As stay-at-home moms and dads, we can do too much, being overwhelmed and not knowing how to plan, but a relative advantage of being at home is being there to manage our domestic duties. Do I master this skill perfectly? Not yet, since we are constantly under renovation since the purchase of our house. But having lived in some situations I have developed several tips…

1. Reduce time for domestic duties

According to an economic law, we are most effective when there is a deadline. I give myself an hour a day maximum to clean up, that I do as fast as I can when my children are asleep or if I have free time because they play. It enables then more time to care for our family and do things that make us truly happy. If you don’t make it for the deadline, it could be because of superfluous labor or tasks, which leads me to the next point.

2. Simplify

I advise to do the dance “Sort and discard”. We must ask ourselves each time we get an object underhand (or even do a task) if it is really useful. If yes, we range it back better if possible. Otherwise, we give it away! Here you go useless toys and clothing. We can dance with children\’s stuff (if they’re older ask them to do it), papers, clothes and knickknacks from the basement and closets. You\’ll realize as it happened to me that it\’s really liberating to practice voluntary simplicity: we are less bothered by material, energy flows best in our house and we do not spend all our spare time to sort our objects.

You can also simplify by consolidating your tasks. For example, do the whole house clean up once a week, because if it is done more often it does not add to the quality of the household and is redundant. Or grocery shopping and washing every two weeks.

3. Emails and Too Much Information

You should also organize this aspect because you can really waste your time reading emails several times a day and unnecessary surfing on the internet when you could be more productive.

Interruptions are contrary to productivity and spending more time with your child. I recommend not to start your day by checking your emails or listening to the messages on your phone. Plan one moment a day for that, then reduce gradually (be sure to let an autoresponder message that says you’ll do so for more productivity and efficiency and let a number in case of emergency). Often now, I do get them once a week, and I cast a glance to my email emergencies a few times a week.

You can then make a rule with yourself to go on the internet a few minutes a day, if necessary or to relax at the end of the day.

Extract of the course coming up in 2011 : Exactly How To Stay Home With Your Child… And Be Happy And Accomplished Being There!

To know more about blissfully staying home and do the exercises that you can adapt specifically to your family, get this excellent and original course at Blissful Stay-At-Home Moms and Dads http://www.stay-at-home-parent.com

Author Bio: You can use it for your site! But include this : Marie-Eve Boudreault is a sociologist and the author of the website and ebooks on how to be Blissful Stay-At-Home Moms and Dads. Improve your life by subscribing to her ezine and get 2 free ebooks as a bonus \’\’10 Tips to Be A Blissful Stay-At-Home Parent\’\’ and \’\’Activities For Bored Kids\’\’, a limited double offer! Articles, ebooks, exclusive stay-at-home parent forum, and more at http://www.stay-at-home-parent.com

Category: Family Concerns
Keywords: stay at home parents,chores, stay-at-home mother,stay at home mom,stay at home dad,SAHM,SAHD,WAHM