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Time management for parents
MIkael Lindberg | Oct 10 2007
The excellent news that Merlin is joining the parent flock prompted me to write this post. I became a parent about a year ago and I've been battling the "loss" of about 8-16 hours of every day to parenting and the unpredictability element that babies bring to your schedule. I'm interested in hearing what other parents have done in order to keep a grip on their schedule and their lives. For me, the most extreme effect was that I decided to change jobs in order to do something I really like, despite having to take a 50% pay cut. I just can't afford to waste hours doing things that doesn't make me happy. I've also taken a few hints from Merlin and now carry a small note pad (sort of a hipster PDA) in my pocket at all times for capture purposes. I think my previous attempts at GTD has failed just because I havn't needed it enough. Now, I can't survive without it. As for handling the unpredictability element of children, my wife and I have a system where we try to never replan the current day schedule but instead handle exceptions as far into the future as possible. This keeps our schedules reasonably stable. What are your experiences? 58 Comments
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Re: Time management for parentsSubmitted by bgeipel on October 10, 2007 - 9:53am.
I have two kids - 13 and 11. First off, decide what "My kids are my number one priority really means." Think about that one VERY hard. In our case, we decided one of us would stop working and work full time as a Parent. Second off, we moved away from California to a place where we could afford to live with one income and safely raise our kids. For some, "my kids are my number one priority" may mean something else, like double my workload so I can make more money so that I can send my kids to the best daycare, private schools and university. Not saying that one is better than the other, just make your decision. » POSTED IN:
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