Today’s home life with its constant activity,schedules, demands and interruptions, can be so chaotic. Chaos can lead to stress as we all know.That stress can cause many moms or dads who work at home to give up that stay at home goal, even when money is not a factor. Why? Aren’t outside jobs chaotic too?
I believe that one reason is, outside jobs have systems in place to manage chaos. This allows productivity that can be measured. When productivity is measured, it allows a sense of accomplishment. When praised for accomplishment; it can be, to many, as rewarding as a paycheck.
When chaos is managed, it is also easier to focus, thus reducing stress. So, how is it done, and can it be done at home? The following is a list that helps me get more things done, keep them done, and still run an in home daycare full of constant change and interruption with a smile.
Set goals
This works in so many areas from keeping the every day tasks done to taking the kids out on trips. It also helps to work with lists. When you see that many of the things you needed to do are getting done, it keeps up morale. It also helps you to stay on track in the midst of many interruptions.
T.V. VS Music
T.V. slows things down, so plan it to your advantage. I used to let the T.V.stay on while the children were in play time but I found that the divided attention it caused was negative on myself as well as the children. I switched to instrumental music and found that the children treated each other better and played games that were more focused and for longer periods of time.
Phones
Managing phone calls can be tricky. Concentration on the conversations that you are having with your children is important. It is a good idea to have the ringer on a lower volume in certain parts of the day.It is also a good policy to finish conversations you are having with your children completely before answering and getting involved with another one. Having distinctive ringtones will help this if you have calls that are a strong priority.
Activities
The more activities you plan for children in and outside of the home, the less you will tear your hair out from the activities that the children come up with while you are busy else where. Art projects, sports,
field trips, board games, things that encourage communication skills, all make for a great day. I try to alternate these activities with play time and coordinate my work this way. I have some projects going at my kitchen table while I am cooking and also when cleaning after meals. These projects vary by age group but can include coloring, clay, word games Lego, magnetic puzzles, picture puzzles, paint with water, Colorforms, or paper dolls. I started this so that I would know that the children were doing something constructive while I was cooking. I do not use a microwave and so this takes time. I also noticed that even the picky eaters were hungry when they smelled the food for a while before it was served!! This method also makes it easy to take the children out to eat. they are used to sitting together at the table and do not try to run though restaurants.
Teamwork
Years ago I told my children that if we worked together to keep things done, I would have more time to do the fun stuff like swimming and parks. We decided who would take what jobs, when they needed to be done, and of course we had more time for the fun stuff. I still use this method today with my daycare children. Since the effort is rewarded we have a fun time doing the jobs, and I am not doing it all at the end of a long day, burned out. This leaves me some time at the end of the day for my stuff!!
Quiet Time
I have found that it helps me renew my energy and focus to have quiet time at a planned point in the day, especially since those days are often 12+hrs. long or better.I use this time to read, pray, answer calls, or just enjoy the quiet. When the children are small this is of course at nap time. When the children are a bit bigger, I have them rest and watch a video, shortly after lunch. Just as they take breaks in the outside work place, breaks at home work wonders. I am more productive this way which more than justifies the short time taken for the break.
Do you have methods successful in managing chaos ? Please click the title of this post and share them in the comments section.
In the future of this series, I will discuss;
Maintaining your health in the midst of business
Continuing your personal growth
Communication on the run
Consistency, the discipline that leads to less punishment.
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