by CC Swift

Created on: March 12, 2009

Time management is a major source of stress for all. Learning to manage one's time is quickly becoming a fine art, if it is not already. There just never seems to be enough time. We all have more demands and more constraints. Our environments are now more complex and more dynamic than they were a decade ago. There seems to be an endless supply of information specifically dealing with time management for the workplace and yet not as much about it for the home. The tips and techniques outlined in this article can help manage and maximize your family time.

Setting Priorities at Home
Certain questions will arise when attempting to manage time at home:
1. What kind of relationship do I want with my spouse or significant other?
2. What example do I want to set for my children
3. What is important in our quality of life?
4. What do we need to do to have the kind of life that reflects what we think is important?

The answers to these questions will be the foundation on what to do to better control of time.

Managing Priorities
Priorities should be kept simple. Everyone must pitch in and help (to the extent that they are able) with household tasks. No longer must the matriarch be superwoman and do everything, whether she is a homemaker or has another regular job as a professional. Of course, one must also know when (within reason) to be flexible.

Facing the Day
Mornings are usually tough times for most families. The following tips can be followed to start the day right:
1. Stagger waking times so that family members can use different parts of the house (such as the bathroom or kitchen) without conflict.
2. Take about fifteen (15) minutes each evening to go over the next day's activities with everyone.
3. Decide on breakfast before the morning and share the responsibility for getting it ready. This was beautifully illustrated in the movie "Cheaper by the dozen" staring Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt. In this family of fourteen (14), everyone had a separate task. One person made the toast, another made the eggs, another helped the smallest member to get dressed, etc. This was specialization of labor at its best.
4. Make lunches the night before and let the kids help with this task too. This not only saves time in the morning but also helps family members to bond. It also reduces any argument that parents and kids may have due to different lunch preferences. Let the kids make their own lunch. Why not? Of course lunches need to be checked to make sure they are relatively healthy.
5. Make sure

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