If there is one thing a mom can always use, it’s more time. I can’t count the number of times I’ve wished for more hours in a day or more days in a week. It’s a good thing that moms are natural multi-taskers and good and creative use of their time. Here are my 10 time saving tips to make your life as a busy mom easier.
- INLIST HELP! Don’t take on EVERYTHING yourself. Get help from your husband and your kids whenever you can. My oldest two kids who are 4 and 2 know to put their dirty laundry in the hamper when they get dressed in the morning. They also clear their places at the table when meal times are over. My husband takes out the trash and unloads the dishwasher if he notices it’s been ran.
- Don’t Wait for Mt. Laundry- Just as it’s a daunting task for my four year old to clean up the playroom when it’s gotten out of hand, so is doing the laundry when the piles of clothes are mountainous. For our family of five, I aim to do a load of laundry per day. I start the wash in the morning after breakfast, transfer it to the dryer at lunch then fold it while watching tv after the kids have gone to bed. I try to put it away while the kids are eating lunch the next day before they go down for naps. This way everyone always has clean clothing and I don’t feel like I have to be chained down for a “laundry day”.
- Cook Once, Eat Twice- When your cooking dinner, make a double batch. You can repeat the meal the next day or freeze the leftovers for a meal to eat next week. My husband is pretty good about taking leftovers for his lunch the next day too. Just pack it up during dinner clean up and you won’t have to worry about packing a lunch in the morning!
- Grocery Shop as a Family- As weird as this one may sounds to you, it works for us. My husband helps me come up with a menu for the week, then we head to the grocery store as a family to get our groceries. Sometimes one of us will stay home with the kids and the other will get the groceries. Either way, it’s a LOT easier than shopping alone with three small children
- Get in a Rhythm- They say it takes two weeks to create a habit. When household chores become habit, you hardly realize you’re doing them. While the kids are playing in the bathtub I clean the toilet and wipe down the counters. I don’t go to bed with a messy kitchen but clean it nightly after dinner instead. These little things keep the house up without having to spend an entire day getting it clean.
- Work in the Car- Not while you are driving of course! If you often find yourself waiting in the car for the kids to get out of school or when you are early for an appointment, use that time to get something done. Bring your coupons to clip, make lists or even clean out the inside of the car!
- Keep a Planner- I don’t know what I would do without my daily planner. Each day is filled with things I must get done on that given day plus things I’d like to get done if time allows. I don’t think anything would ever get done if I didn’t make lists and keep a planner.
- Give Yourself a Break- We eat out once a week. It saves me time in the kitchen and allows me to spend a more relaxing meal with my family- that is, if you can call any meal with three kids 4 and under relaxing. At least I don’t have dishes to clean up afterwards!F
- Freezer Cook- While I mentioned Cook Once, Eat Twice above, I also wanted to share another time saving tip. We make a HUGE batch of homemade whole wheat waffles about once a month. During the week we can just pop one in the toaster for a healthy breakfast. Otherwise my kids tend to get cereal and a banana as I’m too bleary eyed when they wake up at the crack of dawn to do much else. You can do this with lots of things and it really does make life easier.
- Trade childcare with a friend- You can accomplish a lot more without kids underfoot. Set up a rotating day each week to either watch your friend’s kids or send them to her house for a couple of hours. Run errands in peace or work at home without being interrupted.
These are a few of the time saving tips I try to do to make my life easier. Do you have any tips that make your life as a busy mom easier? I’d love to hear! Please share in the comments.
I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Starbucks blogging program, for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.