"Twist Time" So It Works For You

Time is a tricky thing.  We have 24 hours each day to "spend" as best we can.  Manipulate your daily schedule to budget your time effectively for you and your family.  Creative thinking can streamline your home's daily tasks and make your life easier.  Take dinner prep, for example...

When your twins are newborns, the dinner hour is the 'bewitching' hour.  Babies tend to become more anxious and unsettled during the late afternoon and early evening hours, and colicky episodes usually peak right at dinnertime.  What superhero could cook and serve a meal while also caring for two fussy babies?  Even as your twins grow into toddlers and preschoolers, they may be bouncing off the walls come late afternoon.  During the school years, your twins are getting off the bus in the afternoons and have homework and various extracurricular activities scheduled.  Frozen pizza seven nights a week isn't the healthiest option, but the forces of the universe seem aligned in a mission to thwart homemade dinners forevermore!

The solution?  Make a "do-ahead" dinner at a time convenient for you and your schedule, then assemble or reheat it right at mealtime.  Personally, I am a morning person [perhaps because of my love for coffee] and my young kids are more agreeable and cooperative in the morning hours.  If able, I'll assemble lasagna to be baked off later, or roast chicken parts so they'll only require a microwave reheating.  Come 5 pm, most of the prep is complete, and even if we're having a hectic afternoon I can quickly toss together a decent meal for my hungry family.  Mornings aren't the only alternative––families with busy work schedules may find that weekends are a good time to assemble a few nights' meals in advance.  See what works for you and your situation.

The point is that you can "twist time" to make it work for you.  Dinner can be made in the morning.  Laundry can be done when the kids are in bed.  Prime time TV shows can be recorded or watched later for free on the internet.  Hectic mornings can be alleviated by placing backpacks in the car the night before.  Identify your trouble spots and experiment with new strategies, and you'll find yourself a more relaxed, hence more effective, parent.