Does not matter if you are juggling one kid or multiple kids. There is a lot of multitasking and organisation that comes with running a household and being a Mum! Lucky for me time management and organisation are two of my strengths so juggling my tribe of kids and their needs and demands has become second nature. I often get told “I don’t know how you do it.”
But for some people being organised does not come naturally or is more challenging. Today I decided to share some of my secret tricks on how I manage to remember everything and keep up with my busy life as a Mum of four munchkins.
Tips to Juggling a Busy Mum life
Here are my top 5 tricks to help me keep calm amongst the craziness of juggling a large family and everything that comes with it.
1. Set reminders!
Is it the kids library days always on Tuesdays? But you always end up rocking up to school with no library book in tow? I have a reminder set in my phone that every Tuesday morning at approx 7.15 am it goes off reminding me to get the kids to search the house for their library books. It is not fail proof. We often cannot find one of the three library books. However more often than not we are getting school remembering our library books! Swimming notes due? I set an alarm to remind myself to return them to school. You get the idea – I am always setting reminders and alarms. I would be lost without my phone!
2. Google calendar app
Also on my phone but sooo handy!! Whenever I make appointments or have an event or meeting coming up I schedule it into my google calendar on my phone. It also has the ability to be set to go off 30 minuntes or so before the said event or meeting so it also reminds me when I need to be somewhere with the kids. I started doing this when one of my sons had a lot of appointments. I had them on the calendar at home but that was pointless when we were at the appointment and needing to make a new appointment. Having it all in my phone is handy as I always have my phone on me. You can also share the appointment with an email and invite your partner or someone to the event.
3. Pack things the night before
Whether is it is packing the lunchboxes or laying out the uniforms or kids clothes for daycare. I find when I have things semi organised the night before then it makes the next morning run a lot smoother. So I always recommend spending that extra 15 minutes or so at night to prepare for the next day. Try it and see if it helps your household.
4. Make lists
I am a habitual list maker – I have a zillion to do lists! And there is nothing more satisfying then crossing off things that need to be done! Whether it is making an appointment, ordering something online, organising a present, making a phone call or checking up on something – it is on a list. I grabbed a cheap $2-$3 to do book from Kmart this year and it is a lifesaver. I find when I sit at night and write out my to do’s it clears my head and I feel organised. Another tip I have for Mums who are feeling very overwhelmed is focus on one-three things a day. Prioritise. What is essential to get done today. Forget the rest and come back to it on a day that is less overwhelming. Most days I prioritise three important things I want to achieve. For those who love a good app – Asana is another great tool to make lists and set reminders.
5. Meal plan and food shop online
Food shopping online! Oh my how I love you! Gone of the days trying to juggle my kids around the shops for a big food shop. Or juggle our weekend commitments around to ensure I can do an hour or two at the supermarket. I now have formed the habit of doing my weekly food shop online. We save TONNES of money and I have a list saved so it is quite quick these days to add those items to the cart and any additional things I may need to stock up on. I also am a huge fan of meal planning! I see what activities/meetings we have on for the week and ensure I factor in those for a simple, easy meal or a meal that my husband can prepare. Another thing I do is make sure I have basic ingredients in my pantry so I can always whip up a quick and easy meal like Spag bol or tacos if everything else fails. If you missed our guest blogger Meal planning tips check out the blog here.
We hope some of these tips are helpful in getting your life and kids organised! Please leave us a comment if you enjoyed them or have some other great ideas for our readers. Want to connect to other families? Join our closed Facebook group – Darwin Family Life Community Hub
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