Spending a lot of time in your car while your kids are at activities? In this article, we'll give you creative and practical strategies for making productive use of waiting time.
Productive Use of Waiting Time
Waiting in the car during kids' practice sessions is a common scenario that many of us can relate to.
Whether it's soccer practice, dance lessons, or music rehearsals, these moments often leave us feeling like we're just sitting around, waiting for our children to finish.
However, waiting time during practice can opportunity to get a lot done!
Instead of viewing this as wasted time, we can choose to make the most of it.
By using this time wisely, we can engage in activities that nurture our own well-being and help us make progress on our goals.
Whether it's catching up on reading, listening to podcasts or audiobooks, learning a new skill through online courses, or simply taking a moment for self-reflection and relaxation, these practice sessions can become valuable pockets of time in our busy lives.
In this article, we'll explore different ideas and techniques that can help you utilize this time effectively.
From simple organization hacks to self-care practices and even ways to boost your productivity, these strategies are designed to empower you to make the most out of the time spent waiting during your kids' practice sessions.
So let's dive in and discover how we can turn these seemingly idle moments into opportunities for personal growth and productivity!
From Sidelines to Planner Lines: Organizing Your Family's Life with Ease
Practice time is perfect for knocking out some administrative and planning tasks. Here are some things you could do during practices:
- Organize Family Calendars – Fill in paper calendars, digital calendars, etc. with school, sports and work schedules.
- Process through your inbox
- Meal Planning – Plan meals and grocery lists for next week. Or, work on creating a rotating meal plan.
- Schedule appointments – If you can make calls or schedule appointments online, now's the perfect time to do it and then add the appointments to your calendar.
Related: How to Build a Custom Planner with Printables
Building Bridges While They Train
Taking time to get to know the other parents who are also waiting is one of the best ways to spend your time. Where else can you find parents who have kids with similar interests/schedules?!
As our kids have gotten older, I see that parents aren't staying around during practice as much.
Kids are getting more independent as they grow up, and parents like to use practice time to get things done.
If chatting with other parents isn't an option, you can still build connections by calling friends/family, reaching out to people you haven't talked to in a while, and returning messages.
If you do volunteer work, practice time is perfect for connecting with other volunteers online or by phone.
Seize the Pause: Make the Most Out of Every Waiting Moment
You can also use practice time for self-care and wellness. Here are some ideas:
- Take a walk or a run
- Bring along a healthy snack for you!
- Read a fun book
- Listen to a novel on audiobook or listen to a podcast.
- Use a meditation app like Headspace
- If it's safe to do so, take a nap!
Related: How to Get to 10,000 Steps a Day
Beyond Scrolling: Transform Practice Hours into Personal Growth Time
Use practice time as a special pocket of time reserved for personal development! You can learn and grow a lot by taking on some of these activities:
- Reading and Learning – Use e-books, audiobooks, or online courses to learn something new.
- Set and Track Goals – Use this time to focus on your goals, track progress, and make plans for making progress in the upcoming week.
- Journaling or Blogging: Start a journal or blog to document experiences or explore creativity.
- Language Learning: Use apps like Duolingo to study another language. If you can access YouTube, watch videos in your target language!
From Sidelines to Success: Creative Ways to Use Kids' Practice Time
Kids' practice time is an opportunity for personal and professional growth.
It can also serve as well-needed downtime in the middle of a hectic day.
Try out some of the ideas and strategies in this article to find out what works best for you!
However you choose to spend practice time, embrace it as a gift of time for yourself. You deserve it!