13 Multi-Tasking Tips for Mums


Here you have it: Thirteen Multi-Tasking Hints, from a Mama who's been there.

1) Clean out car WHILE babysitting one-year-old Nephew. Damp rags, containers of water, smelly shoes, week-old bits of cereal, this game has it all! I babysat this morning and would like to report that my Nephew is the best, snuggliest, fattest, best-behaved, tickliest, giggliest, most pinchable boy in the whole world. Those THIGHS!

2) Fold laundry on bedroom floor WHILE singing lullabies in the dark till sons fall asleep. (For me, this beats the "Cry it out" method hands down. And when ELSE are you going to fold that laundry?)

3) Build puzzles, read stories, trim and file nails (everybody's) WHILE breastfeeding the baby. No-hands feeding method! Yay!

4) Revise spelling, Vocab, Times Tables and so on WHILE being stuck in traffic. And do homework. (Sam says he has no pencils. "NO pencils Sam??" "Nah, Dude. I've been livin' on the EDGE!")

5) Skip with a skipping rope or do yoga WHILE waiting for dinner to cook. Occasional breaks to stir a pot are encouraged. Tell the kids to count your skips, to keep them entertained. Small babies will think it's all an amusing show just for them.

6) Teach Kids about fractions WHILE doubling or halving a recipe. It has to be something yummy that can be licked in mid-stir though. That's the rule. If you have to halve chocolate chips, count them out and eat a fraction of them.

7) Do reading with smallest boy WHILE watching middle boy at soccer practice.

8) Give self a pedicure WHILE Skype-ing. I haven't actually done this one yet, but I'm on a roll here! Pretty toenails are in my future!

9) Clean bathroom WHILE small children play in the bath. I love this one, but don't use toxic chemicals or you'll fry their tiny brains with the fumes! That's okay, you can still scrub the toilet, wipe the counter and so on without chemicals. Come back and zap everything later. Or use cleaners that aren't toxic.

10) Iron clothes WHILE watching TV. I did this once, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I should try it again, with DVDs.

11) Wash the car WHILE watering the lawn. Simply park your car on the grass, and voila!

12) Gosh, I am stuck! I am sure there are plenty more. I will think about it WHILE I nag Chas to pick up his schoolbooks from the car floor.

13) Reply to comments WHILE going about my day. I hope to manage this!

I bet all you other Multi-Tasking Mamas have many more great ideas. Let's hear them! Leave a comment!

















Comments

Anonymous said…
I load the dishwasher or scrub pots while waiting for toast to pop up or pots to boil.
Otherwise, I'm a slug.
Anonymous said…
Brilliant, Nan! I love these, and must admit to having done quite a few of them myself. And I always try to watch TV or something while ironing--otherwise I go mad from boredom. I hate ironing! Ick. I need a maid.
Nan Sheppard said…
Witchypoo and Planetnomad, we are all slugs at heart. Growing up, I thought that EVERYONE had a Live-in Maid, Washer, Gardener and so on. I get all into a tizzy sometimes because I don't have the same. I try not to, but there you are.
Ndinombethe said…
I wash the dishes while waiting for the plantain or the bacon to obtain the perfect degree of crispness ... BUT it usually ends with "Shit".. and soapy hands holding a fork to flip the plantain before it chars beyond recognition.
Anonymous said…
I always iron while watching TV. It feels so righteous, doesn't it?
Unknown said…
Ah, multitasking. Something I usually allow the computer to do, that I'm not very good at myself. On the other hand, I don't exactly qualify for this - I'm not exactly a Multi-Tasking Mama, if you know what I mean.
Anonymous said…
Pretty good!