Using my time

There are ways in which being a stay-at-home mom to an infant feels a lot like teaching, in terms of the way I think about my time—questions that I’m asking myself all the time that are very similar to the questions I faced regularly when teaching. Here are a few that I’ve noticed:

1- I have ____ minutes until the next period starts, or until the baby wakes up. What do I have on my list that I can accomplish in that particular amount of time?

2- There is more on the to-do list than is humanly possible to accomplish today (or even this week). Which things must I do NOW? (like getting papers for next period photocopied, or eating breakfast before it becomes lunchtime…) Which things do I NEED to get done today/tomorrow? (like choosing sections for the test I want to give, or doing a load of diaper laundry) Which things are next in priority if I get the time, and which are simply not important enough (yet?) to spend my time on?

3- I have several things I could work on right now. Which of them are things that I can ONLY do when I am alone in my room, or when the baby is asleep? (like laying out a unit plan, or taking a shower) Which are things that could wait and be accomplished while a student is around taking a test, or when the baby is up and hanging out, or eating? (like grading a quiz, or folding clothes)

I got quite good at asking and answering these questions with respect to my teaching, over the past 10 years. Now I’m finding them an important skill in using my days well as a mom. Of course, I sort of suspect that just as I figure out how to best navigate my time, Kaitlyn will grow and change her habits, and that will change all the rules. But at least for now, it’s nice to know that some of my previous life has transferability to my new one!