Time. We all need more of it. After a full workday, cooking dinner, evening activities, homework, baths and bedtime, you easily can feel as though you need more than 24 hours to accomplish everything. Try out these time-savers to reclaim a little more time in your day and make parenting a bit simpler.
Prepare for mornings the night before
Before your kids go to bed, make sure everything is prepared for the next morning. I go to bed knowing all the lunches are packed, backpacks are ready to go, and permission slips are signed. I also like to help my kids pick out their outfit for the next day and have it sitting out ready for them to put on in the morning. This takes the argument about what they want to wear out of the equation and makes for a much smoother morning.
Delegate chores
With so much to do and so little time, your delegating chores to the entire family can really take a weight off your shoulders. Task each child with daily and weekly chores. Simple tasks like making their bed, feeding the dog and wiping down the kitchen counters can shave so much time off your to-do list!
Pack the car
Our family is always on the go, which means we always need to pack the car for the next activity. Instead of packing for each outing, I keep my car fully stocked with everything we could possibly need. I have a tote with a first-aid kit, bug spray, sunscreen, a towel, baby wipes, Pull-Ups, lawn chairs, an umbrella, stadium chair, jackets and a blanket. This saves prep time and lightens my mental load when leaving the house, because I know we are prepared for whatever might come our way.
Give everything a home
If yours is anything like my family, your kids (and maybe spouse) are always losing something. My daughter can never find her glasses, my husband loses track of his car keys, and my youngest always seems to lose one shoe. To combat this, I try to give everything in our house a home. For example, my daughters have a place to put their backpacks, jackets and shoes when they get home. My husband has a specified place to put his car keys, wallet and sunglasses. This saves us time looking for where something might have been placed by someone else.
Leftover night
Was it a rough day and you just don’t have it in you to cook a meal? That’s OK. Make it a leftover night. Everyone can choose their favorite leftovers from the fridge. This could be last night’s dinner heated up, a bowl of cereal, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a frozen pizza. Anything in the kitchen is game. I love leftover night, because it cleans out the fridge and it ensures we eat leftovers instead of wasting them.
Carpool
With so many extracurricular activities during the school year, sometimes it can feel like you’re spending your entire evening chauffeuring kids around town. Carpooling is a great way to save time. Find a fellow family involved in the same activities and offer to take their children one week, and they will take yours the next. Or you can take drop off, and they can take the pickup time. This is especially helpful when you have multiple children who need to be different places at the same time.
Kill two birds with one stone
Look for moments in your day where you can complete more than one task at a time. While your kids play in the bath, take the opportunity to tidy up the bathroom while you keep an eye on them. If you have a long drive to gymnastics, have the kids take their homework to do on the way. A few other examples would be binging your favorite show while you get in a run on the treadmill or cleaning out the garage while the kids are playing outside.
Use grocery pickup
One of my least favorite errands is grocery shopping, especially with my kids in tow. Grocery pickup and delivery have been a game changer for me. This frees up so much time for me to get other things done. On my phone, I keep a running list of things we need. Then when I’m ready to order, I hit submit and my groceries are ready for pickup within just a few hours. During especially hard times, I’ve had my groceries delivered to my doorstep. There was an extra fee, but it was worth it for me to have the extra time in my day.
Stash freezer meals
Fall is the busiest time of year for our family. We normally have activities every night of the week, which makes it hard to cook a healthy meal. To prepare for our busy season, I like to cook double batches of our favorite meals. I make one batch for dinner and freeze a batch for later. This takes no extra cooking time and will gradually build up a nice freezer stash. Freezer meals make quick and easy weeknight fare. My favorite meals to freeze are meals I can dump into the crockpot so dinner is ready when we get home. You can also freeze individual servings of breakfast burritos and sandwiches that be can microwaved and eaten on the go.
Create a family command station
Organization is the key to saving time. A family command station is a great way to keep everyone on the same page. Ours is in a central location on our wall and includes a calendar, school lunch menus, party invitations, doctor appointment reminders and any other paperwork we might need quick access to. If kids have a question about the upcoming week, they can check the command station without asking Mom or Dad.
Invest in a robot vacuum
One of my favorite time-savers is our robot vacuum. It’s set on a timer and vacuums our home every day. We love coming home to a freshly vacuumed house, and I love the feeling of knowing that’s one thing checked off my to-do list.
Regan Lyons is a girl mom and freelance writer. She lives with her husband, Cale, and daughters, Atley, 9, and Ensley, 3, in St. Joseph.