Being a parent is a full-time job with no rest days, holidays, and vacation leaves. You cannot even call in sick and stay in bed for as long as you want because you have a household to take care of.
It’s not simple but it doesn’t have to be complicated. While there are a lot of things you need to juggle in one day — doing the laundry, bringing the kids to school, picking up the groceries and the list goes on — it can be done efficiently if you learn how to be more organized. We know it’s easier said than done but trust me, you can maximize your time and even save some for your own “Netflix and chill” by following these simple organization tips.
Create A List
Whether it’s an app or a notebook, these tools come in handy when you want to create a to-do list and a meal plan. Every Sunday, make it a habit to jot down important events, like your daughter’s recital or your in-law’s birthday, the chores you need to complete, such as general cleaning, and other errands for the coming week. This will not only help you organize your priorities, but it will also help you avoid missing out important dates.
As for the meal plan, you can take advantage of the World Wide Web and search for new recipes online. Create a menu for your breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day and list the ingredients you need, so you’re all set on your grocery day.
Delegate Tasks To Your Kids
Even as a toddler, your child can start helping in small ways. For instance, you can ask them to put their toys back in the box, get a diaper for the baby, or throw their soiled diapers in the bin. Meanwhile, for teens or young adults, you can create a chore wheel and assign them different household chores, such as vacuuming the carpet, walking the dog, or washing the dishes.
Delegating tasks to your children does not only help you save time; you are also teaching them the important skills that they can use as they grow older.
Get Up Early And Multitask
Get up earlier when everyone’s still sleeping. That they, no one will distract you and you can accomplish more tasks. When doing so, do two things together. For instance, while brewing your coffee, you can start doing the laundry or preparing breakfast. Waking up early also gives you enough time to organize your thoughts, meditate, or do a workout.
Do A Load of Laundry
Do the laundry once a week or do it every single day? It’s really up to you but if you want to avoid feeling overwhelmed, you can make it a daily routine. For instance, as mentioned above, you put your dirty clothes in your washing machine and start making your coffee afterward. Before you leave your home for work or drop the kids to school, you can pop the clothes in your dryer.
Declutter As Often As You Can
Some parents do general cleaning once or twice a month; however, it can help you a lot when you do it at the same time every day. But to make it organized, you can select a different area per day that you need to purge. For example, on Monday you will clean the kitchen, on Tuesday you will declutter the master’s bedroom, and so on and so forth. Whatever your plan is, make it a part of your life and declutter as often as you can.
It’s the same thing as with cleaning. One way to stay organized at home is by cleaning as you go. While some people set a specific day to clean an area, organized people usually don’t wait at all. To stay on top of things, you can create a cleaning schedule and put it somewhere you can easily see.
The Power Of Saying “No”
Admit it — it’s easier to agree and say “yes” than to say “no” even if you don’t feel like saying so. However, saying “no” sometimes will help you stay organized. If you know that it will not serve you or that it will affect your crazy schedule, just say it. You know that you’re already busy with something else and if you commit to a new task, that will only add more responsibilities.
Take A Time Off
When you’re a parent and you’re working at the same time, having time off is almost impossible. However, you’ll burn-out easily if you keep on doing the same things over and over again. As much as you wanted to have a clean and organized home at the same time, you also need to attend to your own physical and mental health… and that means taking time to procrastinate.
You can call your friends and have a night out or spend some time alone drinking coffee in your patio. Whatever that is, be sure to allocate a couple of hours every week doing nothing. Believe us, it will help you more organized and energized.
And of course, don’t forget to do a couple of beauty hacks to keep your skin fresh and moisturized!
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