Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Juggling Family, Health and Work



Who ever said that managing family, work and everything in between is easy? Since August, I have had constant struggles with time management. These are some things I have tried to get a handle on the situation:

1. Planner- I write down all appointments, meetings for work, etc.

2. Calendar- I have one by the computer and write just little short notes as a second reminder.

3. Family- I check with hubby and kids to make sure they know we have an appointment.

4. Meals- I have planned meals ahead of time for lunch at work or dinner at home. Breakfast for everyone is up for grabs (cereal, oatmeal, quick stuff).

5. Budgeting- I create a budget for myself and husband. He is terrible at this but I try to stick to it. I also make a list of bills and how much to allot for each one.

6. Bank accounts- I check them regularly for checks to clear and ensure that funds are available for spending.

7. To Do Lists- I make a list every morning at work to make certain that I get things done. Then I number the list in the priority that it needs to be done.

8. Grocery shopping- since I usually shop at Pathmark (supermarket in the Northeastern US), I go to the website and search through the circular. I print up a shopping list of sale items and try my best to spend less that $300 every three weeks.

9. Clip coupons- I clip coupons only on the items I actually use and take them with me to supermarket for even more savings.

10. Homework- Every night, I check the kids' homework. I spend about an hour either reading, looking through notebooks and helping them with difficult problems. I also have my own homework from work where I am planning lessons, gathering materials, meeting agendas/ notes and making phone calls (both good and bad).

11. Housecleaning- every Saturday is dedicated to cleaning the house thoroughly. The kids have certain chores to complete and I/ husband do laundry, organize/ shred papers, put away anything that's out of place, etc.

12. Family visits- I usually see my mom and grandmother every two weeks. I try to make it a point to cook for them and take care of things they can't do themselves (they both had strokes and are partially paralyzed).

Now, even with all these strategies, I am finding it difficult to juggle things.  However, it seems like there are just not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything that needs to get done. Any suggestions?

5 comments:

  1. I got tired just reading the list!

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  2. It is certainly hard balancing life as a mother, wife, and work from home mother. These are very helpful tips. I use many of them myself to try to create a little structure in a world of chaos. Great post!

    Alyssa Ast
    www.alyssaast.com

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  3. Mohamed,

    Your comment had me laughing. I reread the post and it is exhausting. :D

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  4. Alyssa,

    Thanks. I just wish I had a way of being even more organized than I already am. When I go to bed at 10 or 11 at night, I am completely exhausted. Then to wake up at 5 am and start the cycle again . . . *sighs*

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  5. ohmygawd, Chary--I have NO CLUE how you do all this. I don't do half of it and I always feel like I am flying by the seat of my pantslessness.

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