Time Management As A Parent

This morning as I didn’t have to get up unsociable hours as Monday’s and Tuesday’s I have to get up at quarter passed five, I wanted to still get up at 8:30am setting my alarm for 7:30 but slept and got up after 9am, yet still got stuff done, for example finished the editing I was doing for a new book I am writing, booked a blood test, had a shower and so to manage my time I will set my alarm for later as I go to bed around 9pm but don’t actually get to sleep past 11pm.

Managing time as a parent is tricky as some days things happen like your child getting sick are unplanned but that is why managing time can help. I like flexibility and so I always have this in mind so if there is something I need to do next I get them done but being flexible and give myself time frames to complete tasks I need to do, is for me important, and not giving myself to much to do.

Sleep is very important as I do need a good 8 hour sleep to function properly and so I do make sure I can, not on all days because like when I get up early I will feel tired and this is natural but the days I don’t have to get up so early, make sure I do to get through the rest of the week, a good 8 hours.

Doing the school run can really be time consuming, especially when my son would want to look for squirrels and buses but can be fun by making this time to enjoy nature and greeting other parents on the way. Now my son gets a taxi to and from school due to being a fare distance it has helped lift the pressure of the school run.

I always find during the school days that time goes so quickly and before you know it is morning again, even with my son getting a taxi and be there in his home he lives with his dad goes fast, but glad I have the resources to do get bits done during the waiting on my son go come from school.

I live by using my notebooks, my google calendar, my Whismith’s diary and also use OneNote to stay on track with time and is how I manage my days as a parent.

I am so happy that you my followers and viewers of this blogsite have liked my blogs and I also have three Youtube channels, books on amazon.com under the names Carrie Challoner, Carrie Lee Holmes and Carrie Holmes.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUDFIqjVKLy7NhtcR6Hy0Tg

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVjvO2fsowvFne_iMuG7d1g/videos

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW6X7xXVFoaToqlDpGLTtSg

Link for my Pinterest:

https://carriesversitilefashion.wordpress.com

https://sportsandfitnesspassion.wordpress.com

https://everyonecanbuildacastle.com

https://theparentingadventuresthebirthofmyson.wordpress.comI also have some online courses and this week finished my first newsletter and a free EBook on Creating a Vision for new and better year.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Back to school Monday and Co-parenting/Not having to rush

Hello and it is the first day of my son, to go back to school and it means getting the school uniform washed, his school bag packed with his books, coats and snacks. Thankfully because he lives mainly with his dad as its convenience really and I have been unwell with mental health, it is good to be back looking after him, so all his main bits and pieces are there, and when I have a place of my own again, it will be possible for me to take care of Henry fulltime again, to ease the pressure for his father.

Until then now it is getting up early and me taking over from his father until his transport to school turns up, and good to spend some time with him before he treturned back back this morning, and he is has been looking forward to it and kept asking when he will be back at school, and so different from when I used to go to school, it was the last place you wanted to be.

So I had to also sort my bags out for thie morning lastnight, being that I had to get up at the crack of dawn to be there, and I take two bags with me. This is due to being a writer, and if any ideas come into my mind whilst en route, and tomorrow like today I am birthday shopping, as I have two this week, my brothers and my son’s and so still is a mad dash for it.

This means checking the trains and buses of when they are due, and if there is a disruption. I have topped up my Oyster Card and again prepping for a new school week, and so I don’t neccessarily write a list, but keep it in my head and make sure I have a magazine and a book to read to help me take my mind of the fact I have gotten up so early and whilst travelling, and because it is at the time 5am really cold now, I have enough layers on me for the bitterly cold weather.

Then in the week just keeping up with him doing some homework my son has to do, and this week being his birthday, I will be writing a blog on my other The Parenting Adventures blog:

http://theparentingadventuresthebirthofmyson. wordpress.com

Then it is the Christmas season and planning for that. I find from September to December it goes so fast and keeping up can be overwhelming so I will start planning for Christmas once the birthdays for this months, are over. The actual buying will not be until next month, I just like to prep and have an idea of the gifts I gonna be buying for 2021.

I have filmed a Truth About Parenting video, as I one weekly and so check this weeks out today:

https://youtu.be/00LKy–Fzn8

So have a good week and I will be back with another blog next week.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Getting back to school half term/Co-parenting made easy

Hello so thank you for those who have been loving my blogs it really means the world to me.

So some kids had just a week and others have had two. My son has two weeks, and so goes back next week, and so it means the school run is upon us again and means all uniform will need washing, if you haven’t done this already and brings us closer to the festive season and boy “NOT READY”, but yes and for me it is a busy time.

Getting back means going back into the routine, and means for me getting up at 5 on some days or getting home late for when my son gets dropped back from school. I am lucky in that Henry gets a lift by taxi, to and from school, but it still is pretty stressful, but you find you, and find your own way of getting kids to school and its about getting there on time and when it is raining it makes it even more challenging especially like I was doing, crossing a very long busy road and would cause me so much anxiety.

When it comes to getting back, try and prepare for it, and like me if you co-parent like I do, set the time you are gonna get to your child’s home to take them to school, and switch the times so one is doing the drop off and the other doing the pick up.

Have a set of unform between the homes that you and the other parent cleaned and ready to wear, and have duplicates of certain items, like trousers, shirts, and non school uniform outfits they can change into. This depends on if you take them to school from both of your own homes, for me its all at his dads because that is his main home still and nearer for travelling to his school, so this applies to when parents don’t have one base and they take them from different homes.

When it comes to them doing homework be on the same page as the other parent and work with your child. Does because you as parents live at different homes and lifes now, doesn’t mean you have to be against each other, and so talk about this and be on the same page.

Make sure you transfer items to and from your home you son lives in, so for example when Henry stays with me, his dad will bring his school bag over, so we both know what homework he has got and keeping tabs on how he is getting on at school.

Have again a duplicate bag if this helps.

When it comes to what the kids did during half term write it down in their school books, and really helps the teachers at my son’s school to see what they did and gives them so much to talk about, and for the summer holidays I created Henry a photo book via google and they loved it, and gonna do the same for half term aswell.

Once this is done then have both parents see it and talk about it to your children to and that you both stay on board with your kids even if you live apart.

So I am not gonna shortly film a few video to day, and if you didn’t know I film a series of videos called Truth About Parenting, so go and check them out, via my channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUDFIqjVKLy7NhtcR6Hy0Tg

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X