working parent

Five Simple Ways to Manage Your Time!

lba-admin — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 19:43:47 +0000

Five Simple Ways to Manage Your Time!

lba-admin Mon, 04/16/2018 - 15:43

We all try to be organized. We know it's not your intention to forget the class cupcakes or to dress your children in purple on orange day. It's not easy to manage the family' schedule, handle the household chores and make dinner, all while working and raising a family. Being organized is really about knowing your responsibilities, prioritizing the work to be done, and using time as a gift.

Let's discuss managing your time today, as this is a big part of taking back control of your schedule. When you place your goals and priorities at the forefront, it will assist you in making the necessary changes required to live the successful life you truly want to live.

With kids, life is unpredictable. How many times have you tried to leave the house and you are missing your child's shoes? With a few important changes, you can learn how to how to take full advantage of the time you have and help to relieve some of the pressure you feel with the daily time crunch.

Here are the five ways to manage your time:

1. Review the way you spend your time. Examine your schedule closely and you will be able to remove non-essential tasks that could be put on hold or eliminated. In some cases, this could free up almost an hour of your day!

2. Determine your priorities. Try dividing your to-do list into three sections: immediate needs, weekly needs and long-term projects. This way you will not feel overwhelmed and will be able to successfully conquer your tasks.

3. Give little helpers a job. Even small children can help with daily chores such as sorting laundry, picking up toys and putting groceries away.

4. Prepare a "basics" bag. Have a bag set with the basics (baby items, wipes, coloring books, snacks, etc.) and keep it by the door so you are always ready to go.

5. Put items in their proper place. Little ones are quick to throw off their shoes and ditch their gloves when they come home from school. As a result, we can wind up wasting precious time looking for these lost items that can be stuffed under the couch and in the toy bo

You Are a Good Mother!

lba-admin — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 18:57:42 +0000

You Are a Good Mother!

lba-admin Mon, 04/16/2018 - 14:57

All moms have those days when they feel they are running on empty. Their inner voice tells them "they are doing it wrong" or they can't compare with the supermoms who manage a job and family, cook organic meals, take their child to music lessons and do yoga five times a week! Talk about unrealistic expectations and mommy meltdowns.

Take the pressure off of yourself and realize you are doing a good job and you are a good mother! You absolutely LOVE your children. You want what's BEST for them. You work hard and make SACRIFICES for them. These actions are what makes you a good mother. Try not to compare yourself with other moms. The truth is they struggle with feelings of insecurity too. (They really do, despite the outward appearances).

Start tuning in to your own self-confidence and figure out works best for you and your family. Children tend to enjoy the small things in life. So, focus on doing certain things well. Maybe you have a natural talent for crafts and projects, but you're not such a great cook. Then celebrate your free time with your children by creating the latest masterpiece for the refrigerator and order pizza for dinner. You'll feel much more relaxed in your parenting choices by giving yourself a chance to take it easy sometimes. Your children will remember the quality time you spend together when they grow up, not the fancy dinner you cooked last night.

You should also treat yourself to a massage, haircut or manicure/pedicure every once in a while. If you never invest some time in yourself, you may feel stressed and resentful. A well-deserved break enables you to come back refreshed and renewed so that you are more equipped to love and care for those special little people in your life!

Try to slow down...a little. Hold your child's hand. Listen to their sweet voice. Smell their hair. Enjoy these precious moments of giggles and hugs and kisses and songs. We all know how fast they grow, so enjoy your beautiful kiddos!

Today and everyday it is important to remember, “There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.” —Jill Churchill.

Studies Show the Average Working Mom Clocks in More Than 90 Hours Per Week

lba-admin — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 17:05:51 +0000

Studies Show the Average Working Mom Clocks in More Than 90 Hours Per Week

lba-admin Tue, 11/07/2017 - 12:05

For Linda Griffin, an accountant and mother of three, her workday doesn’t start when she gets to work and end when she gets home. With three kids, aged 3, 9 and 11, her workday starts when she wakes up at 6:00 a.m. and ends around 10:00 p.m., after homework is done, stories are read and the children are asleep in their beds. Every week, she’s clocking 80 hours of work a week, and that’s just from Monday until Friday.

“Our mornings start at 6 a.m. and are incredibly busy, with everyone running around trying to get ready for their days,” said Griffin. “My husband and I split the morning dropoffs and I head to New York City for work. The commute usually takes an hour and 15 minutes on a good day, on a bad day, even longer. My husband and a babysitter handle the pickups. I usually get home around 6:30 or 7 p.m., but if I have to work late, I might not get home until after 9 p.m., which just extends my work day even longer because the rest of the stuff still has to get done.”

Griffin isn’t alone. A recent study showed that working mothers average more than 90 hours of work per week, when the time doing chores around the house is factored in.

Because of the age difference between her youngest and oldest children, Griffin is regularly asked if things are harder with Connor, who came six years after his sister Emily. Griffin laughs, “Connor is the easiest. He goes to daycare!”

The “daycare” she is referring to is actually much more than a daycare. Lightbridge Academy is an early education and child care center with a comprehensive curriculum, and Connor is enrolled at the Rutherford, New Jersey location. Her children have been enrolled at that same center since her oldest, Kayleigh, now 11, was a baby, and by the time Connor graduates, the family will have been going to that center for 14 consecutive years.

“The older girls have activities, I have to keep track of who has to get picked up where, who has homework or other projects,” Griffin said. “With Connor, his Lightbridge Academy schedule is the easiest for us. We drop him off and we know he’s in good hands and learning all day at Lightbridge. Some centers close early, but Lightbridge is open until 6:30 p.m., which works great for our busy schedules.”

When she was looking into care options for Kayleigh, she was drawn to the brand not only because of its convenient hours, but because of its bright atmosphere and friendly and caring staff. Now, more than a decade later, her feelings of loyalty have only gotten stronger.

“From the minute I walked in with Kayleigh, Lightbridge felt like the perfect place for us. I knew that no matter what is going on in my day, my kids were taken care of, having fun and learning. When the girls come with me to drop off Connor, they’re excited to see their teachers. It’s like a family. We were very lucky with the directors and the parents in the class, it was a tight-knit group and we are all still connected.”

Griffin adds that all three of her children had the same teacher in the infant room, which says a lot about teacher retention.

“When we started at Lightbridge Academy, the center was less than a year old, and some of the classrooms were empty. Since then, the center has expanded because it was so well-received in the area. I feel that the staff puts in the extra effort and genuinely care about my children. It always feels very sincere. Plus, they take care of us as parents. They’re very accommodating, communicative and easy to work with and make my life as a busy working mom much easier.”

The balance between work and family life will always be tough for working mothers like Griffin, but when a child is in good hands during the workweek, it makes all the difference.