Time Management Tips for Mothers

One cannot manage too many affairs: like pumpkins in the water, 

one pops up while you try to hold down the other.
- Chinese Proverb

As a mother of one pre-schooler, acting as a single parent while my husband is away, with no househelp, and doing some freelance work, time management is my biggest challenge.

It's my second month as all of the above, and am still learning the ropes - occasionally slipping and piling tasks here and there. Using faint snippets of what I remember from the Law of Attraction, Time Management Quadrant, Five S, and the Quality Framework (hehehe), and most importantly what my mother taught me :D, I have found that these things work:

1. Regularly wake up at 5:00AM to start doing the house chores.
2. Do a five to minute stretch to energize yourself, run or dance if you will.
3. Play music while making a cup of coffee. :) This helps to relax you while doing routinary tasks.
4. Eat breakfast so that your body burns calories while you are cleaning the house. :)
5. Plan ahead, list your menu and To-Do list two days early.
6. Reduce or skip the TV or DVD movie watching time - it only robs you off your hours.
7. Multi-task - clean the dishes while breakfast, lunch or dinner is cooking on the stove. 
8. Do your work, business sideline, or other personal tasks while your child is asleep. When she is awake, she will need your attention.
9. Update your Facebook, blog, and Twitter - it helps connect you to the outside world.
10. At night, do not forget to pamper yourself - rest your body, drink your vitamins, put on your anti-aging cream. Great way to save on aging time for your body. :D

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