Category: Parenting

As mothers, we are often faced with dozens of impossible questions before breakfast: do the laundry or the dishes first; which child to wake up first; how to get all the groceries from the car to the fridge in as little effort as possible.

Today, I’d like to share some of my personal tips and experiences with you, and hopefully you’ll feel a little bit less alone if you are also struggling to keep up with an incredibly long to do list.

To give you a bit of background, I’m a mom of two girls (7 and 9), also the mom of two dogs, the wife of one husband and the owner of one very small business (which currently consist of me trying to grow and expand).

Here is how I try to get everything done as a mom:

Working from home – how to get actual work done

When I first decided to work for myself, I thought having the freedom to organize my day any way that felt comfortable would be an improvement on the 8-to-6 working hours I previously had.

I was very wrong.

While I can certainly pace my day how it best suits me, I now have to factor in what suits all the other members of my family as well.

The first valuable piece of advice I can give you here is to do two things: start bulking tasks and create chunks of time for work.

I try to do the same kind of work in different chunks: I start with anything creative that needs to be done (I’m a writer, so this is usually planning, research or actual writing), then I move on to emails or calls, and I do all the mindless work (invoices, charts, etc.) at the very end. Start with the most important bulk first, and work your way up to the less important things later.

The time chunks are there to enable you to ensure the kids don’t need you while you are at work. If they go to school or kindergarten, try to get most of the work work done then, and leave housework for when they come home (as they may be able to help or at least keep you company). If you are homeschooling, try to get work in while they are working on their own tasks on their own or having some quiet time.

My second important tip is to accept and get comfortable with the fact that things will never go as planned. You’ll feel more tired than usual, one of the kids will have a toothache, things will just not go according to schedule. As long as you are okay with this and don’t lose your temper over the disruptions (which is what makes them so stressful), you will be okay.

Schoolwork – how to be there for them

While we have all gone through a bit of homeschooling recently, I realize now, in hindsight, that the same general rules apply in our household whether the kids are going to school or learning from home. Here is what we have found works best for us:

• Set aside time for school and time for play – I understand the draw of having a flexible schedule, especially when you are trying to get hundreds of things done in the space of a day, but having set times for learning and playing (and everything else) usually work better. Kids love routines and it will help them prepare for what is to come, especially in terms of school.

• Designate a learning and a play area – while we have certainly tried doing homework on the sofa, I find it’s always better to do schoolwork at the same spot every time. For us, this is the kitchen table, as we don’t have space for two separate desks in our home. It feels a bit like school too, as the three of us sit down together and are able to discuss the work we are doing if we need to.

• Use extra materials – schoolwork can get pretty dull sometimes, so adding something fun and extra into the mix can often be a great way to reduce their sated minds and introduce a new but beneficial activity. We’ve recently started working with reading comprehension worksheets that provide plenty of talking points and seem to be going down well. Try to find something similar that helps your kids engage with what they are learning in a different way.

Housework – a family effort

When it comes to housework, try to remember that while all of those chores like ironing and washing up do need to get done, they are not the end of the world, and if the dishes end up sitting in a sink a couple of hours longer than usual, you are not doing anything wrong.

The thing I find with housework is that we all put too much emphasis on it. Of course we need to do it, but it does not have to take over our lives and stress us out.

Try to get the entire family involved, especially the kids. You’ll find they actually love doing some of the chores, especially if you turn it into a game or a competition, and not a boring activity that needs to get done. It’s all about the way you present the activity to your kids.

We have a chore wheel in the kitchen that gets spun every day, and we have a limit of 2 chores per person per day. That way, nearly everything (or actually everything) does get done every day.

When the kids are not old enough to get involved, make sure they are still present in some way. Iron while they are playing with their blocks or cook while they are sitting at the desk – you don’t have to work only when they are napping.

Working on yourself – and why it’s so important

Finally, let’s add one more thing to our list of “everything” that needs to get done – self-care.

Everyone tells mothers how important they are and to take care of themselves, and I wholeheartedly agree. It’s just the way you practice self-care that I have a bone to pick with.

Self-care does not have to mean meditating with a candle, doing skincare in the bathtub, going to get a massage – self-care is what you make of it, so if you like to cook, don’t not think of it as time for yourself.

The important thing is to do something you really enjoy every day. If that’s skincare and meditation, that’s amazing! But if it’s listening to an audiobook while you are ironing, or if it’s teaching your kids how to write – enjoy that too!

The less pressure we put on self-care and the more we start enjoying ourselves in our daily lives, the better care we will be taking of ourselves.

Finally

Hopefully some of these tips will help you get everything done – and remember that everything is what you make of it, and not what anyone else thinks you as a mom need to get done in a day.

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Read more about well-being issues for mom:  Supporting Mom Through Menopause.

Oral health in a child is one of the keys to their overall health. The habits that you instill in your children get carried on with them into adulthood. When you teach them how to care for their teeth and gums, you set them up for a future of good oral hygiene. They will be inclined to brush and floss correctly for the rest of their life. 

Your kids idolize you, and they often follow what you do. Take advantage of those little eyes that are studying you, and use this attention to develop their healthy oral habits. Studies have shown correlations between parent’s and children’s good oral health habits.

Follow these simple tips to become a worthy dental health role model to your kid:

A brushing and flossing routine

Your child’s mouth is prone to many different microbes and germs daily. You need to ensure that food particles don’t get left behind in their teeth overnight. If plaque and bacteria accumulate on their teeth due to these food particles for a prolonged duration, it can erode their enamel, impact gum health and cause cavities. Good oral hygiene of brushing with fluoride toothpaste and flossing are both essential to prevent cavities in primary teeth and provide more effective support to your child’s permanent teeth.

