PETALING JAYA, Feb 22 — In the hustle and bustle of Malaysian life, having children in the equation can be overwhelming.
Afterall, that all too familiar feeling of not having enough hours in a day is something most parents can agree on.
Here are some tips to use in times of need:
Turn chore time into fun time
Yes, everyone hates to do chores. Even adults.
After a hard day at the office, have the kids help out with housework.
You can do this without having to involve the rotan or harsh words.
Housekeeping website The Spruce encourages parents to create chore games or have a playlist to make cleaning up more fun.
For example, the fastest kid to complete their chores gets to choose what to watch for movie night. We Bare Bears or Hotel Transylvania 3, anyone?
On top of teaching kids to do their part, it also makes them view screen time as a reward and not an expected activity.
Whether it’s exploring kid-friendly content on Netflix or YouTube, a family plan that comes with unlimited internet such as MaxisONE Prime can help relieve your worries of data quotas running out.
See how your conversations with your children shift from conserving data quota to balancing healthy amounts of screen time with other forms of learning and play.
Don’t skip that gym class as much as you’re tempted to
When the kids are enjoying their reward, why not use it as the perfect opportunity to sneak in some “me time”?
Psychologists say alone time is important to enhance relationships and leads to greater wellbeing.
Finish up that bestseller you haven’t read for months, catch up on your favourite series, go for a class at the gym or listen to your own playlist (no more Baby Shark, yay).
For that date night or night out with friends, why not check out babysitting services such as Kid’s Cove and KiddoCare that are available to help ease things?
Spend 15 minutes one day of the week to fill up your calendar
From working hours and family gatherings to tuition sessions and check-ups, taking the time out to schedule your week ahead while having your Saturday morning coffee will help pace out your responsibilities and avoid a sense of being overwhelmed.
Productivity expert Kayla Matthews says scheduling everything is an important habit.
The Productivity Theory blog founder takes time at the start of each week to plan out her tasks and what she needs to accomplish each day for the week.
Make phone number bracelets for the kids to wear on holiday
Got a family vacation coming up?
A fun and super handy way to make sure your kids always have your contact number is a do-it-yourself bracelet with number beads in the event they get separated from you.
Not only does it double up as a cool accessory, you can rest easy on your holiday knowing your precious ones will always have your number close at hand.
Enjoy peace of mind and a truly stress-free break with free family roaming on MaxisONE Prime to help you stay connected while exploring all Asean countries.
It sounds crazy… but leave your kids alone
Little tasks such as letting your four-year-old tie his own shoelaces or filling up her own water bottle helps instill self-sufficiency which will come in handy when they grow up.
So, stop the urge to be a helicopter parent and remember the times when you were a kid and hated people fussing over you.
“When kids learn to do things for themselves, they’re developing a positive self identity, and it makes them feel competent and worthy,” Jane Hewes, chair of the Early Learning and Child Care at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton, was quoted as saying in Today’s Parent.
Apps like the Maxis KidNanny keeps your kids safe online with filtering out inappropriate content, blocking accidental purchases and even tracks their screen-usage time. Free for the first month, think of it as a digital nanny that helps ease the load.
Find out more about MaxisONE Prime by visiting https://www.maxis.com.my/en/personal/plans/family/maxisoneprime.html
• This article is brought to you by Maxis
