Lately I can’t seem to shake my absolute exhaustion. It’s the constant juggling of everyone’s schedules that has me nodding off while waiting in the carpool line at school. The mental load of being the point person for everything home, family, school, financial, health, and pet related is keeping me up in the middle of the night, furiously typing to-do lists into my phone, hoping the light from my device doesn’t wake up my husband. I came across this video the other day, and I am so relieved that I am not the only one with a crazy calendar! These ladies from “I Mom So Hard” keep me grounded and remind me that I am not alone in wanting to pull my hair out sometimes!
Now that you’ve had a chuckle or two, let’s tackle how to keep sane in the face of all of this chaos. If you’ve read anything I’ve written, you know that for me, everything good in life happens because of organization and planning, so here are my ideas to keep life from “going off the rails on a crazy train” Ozzy Osbourne-style!
- Plan: When the pressure of the days weighs heavy, it’s best to take a break from the unproductive cycle of running in circles and properly plan our schedules.
- Calendars are a must. All of my dates are on online calendars. I have a personal calendar, a work calendar, a birthday calendar, and a shared family calendar that are all visible on my phone, with each calendar’s activities in a different color. Utilizing reminders built into the calendars helps us to be where we are supposed to be when we are supposed to be there. No more forgetting it’s early dismissal day at school!
- Setting up time to review the events of the week with family members keeps everyone on the same page. Family meetings are also good to keep the family connected.
- Training family members to use the shared calendar takes time, but it is worth it. When my children ask if they can go someplace during the weekend, I tell them “yes, as long as you put it on the calendar with a reminder one hour before and the address of where we need to go.”
- Be efficient: Make the most of the limited time we have. We all deserve to relax, and maximizing efficiency during the day allows me time to spend relaxing with my family in the evening.
- Multi-task whenever possible. I like to exercise while watching television. Doing squats, lift weights, plank, etc. during commercial breaks helps me physically get stronger and mentally stay focused. I don’t enjoy ironing, but I always do it while I watch tv. I can be productive while being entertained. I’m very impatient and hate waiting in line. I plan to have something to do while waiting, even if it’s just reading a book or catching up on emails. While waiting for my daughter to get a sports physical the other day, I got her signed up for driver’s ed on my phone. There are even times I write articles like these while parked in the carpool line for school pickup. I also like to listen to podcasts or comedy shows while cooking to stay up to date on current events or just to have a laugh.
- Maximize time by planning out the day and being logical about the schedule. Don’t plan on putting a load of laundry while walking out the door. Something could happen, and you could come home to a flooded house. The other more likely scenario is that when you get home, you forget there is wet laundry in the washer, and hello mildew!
- Save time on errands. Shop online when possible or take advantage of stores that offer online shopping with in-store pickup. Simply add the items to your cart, and usually within an hour, the items are ready to be picked up. Grocery stores even offer curbside pickup. Instead of dragging the kids to the store and spending time shopping (and buying things you don’t need), shop online while watching tv and simply show up at your scheduled time, load up, and head home!
- Don’t waste time. Don’t mop right before a thunderstorm if you have dogs. It’s just going to end up getting dirty. It’s the same logic of cleaning before a party. Don’t overdo it!
- Involve the whole family in taking care of the home.
- Delegate, and get the family on board to contribute. Everyone in the family can do more than we think they can do and more than they want to do. Train your family to sort their laundry ahead of time, so you don’t have to do it. My children have been sorting their own laundry since they were pretty small. Get the kids to take over some chores like emptying the dishwasher, taking out the trash, vacuuming. See an easy way to make a DIY dry erase chore chart.
- Make chore time fun. As a parent, we know that we have to be creative sometimes to get what we want. No kid really wants to clean, so sometimes I would turn it into a competition. I’d offer a small prize for the first one finished with their rooms. I’d set a timer to see how much could get picked up in 5 minutes. They loved trying to beat the clock. My dad always played loud music while we were cleaning, and we would dance around playing air guitars and drums while we dusted. I now do that with my own kids.
- Let the kids have a say in things. The kids are much more likely to want to help in the kitchen and try new foods if they are able to offer ideas and suggestions for meals. During the summer, the kids have to come up with one dinner a week that they can cook on their own and within a certain budget and dietary guidelines. It’s a great way to teach them a life skill and have some help in the kitchen. I try to let them have some leeway in deadlines to finish chores. I’ll tell them what needs to be done and when the tasks need to be completed. The choice to do everything on the first day, spread the chores out over a few days, or wait until the last minute is theirs to make, but they have to deal with the consequences of not finishing them or the stress of rushing around at the last minute when they’d rather be doing something else.
Implementing a little bit of planning can really make our days much more efficient, and I hope these tips help you. We would love to hear your ideas for keeping on track, and we thank you for joining us on our journey to save time and money through organization. Now go make some time to RELAX and RECHARGE!
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