Dental Cavities:

Bacteria and food build-ups known as plaque are primary causes of tooth decay. It arises when a lack of thorough brushing leaves foods containing high amounts of unhealthy carbohydrates such as sugar and starch behind. Some high carb foods which you should avoid as much as possible include milk, soda, candy, cakes, fruit juices, cereals, and bread. That is because the bacteria that live in our mouth convert these into acid. Over time in case of absence of correct removal methods, the acidic deposit of plaque will harm your child’s enamel, becoming a significant cause of cavities.

Proper Diet:

As a parent, you should teach your children how to eat rightly. Introduce them to the benefits of eating balanced, healthy meals early on. Avoid processed sugars as a family, and stay away from sodas, candies, or starchy foods. Advise them to drink plenty of water. Good hygiene at home and in school goes hand in hand with a healthy diet. 

Well developed teeth:

If you fail to introduce a healthy and sustainable oral hygiene routine in your child’s life during their learning age, it can lead to a variety of oral health problems for them. Around the age of 10-12, your kids can start getting teeth problems. Between the ages of 17 and 25 there is there is the issue of wisdom teeth, which will only be worse without healthy teeth and gums.  

One of the most important steps for oral care to visit a family orthodontist to figure out an early orthodontic treatment and help your child avoid any unnecessary hassle later.

As a parent, you are the first line of defense against poor oral health in your children. You can teach them relevant habits which will get them long-lasting beautiful smiles. But remember, regular checkups, cleanings, and suitable orthodontic treatments are also vital for your child’s comprehensive oral health.

Creating perfect smiles is what Dr. Satish Pai is committed to. An orthodontist by profession, he believes that a perfect smile is a powerful part of a person’s personality. When he is not working hard on perfecting his patients’ smiles at Putnam Ortho, he is busy writing engaging articles about everything related to healthy and perfect smiles. His other passions include golf, yoga and surfing. Spending time with his family always brings a smile on his face.

Your mind is amongst the most powerful resources you have, and there’s nothing like a jack of all trades. Dabbling into a little bit of this, and a little bit of that can even shape you into a more flexible person. Knowing this, it’s important for children to be taught lifelong learning skills in preparation for their future. This way, they can learn to do anything – fast.

Furthermore, lifelong learning can help your child develop a positive outlook on life – helping them build confidence and make amazing self-improvements. In times of unanticipated change, such as a job loss or technological advances, the cards will always be in the favor of a lifelong learner.  It begins when teachers and parents help kids develop effective learning habits, which in turn gives them a passion for learning.

Learning Driven by Interests

This is not to be underestimated: 88% of Americans have pursued learning about an interest to make their life fuller. Even more, our brains love it! Every time we learn something new, our brain chemistry changes – stimulating our neurons to create new connections. The more comfortably we know something, the easier it is for our brain to do the task. By introducing lifelong learning to your child, you can prepare them for a bright future.

On the other hand, it’s also important to teach your child the benefits of failure. For example, ask them to try completing a difficult task without any assistance or instruction. According to Singapore’s National Institute of Education, people who try to solve math problems alone don’t come up with the right answer. However, the process generates ideas about the nature of potential solutions. This leads to a better ability to solve similar problems in the future.

Setting Goals to Learn Skills

With that being said, here’s how your child – and you – can learn any skill fast. Set a goal, then break it down. After this, use the D.I.S.S. Method. The “D” is for ‘Deconstruction,’ i.e., “How can I break down what I need to know?” The “I” is for ‘Selection,’ i.e., “Which steps should I focus on first in order to get the ideal outcome?” The first “S” is for ‘Sequencing,’ i.e., “In what order will it be easiest to learn these steps?” The last “S” is for ‘Stakes,’ i.e., “What are the consequences if I am not able to complete my task?” Finally, practice this method while visualizing success.

87% of learners feel their new skills make them more well-rounded and capable. Perhaps this is why 73% of American adults consider themselves to be lifelong learners. Teaching your child lifelong learning skills in their early years will set them up for an easier future.

Infographic: Learn Any Skill

For a far more specific breakdown on lifelong learning, read the infographic below.

Discover ways to improve your child’s leaning skills outside school.

As online learning becomes more prevalent with the growth in technology related to communication, students can often feel more stressed out working apart from friends within a classroom environment. A fall in grades may result if special attention is not paid to potential problems related to virtual education.

However, teachers and parents can work together to help students minimize their distractions and improve their remote learning experience. While technology itself can also divert the student’s attention away from curriculum during eLearning hours, there are practical things that can be done to help.

Remove Distractions

Disabling phone notifications and turning on “do not disturb” mode can help. A step further, Apple’s “screen time” and Android’s “focus mode” can help limit distractions. Screen time allows users to set time limits on specific apps and features, and focus mode allows users to block access to specific apps on a set schedule. 

Setting a new life schedule can be helpful, too. It’s easy to let normal schedules slip when everyone is home, but you don’t have to keep your old schedule to have a consistent routine. Students with schedules built around a type of activity rather than specific plan may have greater success improving each child’s focus during online learning.

Furthermore, a schedule with announced transitions to keep your child engaged when switching tasks.

Give time warnings before a transition, and stick to them.

Get your child’s attention, give directions, then say “go.”

Using a visual timer can help your child understand how much time is left before switching gears. Try the “Time Timer app” for this.

Incorporate Fun

When learning is fun, it’s easy to get kids engaged. Schedule virtual playdates for your child to catch up with friends, let students collaborate and help each other with school work through digital, and keep in touch with other parents to share ideas on what works.

Find more tips to enhance home learning in the infographic below.

Lost Learning Time during the Covid Era, how worried should parents be?