3 Time Saving Tips for Working Parents-- De-Stress Your Home

Working is stressful enough without bringing that home to your family. Here are 3 tips to get your home life more organized and less stressed.

1. Outsource household chores. Many moms feel they have to do all the housework themselves, but working 40 plus hours and trying to find time for your family can leave any house in disarray. A dirty or disorganized home is stressful for any person-- neat or clean. Learn to give up some of your responsibility. If possible, hire a housekeeper! The time and energy saved is well worth the financial cost. Most housekeepers clean once a week, and this scheduled day gives you added time! Instead of cleaning, now you can take your kids to the zoo, go out on a lunch date with the your husband, or do something relaxing for yourself like shopping or soaking in a spa. To save money, try a non-professional, maybe a friend or family member who would like to earn a little extra cash. If you just can't justify paying someone to clean your mess, make the others in your family pitch in. Even the littlest ones can help by picking up their toys, making their own beds, or helping put away laundry. Make doing dishes a family event as one parents washes, one dries, and the kids take turns putting away the dishes as the rest of the family clears the table after supper. Most kids want to spend time with their parents, especially if the chore can be made into a fun activity.

2. Organize your paperwork. After work, no one wants to sit down to a pile of bills, but large stack of unopened mail can be stressful and take away time from your family. To save precious family time, sort your mail into categories when it is received. Check often to see if you need to pay a bill, RSVP to a party, or sign a permission slip for school. This way you will never miss an important date because you couldn't find or remember what you were looking for.

3. Don't blow up. When you are stressed, even little things can send you over the edge. Take a moment before you explode to think about whether or not this fight is really that important to you. So your son left his dirty clothes on the bathroom floor or your daughter forgot to take out the meat from the freezer. Getting upset and having a huge fight isn't worth the energy or the stress that you will place on you or your family. Instead, look for ways to resolve conflict without yelling and ultimately de-stress your life. Re-ask family members to finish the incomplete tasks that are bothering you, and order pizza or go to a restaurant for a nice family evening out.