When I spend my weekends hurrying from place-to-place, using gas, spending money and brainpower on arriving at a destination or completing a task, I lose two free days of rest and relaxation. Plus, I become one of those impatient people who snap at baristas. This is absolutely no good for anyone, especially employees of Coffee Bean.

Self tips to reclaim weekend:

1. Stay off the phone.
2. Exercise.
3. Limit lessons. OK, easy for me to say as I forgot to sign my daughter up for soccer.
4. Meditate.
5. Treat myself.
6. Try to only commit to ONE event per day or weekend.

Signing up my child for her school’s hot lunch program saved time and sanity. No more late night creative throwing together a lunch that she never eats or morning arguments about what goes into that lunch. Plus, since she goes to a Title I school, breakfast is also provided — bonus on mornings when we’re out of frozen pancakes, her fave.

Thank God for sick kids child care. My first meeting with a big client was on Friday and Claire relapsed once again. I really needed to be at the office and Claire wasn’t that bad off– fever of 100.4 — and, she likes the facility in the hospital because she gets to watch TV and play with toys.

In the past when I’ve dropped her off with the nurses, I never made it past the door without crying.

What am I doing? My kid needs me and I drop her off with a fever and go to a client meeting?!

In the car with tissue mopping up mascara, I coach myself on remembering the big picture.

It’s unlikely she’ll remember this one day. I’ll just pepper the remainder of the year with a couple Disney trips and the Princesses will erase everything else from her memory with a wave of their wands. Or, I could always pump up the Claritin and try hypnoses.

I’m leaving her in a secure facility with nurses as her babysitters.  If there’s a problem then she’s in a hospital for God’s sake!  And, her super Dad ended up driving down and picking her up after only three hours, taking her to the doctor and then taking her to his home for the weekend. God Bless my former hubbie and co-parent.

Ask Your School or Daycare who Offers Sick Kids Childcare

Many schools and pre-schools have a list of facilities that accept kids with a fever or sore throat. These places are like gold.  You might need to pre-register and then reserve a spot.  Add big points to your mom-card if you send or Email a thank you note with an update on your kiddo.

Getting child in and out of bath can take 60 to 90 minutes.

To cut down this time I suggest one of the following:

1. Bath: Let the kiddo know that a short bath means longer reading or dessert time. Aim for 30 mins.
2. Shower: convert child to shower and combine your shower with your child’s. My new friend Denah reminded me about this one last night. She showers in the morning with her daughter.

Any other ideas short of steam cleaning the little buggers, speak up!

I send a silent thanks to friend Judy for this one almost every day. To get out the door on time for school in the morning Judy’s husband Mike races their daughter to see who wins by getting to the front door. Each person has to be dressed with teeth brused and of course, Mike lets her win every day.

Like lab rats, I suspect that kids will do this every day. Mine is almost six and she hasn’t caught on to this yet. Crazy. Who’s the real winner, my fellow WPs?

Savor it. Take the morning back from the little people.

If you pack or plan your child’s lunch for the next day at the same time you’re making or cleaning up this evening’s dinner, this contributes to a somewhat smoother morning.

It’s inevitible — if you’ve got to get out of the house early– your child will throw a fit about what he or she is gong to wear to school.

My solution– put the next day’s clothes on your child at night and then there’s no argument in the morning. My daughter sees this as kinda cool, perhaps rebelling against the jammie police.