5+ time saving solutions and cleaning tips for moms of multiples so they can return to what they love: momming!
I see you there, momma. Looking around your house wondering where everything went wrong. In your day you wake up before everyone, you clean up after everyone, you work, and you somehow have to find a half of a second to make your brain stop so that it can continue to function day after day after day after day. Do you need some solutions to save time so that you can get back to being a mom?
As a working mom of 3 with a husband who is not naturally tidy, here are my 4 favorite tips that I use to make my day a little more productive and my life a little neater.
1. LET IT GO
Let some things go. No. Don’t stop reading. I’m serious. Let some things go and you will already save time!
I spoke recently to a woman who claimed to hand wash all 10,000 square feet of baseboards in her home every week. She keeps a perfect wardrobe, manicured nails, and a public face. When I spoke with her further, it turned out that she had long since relinquished her day job because her husband brought home the bacon. She spent all day everyday in her home alone except for her public appearances. In short, I learned that no one was touching the rest of her surfaces –no toddlers licking surfaces, and no potty training in the bathroom. Some things won’t get done. My windows will have fingerprints on them sometimes, and some of the laundry might still be in the basket at the end of the week.
The point is, you will not be able to do it all, so if you can be honest and realistic, then you can drive yourself and your family a little less crazy!
2. PLAN IT OUT
Create a routine.
This might be difficult if you are just starting to try to get a handle on your home and your time. If that’s the case, then a little bit of planning can go a long way, and once you have a plan, you can repeat it over and over and over again until it is routine. When it is a routine, you do not have to spend the time figuring out what you are going to do to handle everything.
For example, I use every other Thursday to do mine and the kids’ laundry. For the most part, I don’t even think about laundry on Sundays or any other day that isn’t Thursday. I usually dedicate the other Thursday to cleaning the rest of the house while Fridays are often spent largely dealing with clutter and endless paperwork.
3. TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO FISH, (I mean clean.)
Involve the family.
I don’t care how old your kids are, they can help clean and tidy (I guess the infant might get a pass)! Toddlers can push dry mops, put their clothes in hampers, and put away their toys. Older children can dust, mop, load the dishwasher, etc. Set expectations for them for every week. Perhaps even use an allowance system. (Smart Money, Smart Kids by Rachel Cruze is AWESOME)
Just allowing your children to do a few simple tasks helps take some work off of your plate and means that the children are using the time to actually help rather than create another mess.
4. STOP STOPPING
Finish the entire job.
I know that you see the cup across the room, the sheets that need tucking in, and the laundry that needs moved upstairs, but that does not mean that you should only sweep half of the floor. If you do not finish the job, then the unfinished job comes back to bother you later. Starting over later means that you have to do the job twice rather than once. Extend this same theory to laundry. Separate, wash, dry, fold, and put away all of the laundry in one reasonable period of time (1-2 days). Don’t let it become a constant bother or you will fill your daily mental space with laundry instead of clearing it from your responsibilities. This is true of all of your routines.
5. GET HELP NOW
Accept help from others.
Quit being so dang prideful, momma. If someone offers to pick up your kids, drop you a coffee, or grab a bunch of bananas for breakfast, accept it. You love to help others. You really don’t mind adding one more monkey, I mean child, to your van at pickup, so why would your friend?
If someone offers you the quarter at Aldi, say yes. In the same way, be that person to others. Mommas, you need help, and other mommas need it too! (Dads and people in general!). When you are at the grocery store, grab an extra bag of apples, an extra bag of coffee, or an extra loaf of bread and just drop it on the porch for someone. Mow an extra strip of your yard. Offer to host a playdate. Getting through it together is what makes life so much more fun…especially with littles!
BONUS!!!
Finally, my bonus tip: the laundry basket method. I will not give this a number because it is not original to me and can be found in blog after blog. But, I am a convert to the laundry basket method. Simply grab your laundry basket (or any other convenient and large basket) and start circling your house –your entire house.
Place every single item that is out of place from every single room INTO the basket. As you pass through each room, restore the items to their rightful location. Sippy cups in the living room: put them in the dishwasher. Blankets on the floor: fold them into the linen closet. Toys in the bathroom: toss them in the toy box. Continue the process until every single out of place item is restored to its place. This sounds daunting at first, but if you repeat it daily or weekly, the entire process takes only a few minutes. You will see and LOVE IT!
If you are still with me, I hope that you will take some of these suggestions to heart and use them to make your day just a little easier while helping you manage your household! And, if you are hoping for more helpful tips, check here for some of my favorite natural cleaning solutions for moms.