Share with Intel how you juggle modern family life - £300 Argos voucher to be won!

[EllieMumsnet]

A big part of being a parent is being flexible and spinning several plates at the same time... there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do every task individually! Have you always been someone who can juggle multiple things at once or has parenting taught you the art of being flexible, Intel® would love to hear your best multi-tasking moments, as well as any tips and tricks for managing modern family life.

Here’s what Intel® have to say: “A thin and light Modern PC with an Intel® processor has great features that make it more flexible to use, so you can be more creative, productive and entertained. Cortana lets you use your voice instead of the keyboard and Windows Hello* lets you log in with your face not a password – perfect for when you already have your hands full with the children.”

Did you manage to book a holiday while you fed and bathed your children? Perhaps you helped one child with homework while breastfeeding your baby, being on Skype to your mum and eating your dinner all at the same time?

Whatever your tips or your best multi-tasking moment, share it on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher from Argos.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

* Cortana available in select markets; experience may vary by region and device.
** Requires specialized hardware, including fingerprint reader, illuminated IR sensor or other biometric sensors and capable devices.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

I do my internet stuff whilst kids are sat at the table either eating dinner or doing their homework that way we are all together and can have a conversation and still interact with each other

a slow cooker is great - the meal is cooking while I'm getting on with other things

I just take each day as it comes, and just do the best that I can. That’s all you can do

I try to batch cook meals and freeze them so that there is always a quick healthy meal ready to go in between a hectic schedule

Get things into a routine so you don't end up at 2 am without loo rolls or coffee! Have repeat shops delivered weekly via online order, you can drink a cuppa, spoonfeed a child, yell at the computer-aided assistant to shut the dog up, and last but not least, I don't blame myself if after all the multi-tasking I'm not perfect. Finally make time for sitting together as a family, without the interruption of technology! :)

Cooking tea, whilst running baths and listening to 8 year daughter read/do homework.. whilst also trying to keep my 3 year old occupied before Daddy gets home some time later!

online shopping saves me a lot of time and asking my daughter to add her pack lunch food helps too! :)

Well breastfed and used the toilet (needs must).

I tend to stick all the kids in the shower with me to save time/water and save myself getting my clothes wet washing them!

I spend most of Sunday afternoon's juggling. We usually have the whole family here for dinner on Sundays because it's the only time in the week when everyone is available to sit down and eat together.
Every week I seem to be cooking, answering pleas from the little ones for help with their craft projects, providing drinks for the grown ups, etc, etc.
Yesterday, hubby had offered to do a BBQ as it was fathers day, so I was expecting a more relaxed afternoon. No such luck! While he was doing the meat on the BBQ I was in charge of cooking the veggie options inside...whilst naturally answering pleas from the little ones, providing drinks for the grown ups...etc. This week even my neighbours decided to conspire against me because the neighbours on both sides are elderly and both lots rang while I was juggling other stuff to ask if I could pick up some shopping for them today.
Don't get me wrong - I love the family and love having them all together, and I don't mind shopping for the neighbours, but sometimes I'd just love a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Apps like My supermarket that compare best prices and let you order straight from it are great

Well I'm always on the back foot compared to most people on here whose lives seem to run like well oiled machinery. Personally, I write everything on post it notes then stick them to the fridge, or anywhere there's a space, then they either fall off, the dog eats them or I seem to overlook them. I do try to get organised sometimes and I put things in safe places ready for when I need them, but then I can't remember where the safe place is!! No wonder I always look like I've been dragged through a hedge backwards!! :-)

I'm the queen of multi-tasking!
I can do an internet shop while cooking tea and talking to a friend to arrange the kids getting together.
Even been known to pop on some eyeliner and brows while in the traffic queues!

Shared calendar with grandparents. Apps to help with meal planning and food shopping

Sorting e-mails, online shopping, all the appointments... Oh it's hard..

I've fed a baby while eating my own dinner - just some things can't wait! I try and be organised where possible but some times things just take over.

Planning and lists, multi tasking, amazing grandparents and not being too hard on ourselves

I use Google Calendar and enter all activities and appointments from kids’ stuff to my own goings on, which help me to plan my day :)

we have a schedule so everyone knows where everyone is and what they are supposed to be doing. We also make sure to have scheduled free time where we can do our own thing. I do most of the shopping and bill paying etc online in an evening whilst we are relaxing. We also make the most of things like a timer on our smart washing machine, dish washer, and recording tv shows to watch at a suitable time for us

feeding the little man while doing an online shop while trying to get some lunch in me too is a regular occurrence.

The main multitasking is exercising while trying to soothe him or rock him to sleep - perfect multitasking, who needs a gym.

We have divided up the tasks at home. Online food shopping and meal planning. Synced diaries, and a rota with other parents to do club pick ups and drop offs. Works well until someone falls ill or gets caught at work. Then it's panick stations and all hands to the deck. Have to admit I've dropped the ball on more then one occasion.

Do everything that you can the night before. Get up early in the morning and get a head start on the day.

don't stress about it and try and keep a diary to keep on top of it all.

I cut corners all of the time - do what is most pressing, take a short cut, buy something ready prepared, prepare bulk in advance - this all helps me to juggle modern family life.

I have to multi-task everything as there is so much to do and so little time to get through it all. I load up the washing machine and put it on, spray the shower with cleaner that works when you leave it, put anti-limescale stuff down the toilet, read my emails, make important phone calls, buy online items that we have run out of, come back finish the shower and toilet cleaning, hang out laundry and put next load on while cleaning the kitchen and tidying up from room to room at the same time. Breastfeed while eating my lunch etc.

It’s one big balancing act juggling full time work with childcare and housework. Some days are so stressful I end up in tears. BUT if I ask for help from friends and family it makes a world of difference. You can’t do it all on your own without burning out, so don’t be afraid to rope in people you trust to help out sometimes x