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 used to breastfeed whilst answering emails, text messages, making phone calls.

All banking, bills and shopping online. Easy to do whilst waiting for the kettle to boil, on the phone etc.

i meal prep with the kids as an activity for them and teaching the to eat well while saving myself time and money

i run while they ride their bikes so we all get a workout

i get them to help cleaning and when we play i try to be offline

Online shopping is truly a gift from the gods!
No small people adding stuff when you're not looking - in fact no small people involvement at all, no impulse buys or checkout queues, and delivered into your home :) Worth every penny of the delivery charge

When DC were children I could heat up soup, beans etc and eat it while bf. They were always under a muslin in case I dropped some!

Theses days with 2 lots of various activites to juggle and a DH who often works overseas my month to view calendar with 5 columns is my way of keeping organised. As they've got older I've had to adjust to being more flexible and not sweating the small stuff. On the whole it works!

Breastfeeding a newborn and a one year old while having lunch on the sofa... post c-section.

...I don't recommend it.

Online shopping, done while watching TV, saves loads of time. Then, during the ads I do little jobs around the house, while my trusty Rumba helps out with the cleaning...

A definite yes to online shopping. And the thing which has made the most difference to us has been a designated box with all the stuff the children need for school, the stuff they announce they haven't got, five minutes before leaving the house. So we have a spare set of stationery (the big ones need specific stuff for their school), a handful of change for non-uniform days, a few pairs of black socks, a spare school tie - all the stuff which can cause a major panic if it's missing in a morning but can easily be replaced in the emergency box during the day.

BIg fan of Google Calendar to track multiple family members and know when they'll be free.

Wow that Intel computer sounds a must for all us busy Mums!!!!

I usually do online shopping while feeding my almost 8 month old or I have multiple screens open so I can do the online food shop while he is watching Baby Einstein videos as they keep him entertained long enough so.

I also manage to hoover, tidy up while little one is bouncing in jumperoo so I can talk to him and do housework or he dances around the living room with me in one arm while I am hoovering with the other. Being a single Mummy and a first time Mummy I have had to learn to multi task fast!

We meal plan for the week as this cuts down on time hunting though cupboards and the fridge, and on food waste. Homework is often done on the kitchen table whilst I’m prepping food so I can help.

I forward plan, make lists, add everything to the family calendar and make sure that all bags, uniforms etc are readied the night before. We both work so we have a cleaner to help us keep on top of the house. It is challenging though

Also found online shopping is a lifesaver- i feel guilty about the 'death of the high street' etc but shopping with toddler plus baby is quite a trial and very slow... so online shopping whilst breastfeeding/ waiting for them to go to sleep etc is great.

Multi tasking is unavoidable. Cleaning the bathroom while they're in the bath, phoning friends while in the car commuting as otherwise i feel I'd never catch up, breastfeeding baby and reading to toddler etc etc. But i went to the hairdressers for the first time in ages yesterday, and - horror - forgot my phone! It was actually great - no multi tasking or feeling i should be doing other jobs, just enforced relaxation with a magazine. Bliss!!

I'll be going back to work next month and will need to be really on top of things with a 4 and 1 year old. I use my phone calendar and "family" wall calendar in the kitchen to organise what everybody is doing and when to avoid confusion and clashes. Works well but I'm here all the time at the moment, will be interesting to see how it goes when I'm out the house all week!

I meal prep. I meal prep early on a Sunday morning (get a tesco delivery late on Saturday night) then we have the meals ready for the week. Then through the week I have set days for certain types of washing, and I work 7-7 so my OH collects kids from the childminder and school, and produces the meals.. planning! And prep!

Dishwasher/laundry while on phone.

Reply to emails while cooking

I rarely do one thing at a time tbh. I couldn’t stand and stare at cooking, will always be doing something else at the same time.

Kids are older now but when younger I had a stand up rocker in the kitchen so I could get on with stuff while playing with and paying attention to the littlest.

When the younger ones were little a back carrier was fab for getting on with things with the older kids.

I'm an early bird so its easier I assume to deal with and manage younger children. Also I'm sahm, so its even simpler. I'm not looking forward to returing to work when the time comes. Online shopping helps with staying in budget.

I do my accounts at the dining room table whilst helping the kids with homework and dinner in the oven. It's pretty hectic in our house 😍

Anything random needed that would entail a trip to a specialist shop gets ordered in the middle of the night on amazon, normally while doing a feed.
Try not to to get too much regular stuff from there as they are taking over the world, I normally go for the no rush option and get a £1 credit towards films which entertains us as don’t get to go out as often these days.

Technology definitely helps with the multitasking. I use my phone for banking/shopping/emails etc. And I do all those things when I'm waiting - there's so much waiting! Apointments/playground/kids' activities etc.

As for the general multitasking, I make use of wasted time
E.g. never sit waiting while food cooking/kettle boiling - I'd clean/tidy kitchen or make a shopping list of needed items
Clean bathroom while waiting for bath to run
Get the kids to do specific tasks while I'm cleaning so more jobs done at once. 😉

Had to learn to do this with the kids as I want to get it all done but also want to enjoy time with them.

i totally mastered keeping up to date with facebook whilst breastfeeding! I think getting all the family to help can help with juggling everything that needs to be done to keep the family running smoothly. It also sets a good example for the kids to show everyones involvement.

Taking some time out for myself keeps my sanity and helps me be more efficient when juggling everything else!

I have a routine I stick to. I also make lists and use kettle boiling time and microwave cooking time to keep on top of things.

Meal plan
Online grocery shop
Strict routine on school days
Make the bed as soon as I wake up
Clean the kitchen while cooking
Folding laundry immediately

This past weekend I was helping my eldest finish his halfterm project on supercars whilst also having a dance party in the kitchen with the youngest. They needed to be in different rooms so tbe eldest wasn’t distracted so I raced between rooms to keep them both happy. It’s the fun of being a single parent.

I now work from home. Computer tech and connections with actual office are pretty seamless these days. As I'm a single parent this has revolutionised our lives.

I try to walk dc to school and then jog home on a 30 minute route - so that gets exercise out of the way and me feeling good for rest of the day.

I make enough salad to go with dinner to have some left for my lunch the next day (with cheese or a leftover sausage or something).