Many parents can relate to feeling a little emotionally spent as a result of their constant efforts to maintain high standards. If this sounds like you, and you’re looking for ways to replenish your reservoir of emotional resources, or if you just feel a little time-poor lately and are in need of some shortcuts, read on! Recently, I took these shortcuts to help me wrangle my two toddlers, and I have no regrets.
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Night – For when the only other thing they’ll eat is spaghetti and meatballs and you don’t feel like cleaning that off the floor!
- Skip the Bath – Let them be cruddy for a day!
- TV in the morning- You can brush their teeth while they watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and then get some peace and quiet while you brush your own (before they have a meltdown on the way out the door.)
- Movie night with Grandma!
- Leave the toys all over the floor. No one is coming over!
- TV while you make dinner! I honestly don’t know what other people do instead.
- Buy those uncrustables sandwiches so that you don’t even have to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on Peanut Butter and Jelly Night.
- Whip up this quick olive oil cake for yourself and give the kids some for breakfast.
- Instead of looking into the computer for a night, make your partner watch a classic JLo romcom with you!
- If you must be on the computer, watch a classic JLo romcom while you work!
- Don’t add any pictures to your blog posts. Just post something!