Having a family is the greatest thing you will ever do, but it will also be one of the more stressful things that you will ever undertake. The bigger the family, the more stress that will be dropped onto your already loaded shoulders.
When that stress starts to get overwhelming (which can happen very quickly), the whole joy of having a family can suddenly start to feel like one long, never-ending chore - you all know what I am talking about.
There is no way to completely avoid the stress of running a busy household, but there are ways to help mitigate the amount of it that you will find yourself dealing with. It isn't a perfect solution, but it is definitely a start.
Here are 5 ways that you can help take the stress out of family life, for yourself, and everyone else in the picture.
1. Routines can become your best friend.
Just going with the flow can help in some situations, but when you are constantly free-styling your home life, it can catch up to you quickly. Establishing routines for yourself and your kids will take a lot of the stress out of trying to figure out how you will get things done. Regardless of what the routine is: bedtime, meals, getting ready for school or after school extra-curricular activities. If it helps, you can even design some charts and calendars to make the job easier.
2. You're not your kid's or spouse's servant.
Make the other people living in your home take some responsibility for their own lives. Kids are not so soft that they can't handle taking on some household chores like taking out the trash, making their own beds, putting away their clothes, or doing the dishes. Every little bit counts, and every little bit that you don't have to do will benefit everyone in your home. Don't forget to make the "Honey Do" list either. Your husband or wife can help pick up the slack as well.
3. Get some sleep, you deserve it.
Sleep is integral to accomplishing anything. We have all been to the point where we think we are just going to drop unconscious from sheer exhaustion, and that is very bad. If you find yourself working late into the night to get ready for the next day, and then getting up at the crack of dawn to make sure everything goes off without a hitch, you're literally killing yourself. Get some sleep, it will be worth its weight in gold after you find yourself feeling refreshed and revitalized.
4. Plan to be late.
It sounds like an oxymoron, but in reality, it works out perfectly. I do this all the time, I know what time I have to be somewhere and figure out exactly how much time it will take me to get there on time. Then I double it just in case. If I know I have to be somewhere at a specific time, I usually leave an hour early just to be sure that I make the deadline. Even if you are early, it's better to be early than late, and it is also less stressful. Take that extra early time to read a book, make some phone calls, or just grab a coffee and relax.
5. Don't chase perfection.
Remember learning as a child that nothing is ever perfect? It's time to live by that reality. Expecting everything to go off without the slightest hitch will drive you bananas. If something goes wrong, deal with it. Not to sound too cliche but, "don't cry over split milk."
Is your family life over-stressed? Let us know if any of these tips work for you.