How to balance life??

Question

I have a 3 yr old, work 5 days a week, and also have a chronic illness. I have tried very hard to balance my life, but still find there simply is not enough time. Does anyone have some good ideas for great things I can do with my child, things I or we can do with others ( I miss having a social life and friends' kids are all much older), and/or just general ways to organize and balance life better??

Answer 1

Are you a single mom?
I am. And I can tell you from having 2 boys for 15 years now...it is sooooo not easy to make time for you. You need to do that though...it is almost an essential.
Get a babysiteer once every couple weeks and go out with your friends, go to a movie, go on a date, take a hot bubble bath with your favorite music and a bottle of wine, whatever floats your boat but have a really good time. With out a happy mom, there is no happy family.
For the quality time with your 3 yr old, that is important too. Take them to a park with some McD's or go to the toy store and look around together, whatever your kid likes, but make sure to make time for that. Some things have to be shifted around in life constantly to make time for things that are very important. Dont forget that the most important things in life arent things,....they are people. Skip the dishes some night, skip the making the bed, or the favorite TV show...skip things that can be caught up to later. It just is a truth - some things, some times, have to be skipped. There is only one of you and so many things to attend to...dont neglect you!
To organize.....lists are tremendous help!!
Get enough sleep, but sometimes, get up 1/2 hour earlier than usual to get some things done. Sometimes...go to bed earlier to get that needed sleep.
It is a juggling act! Good luck, if you have any questions or just want to talk - email me...
**Another good idea... your 3 year old would love this. Some day, make a batch of chochlate pudding. Sit at the table with your kid and make designs on white construction paper with fingers...they love that, it is creative, and yummy!...most kids dig it!

Answer 2

The first and best thing you can do to balance your life is to make up a schedule. You work, so your child must be cared for by others during that time. Then, you've got errands, cooking, cleaning, and caring for your child... the second shift! And that's the shift that you have the most control over, so make the most of it by literally sitting down every night for 10 minutes and planning the next day.

I have no idea what your schedule is, but if you figure in an hour or two a few times a week for errands, and an hour for cooking and eating (and even that can be more productive for your child by spending 5 to 10 minutes before you get to cooking playing with your little one and setting up a sit-down activity for him/her), then the rest of the time pretty much should be open for you to do whatever you want with your child.

At three years of age, you can probably plan 15- to 30-minute blocks of time (more if you take your little one outside!) Alternate active activities with sit-down activities. Create a list of sit-down activities... blocks, magnets, books, drawing, Play-doh, pretend play, puppets, crafts, games, toys, etc. Then create a list of active play ideas... go to park, play Simon Says, dance, make an obstacle course, play with a ball, slides, water play, sand play, etc. I don't know how your chronic illness plays into this, but make the list right for you. Then you just pick from the list the night before and get materials ready for the next day, and there you have it! A great time with your child that will give him/her a closer relationship with you and a leg-up in life.

Do an internet search for preschool activities and you'll get tons of ideas to add to your lists!

As far as your own social life is concerned, try to get a babysitter once a week (or whatever you can afford) and make a "date" with your friends to go out after your child is in bed, or shortly before. That way you get some time with your little one but have some left for yourself as well. I get together with my friends once a week on Thursday nights, and it has been really helpful!

And good luck! These are great years, so I hope you make the most of them and enjoy them as much as you can! Here's to not feeling overwhelmed! :-)

Answer 3

I know because I’ve done it for myself and for thousands of other people. With so much going on in our lives it’s easy to lose focus on making this, our one and only life, the most successful it can possibly be. Life often feels like a big hamster wheel. “Is this it?” “Here we go again!” The excitement we had for life’s adventures wanes. But in our hearts we know that we’re capable of achieving so much more. If only we knew how.

I struggled through those same issues. Like you have probably already done, I read some books, tried Work/Life balance tips and attended training courses. Life improved slightly but not to the degree I was hoping for. What I discovered was that most success information was just theory or motivational. Unfortunately it does not work in the real world.

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Answer 4

I feel pity about your helpless condition. Sorry. But don't lose your courage. Pray the Almighty to instil confidence and strength to face this kind of challenge in your life. Such things are momentary. Time is the greatest healer. Why don't you think of admitting your child in a pre-primary school where it can play with other children so that dreariness of loneliness can be driven out. Balancing life by such changes is necessary. Life itself is a great struggle. Don't get disheartened. Good luck!

Answer 5

I understand what you are going threw.
I have a three year old and a six month old...Prio to the second child I was working forty hours a week and spending time with my oldest, whom went everywhere with me and did everything with me.. To top it off I have back problems from a car accident that acks up every now and then which makes things hard on my kids...
This is a trick I learned to find my time inbetween work and kids, if your kid is in daycare and you get off work early one day, take that time to yourself, ussually daycares don't expect you to pick up your kid the minute you get off work...I worked a eight - five or earlier.....If I got out of work early I would either go home and enjoy the peace or go to the store, or go to a sit down to have coffee, meet with a friend for an hour or so and then pick up my oldest after I new they were done with snack time.

I learned a trick from the nanny, I took paper and taped it together and posted it on the wall just high enough for my three year old to put stamps, stickers and color on... He loves it.

We play with water outside in the evening when the weather allows, I have a bucket that I fill with water and then I get a bowl and we both get wet.

When I make brownies or cookies my three year old likes to help mix, add ingredients, and taste the product before being cooked, along with helping all eat it in the end.

If you have the extra cash you can get some play dough and make items and then let them dry or put it away for a raining day.

Get a kids movie and in the evening or rainy day make some pop corn and enjoy cuddling.

Make a tent with chairs, boxes and blankets in the living room or in the bedroom..

Get down on the floor for tickle time.....

Go for a walk - let your child pick up leaves, acorns and bring them home, put peanut butter on the acorn and let your child add the bird seed and then hang them up outside and watch the birds come around to eat.

Get some chaulk and let your child draw outside, and you can get down and do some drawing yourself.

You can always get a preschool Art book to give you more ideas and recipes on other things you and your child can do.

Remember the most important thing to a kid is that you are there spending time with them...If you have a playstation take turns playing a game. My son loves Tomb Raider and he is also getting a better handle on his hand eye cordination. I just don't let him play it all the time though - Attitudes changes when he has too much of anything.

If you take your child to daycare - you may want to mention you are interested in making a play date with one of the parents to get the kids together with others their age.
You can also meet other parents and let your kid play at a park or play ground.

You can also have tea time with your youngter, make small cookies or get pre made ones, juice or cool aide and little cups and plates and sit at a small table or outside and have pretend play.

On the weekend you can always take your child to church, they enjoy sunday school at this age cause they get to play with other kids their age, and you have adult time with that little extra needed break.

When you wake in the morning, try waking a little earlier to enjoy your time and a cup of coffee if you wish, I even do this on the weekends...Its my time.
My oldest no longer takes naps , but depending on his mood we will cuddle on the couch and watch a movie on the weekends and he ussually falls asleep for a little while...and in the evening he gets a bathtime with bubbles and tub tints and that is an hour for me...then I don't get any time untill both kids are asleep.
Unfortunatly I find my time when I need it, other then that I haven't had a break now with the second child in over two months, but I do find time to myself even though I am on call twenty-four-seven.
I had kids knowing that I would have the responsibility for them till they are grown and out of the house, and even then they always come back. lol
good luck hope this helped.