Staying productive as a mummy | Top tips!

I think sometimes I must look like I'm trying to balance spinning plates in a circus ring whilst dashing about in heels. Holding down the fort at home is seriously no joke! :p I read something recently that really inspired me though, it basically said that God designed this exact day for you to achieve everything you need to. And I've been musing on those words ever since. I find myself comforted by them and also challenged to stop worrying about the things I can't do on any given day- they probably aren't priorities anyway!

As a mum though, routine is a close friend of mine and having some semblance of one definitely helps to keep me motivated and productive. I thought I'd share a few tips I use to help keep myself on an even kilter most days. What's that other saying?- 'Happy wife, happy life?' I definitely believe that if a mother is content then the children kinda follow in sync with that- yet another happy reason to put things in place so that you can bring your parental A-game to your family!

01. Enjoy it.

Sometimes I get so caught up with what we're doing, where we need to be going and, invariably, how late we are. All these things distract me from simply enjoying the moment and enjoying being with my kids. Personally, I know I thrive off of structure and I feel more secure when there is rhythm in my life. However, I don't ever want to become a slave to structure whereby each day holds the same old pattern and I end up going about daily life like some sort of domestic robot. 

I want to stop and really enjoy the little moments with the children and always make space for creativity and spontaneity, even in the seemingly mundane.

Being conscious of how much I enjoy being a mother definitely makes me more productive! 

02. Morning routine.

I think a strong morning routine can really set you up for a good day. On those days where the family are up, breakfasted, toothbrushed and dressed within a reasonable time frame, I always feel more motivated and productive and this nearly always feeds into the rest of the day. Now we have a school routine in place, our mornings from monday to friday are very structured and I feel really happy about it. Come the weekend though, I know we will all be ready for a more laid back approach and I think the kids will certainly be ready for it too! All things in moderation, right?

03. Go with the flow!

I normally wake up with a list as long as my arm of things I want to achieve on any given day. However, I also have toddlers! Ha! One of my biggest 'life lessons' since becoming a parent has been to go with the flow. As a full time parent my time is not my own anymore and so I need to always maintain flexibility with everything I do in order to be available to the needs of the family. 

It's definitely something I wrestle with though because, although I love the sense of purpose it gives me, there are times where I wish I could just take five! Add work to this dimension and it's a whole other ball game! 

I currently work at home, around the children and often when they have gone to bed as that tends to suit everyone better but I have to always 'go with the flow' each day because there really is no telling how a day is going to unravel with such little ones.

04. Take care of yourself too!

Naturally as a parent you tend to put yourself right at the bottom of the list of things to take care of. It's not a 'woe is me' thing or an excuse for a pity party, it's just the way life is at the moment. And yes, sometimes it's bloomin' tough that way round but, ultimately, it's been the biggest oppertunity for personal growth I've ever experienced- and that's hugely positive!

However, ain't nobody gonna pour from an empty cup! We mums have to take care of ourselves at some point too. If I want to be productive in the parenting realm, as well as the working world, I have to look after myself and I like to take a moment at the end of the day to consider this. 

I'm a great believer that there is not much a hot bath and some chocolate (the non-share bag) can't fix and my husband and I often stay up putting the world to rights after the kids are down for the night.

 It's a lovely part of the day that I always look forward to; just being able to reconnect with who we are outside of our parenting roles and getting to have those conversations that might have been saved up all day in anticipation of some adult ears to listen! Sharing in the joys and the struggles of our days can be such balm for the soul and it helps you to think about the way the cogs are turning in the present time, how the family is, where you can grow as a parent. -All very productive!

Ultimately, taking care of yourself proeprly is going to impact your productivity ten-fold so now there really is no excuse...Spa weekend, here I come! 

 As you can no doubt tell, my best tips for being productive are heavily intertwined with my role as a parent. What would your tips be?