One of the biggest surprises that comes with having kids is the chaos they bring and just how enjoyable, despite the challenges it sometimes brings, that chaos can be. Kids will come into your life like a whirlwind, ripping your old life apart and turning everything upside down, but more often than not, you’ll find yourself smiling as anarchy ensues.
Of course, there are times when it’s more difficult to do that and usually it’s because you’re resisting the disarray when really, what you should be doing is embracing it. If you’re hoping for a chaos-free life and you have young kids, then you might as well be crossing your fingers that you’ll get a unicorn under the Christmas tree this year!
Still, if you’re struggling, here are some things that may help you cope better with the chaos of having young kids at those times when it seems almost impossible:
Get Organized
It’s not easy to get organized. I mean, despite the fact that you know exactly when the kids are going back to school weeks, even months in advance, when the big day comes, you find yourself frantically looking at Tesco's back to school planning guide, realising you’ve forgotten half the things you need! Or no matter how far in advance your next vacation is, you always find yourself packing up the suitcase at the last possible second The frantic rush to find that Hello Kitty pencil case that your kid must have 10 minutes before they need to be in class or fill your case before you miss your flight, could all be avoided by implementing a calendar system where everything is written down and checked daily. It’s so simple, but so many of us don’t do it until we reach breaking point!
Get Some Me-Time
Okay, so finding some me-time when you have a couple of energetic young kids using you as a climbing frame for 6 hours of the day isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible. Let the grandparents become the conductors of chaos for a couple of hours every weekend and recharge your batteries as a couple. That way, when the chaos is reaching epic proportions, you’ll be more relaxed and less likely to blow up and more likely to laugh at the silliness of it all.
Clean as You Go
Like most parents, seeing your kids enjoying their toys is one of the simple pleasures, even when they are making a mess all over the floor, and you just know that it won’t be long before you’re experiencing the agony of a Lego brick to the foot again, or trying to get more Playdoh out of the carpet! But, the mess caused by the toys can all get a bit much sometimes. The best way to counter this is to clean as you go. Encourage your kids to pick up and put away their toys after use, and if they don’t, well do it yourself. That way, you won’t find yourself faced with a mountain of toys, craft supplies and general clutter to clean come Sunday evening when all you want to do is relax with a cold beer and some TV.
Embrace it All
Your kids will grow up all too quickly, and when that day comes you’ll come to look back on all this chaos as some of the best times of your life, so like I said earlier, why not embrace it? You’ll enjoy the time you do have with your kids so much more, and you won’t get so wound up like so many parents do!