5 Time-Saving Ideas For Busy Parents
Any parent can tell you—we can’t run on coffee and adrenaline alone, but we sure try. There’s a lot on our plates: Juggling hectic, ever-complicated family schedules, shuttling back-and-forth to games and practices, and finding time to make dinner—all in one day? The stress is real, and we get it. The good news is, we live in a time when there are innovations everywhere to make our lives easier. Here are a few of our favorite hacks, tips, and gadgets that can streamline our to-do lists.
##Sleep Smarter
Your best days come after a good night’s sleep—yours and your child’s. The Hatch Rest+ Sleep Machine offers ambient noise to help kids drift off peacefully, and a spectrum of light to encourage rest. It can be controlled from your phone so you don’t even need to enter the room to turn it on or off (meaning you won’t have to hold your breath and stealthily move out of there to avoid waking your little angel, either). The time-to-rise light helps kids understand when it’s time to get up, and offers an easy start to the day.
##Cheers To Good Days
Parents are always multitasking—our hydration should do the same. We’re talking more energy, better focus, the works. Enter, the newest innovation in functional hydration. Yuzu Pineapple Energy Multiplier hydrates 2x faster than water alone, but bonus: it has cognitive benefits, too. Coffeeberry® Energy Extract is a natural, organic source of caffeine that offers a physical energy boost; CognatIQ™ Coffee Fruit Extract is shown to help support mental functions such as memory and alertness; and L-Theanine is a naturally occurring amino acid that helps support brain function, mental clarity, and focus for a cognitive boost without the crash. The best part, though, is the taste: ripe pineapple and tart yuzu pair especially well with tackling your most daunting to-do lists.
##Build Your Village
Parenthood can be lonely, and even in the pre-pandemic days it was a challenge to find like-minded friends whose kids connected well with yours. Enter Peanut: This brilliant, dating-app style service helps you find others in your area to connect with for playdates, lunch dates, and more. Build a community and tackle the hectic, wild, silly, complex, beautiful days of parenthood together.
##Delegate When You Can
You deserve some down time—and strolling the grocery aisles doesn’t count. Instead, try a service that packs up the cart for you. We love Thrive Market for their incredible selection of organic favorites, and the ease of ordering from your phone. You’ll save so much time—so spend it doing something else, preferably for yourself.
##Stay Connected
What’s on the agenda tomorrow? If you can’t keep track of it all, no stress—the reality is that keeping everyone’s schedule straight requires an incredible amount of organization and brain power. So, make it simple. The app, Cozi, lets you schedule appointments, practices and games, playdates, and anything else—plus you can share calendars, send reminders, and even add to your shopping list. The app is free, but you can purchase the upgrade to unlock additional features, like birthday alerts and more.