Just 10 Minutes

I have two favorite times of day.  1. Morning time, when I get to see my son's cute little face and give him a big squeezie hug and a kiss, and 2. His nap time, when I get to put that cute little face down for a nap and have some time to myself!

Today when I told him it was nap time, he told me, in his infinite wisdom, "You can throw my big-boy bed in the bushes, because I don't like naps anymore!"  Big orders from an almost three year old.

I have read up on it, talked it over with other moms and my husband, and decided he still needs a nap at this age, but I think part of the reason I won't give in just yet is because nap time is ME time!  It gives me anywhere from 1-2 hours of uninterrupted, quiet time.  Time to get stuff done!

I once read a challenge to set a timer for 10 minutes and see how much of a project I could accomplish with uninterrupted, focused attention.  It's amazing how much I can get done it 10 minutes.  I still use this technique when I have so much to do that I don't know where to start.  I may blow through the house like a whirlwind, start a load of laundry, put dishes in the dishwasher, stash toys in their proper places, give one room a quick dust; whatever I can do in 10 minutes.  It still amazes me how much better the house looks in just 10, focused minutes.

Other times I use the 10 minutes for just one, dedicated project.  Fill a box with items to be donated, or thatch a patch of grass and throw some grass seed in it, for example.

Now imagine that instead of 10 minutes, you have 1-2 hours of free time!  What would you do with it?  The trick is to not get sidetracked.  Turn the TV off, don't turn on the computer and whatever you do...do NOT pick up that smartphone!  While all of those things seem so harmless, by the time you watch 10 minutes of your favorite show, check your email, "like" a few posts on Facebook, answer a few text messages and play your next turn on Words with Friends, you've wasted at least an hour.  (Do however, make sure to take the time and read Coastal Homemaker blog.)

If you can gauge how long your little one naps, you can probably guess how much time to allocate to your projects.  Just as important, though...you should allow free time for yourself after you've tackled some of the items on your list.  After all, people that work outside their home get a lunch time and a break every day.  So should you.  Remember, what you are doing is work!  As my mother in law says, "Being a homemaker and a mother is the hardest job in the world, but it's also the most rewarding."  She's right, I know.  It just doesn't feel like it everyday.  

Gotta go.  Nap time's almost over.

Happy homemaking!

Crescent LoMonaco

The Coastal Homemaker