Tips for balancing household jobs and time with your kids

As a stay-at-home parent, you strive to keep up with your household responsibilities and create a fun, active and engaging environment for your children. However, when the dishes are piled up in the sink, the stack of bills need to be paid or the laundry is out of control, these stressors might affect your time with your children. Create a well-organized and productive household by establishingresponsibilities, maintaining a positive attitude and having realistic expectations.

• In an ideal world, you would stay on top of household tasks and your home would be spotless from ceiling to floor.
• In reality, your role as a stay-at-home parent means that you are a multitasker with dozens of daily responsibilities.
• Recognize that you will not tackle every task every day.
• Instead, set realistic goals for each day.
• You might prep lunches for the week on Sunday evenings, read through school paperwork every afternoon when the kids have a snack or do laundry on Thursdays.
• By setting achievable goals every day, you will feel on top of your tasks rather than buried underneath them.

• To-do lists and calendars can help focus your household responsibilities and streamline your duties.
• First, keep all of your family activities -- school field trips, doctors' appointments, sports practises and more -- on a paper or electronic calendar.
• Every evening, sit down with your calendar and create your to-do list. Identify what tasks you want to accomplish the next day.
• Prioritize your current tasks, putting the most important ones at the top of your list.
• Consider how much time you will have available to complete these tasks. For instance, if you've signed up to chaperon your daughter's school field trip, you will miss out on a few hours of dedicated work time -- but gain that quality time with your child as well.

• When possible, try to avoid blending your household duties with time spent with the kids.
• If you're trying to tackle a chore while the kids run circles around you, you will get frustrated, fail to complete the task and miss out on quality time with your kids.
• When creating your daily to-do list, consider not just the tasks you need to accomplish. Also, consider how much time you have to get them done without the kids.
• When you can, separate your roles as household manager and parent. You'll more efficiently execute those chores and tasks and soak up that cherished quality time with your kids as well.
• Your job as a stay-at-home parent never ends. Tackle your many tasks with confidence by staying organized and realistic. You'll enjoy more productivity as a result.