5 Ways Parents Can Make Their Week More Productive

Here’s a fact: you will be more productive and work smarter than ever before once you become a working mother.

I didn’t believe it at first either, so I can appreciate your skepticism, but more studies are proving this is so.

The idea is backed by a proven economic theory: scarcity creates value.

The idea, in economics anyhow, is that when there is low supply of a product, it can demand a higher price.

It’s the same with our time.

We all only have 24 hours in a day. And, for us mamas (and involved papas, too), much of our time is consumed by our little people – caring for them, feeding them, and everything else they may demand of us. Plus, we just love spending time with them.

It’s a lot to do and if you’re working eight or more hours a day outside of the home, there’s substantially less time to do it all.

With less time available, your time becomes more valuable.

This means you’ll be more careful with how you spend your time, and you’ll want to find new ways to increase your productivity so you have more time left over for the things and people that matter most.

To help you get started, I assembled five tried and tested productivity hacks that can make your work weeks more productive, less stressful and more enjoyable.

1. Share the load.

You may want to have it all, but it doesn’t mean you have to do it all. Instead, find ways to share the load. If your partner isn’t naturally inclined to help out, give them full responsibility over specific duties. And, by that, I mean fully accept the job they’ve done.

Sure, you can do it better, but what will you sacrifice if you waste your time perfecting something your little one will likely mess up in a few minutes?

2. Create a weekly dinner (and lunch) menu.

There is nothing more difficult to do than to make a healthy meal choice when surrounded by very hangry little humans screaming for food. So, make things easy by planning a weekly menu. I have a roster of healthy, tested meals that I rotate through regularly. I only try a new dish when I’m feeling ambitious.

Here’s a tip: creating a weekly menu also keeps the grocery bills respectable and produces less wasted food.

3. Plan your outfit.

How many mornings have you screamed out in frustration that you don’t have anything to wear? Nothing can destroy your confidence than not feeling good in your clothes. But, who really has time in the morning to assemble the perfect outfit for the workday ahead? I’m usually begging my girls to get on their socks, so I don’t. Instead, I plan my five outfits ahead of time – everything from tops and bottoms, to jewelry and shoes – that will be appropriate for the meetings and events I have planned for the week.

4. Make use of Sundays.

Sundays are best spent lazing around. But, if that relaxation will leave you overwhelmed each of the next five days, you may be better served to use some of your Sunday to prep for the week ahead. Since we’re both morning people in our house, the first hours of Sunday we’re abuzz with activity. While Frank gets our laundry sorted, I’m chopping and prepping ingredients for our weekday dinners and lunches.

5. Calendar check-in.

Early morning meetings, late night conference calls and daycare pick up times, the work week, especially for dual-income families, can very quickly become a logistic nightmare. That’s why it’s important to take a few minutes to review your calendar with your partner. Talk about what is coming up and create a game plan to make sure everything gets done. You can even take it one step further and schedule in reminders to get certain tasks done (e.g., pay bills or call doctor), so you don’t forget about them later in the week.

So, there you have it, five productivity hacks that will help make your work week smoother going. 

Good luck!

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This article was originally published on lisadurante.com. 

Lisa Durante is a Toronto-based working mama who believes in the power of AND. She offers real life insights and practical solutions that you can use to prepare for baby’s arrival as well as your life as a working mama.