Parenting Tips for Working Moms:

For effective time management here are a few parenting tips:

1.   Set strict weekday and weekend bed times. This means also setting a hard stop to play time so kids can have ample time to clean up their play areas, take a shower and have dinner. Doing this sets expectations for kids and establishes a nighttime schedule.

There is a two-prong benefit to this. On one hand you are providing much needed structure for the kids that they will eventually adopt as their own and on the other hand it helps you as a working mom better manage your nighttime, which to most moms is the only free time you have.

2.   Another tip is to: Eliminate or reduce mealtime negotiations. By this I mean not to allow kids to negotiate what they eat at mealtime. Kids are neither dietitians nor nutritionists and as a result they do not know what’s best for them, we do.

As time management goes this allows you to plan meals with less fear that your kids will reject it. This eliminates or reduces the instances where you have to scramble to find an alternative meal.

I suggest if there is to be any negotiation, it should be done ahead of time and should only be restricted to sides and not the main course.

3.   Another nifty tool is an Events calendar. Kids usually have a full agenda that includes school events, sporting events, birthday parties and other miscellaneous activities. Planning ahead helps both to be prepared and reduce your own anxieties.

Planning helps to identify scheduling conflicts, preparation activities like shopping for birthday gifts or new swimwear for a swim meet and milestone events like final exams and graduation ceremonies.

These tips are great at establishing the structure all experts agree kids need and to aid in keeping Mommies stress levels at a minimum.

If this is helpful to you or you wish to share some of your parenting tips please drop a line in the comment box.