If your parenting style is anything like mine, you might be looking for some shortcuts or mom hacks to make the days easier.
As a parent, I feel like I am always rushing. We are in charge of them getting to school on time, practices on time, keeping them safe at all times, keeping them fed and looking clean, and sooooo much more. Here are some tips that make momming easier for me:
Tip 1. What has made this last year so much easier for my little family is having a schedule. Playtime after school, dinner time at 5 p.m., then homework, then bath time, then bedtime by 7:30 p.m. Of course, there is a little give in the schedule on days where there’s a practice or something going on outside of the house, but having a schedule or routine has made life so much easier on me and my kids. They can’t complain as much about the daily tasks because it has become a normalcy for them. Except when your son is like mine and thinks that I am trying to pull one over on him because it’s not dark out at bedtime anymore.
Tip 2. I get frustrated with my kids when I clean! That is the time where they either need the most mommy attention or they undo every single thing that I have done. Something new that I tried this month is making them clean while I clean! When I ask my son to clean his room, he gives me grief but he goes to his room. Whether or not he cleans (sometimes he does, sometimes he just plays), it allows me the time to clean without being interrupted. With my youngest, I just have to put her in her highchair with some puffs and then I can go to town and clean my house.
Tip 3. Buy presents early! I mean, way early! We have a designated spot in our house for presents so that way they never get lost or misplaced. We try to buy presents throughout the year any time we have a little extra jingle in our pockets or any time we are out and see something that reminds us of the person we are buying presents for. This helps because when it’s birthday time for a family member or Christmas time, we aren’t rushing to buy presents and we aren’t worried about spending an unbearable amount of money at one time when we have to have a present for everyone in both of our families.
Tip 4. Baking soda rids foul smells. Shoes, refrigerator, carpet, etc.
Tip 5. Hot glue the bottom of bath toys to prevent mold from growing inside them. They will still float, but you won’t have to worry about tossing out your bath toys due to mold.
Tip 6. If you have some spare time and you know that something is due on a certain day, use that little tiny bit of time to work on it. You will thank yourself later when you are not rushing to finish your task.
Tip 7. If that spare time that you gave up to complete your task was the only “me time” you were going to get that day, try putting your kiddos to bed a half hour earlier that night so you have some extra time to focus on you.
Tip 8. This one is more of an objective than a tip. I’ve tried meal prepping, and I’ve tried day-to-day. I have to say, for me, meal prepping has been way more time consuming than making meals daily. I also am a stay-at-home mom though, so keep in mind, I do have the spare 30 minutes to make dinner. Sometimes we go to the grocery store with a general idea of what we are going to make that week and sometimes we just decide when we get there! Either way, it doesn’t take too long to put the lean turkey on the skillet to make tacos or Sloppy Joes with a side of mixed veggies.
Tip 9. Learn to love the chaos. Whether you have 1 child or 100, you will have your work cut out for you at one point or another, so embrace the craziness. Your house will be messy. You might be late from time to time for an event or a function. You might use TV dinners for your little one’s meal one night. No matter what, you’re doing your best. Don’t try to be perfect or measure up to the other moms who you think are. Just be you! Spend a day not cleaning. Let the mess be. Heck, help make the mess! The memories are way more fun to make.
