Being a mother can often feel like you are juggling several plates at once. If you have very young Children, you might feel like you are in a cycle of feeding, washing, playing and napping. For moms with older children, there are school uniforms to clean, packed lunches to make and homework to do. Parents of teenagers are learning how to handle mood swings, first loves, and exams. And that’s just the parenting side of things. Add onto that the challenges of running a home, going to work and paying the bills, it’s no wonder that mothers sometimes feel the strain.
One way to help ease the pressure and to keep things running like clockwork is by being as Organized as you can. These tips on being an organized mom will show you how to start!
Use a Calendar
Have a calendar on a wall in your home where everyone can see it. One with squares that you can write in works well. Put every upcoming important date on it in bold pen. That way, you won’t forget that it is school photo day and send your child to school in their holey jumper, you’ll remember to buy a present for your nephew’s birthday, and you’ll what social commitments you have so you can get your outfit sorted ahead of time. A calendar is a fairly inexpensive item, or you can print your own calendar to use.
Shop Smart
Kids are active and have a way of putting their clothing through rigors tests. Play fighting, playgrounds, tree-climbing, dirt, and stains - children’s clothes need to be up to the job. It makes sense to buy children’s clothes that are good quality and long-lasting. This will save you time and money on replacing worn out clothes. Shopping online will also save you the hassle of traipsing around the shops, especially if you have young children with you. Nickis is one example of an online store where you can get good quality children’s clothes for all ages and occasions.
Another way to shop smart is to plan your grocery shopping. Make a list of everything you run out of as you notice it so that by the time your shopping day arrives you already have a list. Trying to put everything on it in one go means you are more likely to forget to add something you need. If you don’t enjoy going to the supermarket, shopping online can be a real time saver. Most supermarket websites allow you to save your regular shopping list, so you don’t have to spend time adding items each week. Another handy tip is to never shop hungry. It is generally noted that you will spend more money on unnecessary items if you shop before you have eaten as everything looks more appealing!
Plan Ahead
Try to make packed lunches the night before to save you time in the mornings. If you enjoy baking, you could bake some lunch items in batches to keep in a freezer. Then, you just need to get them out the evening before, and they are ready to eat the next day. Good, freezable baked foods are scones, muffins, and brownies, and baking them yourself saves you money. You could even make meals to freeze and use them throughout the week.
If your child has a large school project, plan ahead by allowing some smaller amounts of time where you can help them with it. This way it will be an enjoyable thing to do together, and it will be better for it as you’re not rushing to get it all done at the last minute.
Housework
Keeping a clean and tidy home can feel like an insurmountable challenge when you have younger children, but there are things you can do to help keep things organized. Encourage and reward children for tidying away their toys, and doing it every day will help it become part of their routine.
One technique to keeping a clean home when you are busy is to work on just one room per day for general cleaning. Of course, you will still have to deal with anything major in the other rooms, but just but doing a few minutes here and there it will help you keep on top of things. A similar technique is to have a 30-minute blitz each day, where you do nothing but focus on your cleaning task. It is amazing how much you can achieve in a short space of time once you focus on it. If you don’t have 30 minutes, separate it into two fifteen-minute slots.
Make Time for Yourself
You are the one keeping everything running in your household, so it is important that you look after yourself. Eat healthy foods to keep you in good health, get a good night’s sleep and make sure you find some time to do things just for you. That might mean getting out for a run two or three times per week, going out with your friends, or having an uninterrupted bath.
Keeping a hobby will also make you feel good about yourself, allowing you something to focus on that does not revolve around children and your home. Taking your mind off of your daily chores will help you find new energy, and this is something that will have a knock-on benefit to others in your home.
Being organized when you are a busy mom is possible, and just a few changes will help you start. You’ll find that as you begin to notice a difference, you will be motivated to make even more changes to benefit your household and your life. An organized mom is a happy and relaxed mom, and that can be felt by all family members. Remember though, that not everything can be controlled and trying to do so is effort wasted. Accept the fact that sometimes, you might not have time to do all the jobs you want, but it’s not the end of the world. Get the important things organized and in place first, and everything else will follow.
