Brand New Dad » Month By Month » 11 Months Old » Managing Your Time

For young parents, there is often not enough time. How can you manage time to better care for your child and yourself?

Try this. Get a sheet of paper. On the left side, write the hours of your day. Start with when you wake up and end with when you go to bed. Keep track of how you spend each 15-minute period. Here's a sample of how one hour might look:

6:00 a.m. Get dressed.
6:15 a.m. Feed the baby
6:30 a.m. Dress the baby.
6:45 a.m. Finish dressing.
7:00 a.m. Take the baby to day care.

Do this every day for a week. After a few days, you will notice habits. You will get a clear idea of where your time goes.

At week's end, review what you have done. Circle all the important things-such as baby care, work, meals and sleep.

Maybe you had some surprises. On Wednesday, for example, the sink clogged up. You had to stop what you were doing and clean out the drain. Maybe there were days when you wanted to do something important, like exercise. But you didn't have time.

Looking back at your week, what could you easily have done without? Maybe chatting on the phone? Or watching TV? Everyone needs time to relax and enjoy friends. But you might limit such activities. When a friend calls, say, "Sorry, I can't talk now. Can I call you Sunday?"

You might choose one or two favorite TV programs a week and watch them as a family. Limiting TV time is a good habit to begin now. When your children are in school, they will need time to do homework.

Use existing time better

Maybe you spent 10 minutes one morning looking for your keys. Instead, put your keys in a regular place-such as a hook in a kitchen cabinet.

If you always seem rushed in the morning, get organized the night before. Set out clothes for yourself and the baby. Pack the diaper bag. Make your lunch and put it in the refrigerator.

When standing in line at the store, play a simple game with your baby. You might point to things in your basket and name them.

Plan ahead

Plan menus a week or more in advance. Make a list of needed groceries and shop only once a week. Instead of shopping Saturday afternoon when the store is busy, go on a weekday night.

Combine errands into one trip whenever possible. The day before a doctor's appointment, write down the questions you want to ask.

Simplify when possible

When faced with a big job, avoid the temptation to put it off. Instead, break it into small parts. Ask about anything you don't understand. Do one part at a time. Reward yourself when it's done.

Free up time

Maybe you can wake up 15 minutes earlier than your baby. You might use this for exercise or quiet time for yourself.

Divide up chores among family members. When cooking, double the recipe. Freeze half for when you're too busy to cook. When someone asks you to do something, consider saying no.

Now plan your time for the coming week. Be realistic. Remember that unexpected things may happen. Be flexible. Keep refining your schedule in the weeks ahead. You may still feel busy and miss doing some things you want to do. If so, be patient. In a few years, your child will be in school most of the day. Your schedule will change.

For now, give yourself a pat on the back. You are doing important things for yourself and your family. The ways you spend your time now will shape the rest of your child's life.

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