5 Time Management Tips for Busy Moms

Did you ever just look around your home at all the stuff you needed to do and just sigh a curse out loud?  Me too.  Keeping up with all the kid activities, household drudgery, working, and waving at your significant other every third day or so can make you feel overwhelmed, under-appreciated and stressed out.  But fear not!  Here are 5 tips to make your life easier.

1.  Put Stuff Away.  Did your mom every say, “A place for everything and everything in its place” to you?  This helps a lot.  We have a blue Tupperware bowl where all car keys are deposited.  When we follow this simple system, mornings are happy.  When the keys are not in their place?  Chaos.

2.  Plan Ahead.  Think you don’t have time to plan for life’s little emergencies?  Think of all the extra time you will have to waste if you don’t.  Example:  You’re running late to your in-law’s wedding anniversary party.  It’s a two hour drive and no one has eaten breakfast and you don’t have any snacks.  You stop at a fast food chain to get a quick bite and your son spills ketchup. Everywhere.  You have no spare clothes, so you have to stop at Walmart to buy some.  You’re late to the party, spent extra money on clothes and food, are in a foul mood and…you know…you’re at your in-laws house.  Next trip plan ahead.  Pack some extra clothes and snacks in the car the night before.  Set your alarm earlier so you leave on time.

3.  Wake up earlier.  You don’t have to wake up insanely early either; just 30-60minutes before everyone else does.  There is something divine about being able to drink a quiet cup of coffee and gather your thoughts for the day before everyone starts thrusting demands upon you.

4.  Write a To-Do List.  My brain can only hold so much information without shutting down.  That’s why I make to-do lists.  Whether you use your smart phone or computer or even just a plain old sheet of paper it is helpful to get all of those tasks out of your brain and written in front of you.  Plus it’s hugely satisfying to cross something off your to-do list.

5.  Delegate.  The chore I hate more than any other chore in the entire world is folding and putting away the laundry.  It is tedious and awful.  But now that my kids are 5 and 3, I get to delegate a little.  Yay!  My daughter (age 5) can fold the shirts and pants now.  My son (age 3) can put his clothes away in the correct drawers.   It took a while to teach them how to do these things, but it was time well spent because now they can lighten my load.

How do you save time?

Lisa

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