You can’t do everything

I’m not sure if school is back in motion for you like it is for me round these parts, but my guess is that things are starting to get a lot more busy now.

And if you’re like me, you’re already overwhelmed. Re-establishing a routine, staying on track with your health, managing all those papers that they bring home for you to sign that first week. The list seems never-ending.

So I’ve rounded up a few tips for you to help navigate through this time of year.

You can’t do everything. 

But you can do anything, one thing at a time.

-Alex Mandossian

Laundry (or honestly any other chore around the house):

Sophie is in 5th grade and she will be in middle school next year, so this is something we have got to get under control this year. I can’t believe our little boogie is growing up. Over the summer, we started setting a day of the week for her to do her own laundry. 

We even had the girls choose one night out of the week to make dinner. We plan to continue with this plan, even with school starting. If your kids are old enough, I highly recommend you giving this a try. They have to learn sometime! Set a reminder on your alarms around the time of day you want them to do this so you don’t forget.

School papers, reminders, things to be signed:

My girls are the world’s worst for trying to hand me something while I’m in the middle of doing dishes or making dinner. They know I’ll forget, and it’s likely if you’re like me– this happens to you too. Set aside a place in the house for them to “turn things in” for you to look over. That way nothing gets lost. 

You could even have a set of sticky notes there for them to use if something is urgent. Most days either right before bed or first thing when I get up, I go to that stack of papers and do my part. If there’s a sticky note on it, I know this is something I need to tend to right away.

Night-time Routines:

Even if your kids aren’t little, this is extremely important. Remember, you are helping your children learn habits that they will carry into adulthood. Talk about the importance of rest and how it affects your emotions, stress, hunger cues, literally ALL the things! It’s also important for them to understand that as much as you love them and spending time with them, adults need alone time too. This is not selfish. 

So maybe you set an hour before bed where everyone has quiet time with no devices. If your kids are older, encourage them to read a book, work on a painting, or journal about their day. If they are smaller, let them choose a book to look at (or read if they are able) own their own or color a picture. 

And then YOU DO THE SAME! Most of us struggle with carving out time to unwind. Please make this a priority.