Raising Kids on a Hectic Schedule: 5 Tips for Proper Parenting in a Time Crunch

No matter how you slice it, life has its ups and downs.
 

As soon as you feel like you finally get into a rhythm in terms of your schedule and your kids’ needs, something comes up to totally disrupt it.

Maybe you’re in a situation where you need to take care of a sick parent.

Perhaps you or your partner’s work schedules flipped and your time with the kids has become limited.

Regardless of how hectic life can become from day-to-day, you can’t let it have a negative impact on your relationship with your children. Likewise, ensuring their happiness is a top priority. Juggling a crazy schedule and your kids is difficult, but with these five tips you can make it happen.

Get Your Sitter Situated

If you or your partner can’t be around much, you need to take the steps to ensure that your sitter is equipped to take care of your kids’ needs. This might including giving out an Uber gift card to ensure they can get from Point A or Point B or provide money for take-out and meal prep.

On a related note, having a strong relationship with your sitter will make all the difference when it comes to making sure your kids are taken care. Rather than relying on one-offs and flaky sitters, strive to find someone who’s invested in your kids’ lives.

Make the Most of Your “Free” Time

Perhaps this is a no-brainer, but you can’t just allow yourself to veg out on the couch on your days off.

While it may be tempting to put your feet up, you need to use your free time wisely to both spend time with your children and ensure they’re taken care of for the coming week. For example, weekends are perfect for day-trips and catching up; meanwhile, Sundays are a prime time to take care of meal prep, homework questions and just plain being there.

Of course, you should also make some time for yourself, just don’t expect too much.

Be Clear That You’re Still Available

When you’re busy, it’s easy to accidentally send the signal to your kids that you’re unavailable and shouldn’t be bothered. Explicitly remind your children that they can come to you at any time and that your hectic schedule isn’t going to last forever.

If your children are old enough for smartphones, such devices are perfect for keeping in touch when you’re away. Whether through texts or FaceTime, you can essentially make yourself available around the clock if they need you.

Encourage Your Kids to be Self-Sufficient

Although your children can’t do everything themselves, it’s certainly a plus when they understand the principles of self-sufficiency. That is, they understand when it’s time to go to bed, do their homework and otherwise adhere to their own schedule.

 

To ensure that your kids don’t fall into bad habits, you likewise can’t let discipline totally fall by the wayside. As a side note, setting high expectations while you’re away can make a big difference when it comes to good behavior.

Learn to Say “No”

You obviously need to make sacrifices for the sake of your kids, but you shouldn’t let others in your personal or professional life to add extra stress on your plate. Learning to say “no” might be difficult in your pursuit of being supermom, but it’s worth it for your mental health in the long-run.

No mom wants to see their kids’ well-being suffer just because of a hectic schedule. By sticking with these tips, you can make the most of your time and maintain your sanity as you do what’s best for them.