Work-Life Balance. Is that even a thing? Being a parent can more often than not feel like a full time job in itself, especially during the long summer holidays and even more so during a lock-down. It’s no surprise that many of us struggle with the elusive ‘work-life balance’.
With children going back to school and workplaces reopening we wanted to share some practical tips that some of us at Newbie have found helpful over the years:
Whether you are throwing together a pasta dish, slowly cooking a stew or roasting a chicken, make more! Leftovers can be frozen and used at a later date or used for lunches the next day mixed in with salad or layered in sandwiches.
Added bonus to this is the kids will keep each other entertained throughout the day.
With children going back to school and workplaces reopening we wanted to share some practical tips that some of us at Newbie have found helpful over the years:
Meal Preparation
It’s one we hear time and time again, and here at Newbie we’re big fans of creating weekly meal plans and batch cooking. It's known that planning meals before doing a big food shop can help keep costs (and your time) down.
Get together with your little ones to plan a menu for the week ahead. It’s a great way to teach children about food and get them involved in the weekly cooking. You could even ask them to design a menu for the week.
Whether you are throwing together a pasta dish, slowly cooking a stew or roasting a chicken, make more! Leftovers can be frozen and used at a later date or used for lunches the next day mixed in with salad or layered in sandwiches.
Banish The Blue Light
You know it, we know it, phones in bed are a big no. Despite knowing it can increase anxiety and stress, we still can’t resist the temptation of a pre-bedtime scroll through work-emails, Instagram or catching up on the day’s news. We never switch off.
Set yourself some strict rules:
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Stop using your phone 45 minutes before bed
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If you can, charge your phone outside the bedroom
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If you use your phone as an alarm, consider purchasing an alarm clock or make sure your phone is switched to a Do Not Disturb mode
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Try not to rush to your phone first thing in the morning, take twenty minutes for yourself or spent with little ones before diving into the day ahead
One Step Ahead
If your evening’s allow it, get one step ahead of tomorrow by preparing as much as you can. Make lunches, pack bags, lay out clothes for little ones.
Sometimes we find it helps to make a to-do list for the week ahead on a Sunday afternoon. Banish the Sunday night anxiety by splitting the list into sections so you know exactly what you have to do; life admin, kids, work, house. For an extra layer of organisation you could even add days and timings, but don’t worry if you don't stick to these!
Share The Load
If you’re struggling to arrange work around school holidays try reaching out to other parents and carers to arrange child swaps. Agree a set date and time you’ll take each other's kids to fit in around your working calendar.
Added bonus to this is the kids will keep each other entertained throughout the day.
Family Calendar
Families come in all shapes and sizes, and everyone has their own thing going on. Use a family calendar to keep everyone’s commitments in check. Swim lesson, lunch at Grandma’s, business meeting. Nothing will go missed again (well, maybe the odd thing, we are human!).
And if it doesn’t go to plan, don’t worry. You’re doing an amazing job.