Do you struggle with a lack of time to do everything? As a parent, the most important thing in your life is taking care of your child, but spending regular time with your child during the week can be hard. When parents are busy with work and kids are busy with school and extracurriculars, it’s easy to let some things slip through the cracks. Luckily, there are things you can do to save time during the week and make more space for quality time with your child!
Buy prepared ingredients or meal prep on weekends
Try swapping out a few of your grocery items for ones that are already prepared! Fruits and veggies that have already been cut, meats that come seasoned, and even fully-made freezer meals can save you a lot of time during the week. If buying ingredients or meals that are already prepared doesn’t fit into your budget, try to prepare as much as you can in advance! Chop fruits and veggies while you watch your favorite show, cook in bulk and freeze a few portions, or try make-ahead meals like smoothie freezer packs that take just a few seconds to finish! Slow cooker meals that can be mostly prepared ahead of time are also a great way to minimize prep time and maximize time spent together at the dinner table each night.
Use technology to save time
The internet is a powerful tool, but few people use it to its full potential! It can be a big time-saver for working parents, with options like ordering groceries to pick up on your way home from work and setting bills to auto-pay so you don’t have to manually pay each one. These little moments add up, and by using these easy and often free tools you are saving valuable time each week.
Take time for yourself so you can truly enjoy time with them.
Believe it or not, while many parents worry they aren’t spending enough time with their child, studies have shown the quality of time trumps the quantity of time. Take time for yourself to relax, invest in yourself, and participate in activities you like so what you do with your child can be enjoyable for both of you. You don’t have to cram in every last second with your child to make a big difference in their lives! The best thing you can do for them is to take care of yourself and know your best is enough, rather than panicking about not checking enough boxes each day.
You’ve got this!
