School is back on and that means your life as a busy parent just got that bit busier. Drop offs, pickups and occasional travel to extracurricular activities adds enough stress. Now think about all the chores you have to do at home, on top of any work commitments. Before you despair, we’d like to share with you some great school mom life hacks to help save time and energy.
Buy Non-creasing School Uniforms
School uniforms create a lot of hassle as they need to be washed and ironed frequently. You could eliminate some of that trouble by investing in non-creasing items. These clothes are usually more expensive and available in high-end brand stores, but a few extra quid is worth spending when they bring convenience.
Create Assembly-line Lunches in the Pantry
If your child takes a packed lunch to school, preparation in the morning could take a long time. Surely, you would aim to prepare a different healthy meal every day, but snacks and drinks can be the same or have a couple of repeated options. Store them in the pantry in an assembly line manner. This way, packing lunch every morning will be easier and quicker.
Get the Children Involved in Chores for Points
Let everyone at home know what their tasks are. Children should be involved in housework from an early age to develop healthy habits and also to make your life easier. Create a schedule by day and chore for each person. You can stimulate children by giving them points for every completed task. A certain amount of earned points could then translate into a reward of their choice.
Colour Code the Hours on the Clock
A bit of organisation always helps every busy person. When it comes to children, the way you organise things needs to be fun to keep them interested and focused. Split the after school day in hours and then choose different colours for every hour on the clock. They will represent the activities you as a family (or just the kids) need to engage in. For example, screen time, homework, outdoor play, dinner, bath time, etc. Colour the clock in the relevant tones to make it easy for everyone to follow.
Outsource Laundry and Ironing
Sometimes laundry piles up so quickly, that the only solution is to actually outsource the chore. And while you are at it, add ironing as a service. You may be looking at the cost at first, but once you’ve done it a few times, you will be amazed how much time and energy it saves you.
Get a Domestic Cleaner
One of the best kept secret life hacks busy moms have is that they don’t do it all themselves. There is no shame in hiring help when you need it. Domestic cleaners are an extraordinary investment for a healthy, relaxed and happy lifestyle. After all, to enjoy the fruits of your hard labour, you need free time and physical energy. Don’t overwork yourself. Do what smart people do – keep doing the things you love and outsource the rest.