Ways to Reduce Life Stress
1.) Let your Light Shine (and Let other Moms Shine Theirs): We all have different interests and strengths. Rely on your tribe to help with those things they excel at and you don’t. Share your strengths. If you are a great baker and your friend is a great painter, you make double the cupcakes for the bake sale and let her paint the new dresser for your child’s room!
2.) Stay Positive: Remove people who drain your energy from your circle. Be with people that feed your soul and give you a positive boost.
3.) Disconnect: During family time, put away the computer and cell phone and be present with your family. When it is time to work, focus on that.
4.) Get House Help: Enlist your spouse, babysitter and your kids to keep up with the housework.
5.) Order Online: Groceries, meals, clothing and supplies can all be ordered and picked up or delivered right to the house! What a time saver!
6.) Make Choices: Prioritize the items in your schedule that mean the most to you and your family, and remove those things that are just calendar fillers. If you find yourself spending your days running children to events, arrange a carpool with other parents.
7.) Plan Ahead: With kids, you have to stay flexible in the moment, but if you have contingency plans in place (meals, clothing, emergency babysitter list), it makes it easier to roll with changes.
8.) Take time out to find YOUR Happy Place: Maybe it is a painting that relaxes you, happy music in a playlist, a phone call with someone who lifts your spirits, yoga or a jog. Whatever it is, know that self-care is essential for you to take care of your family.
Chores by Age
2-3 year olds
Fold hand towels and washcloths
Pick up toys
Help set table
Throw away diapers
Wipe flat surfaces with wet cloth
4-5 year olds
Put away toys
Put away kid dishes and silverware from dishwasher
Help clean bedroom
Use small vacuum or broom
6-7 year olds
Fold own laundry
Set table
Sweep floors
Unload dishwasher
Wash some dishes
Move clothes from washer to dryer
8-9 year olds
Pour drinks for meals
Clean toilet
Dust
Wash dishes
Load dishwasher
Vacuum floors
Bring trash to curb
Middle Schoolers
Wash own laundry
Prepare simple meals
Clean kitchen
Short term baby sitting
Tidy rooms and space used by family
High Schoolers
Clean bathroom top to bottom
Make meals unsupervised
Deep clean – dusting
Iron
Deep clean – small kitchen appliances
