all want or can afford. The good news is, however, just because you can’t afford a nanny, that doesn’t mean life has to be a struggle.
The truth is there are plenty of tricks for making family life easier and more enjoyable. It’s just a case of knowing what they are and the best ways to use the. In case you’re in need of a helping hand, I thought I would share some of my favorite tricks for making everyday life with kids that little bit easier.
Learn to loosen up
As parents, it’s far too easy to stress over the little things. Whether it’s your child refusing to eat their vegetables or wetting the bed, don’t get stressed out. These little issues are part of family life, and to be totally honest, happen in almost all homes. Instead of sweating the small stuff, learn to loosen up. Obviously, it’s natural to worry, but the odd night of bed wetting or refusing to eat their peas isn’t really a problem.
Most problems kids grow out of and tend to do so more quickly if you don’t fuss about it. It’s a strange one, but often kids play on attention. So if you moan when they don’t eat their greens, they’re likely to moan more. Ignore the issue and stay calm and the chances are it will go away on its own. Or, it could just be that they actually don’t like peas. Whatever the issue, don’t let the small stuff get to you.
Loosen up and realize that it’s okay not to stress. So your child had ice cream for dinner, what does it matter? One night of ice cream for tea isn’t going to kill them. There are some things that it’s fine to worry about but the little things that happen each day, normally aren’t one of them.
Use sticker charts and rewards
Kids love rewards, which is why sticker charts are such a useful tool. Whatever you’re trying to get your child to do or not do, having a sticker chart could be a lifesaver. The idea is simple, every time your child does what they should do and behaves as expected, they get a sticker. When they’re naughty, they don’t get a sticker.
Once they’ve got a certain amount of stickers – something like 50 tends to work well, they get a little treat. This could be something as simple as a sweet treat of their choice, or it could be a new toy or day out. It all depends on your budget, as well as what you think is a suitable reward.
Whatever habit you’re trying to get your child in or behavior you’re trying to discourage, a sticker chart can work wonders. Say, for example; you want your child to learn to get dressed and ready on their own, for each day they do it correctly, add a sticker to their chart. Kids love getting rewards as it shows them that they’re being good, which is what makes sticker charts so successful with little ones.
Take the night off
A mistake that many of us moms make is not giving ourselves some time out. We love our kids and want to spend time with them, but that doesn’t mean having to spend every waking hour together. As a mom, you deserve some time off. By taking some time out each week, you’ll be happier and less stressed for it.
Perhaps you could have a couple of hours each week when you book a babysitter for your child so that you can do your own thing? This could be hitting the shops, going to dinner with the girls, or taking an exercise class – do whatever makes you happy. Just like you treat your child every so often, you also deserve to treat yourself. You work hard and so, you deserve a little reward now and then.
It can sometimes be hard to find a babysitter, especially if you don’t have any family living near by. However, you could opt to use a babysitting service instead. There are sites like sittercity review that offer reviews of local babysitters. These are all child care specialists who have been vetted and checked out, to ensure that they have an adequate amount of experience in child care. By taking some time out each week, you’ll be a better and more relaxed parent.
Implement a clean-as-you-go rule
What is it with kids and mess? It seems like wherever little ones go they wreak havoc. Many moms struggle to keep on top of their household cleaning because of how much mess their little ones make. The key to having a presentable home is to clean-as-you-go. All this means is to clean up messes as and when they occur, so that it isn’t able to build up.
For instance, instead of letting your surfaces get piled up with dishes from breakfast and lunch, clean up as soon as breakfast is finished. That way the cleaning won’t get out of hand. It’s not just household chores this applies to, but also the mess your kids make. Instead of allowing them to get all of their toys out at once, implement a three toys at a time rule. If they’ve got three toys out and want to get out another one, first they have to put one toy away. It’s as simple as that. At first, this might be met with tantrums, but they’ll soon adjust.
By cleaning as you go and encouraging your children to do the same, you can make family life much easier for yourself. When your house is a mess, it’s easy to get stressed out. However, by cleaning as and when mess occurs, you can prevent this problem from arising.
Budget so that you can have treats
Children always want to do something fun. Whether they’re asking to go swimming at the local waterpark or wanting to go bowling, it can be incredibly stressful. Especially when you don’t have the money to pay out for these types of activities. Of course, you want to give your kids a life that’s happy and full of fun, but sometimes you just can’t afford to do certain things.
To make family days out more affordable, learn to budget effectively. By saving money on everyday essentials like groceries, you can leave more money for treats. Admittedly, you won’t always be able to do everything that your children want to. However, if you’re able to save on other things, you’ll have more money to spend on fun and exciting days out.
Make school mornings easier
Last but not least, learn to make school mornings easier. As a mom, there is nothing more stressful than a hectic school morning. However, there are plenty of ways you can make mornings easier. It’s just a case of taking the steps to become more organized. One of the best things to do is get up at least half an hour earlier than your child so that you have time to shower and get ready.
The most important thing is to have enough clothes for your child to wear something fresh every day. Whether that’s a school uniform on their own clothes, it doesn’t matter. Kids spill stuff on themselves constantly, so it’s important to have enough clothes for the week. This saves you having to wash them and get them dry overnight. It’s also worth laying out their outfit for the day on their bed so that they can get up and dressed easily.
As for breakfast, find something that’s quick and easy. This could be anything, it doesn’t matter, just as long as they like it. If there’s no time for breakfast before heading out, have a travel breakfast ready for them. This could consist of a carton of milk and a cereal bar and piece of fruit, for instance.
Being a mom is hard work, there’s no doubt about that. However, it’s a job that’s very worthwhile and that I wouldn’t change for the world. Hopefully, the above suggestions will help you to make family life that little bit easier and less stressful. Being a parent isn’t always easy, but there are ways you can make it more enjoyable. It’s just a case of implementing them in your daily life.
You must be logged in to post a comment.