5 Life Hacks for Parents Juggling School and Work
Choosing to pursue an education while working and parenting is a huge endeavor, but one that can have great long-term rewards. Finding ways to be efficient in your studies is important when there are a variety of responsibilities that require your attention. With countless resources and tools at your disposal, there is no need to feel overwhelmed. Thanks to many life hacks, you can achieve your goals as you complete your diploma program, go to work, and show up for your family.
The key is discovering what life hacks work for your lifestyle, personality, and routines. Also, you can choose a self-paced program to make gaining an education easier with your busy schedule.
It is important to remember that consistency is important with any new routine or life hack that you decide to implement. It takes time to train your brain to get in the habit of a rhythm. Additionally, it will require a period of time to determine if the life hack is something that is working or if it needs to be adjusted or removed from your rhythm altogether.
Listed below are five categories of life hacks and specific suggestions for how to implement them. These life hacks can help you juggle parenting while attending school and working another job.
1. Remember your “why”
With any decision in life, it is important to understand the motivation behind it. Without clear direction on the reasoning behind a choice, the new routine can begin to appear overwhelming and purposeless. Take some time to evaluate your “why” behind going to school and work. Perhaps it’s to better your career development in the workforce. Maybe it’s a career change that will utilize your skillset but give you the flexibility to be at home to care for your kids. Whatever your “why” is, know it, write it down, and put it somewhere visible. You can even get creative and print out your “why” to frame it somewhere noticeable so you can refer back to it.
2. Create a to-do list
These lists can serve different purposes and be organized in a variety of ways to serve you best. They can be digital or handwritten and can be broken into different categories that may include, but are certainly not limited to, urgent tasks, things that need to be completed within the next week, and monthly goals or projects. You can break up each task and assign it a level of importance. Writing everything down can help prevent you from feeling overwhelmed.
An extra tip is to create a to-do list the night before. This rhythm gives you the opportunity to wake up the next morning already prepared for what you need to focus on for the day. Keep this list to three to five tasks that must be completed that day. This will break down your responsibilities into manageable and achievable goals!
3. Plan ahead with food and clothing
This life hack is a great way to get the entire family involved! At the start of each week, take thirty minutes to choose the outfits you will wear each day and set them aside. Depending on the age of your child(ren), they can take responsibility to pick out their clothing for the week. This life hack will alleviate the need to stare at your closet each morning deciding what to wear. Instead, everyone can get up and be ready to start school and work with less hassle.
When it comes to meals, decide what meals you will cook at the beginning of week and make a grocery list. After you do your shopping, you will be confident that you have all the ingredients for what you are making. A bonus hack is to take a couple of hours to meal prep for the entire week and then heat up the leftovers. This rhythm will cut down on the time you spend in the kitchen either cooking or cleaning.
4. Find an organization method that works for you
Keeping things orderly will help you cut down on wasted time and stay productive with the important tasks. Color-code your schedule or create a block schedule so you know what times are allotted for certain tasks like studying, turning in homework assignments, working, or taking the kids to their after-school activities.
Also, ensuring a separate school/study space has been allocated in the house will remind your brain what time it is and help you complete the needed tasks. Another way to get the entire family involved in organization is to hang up a dry-erase monthly calendar where you can list all the upcoming events for the family and important dates to remember.
5. Take care of yourself and ensure others do the same
One of the easiest and simplest life hacks is to make sure you get adequate sleep and hydration each day. These tools will help ensure you are alert and energized for each day while completing schoolwork, working, and caring for your family. Find consistency with a regular bedtime and keep your phone off or out of the bedroom to avoid distractions. If you set an alarm in the morning, placing the clock farther away will ensure you get up and get ready when it goes off. Be sure to also reward yourself by doing a hobby or taking a break for even thirty minutes a day to reset.
Whatever life hacks you decide to implement, remember to give yourself grace and wiggle room to assess if things are working for you. If not, change up the pattern or try something new! Any life hack is supposed to do just that—make life simpler and more streamlined for productivity and reduce stress. As you make progress on your way to balancing work, school, and family life, remember to celebrate each milestone because the small wins will motivate you to keep going and achieve the big wins!
Written by Laura Conaway
