| Is the after-school, after-work routine creating a crazy, | | | | available today that can cut your time in the kitchen. |
| chaotic homelife for your family? Will all the | | | | Honestly, a smart parenting tip is to help you see that |
| end-of-the-day pressures that descend on the typical | | | | involving your kids in the evening meal routine is one of |
| family these days, it's no wonder parents feel frazzled | | | | the easiest ways to add calm to a family. |
| and out-of-control. | | | | Depending upon their ages, children can help |
| I've been parenting for over 2 decades and have 4 | | | | -- plan the meals. |
| busy children. Here are my top 3 parenting tips for | | | | -- shop for the meals, understanding both budgetary |
| putting the calm back into your family's evening routine. | | | | and nutritional concerns. |
| 1. Plan it out. | | | | -- set the table and help with the clean-up. |
| Sometimes chaos comes from everyone needing to | | | | -- cook the meals with supervision. |
| unwind at once. Of course, your kids have very little | | | | The same goes for laundry and cleaning duties, too. If |
| maturity to deal with the fatigue and over-stimulation | | | | one evening is laundry and cleaning night, then |
| that comes with a typical day. As the parent, you | | | | everyone pitches in and that's the night for pizza. You'll |
| have to be willing to delay your own need for calm | | | | feel less scattered when the whole family is pulling |
| and get the rest of the troops in line first. When your | | | | together. |
| family has a sense of order and control, you'll feel | | | | Of course, these tasks will all go much faster once |
| much calmer, too. | | | | everyone is trained, practiced and comes to expect |
| Start with planning out what needs to happen in your | | | | that family involvement is a part of the evening |
| evening. Baths, homework, dinner, sports activities all | | | | agenda. |
| need to be written down. If you attempt to do laundry | | | | 3. Establish routines. |
| or cleaning in the evening, write that down, too. | | | | I'm sure you've heard parenting tips like this one before |
| Next write down the amount of time each of those | | | | and for good reason. Unfinished homework, lost |
| items takes to do (be honest and reasonable). Now | | | | supplies, missing articles of clothing, and forgotten |
| add up the times and compare the total to what time | | | | lunches just add to the chaos level in any home. So |
| you actually have between the hours of after-work | | | | abolish them! Establish a place for each family |
| and bedtime. | | | | member's daily stuff (just a basket or bin will do nicely) |
| If you're like many families, something's gotta give! This | | | | and remind daily to use them until habits are |
| simple exercise will help you see why you are | | | | established. |
| frustrated day in and day out. This is where the rubber | | | | Hey, you're going to have to be serious about this one, |
| meets the road; to have a calmer household you'll | | | | Mom or Dad. My kids know I would even call them |
| need to make the activities you desire fit into your | | | | home from their friends' houses simply to have them |
| schedule. This often means cutting something out! | | | | pick something up they neglected to put away in the |
| Trust me, you'll never miss whatever you let go of. | | | | right place before they went off to have fun. |
| Take back the time to actually hug and communicate | | | | Over the top? Not when you remember your job as a |
| with your children by giving up the activities that don't | | | | parent is to teach the types of habits that will produce |
| directly contribute to family growth. For example, a lot | | | | appropriate adult behavior someday. Trust me, you'll |
| of great conversations can be had between parents | | | | only have to do these kinds of 'reminders' a handful of |
| and children while cleaning a bathroom. And let's face | | | | times. Your kids are very bright. They'll get the |
| it, cleaning bathrooms has to happen! | | | | message extremely quickly. |
| But usually very little communication can happen | | | | Make a game with your kids about developing routines. |
| between you and your child while they're on the sports | | | | -- Who can figure out the smartest way to put |
| field. Don't get me wrong, I've done plenty of sports | | | | together a lunchbox station in the kitchen? |
| over the years and know how great they can be for | | | | -- Who sets down to do their homework first, with no |
| teaching all types of values. But if your family is reeling | | | | complaining? |
| in chaos each evening, you're looking for soothing | | | | -- Set a timer and see who can get their stuff ready |
| parenting tips, not high-achievement ideas. | | | | for the next day the fastest. |
| 2. Streamline and get organized. | | | | -- Give little prizes for shaving off time in doing |
| Everyday activities like meal-planning can either | | | | everyday duties. |
| produce joy or chaos in a family's day. Do you have | | | | Set the rule that everyone in the household does work |
| to spend time each evening deciding what's for dinner, | | | | before play. You'll be amazed at the change in your |
| scrounging for ingredients and feeling resentful you | | | | home's stress levels. One step at a time. |
| have to give up so much time to something you don't | | | | Parenting tips come and go, but the basics in what a |
| want to do? | | | | family needs don't change. If you're looking to calm |
| Or do you just give in most evenings and either eat | | | | down the evenings in your home, take a few minutes |
| out or use take-out food? This is fine if it's in your | | | | to plan out what's important to you, streamline your |
| budget, but if it's not, you are simply increasing your | | | | processes, and establish routines that save time and |
| stress load which will inevitably spill over into your | | | | sanity. |
| family time. | | | | And your reward? How about a quiet time before |
| There are many effective menu-planning tools | | | | bed? |