The 25th Hour: Find More Time
We all want to spend as much time as possible with our children. I try to do at least one activity a day with Erin along with reading, baby gym and cuddle time. I have been blogging some of the activities here, with directions, and things that you need. Of course if you have activities you do with your babies and children get in touch and I’ll post them up too. Sharing your ideas and tips with other mums is the best way that we can all get inspiration and ideas.
Which brings me on to my own tips. Tips for freeing up the time to spend doing these activities and spending quality time just playing.
It always seems hard to make that extra hour, in between, cooking, cleaning and taking care of the practical side of parenting. Here is how I (apart from keeping a less than immaculate house) manage to make that extra hour.
1. Online Home Delivery. Not only saves time but money too. I save around two hours a week doing my food shopping online. It costs me £4.99, but, I am still saving £10-15 just not being in the shop, chucking everything in sight into the trolley.
2. Cut down on TV. A couple of weeks ago, I was feeling really stressed out. I was getting really aggravated, seemingly at nothing. I started having the TV off a lot during the day, I noticed it made a big impact on the way I was feeling. The constant noise and distraction meant that I was never really focussing properly on anything and it was taking me twice as long if not longer to get things done. Now I only have the TV on for about 2 or 3 twenty minute periods during the day. Noticing how much of an impact it was having during the day, we have started having the TV off a lot during the evening too, only really having it on when there is something specific we want to watch. I’m not sure exactly how much time this is saving, but, I do know that I am more productive and less stressed. It takes a couple of days to get used to, but I bet after you have done it for a week you won’t go back.
3. Get up 1hr before the baby/kids. Yip you’ve heard it all before. I started doing this about two weeks ago and it makes all the difference. I’m not talking about getting up an hour earlier to clean, just get up and do the things you want to do for yourself, check email, shower etc… This saves time later on. There is more incentive to getting up and having ‘me time’ than there is getting up to clean…which you will have freed up time to do later.
4. Clean the house in the ads. This is one I have been doing since long before Erin was born. Basically as soon as the ads come on during any programme, I get up and do a bit of cleaning. I’m not joking…you can get a serious amount done if you are quick. This is what I can do during an ad break (one during each ad break…obviously) 
Quick tidy of livingroom, wash half the dishes, get a washing in, put dishes away, fold washing, clean toilet, tidy kitchen, make a coffee (well actually husband does this!)
So with four breaks in an hour long programme, that’s a fair bit of cleaning
5. Get out early. The earlier you get out the earlier you’ll get back and free up your day for other things, this isn’t the case if you go later because it will be busier and it will eat into the rest of your day. This mostly applies to weekends.
6. Multi-task Do two things at once. Eat lunch and check emails. Feed baby and watch favourite tv show. Iron and listen to a podcast.
I've been blogging for four years and write about anything and everything that takes my fancy.
Above is me with my beloved Ernie in Port Aventura and left with our love child in Florida.
Themocracy
[...] More time to spend doing what you love. The same principles apply to time. Cut down on tv and other wasteful time-users, you could free up the time for what you really want to do. Read my post on finding that 25th hour for strategies on how to release more time for hobbies, family time, exercising, blogging or starting a new business (stay tuned for my next series!). [...]
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