Parenting and work
As a mum of three, as well as a childminder, I spend a lot of my time on the school run, at the school gates, or at playgroups and baby classes. I have friends, and work with families, with children of all ages. In lots of conversations about daily life or weekend plans, one thing we all seem to have in common is the constant juggle. I know I feel like I am constantly spinning plates and trying not to let one fall! We all want to do our best in every aspect of our lives. We want to build and maintain the relationships we have with the people we care about – our families, our colleagues, our friends. We want to spend time together, we want to do things for our children and offer them opportunities that help them to flourish and grow. We also want to take time to do things for our own health and wellbeing. Something I find all my friends and I have in common is that we always find ourselves trying to stay one step ahead so nothing falls behind.
For me, I find it particularly helpful to set aside some time at the weekend to plan in advance what the forthcoming week holds for my own family. I write down on our family calendar which child needs a PE kit and when, what after school clubs I will need to collect from and at what time, who needs a packed lunch on what day etc. This bit of forward planning saves me some valuable time during the week. I take the same approach with work and set out a rough plan for the week ahead with ideas of activities to do with the children in my care. I look at what topics we will cover and what special days or significant events are happening that we can incorporate into our days.
There is always room for flexibility and I’m always aware that things can change unexpectedly, but being prepared is a motto I learnt as a Girl Guide many years ago, and is one that has definitely stayed with me!
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