Some days I feel like I’m drowning under my to-do list. Spending time with my kids verses getting things done are constantly battling over my time.
I have two energetic kids that love to play. I also have a house to clean. And a body to take care of. And bills to pay. And people to take care of.
You get the idea.
Most days I have three things I try to accomplish:
- spend more time with the kids
- keep the house somewhat presentable
- exercise
It’s difficult to do well at all three of these on the same day. If I do really well with spending quality time with the kids, the house gets ignored. When I do well to get the laundry put away, I haven’t spent much quality time with the kids.
Do you struggle trying to balance life like I do? You’re not alone. Recently I figured out a way to play with the kids, clean & exercise at the same time!
The trick is simple, really.
Just play tag.
I know. It sounds crazy but hang with me. Here’s how it works:
Let’s say I have a mountain of dishes to clean up in the kitchen. I instigate a game of tag with my kids. Each time I run by the sink, I put a few clean dishes away. Then I run around and try to tag one of my little hooligans.
Once I’m “it” again, I start putting the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Then I run around tag my kids, get some exercise, and laugh with my little ones. We have a blast!
Next thing you know, that mountain of dishes is all put away, I got a great cardio workout playing tag, and I’ve spent some good time chasing and laughing with my kids.
That’s what I call multitasking!
To see how it’s done in action watch this:
Play With The Kids, Clean, and Exercise At The Same Time!
It’s important to remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect. Some of the dishes may get thrown in the cabinet but that’s okay! Making fun memories with your little ones is more important than perfectly placed dinnerware.
I hope this little tip makes balancing your life a little easier!
What helps you get more done everyday? Do you have any multi-tasking tips to share? If so, leave a comment and let me know!
This post linked to: Inspire Me Please, Share Your Creativity, Project Inspire{d}, Weekend Wind Down, Link Party Palooza, and Saturday Sharefest.
You are one creative mama, Carrie!! And a fun one too!!
Thanks so much for sharing your Great Idea with us a Project Inspire{d}!
p.s. now we want to know the game you can play and blog too?
I wish I knew of one such game! That would really be a game changer for me! For now I just count on naptime for blog time!
Thanks for sharing at the #WWDParty.
Thanks for hosting a great party!
This is really so cute! What a great idea!
Thank you Lauren!
We do “Freeze Dance Party Clean-up”. I put on an upbeat Pandora station or CD and we start cleaning up. Dancing around the room on the way to put something away is strongly encouraged. Randomly, I’ll pause the song and everyone has to freeze in the exact position as they were when the music stopped. My boys think it is great fun, and it makes cleaning go so fast!
I LOVE this idea Amy! I’m going to try it out soon! That’s a great way to make cleaning fun and fast!
LOVE this!! What great idea!
Thank you Cori! It’s been a life saver for me!
Looks like great fun! I need to find more balance in my life and fit exercise in!
We all need a balance in life, don’t we? Glad to share one idea that might help!
Love it Carrie! Really is a constant juggle isn’t it?
Yes it is!
I love this. Your three things that you try to accomplish in a day pretty much sums up my days.
I count it a slight victory if I accomplish at least two of them, so I know how you feel!
Love this! I do the same thing, I call it Cardio with the Kiddos! We have a swing set Circuit I do at the park, and I find ways to stretch when my daughter is at gymnastics. Multi tasking momma’s unite!
Cardio with the Kiddos sounds fun! Love the idea Kristen!
ha, ha! I love it! Way to go on fitting in play, exercise and cleaning up!!
I have to admit–doing the video demonstration for this post was a lot of fun!
I’m so accident prone I feel like I would break something ( either dishes or myself ) doing this lol. It looks very fun if you can do it though.
I’m a pretty big klutz and I walk into the open door of the dishwasher more than I’d like to admit! The funny thing is when I run around the dishwasher, I’m less likely to injure myself. All in all this is pretty fun (and worth a bruise once in a while!)
This sounds like the perfect idea! I’m going to have to try it. I always feel so guilty trying to clean instead of spending time with S.
Don’t you hate that guilty feeling? At least this activity will keep it away for awhile!
What a fantastic idea! I love the video demonstration but knowing me I would end up covered in bruises from re-bounding off of everything. I don’t think the smaller houses we have in the UK help in that regard!
You do have to be on your toes for this so you won’t get hurt. I usually end up running into the dishwasher at some point, but the injury isn’t that bad! It’s worth it to have fun with the littles!
Great idea! When I take our little guy to the park, I try to always be moving. I don’t sit on a bench and watch him play. I follow along, watching him to make sure he is being safe but also, I’m moving. Gotta stat moving!
I love this idea, Stephanie! Anything to get us both moving is fun!
This was so much fun to watch! I feel like that a lot of the times. My daughter loves to sing and dance so maybe we can do that while putting dishes away tomorrow. Thanks for the idea!
Singing and dancing sounds like a fun way to get the dishes done Selene! It’s all about finding something you all enjoy doing together!