What Every Mom Needs to Know to Save Her Time (And
Sanity!)
(ARA) - It’s true that a mother’s
work is never done. From shuttling the kids
everywhere from school to dance recitals to
soccer practice to cooking, cleaning the house
and load after load of laundry -- the list goes
on and on. Most moms struggle to find just 20
minutes to themselves each day…let alone try to
find the time to schedule in dinners with old
friends or a romantic evening with their
spouses.
And now, the busiest time of the year for most
moms is here again -- back-to-school time.
Back-to-school means a complete lifestyle change
from the carefree days of summer. It means more
schedules to coordinate, after-school projects,
extracurricular activities and lots and lots of
homework to supervise. So, for busy moms
everywhere, here are some helpful timesaving
tips that will go a long way in helping you hold
on to your sanity this back-to-school season:
Take Advantage of Timesaving Products. It’s in a
mom’s nature to try and juggle everything
herself. However, as the kids get older, they
are perfectly capable of assuming some of the
responsibility. With new products on the market,
like the Mark-My-Time digital bookmark and
metronome, it’s easier than ever to make sure
your kids get their assignments completed
without having to be there to supervise their
every move.
The Mark-My-Time digital bookmark provides a
very simple, cost-effective solution to the
challenge of effectively monitoring children's
required reading times. Because it was designed
as a bookmark with a built-in digital timer, it
offers portability that makes reading possible
nearly anytime and anywhere. This innovative
product frees up mom’s hands so she can tend to
other duties while her child is reading. An
easy-to-read programmable countdown timer with
alarm alerts students when the reading session
is over. A cumulative timer is also available
for convenient recording of multiple reading
sessions.
For moms with kids in band or orchestra, there
is also the Mark-My-Time digital metronome.
Music students can record their practice time at
the touch of a button. There are adjustable beat
settings, as well as five tempo settings and an
acoustically pleasing traditional tick tock
sound plus flashing indicators allow students to
easily keep music pace.
Not only do these products make life easier for
mom, they actually get kids more excited about
reading and practicing.
Beat Breakfast Rush Hour. The morning rush can
be the busiest time of the day for most
moms…waking the kids up, preparing their
breakfast, packing their lunch, getting them out
the door before they miss their bus -- and all
before that needed first cup of coffee! Try
planning ahead for these busy mornings. Use any
weekend downtime to prepare the week’s breakfast
and freeze it. Waffles, pancakes and French
toast all reheat well. Another timesaver -- pack
the kids’ lunches the night before. Keep in the
fridge overnight and simply hand out in the
morning.
Another New Year’s Day. Think of the first day
of school as you would New Year’s Day. Set
resolutions for yourself and your kids and
commit to keeping them. By taking the time to
sit down with your children and spouse to
re-evaluate the family routine, you’ll actually
save a lot of time (and stress). The best time
for this sit-down is a couple of weeks into the
school year, when you’ll have a better feel for
your kids’ homework load, extracurricular
activities, after-school meetings, etc. Make a
chart of everyone’s activities and when they
occur each day. This also helps to prevent your
kids from springing any last-minute surprises on
you.
Prepare Your Child. A happy child means a happy
mom. If your children are excited about and
anticipating the upcoming school year, the
transition from summer vacation to school will
be a lot easier for everyone – especially you.
Start with getting them to bed earlier several
weeks before the first day of school, so they
are prepared for the early mornings. It’s not
fair to expect them to wake up early and be
alert when their bodies are used to a couple
more hours of sleep. Make sure you act energetic
about the new school year. This time period can
be traumatic for young kids – with new teachers,
classmates, subjects and schedules, it’s up to
mom to soften the blow. Make back-to-school
shopping an all-day, fun-filled event. After you
buy their supplies, plan a fun, outdoor activity
as sort of a ‘goodbye’ to summer. Try to get
them to talk about any worries they might have
about the new school year.
Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or a
work-outside-the-home mom, these tips should
help ease your load. And, who knows – you might
just find the time to schedule in that massage
that’s been on your to-do list for the last two
years.
For more information on the Mark-My-Time digital
bookmark and metronome, visit
www.mark-my-time.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
