As moms, we have it ingrained in us to want to find a way to accomplish two (or several) things at once. Have you felt that you are wasting your time if you are just completing one task at a time? Sigh! Mommy life is like that. Whether it's finding a quicker way to do the dishes, an easier way to make breakfasts and pack lunches, or a way to keep our cars from looking like the aftermath of a toy/snack cyclone, we have a finger in every pie.
The worst thing we can do as busy working moms is to have no plan for how we run our mornings. Trust me, I tried the “fly by the seat of my pants” routine, and it does not work so well. At all!
Here are a few tried-and-true hacks from busy moms themselves.
Batch Your Work
I know you think you can multi-task but you cannot. Research proves it time and time again. Work in batches. Set a time for email, a time for meetings, a time for projects. Stay true to the task. Same goes for your family. When it's family time, be true to it!
Set a Routine
Try to create a daily routine you can stick to because this will help you manage your time with ease. Give yourself blocks of time to get your tasks done. One of the best time management secrets is to leave parental responsibilities at home when you're at work. Similarly, when you walk in the door after work, put on your "mommy hat" and leave your job responsibilities at the office.
The Evening Before
Implementing an organized evening plan for the next day is crucial and helps make the morning run more efficiently. Take a moment after all the chaos of the evening is done (i.e. children are in bed, and dishes and food have been put away) and think about the next day. You just check off the tasks on your (mental or physical) to-do list and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Have the kids pick out their outfits the night before and set them out. Have them pack their school bags the night before and you do the same with your work bag.
Meal Prep & Planning
Putting a good meal on the table takes time, but time is something we always seem to b short of. Meal planning is the route to take. Creating a meal plan and having it up on the fridge for ready reference is actually a lifesaver. You don't waste time wondering what to make for breakfast, lunch, dinner, pack for tiffin or what to make as an evening snack when the kids come back from the park or their classes. When you meal plan, you can shop for your groceries on the weekend and prep accordingly for the week ahead. Working moms are always worried if their kids are eating right when they are not at home. With a meal plan in place, you have one less thing to stress about. For those who don't have the time or patience to meal plan don't worry, we have you covered. The 50 Indian Meal Plans book is your handy helper. Don't you want to know what your child is eating every day even if you are not around? Buy your copy today.
Write Everything Down
The worst thing you can do as a busy mom is to try to keep everything in your head. Then your brain has to work all day remembering everything you need to do, everyone you need to talk to, and everything other people tell you. That is exhausting and it's no wonder that we are tired at the end of the day.
Teach Your Kids To Clean With You:
Make your load lighter but allowing your kids the opportunity to help you clean. It is teaching them so many life lessons as well as making your life easier. In my house, I believe they need to earn their keep. (wink wink) No, but for real, there is absolutely no reason why children should not learn to pick up after themselves as well as their siblings.
Now take a deep breath, think about what we have shared and see how best you can apply this in your life.
Janani S Koushik
Rohan Vyavaharkar
Mansi Zaveri
KSP Team
Vaishnavi Venkatraman
Rati Ramadas Girish
