Life maybe very chaotic as parents separate, divorce and begin creating a new home life for themselves and their children. For many parents of divorce, life is often stressful dealing with time management deficiencies in attempting to find a balance between work, family, divorce and forming a new single life. A usual morning may consist of getting children ready for school by preparing clothing, dressing children, preparing breakfast and school lunches, packing backpacks, snack money is paid, teeth and hair are brushed, and oh yes, you too are showered and ready to begin the day.
Single and divorced parents often wonder how time seems to vanish before tasks are completed and a new day begins requiring a repeat of daily rituals again. Becoming separated and/or divorced, requires establishing a time management system. Since there will be only one parent in the home to administer the sole responsibility of meeting the family’s needs, there must be a system in place to accomplish the daily tasks in an orderly fashion.
Below are five time management tips for single and divorcing parents to help reduce the stress not only for yourself but for all family members.
1. Create a “to do” list that will assist you in establishing the priorities which needs attention for each day as well as planning effectively for each weekly events. This will enable you to prioritize, plan in advance and stay focused on the needed tasks.
2. After divorce, you are the only parent in the home to make sure that dinner is prepared and children’s needs are met. Planning a weekly menu prior to going to the supermarket will ensure making dinner easier and reduce return trips to the supermarket. This will allow you not only to reduce time out of each day pondering over what you will cook for dinner but you will already have the menu planned and the groceries purchased. The time saved by making a weekly menu may be added to family time and needed time for yourself.
3. Learn to delegate responsibilities appropriately. After divorce, parents often realize that there is no partner to assist with child care and home related tasks. When attempting to accomplish all tasks by yourself, chores may become overwhelming. Most children can learn to help with simple chores no matter their age. Toddlers can assist by cleaning their play area, young children can help fold small laundry items and even put them away. Having all family members to remove their shoes at the front door may reduce extra dirt and requiring assistance with kitchen duties may reduce time in the kitchen. Delegate a reasonable amount of chores to your children and turn the television and phones off during this time as this could become family time by sharing the day’s activities.
4. Use the internet as a time saver is an effective time management practice. When monthly bills arrive, establishing an account to pay your bills online may be a cost saver as you will not need a stamp or gas to deliver the bills for payment. The internet may also assist you with a reminder to pay the bills, therefore, this will reduce paying your bills late. Using the internet to shop may prove to be invaluable during the holiday when time without the children is limited and it requires less physical activity to shop from store to store.
5. Preparation in advance is a must for stress management and even sanity when divorce occurs and time must be spent wisely. The use of calendars can become invaluable to have a visual reminder of the upcoming events, thus allowing appropriate planning. Preparing for school the night before is a must in order to reduce chaos for the next morning. Backpacks should be packed with completed homework, obtain all money needed for the next school day, prepare clothing for the next day and have all items needed neatly placed by the exit door where they are easily accessible. Learning to prepare for all events will help reduce stress and make time more enjoyable when spending quality time together.
After becoming separated and divorced, learning how to complete tasks is a time efficient manner is a must. You will learn what works best for your family and creating a systematic way to form time management skills will only help to reduce unnecessary anxiety and more family harmony.
At Divorce Tool Box we understand the transitions that divorce creates. If contemplating divorce, allow us to assist you today to prepare for your divorce before entering the legal arena. Visit our website today at www.divorcetoolbox.com.