As a mom of five kids, there are two things I often hear: “Your hands are full!” and “I don’t know how you do it!” Listen, it’s not like it’s easy and I can’t plan next Tuesday when my husband and I are still figuring out tomorrow, but we manage and have come up with some pretty nifty time savers along the way. Here are some tips small families can use as well!
1. Let’s talk laundry.
I don’t care if you have one kid or 9, you have laundry… lots and lots of it usually. A tip a mom of a large family once told me was to color code the socks! For example, one child will always be black socks, the other white, another pink, etc. When sorting through the pile, you never have to check sizes as you always know who’s is who! The same can be applied to undies… 1 daughter can always be Hello kitty, the other Frozen characters, etc.
2. Did I mention lots of laundry?
Our latest strategy is it is one child’s family contribution to go around the house getting all the Laundry Baskets and to throw in large piles by light/ dark/ whites. After everything is washed, we line back up the laundry baskets and toss back the clothes, separated by child (each gets their own basket). It cuts down the time by a lot!
3. And now we are hungry.
In theory, crockpots are great. Dinner is already ready! One problem for me – you still have to prepare the crockpot! I’m not clear on how it’s much of a time saver… I have to make two dinners in one night so I can save some time? In short, I am not a crockpot lover. However, I am a HUGE Trader Joe’s fan. They have recipes on their site that are healthy, easy to double or triple, their prices are actually cheaper than some other stores and all the ingredients will be there since it’s a Trader Joe’s recipe! And, though this is a shameless plug, I do regularly cook from Breezy Mama’s Delish Dish section because they are mostly recipes sent in from busy moms!
4. How are we getting there?
Carpool. Carpool and more carpool… again, no matter how many kids you have, every parent loves a break from driving back and forth. By teaming up, everyone wins!
5. Create a family calendar.
Okay, here’s where I snooze. In other words, my calendar could use some serious work! This tip comes from Clinical Psychologist Dr. Rachel Goldenhar from our Fox 5 San Diego discussion this morning along with Family Medicine Specialist Dr. Melinda Silva. Watch the video below for more tips on time management for parents, what to do when your daughter likes the same boy as her best friend and more:
