Parent Blog Issue Number: 8 November 2021

At Katie Jayne Tutors we often write about issues affecting children, their lives; both social and educational and how to help parents through the educational system. However, in the run up to Christmas we know that parents have so much to think about, what with all of the extra school activities, working, a multitude of additional social events and of course the festive preparation. So, this month we have decided to delve into the mystic art of how to achieve more and the methods we use to create more time in our day…I know! I know! Impossible, mmmmmm… let us show you how below.

It is also our great pleasure to announce yet another award for Katie Jayne Tutors, that’s four in total! The consistent, hard work of Katie, the support staff and all of the tutors in the team have once again found themselves at the top of the list when it comes to choosing the right tutor for your child. Thank you to Lux Life who run the Parent and Baby Awards annually, for nominating Katie Jayne Tutors as Best 1:1 Tuition Support Provider – UK and to everyone that voted for us. Read more below.

Next month our blog will concentrate on activities for the festive season, whether you and your family celebrate Christmas or not there will be lots of fun things to do during the winter break and plenty of educational activities to keep your children on the academic path over the four week break. We shall look forward to seeing you again soon.

Thank you for reading.

Katie and the Team.

Time is precious

“How on earth do you fit so much in to your day?” is a question I get asked a lot.

Before I respond, I always think carefully and then say something blasé like, “I don’t watch television”. As I have got older I have actually realised that it is so much more than that and here I would like to share a few basic tips on how you can fit more into your day by changing a few really basic routines in your life. Simple things that could give you back some precious time and help you achieve more in those 24 little hours.

I think most parents understand the hectic nature of working, bringing up a family and then trying to carve out time for everything else; we shouldn’t underestimate what an achievement it is to just get through the day! As we all know life can often throw a number of other challenges our way, so these tips should help us and may even rub off on our offspring…(hope springs eternal).

Below you will see the day split into different sections and no, I have not quite lost my marbles… I am starting with the ‘end of the day’.

End of the day routine

Before bedtime each night, take a pad of paper and jot down a handful of things that you need to get done the following day. No need to make yourself a really long list, just prioritise say five things that you have to achieve the next day. These are ‘You Things’, things that benefit you and your family, not errands given to you by friends or colleagues but things that you want to achieve.

When you list these few tasks, list them in the order of: most difficult / least looking forward to first. As we all know, it is very easy to put off the toughest jobs until tomorrow… manana, manana!

Start of the day routine

Quietness of the house

I like to use the quietness of the house before the family get up to achieve some of my tasks or to fit in my fitness routine. We all know that we put ourselves last usually, so don’t, get up and go for that 20 minute run, take the dog for a walk that allows you to watch the sun rising over the skyline, or prepare that healthy breakfast/lunch to help you on your route to better health. Your mind and body will feel better for it.

Grab the list

Right, now you can grab the list you made the previous evening and plan when you are going to do those tasks, or jump straight in and get cracking.

During the day techniques

These are the fundamental things that you can work on to try and achieve more during your day, not rocket science, just simple life changes:

Stop surfing: Cut out social media-you will find that you will save yourself half an hour or more, by cutting out surfing on things like FB, Insta, LinkedIn, Twitter.

No ‘Rabbit Holes’: Click bait is the number one reason that people fall down a ‘rabbit hole’, anything that takes you off task is what I would class as a ‘rabbit hole’. Other examples would be the phone ringing with a friend wanting to chat, that 25% off sale flyer that has just hit my email box etc…ignore these until you choose to jump in or choose to ignore them.

‘I have not got news for you’: I stopped watching the news about 20 years ago, yes I do find that friends might say to me, “have you heard about the president of the USA?”, well no I haven’t, but what the USA president is doing will not help me crack on with day and if I do need to know about something uber important I will find out another way and then I can choose to watch/read the news when it suits me. (Many people are horrified that I do not watch the news, and I understand that some individuals see keeping up with the news as part of their job, they need to know what is going on in the world, interest rates, budget reforms etc… I say, you can choose to grab 15 minutes out of your work day to catch up on relevant, related to your job news).

2 for 1: Making the most of time by carrying out two things at the same time is an excellent way to fit more in to your schedule. Only certain tasks can be completed at the same time. My bathroom Bluetooth speaker is my friend, I always listen to my podcasts, news, make lists whilst showering, bathing. A great way to double up. I Zoom or watch webinars whilst ironing and I chat to friends whilst cooking or driving… so many of our tasks can be carried out whilst doing something else. Whilst at work, if I am on a phone call I walk or stretch, or if I am taking a meeting with one other person I suggest a walking meeting, so that I can make sure that I am not sedentary from 8-1 & 2-6.30pm.

Voice controls: Using voice controls are very handy, most people have an Alexa (or similar) now and using the functionality to its max is most helpful. Write shopping lists, tick off your daily schedule, set timers – all handy and time saving.

No notifications for me please! Not only have I switched off most of my notifications, I have moved certain Apps to secondary pages on my phone, meaning ‘out of sight out of mind’. Did you know that when a notification goes off on your phone it takes you on average about 23 minutes to return to an original task after an interruption. Gloria Mark studies digital distraction at the University of California and they confirm that multiple studies had similar results.

Me not you: As mentioned earlier, only try to fit in those tasks that are relevant to your goals or will save you time, money or trouble.

Wellbeing: Looking after you is a number one priority and will definitely help you to achieve more in your day. If you feel strong and energetic you will undoubtedly fit more into your day. Even if this feels selfish, you are probably the person who is taking care of others, children, family, ageing parents etc.. so you need to take care of yourself, both mentally and physically. So, get that check up, eat healthily, prioritise exercise.

Delegate: Most of us do so much for others and for our families, and however much we love them, there are often members of the family who don’t quite pull their weight. Type up a schedule of house chores, share tasks and pull together so that the family can function as one moving part, this will take time to set up and it may take a little while for members of the family to understand their roles, but persevere with this one, even if the children put on their own washing, or empty and stack the dishwasher, this will free up time for you. Go for it!

Well, there you have it, a nice round up of ideas for you to regain time that you thought was lost to you…

No one is advising removing family time, or down time, we all need and want that, that is why this list tries to remove the things that unnecessarily take up our day.

Oh! I might have forgotten one thing, cut out TV!

Good luck and give it a go.

Best 1:1 Tuition Support Provider-UK

Lux Life runs the respected ‘Parent & Baby Awards’ symbolising the hard work and outstanding effort of all individuals and businesses who have helped form this demanding and dynamic industry. Their all-inclusive selection and judging process narrows down nominees in order to find the best market leaders from the past year. We are so proud of our company and the results that we achieve for our parents and children that it is so thrilling to be told by an external source that we are doing a great job!