The amount of changes that come with parenting is tremendous, This fact alone can generate many mixed feelings such as the sense of being lost, anxious and sometimes can even lead to depression. But there is comforting news: Numerous studies tell us that the key is to find balance and not perfection. It is challenging, of course, but that’s where more planning can help. Today we will discuss how to balance life and kids.

 We will give you some strategies and tips to help you make your life easier. There are various ways to manage your daily routine with your 8-5 job, and although it may still feel hard at first, for sure it will give you some quality time for you and your family.

Strategies For Balancing Life and Kids

These are some simple strategies to follow:

Self-Sufficiency:

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With this strategy, you could simplify your life very well. However, it will make things a bit more difficult but only in the beginning and for a very short time. The idea is to teach your children to do things for themselves as they get older. This will result in freeing up time that will continue to pay off—for many coming years.

For example, my kids can make themselves breakfast, shower and dress themselves, brush their teeth, and get ready in the morning with only minimal supervision from us. They can clean their bedrooms, load the dishwasher, dust, and more.

Set One Calendar:

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If you have more than one kid, you probably have different daily activities going on. It helps greatly that you keep track of things, from school events, parent-teacher meetings, grocery pick-ups, etc.

There are some extracurricular activities such as soccer practice, dance classes, or spring concerts that can also go on the calendar. You have to arrange your Life with a simple calendar and record all your activities and appointments.

Google calendar is a FREE tool you can use.

Do Regular Cleanups:

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Who likes living surrounded by a huge mess? you must teach your kids to clean up after themselves. After making a mess, tell them it’s time to clean up, and they must clean on their own. 

Be patient but consistent, tell your kids to clean up before they move to do something else, like lunchtime or bedtime. It’s good to have regular cleanups during the day, doing so has two benefits:

• It will help you avoid the stress of a messy house.
• You will be preparing your kids with responsibility so when they grow will be ready to face life with optimism.

Quiet Bedtime Routines:

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You need a little bit of time for yourself every night. You must teach your kids there is a time for everything, and no routine is better than the one before they go to sleep.

Following a set of steps will help them prepare, calm their bodies and mind for sleep. These steps can consist of one final clean-up, showering, brushing their teeth, getting into their pajamas, reading a book before bedtime. 

This works wonderfully because it slows them down after a day of vigorous activities. You can also set a time when the routine starts, for my kids it’s 8:00 PM to start to clean up and brushing their teeth, so by 9:00 PM everything is done and they are ready to sleep.

Don’t Schedule too Much:

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Ironically, another thing that makes your life more organized is to not make too many schedules for things. Sometimes we schedule things back-to-back to plan out every minute of every day, creating so much stress and problems. Instead, schedule items leaving some space between events, appointments, or activities so that your day moves along at a more manageable pace.

Have a time Devoted to the Family:

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Try to find regular times in your schedule when you are doing nothing else, you need to spend time together as a family. For some people, dinner time works perfectly. This is a great thing if everyone sits down to dinner together as a family, and no other activities are planned at that time. Of course, no phone or electronic devices are allowed on the table

Other times can be during weekends, or maybe just one day of the weekend works just as well.

Most families save Sundays as Family Day and It is something we look forward to. Weekends usually are for our family, as are evenings — all work gets done on weekdays, before 4 p.m.

Take Time for Yourself:

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People are social by nature and you have probably heard the saying “you can’t pour from an empty cup”. Often times you need to connect with your inner self, so you can continue to give to others and appreciate all the good things you have to the fullest.

Spending time with yourself is vital to maintaining emotional health, it allows you to explore your needs and interest. And most importantly reestablishing your goals. If you often check the direction to where you want to take your life and your family, see how far you have come, then very likely that you will reach your destination overcoming every challenge.

Set time for meditation and mindfulness which are great ways to look at yourself, the things you have accomplished, and the things you need to focus on in the here and now. Only look at the past, to learn from it, nothing else.

Have Creative Quality Couple Time:

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Take the time to feel attractive and sensual. All of us who have children know that while we are cleaning the house, doing the laundry, or cooking, our sensual self simply does not emerge. And, you don’t do what you don’t feel.

Taking time for a quality moment with your partner will inspire you to wear those sexy clothes and the lipstick that you can’t wait to try on. It can be as simple as 30 minutes out of the house together. The amount of time is not important but what you do with it. 

Here are some activities you can do  as a couple:

• Take a relaxing walk together and remember to laugh
• Plan for adventure, you could try laser tag, indoor go-karts, zip line places.
• Go to a cafe, share a drink or favorite dessert together.
• Try different restaurants, as good food will put you in the right mood to talk.

Be creative and remember to include talking about each other’s dreams, interests, ambitions, and even fears or concerns. Talk about how can you help each other more if you need to?

To have a well-balanced life with family, requires all the pillars of the family nucleus to be working properly, especially the parents.

Create Weekly Routines Including Exercise:

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You must maintain a daily routine: Take time to exercise, meditate and learn.

Apart from regular family times, I want to emphasize the good habit of exercising as a family. It doesn’t need to be at the gym, you can always workout out at home. The benefits are tremendous and range from REDUCING STRESS, BOOSTING ENERGY, and creating a HEALTHY FAMILY TRADITION.

Whether you are accustomed to exercising or not, you must maintain your good health for all those around you, So get out and do it.

Countless studies have shown that exercising oxygenates the brain and increases the quality of connections between neurons. Creativity, strength, relaxation is only a small example of the multiple benefits you get.

Here are some Home Workout Activities You can do:

• Walking or Jogging
• Jump Rope
• Hiking
• Zumba Dance
• Aerobics
• Mini Trampoline Exercises
• Strength Training (dumbells or resistance bands exercise)

To start with, have a weekly workout activity written out so everyone can see it. Involving the children could help develop a strong family bond and to me, less time in front of the TV is a win-win.

As with your other daily routines, it probably includes regular changes to accommodate your other responsibilities, like house cleaning day, washing the car, yard work day, errands day, recurring meetings, etc. All of this may require you to constantly make changes to your schedule but believe me, exercise and a little bit of planning will reduce a lot of surprises and stress down the road.

Reduce Commitments and Do What’s Important:

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This strategy applies to both your obligation and your kids’ obligation. If you have too many, it will muddle your life. If you reduce your commitments, your life will be simpler and more manageable. You have to make a list of your family’s commitments and see which ones are completely necessary and which ones are not vital to have.

You can use the Eisenhower Principle which separates your daily routines into 4 groups based on their importance. 

This will help you identify the activities that you should focus on:

• The most urgent and important task is the one you must do. diner, homework, exercise.
• The important routines but not necessarily urgent( this can be re-scheduled) for example: Calling family and friends, learning new things, etc
• The not-so-important things and items you can delegate. You must train another member of the house to do them for you. Young adults will love to learn how to pay a bill or schedule a doctor’s appointment, for example.
• A task that is not important, you can severely reduce it from your daily habit. Watching television, video gaming, social media, etc.

My Verdict:

The most important thing is to keep you passionate about life and all the challenges it brings, whether it’s related to kids and self-development or finding time for the little things. Finding a balance between tasks, routines, disciplines, and commitment is key for your emotional and physical well-being.

As a parent, it is your responsibility to ensure your child achieves a healthy balance but please understand that you need to constantly recharge your energy by taking time for yourself.

We want to help you develop a healthier and happier lifestyle. So, If you need motivation for a more inspiring and healthier life, count with us and this online community. And, if you have any questions please do so in the comments area.