With the constant demands of daily life and the doom perpetuated in news cycles, it's easy to be weighed down by the complexity of it all.
This is especially true for parents, as they have a child (or children) that they need to look after despite these external pressures.
It's not uncommon for parents to spend hours-or even entire nights-taking care of their children and ensuring that they're resting and growing well.
But of course, doing this routine each night can take its toll on you, negatively affecting your work performance and leaving you vulnerable to health issues over time.
This begs the question: Is it even possible to balance parental responsibilities and a healthy, albeit hectic, life?
To that, we say, yes, there's a glimmer of hope in this regard. This article will show you some tips to help you stay connected with your child and remain productive outside of it even if the world feels like a little too much.
Let's get into things.
1. Limit Screen Time
As busy parents, you're likely well aware of how fast time can flow from morning to night. It's important to consider the fleeting nature of the day and intentionally decide what to prioritise in your daily routine and what to eliminate.
If you're spending a lot of time on your phone and laptop just scrolling through social media, then you should prioritise curbing that habit immediately.
Many people underestimate just how much time they're wasting scrolling through your phone. A quick glimpse at your phone's settings, like an Android phone's Digital Wellbeing tool, can reveal your screen time.
As useful as technology is in facilitating communication and boosting productivity, excessive screen time can also stop you from interacting with your family or performing important house tasks at a given time.
In some cases, a phone addiction can leech into your sleep time and cause fatigue, making you even less prepared and alert to fulfil parental duties. As such, you should learn to adopt and model healthy smartphone habits as soon as you can.
Instead of spending time watching TikTok or YouTube or browsing through Instagram, spend some quality time with your kids. Play board games with them or bake together. This approach can help provide positive memories for you and your kid and ensures that the limited time in the house is well-spent.
2. Make Realistic Goals
As much as we'd like to be blessed with boundless energy, we're not superhumans. Parents have to juggle various aspects of their lives for many years-from work and house chores to childcare-and this is naturally very difficult.
It's important to take a step back, breathe, and let it all in for a moment. Find the time of day to maintain a calm composure and reflect on how to set up your day to make it more manageable, even by just a tiny bit. Can you cut out unnecessary tasks? Or perhaps delegate them?
Giving your 100% effort in all things every day can set you up for future frustration. It can lead you to wallowing in a heightened sense of helplessness, which can make doing your day-to-day tasks an even harder ordeal.
The solution is simple: it's to restructure the way you do things and set realistic expectations of yourself. By doing this, you will gradually reduce the risk of burning out. It'll also help you recognise things that can be eliminated or substituted in your day-to-day, making life a little bit more bearable from here on out.
Remember, it's not about being the perfect parent. It's about making the most out of the situation you're in and ensuring that your kids are in good hands. If that means having to rest 10 minutes a day to diffuse yourself from the stress, then do so.
3. Teach Kids How to Be Independent
As a new parent, you'll realise very quickly that handling kids can be tough. Infants and toddlers will need your constant supervision, and this can wipe out hours of your day.
However, with the right parental training, you can reduce the work it takes to raise them and simultaneously clear duties around the house. To motivate your child to do chores, you have to use positive reinforcement techniques and give them a sense of control. You should also model positive behaviour and collaborate with them to get them motivated to start.
You can start training your kid with housework as early as when they're five years old. At this age, you can train them to put away toys, pack their school bags, and wash the dishes in this age range. This will help them have a sense of ownership over their actions and teach them about responsibility.
As they grow older, you can train them to do more complex skills, like doing laundry, washing the porch, and taking out the rubbish. To encourage them even more, you can use pocket money to build good money habits.
By allowing them to handle these tasks of their own free will, they can become more capable and confident individuals later in life. Furthermore, your own life will also feel a little bit lighter as the kids will perform tasks on their own and look out for themselves.
4. Make the Most Out of Small Moments
If you have to spend a lot of your waking hours working or doing personal commitments, then you'll need to ensure that the short time spent with your kids is meaningful for both of you. And also don't forget to make time for yourself.
Use mundane, everyday activities as a bonding opportunity with them. If both of you are at home watching the TV, have a quick chat about how their day is like. If you're both in the same car, strike a friendly parent-child conversation. During these moments, place your undivided attention to them and make them feel heard and understood.
No matter how busy you are, you should always strive to utilise these windows of opportunity to strengthen the bond between you and your kid. These little connections add up and can help build trust, security, and lasting memories to your child-even if your daytime hours are busy and constantly packed.
5. Plan Routine Weekly Activities
Kids naturally adapt around a parent's busy schedule, but that doesn't mean you should continue to neglect spending quality time with them.
Setting a stable routine gives your kid something to look forward to throughout the week-so be sure to prepare a weekly event that they might enjoy.
For instance, you can plan out family game nights, park visits, fishing days, or other things that they may enjoy. Of course, it's important to get your child's insight on what they'd like to do; but if they don't have any suggestions, start with positive hobbies that exercise their physical and mental fortitude.
Doing this can help strengthen your bond with them and strengthen the security of the family relationship. Furthermore, a routine can also help you plan your schedule to accommodate family time, which can foster a stronger familial bond that will satisfy both you and your kid.
6. Communicate Honestly and Openly
Effective communication is foundational to building successful relationships, and this holds true for parent-child relationships as well.
Kids rely on you for not just their physical needs, but also emotional needs. As such, you need to ensure that you hear them out, understand them, and value their inputs whenever they open up to you.
If your kid opens up and expresses vulnerability, then you should let them do so without dismissing them or being judgmental. Be patient and empathic when they express these emotions, as it can be a jumping point to a deeper connection and a potentially stronger bond.
Communicating honestly also applies on your end. If you find that your job or personal commitments are taking up too much of your time, then you can explain in an age-appropriate manner why you may not be home as often as they'd like. While they'll be sad, they'll understand and appreciate the honesty from your end.
If they're acting out angrily or irrationally, then give them some space to calm down and validate their emotions. Modelling emotional regulation and solving the root issue may help, but of course, this is a case-by-case matter. In general, letting them take a break in nature or doing a deep breathing exercise is the optimal way to start dealing with a fit of anger.
By being an open and honest communicator, your child can feel a greater connection with you even if you're not always present. This can help strengthen your bond and make them more likely to see you as a positive role model to their lives even if you're not as present as you'd like.
We hope these tips will help you in your parental journey!
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