Good Morning (maybe)!
Distractions are going to be coming at you all day long as a parent. The ability to prioritize, execute one thing at a time and avoid sweating the small stuff will help you become a more focused parent throughout the very hectic days.
Since When Did Breakfast Become So Stressful?
Every morning is chaotic in a house with four children under the age of five. One can hope that the morning starts with the kids waking at a reasonable time after a good night’s sleep, but we know that isn’t always the case. If everyone did sleep, getting the kids up and going with breakfast is usually top priority.
Any parent will tell you that managing breakfast for a few little cherubs is always a test of your will. Yelling (everything), hitting, splashing, dirtying pj’s, dirtying the floor and crying can all be safely assumed to be part of the daily routine. Unfortunately, ruining your own breakfast may have also become part of your daily routine.
Daddy’s Breakfast Ruined…Again
This morning, I pushed the bagel down and immediately let the kids steal my focus. My son started in on asking me some random questions about nothing. My older daughter demanded the Frozen soundtrack, then the Smallfoot soundtrack and then Barbie music…while my son disagreed and wanted Bob Marley. Meanwhile, my youngest was there doing her thing throwing all the fruit on the floor, laughing with each wasted strawberry.
Next thing you know, Daddy’s breakfast is ruined and I became the part owner of a yummy burnt bagel, satisfying to no one ever but not something bad enough that I would waste it to make something else.
Three Ways to Help You Become a More Focused Parent
As a parent, it is important to not to let the craziness of the day get to you. Breakfast is just one example of a hectic situation with your kids. You can be sure that your patience and focus will continue to be tested throughout the day. Knowing that it’s coming, you have an opportunity to prepare yourself for it.
Here are a few things you can do to help you focus during the madness. Keeping these things in mind will help you come out a stronger parent on the other end.
Slow Things Down and Prioritize
With a million and one things flying at your senses, being a parent during breakfast is like being Neo in the matrix. You need to find a way to slow things down and focus on what’s important.
Without prioritizing, you’ll soon find yourself running in circles getting nothing accomplished. You’ll be trying to get fruit for one child, turn the music up for another, clean the hands of another and fold the laundry for your spouse. Unfortunately, you’ll be doing quite a poor job at all of these.
Zoom out, take a look at the bigger picture and think through what needs to get done to be successful. You don’t have to do it all, just what is needed. Top priority will always be to make sure the kids are safe. Work from there.
Do One Thing at a Time and Do It Well
As you start up a morning, or another week, try and take a look at the things that you’ve got scheduled for yourself and your kids. Think about what need to get done and what can wait. Create yourself a list of the priority items and create yourself a plan or checklist. You may want to create yourself a mini-plan on how to survive breakfast and also start to take some notes around what you need to do today, this week or even this month. All of a sudden…
BOOM! The list of things you need to spend your time worrying about just got much smaller. This will leave some more space in your brain to focus on taking care of the kiddos.
As a parent, there is always going to be someone who wants something from you. Your job, after all, is to provide for the children that you brought into this world. For example, you do have to…
- Make their breakfast, teaching the importance of a healthy diet.
- Get them ready for school and there on time, teaching responsibility and punctuality.
- Make money to pay the mortgage to provide them shelter, teaching financial responsibility.
However, there are also plenty of things that you don’t have to do. For example, you don’t have to…
- Spend 30 minutes letting your daughter talk you in circles trying to pick out socks.
- Make three different breakfasts so that each one of your children gets exactly what they want.
- Build a robot out of blocks every single morning because you did it once on your day off when there wasn’t a time crunch.
The key is to prioritize and find the delicate balance between what needs to get done, what doesn’t need to get done and what may be a “nice-to-have” that can wait.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
“Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and It’s All Small Stuff“, as they say. Breakfast with kids is certainly “the small stuff”. Your day needs to start off on a positive note and brushing off the small stuff will help you keep things on track for you and your family. A positive attitude and the ability to remain in control will not only keep you sane, but it will naturally teach your children how to handle stressful situations.
Don’t Burn Your Bagel!
As a parent, you are constantly going to have a lot going on. Know that you don’t have to focus on all of that right now. Daddy burning his bagel is a silly story, of course, but the lesson is deeper. Distractions are going to be coming at you all day long and if you let them, they’re going to get the best of you.
Prioritize, execute one thing at a time and avoid sweating the small stuff to keep your focus throughout your busy days as a parent. It’s not an easy mission but one you can certainly handle by keeping these things in mind.
Good luck – we all need it!