Staying organised can be quite challenging especially for working mothers. A tight schedule at work can make it difficult for an individual to plan activities at home. We all have faced this predicament at one point or another due to tiredness. As far as there are a lot of tasks that should be taken care of at work, there is a need to find a way of being organised at home. Staying organised does not necessarily involve employing a house help or being hardworking. There are numerous things that I have tried in the recent past that have helped me to improve how I handle my house chores despite spending several hours at work. Below are some straightforward tips to observe to assist a mum get organised around the home.
1. Daily Cleaning
One thing that most mums fight with is keeping the house fresh and clean during the day in the summer with high humidity. It feels so sticky and musty and with the smell of sweat the house feels dirty and the wood stairs and floor get sticky. Thanks to appliances like dehumidifiers that reduced the humidity, stickiness and musty smell, and helped me improve the air quality of my home. Other Than that, keeping a house organised is another task especially when there are babies around who want attention. Organizing while kids are around could be stressful because as soon as you are done, other things get disarranged.
I challenge myself to run around my house after a few hours to find out what things are not in order. Every time I check on what to do, I find that there are little tasks that need to be done. With time, I have found a way of enjoying my time at home without any burden. I always wake up to a clean house. Cleaning regularly by picking crumbs and cleaning spills helps to avoid unnecessary stress when dirty items accumulate.
2. Morning Preparation for Kids
Waking up in the morning is a common challenge for most people. Morning tasks become harder when there are whining children around who need to be prepared for school. For instance, a child should be fed, dressed, and dropped off at school every day. Without a good plan, it is easy to overlook some important things that matter a lot. One strategy of resolving this problem is by planning the previous night and waking up at least an hour before the children. I have used this strategy, and it gives me enough time to prepare myself and organise the house before my kids wake up. I make sure to keep my calendar updated on my phone which helps me by sending notifications before the time of an event that helps me be ready for next tasks.
3. Time Alone
As a busy mother, I found out that it is important to have time alone to reflect on various things. When I did not have a single time for myself, I suffered a burn-out from the work overload both in the office and at home. I later realized by giving myself one free hour for three days a week, I was able to come up with an appropriate schedule for all activities. I also use that hour to watch my favorite show and to enjoy doing things that I love such as singing. Doing this makes me feel refreshed and energized to carry on with preparing kids and cleaning the house.
4. Create Habits and Routines for the Family
It is important for a family to develop a habit that makes them great as a unit. A habit is something that is beneficial in the long run. However, it is wise not to encourage the development of habits learned by children from other families. I have already outlined various steps that my kids have to follow on a daily basis. Most of these activities entail what to do immediately when they wake up in the morning, where to sit, and what to do after school among others. For instance, when they wake up, they prepare themselves to take a shower. This saves me time to direct them on what to do. After the shower, my kids wear school uniforms and proceed to other things. This routine has made it easy for me to get things done without much stress. Another important habit is folding clothes when they are removed and placed in the right place. This keeps the house organised at all times. I also have a certain routine that I follow that allows me to have enough time for my husband and to take care of my kids.
5. Menu Planning
I have discovered that menu planning is a great tool that I can use to organise my life. When I know that I will prepare for dinner, I decide on what to cook and organise everything by writing it down. I prepare a menu and buy everything I need. When I go to the grocery, I do not waste time because I already have a list of what to buy. I use saving apps to match the prices at grocery stores to save some money. The menu also helps me to remember to keep some products in the freezer to defrost them. Trying to execute the plan is something interesting to me because I challenge myself to do things perfectly.