A mommy's day is chock full of errands, work, cleaning, picking up/dropping off and feeding the kids.
Mom time-management tips
If you're looking for more time in your day, consider cutting out some sneaky time-suckers from your day.
Negative friendships
Whether it's the annoying mom "friend" who always has to one-up you or the nosy neighbor that always prods about the way you raise your kids, toxic relationships have no place in your busy world. Slowly distance yourself from people in your life who are not uplifting, positive influences. One-sided friendships and relationships that leave you feeling worn out are stealing too much of your valuable time.
Cruising the internet or the tube
Ladies, speaking from experience, surfing the web or channel surfing can suck hours out of your day. As much as I hate to say this, I encourage you to step away from the Pinterest. OK, at least limit it. Give yourself a guilty-pleasure window of 30 minutes to an hour for a juicy reality show, Pinterest inspiration or "liking" everything on Facebook. Once the time is up, stay committed to shutting it down and getting on with other important matters of the day.
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Worrying
Stressing about everything from what you're going to make for dinner to getting all the bills paid on time will leave you in a frenzied state 24/7. Constant worrying is not only futile, it's exhausting! Make a list of "concerns" and figure out a way to tackle them instead of letting them take over your mind . For bigger issues , talk to your partner to reach a no-worry solution together.
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Picking up after your kids
How many times have you gone from your bedroom to the kitchen, picking up toys and shoes along the way and distributing them into your kids' rooms, only to forget why you needed to go to the kitchen in the first place? Point: Clutter causes unnecessary distraction.
Being a mom does not require you to be a personal maid for your children. Yes, young kids may need some help cleaning up after themselves. However, the earlier you teach your children to tidy up, the sooner they'll get the hang of it.
If you haven't done so before now, set some simple and age-appropriate ground rules for your kids. For example, after mealtime, have your children put their dirty dishes in or next to the sink. In the morning, ask that they make their beds, brush their teeth and then get dressed before you make breakfast. At night, make sure they go potty, brush those pearlies again, get into their jammies and put their dirty clothes in the hamper before bed. Require older kids to help with specific chores around the house like raking the yard or vacuuming the carpet.
Keeping up with the Joneses
Constantly comparing yourself to other moms will simply drive you crazy, and you'll lose a good chunk of your day chasing the latest pair of jeans or the next new must-have stroller. Remember that material things don't define you. You define you. Ditch the need to compete with the women in your life and instead enjoy your individual styles and tastes.
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More on time management for moms
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