Luckily my good friend Michelle Prak (@Prakky) had an awesome suggestion on her blog that we’ve since incorporated into our weekend routine.

Allocate one hour of uninterrupted ‘screentime’ where mum takes the kid and it’s just me and the iMac.

I can choose to do whatever I want with that time whether it’s blogging, researching, tweeting or just surfing. If I don’t get what I wanted to done because I was too busy screwing around, that’s my own fault, but generally it means that I’m more efficient with my time online.

For any parents struggling to find the time to blog or do anything else online, I highly encourage you to give it a go!

The problem gets compounded when there a things around the house that you really need to do such as installing those baby gates you’ve been promising your wife for months or protecting the PS3 from curious little hands.

Luckily, Digital Dads has some great advice for making the most of the weekend and still getting enough chillax time.

1. Set Clear Goals
   The more vague your goals are, the more likely you won’t get them done. Be as specific as possible. Don’t set the goal of “make a sit down dinner.” Instead set it as “make a dutch oven pot roast for dinner.” Being specific up front focuses you even more on the end goal.
2. Make a List (in your head doesn’t count)
   This can be on a sticky note, whiteboard or the nearest scrap of paper, but putting it down on paper makes it more likely to happen. This is extra important if you have more then one goal because you can check them off as you complete them. This gratification will help you push forward.
3. Don’t Do Too Much
   A million tiny tasks or a handful of major ones will both kill you. Don’t give into the temptation to try and do too much. Recognize your limitations and set the right number of goals. Nothing sucks more then having to push something off to the next weekend.
4. Tell Other People Your Goals
   When you are accountable to someone, it is a great motivator. It is very easy to tell yourself you are going to do something, but the more people you tell the more likely you are to stay focused and succeed.
5. Celebrate Victory
   When you complete a group of tasks or at the end of the weekend when your list is all checked off be sure to reward yourself. It might be something simple like sitting down for a beer break or some time playing video games. Just be sure to congratulate yourself.

Increasingly aware of what’s around him, he’s become determined to get from A to B, whether it means  climbing over mum and dad to get to the remotes or making a break for it when he sees the laundry door open.

But while most kids start off crawling, mine prefers to bum shuffle…

To any parents with kids of a similar age who also bum shuffle, I’m proposing a race. Send me an email if you’re keen!

One thing I’ve learned is that nothing lasts forever, and with our growing family we figured it was about time we ditched the nomad-like existence and cash-in on KRudd’s generosity while the offer was there.

P.S. It should also come as no surprise that the first thing I did once we knew the date we were moving was relocate the Internet and Foxtel.

These days while Infusion and AC/DC are still well up there, the song that gets played (and sung) the most in my house is by an orange muppet named Ollie on Nick Jr. My 8 month old can’t get enough of it, especially the ‘Days of the Week’ song.

Every time it comes on, he freezes and stares at the screen with the most adorable face as we sing and clap along every morning as a family (weekends only, for me).

Sing Along With Ollie

It is an activity that we really enjoy doing as a family and look forward.

Like most people, our working week is frantic as we juggle the twin demands of work and raising a young child.

When I was younger, single and not a parent, life was more or less free flowing and unstructured. However as my familial and professional obligations grew that fluidity soon descended into chaos.

Having something simple and pleasurable at the end of the week, week in, week out, that we look forward helps lend some structure and order to our lives. Instead of that empty feeling Monday morning wondering where the weekend went, I now start the week focused and content knowing that I’ve done something useful and spent quality time with the most important people in my life.