As a mom, I feel like I am an air traffic controller. I have all of these planes flying every which direction. Making sure things don’t overlap and my children need to get to where they need to go in my talent.
Between having to go watch a high school basketball game to having to pick up my oldest from rehearsals, I am always doing something. Have I also mentioned that I work from home for an online school as an administrator and I have a little toddler at home? I have her naps that I have to take into consideration when I am planning out my days and weeks. I have another one in elementary school, as well. Yeah, life is a bit…crazy.
Don’t forget to add in my husband’s schedule. Yes, I do keep in mind what his schedule is for work, appointments, sauna time, etc. This is so that I know when I will get help with the children or not. I can arrange other events around his schedule if I need to.
Through all of this, I try not to compromise on my home being a mess and tasks not getting done. I make it a point to keep doing what I did before I had my last child and before the 3 older ones were so active. However, it takes planning, discipline, and consistency.
What do I mean by being an efficient mom?
I do not mean that you are efficient 24/7. Yes, at some point or during the craziest of times, something may disrupt how the house is ran. I am talking about having the house run efficiently so you can be successful at your mom duties. This doesn’t mean that you won’t go crazy or feel super stressed at times. However, it makes sure that you get your children where they need to go, all are fed, and the house is not a huge mess.
1. Plan out your week
Since I was a teacher, I have always been a planner. I would plan my lessons 2-3 weeks in advance. I never knew when I would need to take off and I liked knowing what I needed to prepare for. Outside of work, I would plan. I would make sure I knew when practices were, games were, rehearsals, dance, dentist appointments, etc. so everyone got to their important events. If you have ever heard of giving a child with ADHD a plan for the day so it helps them not feel anxious, well, try it for yourself. Whether you keep this plan on your phone, purchase a dry erase calendar, or write it down in a planner, the idea is that you have your schedule written down. Make sure you make changes when appropriate and necessary.
2. Keep your home organized
I have gone into homes where it is utter chaos. Clothes are all over the place, backpacks are thrown in every direction, toys are scattered on the ground, the counters are cluttered with stuff, and it’s chaos. While that is not how I live my life and would cause more anxiety than calmness, this is also not a recipe for efficiency. Please note, I am not putting anyone down who lives this way, but I also know that it takes people longer to find items when there is stuff everywhere. Again, if you are trying to be efficient, make sure you organize your home.
Organize your home enough to allow you to know where items go when they are not in their “home.” Then when you need that item, you know exactly where it will be. Not only does organization with finding items, but also cleaning up. You will automatically know where the item goes instead of trying to figure out where to put it. Organization just makes life easier.
3. Utilize the pick up options at stores
This is a tip that I wish I had used long before I started to. I would see the “Pick Up” spots at a local grocery store and thought how crazy it would be to pay for that. Well, it wasn’t until another store started doing the same thing that I got on board. While I pay $1.99 at one store to have it picked up, I save about an hour a week and I don’t have to deal with the craziness of shopping. For some people, this may not be a tip you will use. Maybe you genuinely love grocery shopping or maybe it is your only time out of the house. However, for me, I would rather spend my weekends even if it’s 1 hour with my family at home.
I have even gotten in the habit of having our nanny pick it up on the Thursday or Friday while I am working. Again, this is something that is efficient and makes my life a little easier. It is one less thing I worry about and one less thing I have to do on the weekends.
4. Plan out dinners for the week
This has been something I pride myself on since I can remember. Yes, it takes planning. I do spend my time thinking of what our schedule is the following week and then what makes sense to make. If we are going to be out and about that evening, a crockpot dinner is it. If I don’t have to run around kids, I can spend a little more time in the kitchen. I rarely spend a lot of time cooking since I don’t have the luxury of time per se. I plan simple and easy meals. However, I do plan. Then I go shopping once a week (sometimes, I may have to grab something at the store throughout the week, but it’s unusual). This saves me a lot of time.
For some people, they prefer going every few days to the market, but as a working mom, it’s not conducive. Going every few days for me seems like a waste of time and I can think of many other things I would rather be doing. If you use the pick up options at the market, then you have your meals planned out AND easy pick up.
Another reason I prefer to plan out my meals is because once the day comes, I don’t want to be stuck with nothing. I like knowing what I had planned and it makes it easier to start cooking. It takes the guessing game out of that task. If you are a spontaneous type of mom, then this may not be the best idea for you.
5. Make Lists
Not everyone is a list person. What do I mean by make lists? I mean your “To-do list.” The list that helps you keep track of what you need to get done. If you are like me, you can get sidetracked with a ton of other things to do. However, when I have a list, it helps me to prioritize and focus on what needs to get done. Not only that, but I love seeing my list shrink or the items crossed out. It makes me feel like I have accomplished something that day. It’s especially important on the weekends when I have a ton to do and I need to really prioritize all of my tasks.
6. Straighten up the house before bed
I have heard some parents say, “Why bother with picking up the toys or putting things back at night when they will be on the ground anyway?” Well, a neat home helps with clearer heads. For some of us, it helps us start fresh in the morning knowing the home is straightened up. This tip helps with tip #2..keeping everything organized. The piles will keep piling up. The mess will continue to grow and then it will take even longer to put everything in it’s place.
I used to be a fanatic about straightening my home up when my older two were little and I stayed home with them part time. I would straighten up when they took naps, when they went into another room, and in the evening. Then, I realized, I was doing the same thing over and over again and wasting my time and energy. I started to just straighten at the end of the day. I find that when I don’t due to being ill or having too much to do, the mess builds up. Then it’s more for me to do in the long run.
7. Do laundry throughout the week
The last thing I want to do is laundry for days. I do not like my hamper overflowing with laundry. Typically, do laundry for me and my husband twice a week. I do it once on the weekend and once in the middle of the week. This way I am not spending the entire weekend on laundry. I also do my daughters’ clothes about 3 times a week because they always seem to have more laundry. So, 1 load 3 times a week so I am not spending one entire day focusing on laundry is manageable.
While I am not saying that moms must do these things to be efficient, I am saying these are some ways one can be MORE efficient. I would rather spend time with my family or doing tasks I LOVE than trying to find something or grocery shopping. These are ways that have helped me with time management as a full time working mom of 4. I hope they also help you to be more efficient. Our time is valuable, why waste it.
8. Prepare clothes ahead of time
When my two older children were younger, one of the craziest times of the day was in the morning before work. The last thing I wanted to do was worry about what I was going to put on my children. I decided to check the weather on Sunday for the remainder of the week and plan their outfits accordingly. I would stack them up and put them in their closet so I would just have to grab and put them on. For me, it was one task that helped relieve me of stress or not add to my stress. I would also have my own outfits ready to go.
Now, I will get my children’s clothes out the night before and put them on the dresser. I will get my work out clothes ready for the morning so I don’t have to fumble through my drawers for the outfit. My husband prepares his clothes the night before as well. This helps the mornings run smoother. Will your mornings be smooth? They could still be chaotic, however, this can eliminate or decrease the stress of finding clothes.