Basically, anything that can be done ahead of time is worth doing. Organizing lunches and clothes beforehand will reduce the morning craziness of getting both you and the kids ready for the day. Prioritizing your weekly errands also allows you to spend less time doing and more time with your family.
Lunches. At the end of the day, have your children empty out their lunch bags. Old food should be thrown away and other items placed in recycling containers. The bags should be cleaned and placed in a designated area in the kitchen. At the end of the evening, pack the kids’ non-refrigerated snacks in their lunch bags, such as, granola bars, cookies, apples, and juice boxes/bottled water. If your kids use water bottles, sterilize and refill them. Some moms even prefer to make the sandwiches the night before and place them in the refrigerator for the kids to grab and place the sandwiches in their respective lunch bags.
Clothes. With respect to clothes, a good time saver would be to decide on weekly outfits during the weekend. After the laundry is put away, clothes that require ironing is best done on the weekend. The kids should make sure that they have at least five clean tops and bottoms, sweaters (if applicable), socks in pairs, undergarments, and any other accessories (i.e., headbands, scarves, etc…) for the week. At times, the kids will need to organize a special outfit the night before, such as white tops and black pants for a musical performance.
Errands. Using either your notebook or pocket agenda, write down what you need to accomplish for that day based on priority. It is helpful to number your ‘things to do’ list in order of priority. Try to make the most out of the day by organizing the list according to the errands you can run either on your way to work on your way home. In that way, you don’t tie up your weekends and evenings with errands that could have been done more efficiently during the week.
Family Cooperation. Encourage family members to participate in the organization process as well. Try transferring an old shoe box into a SUGGESTION BOX and ask for your family’s input. You can review the suggestions with your family members during your weekly ‘family meetings’ or whenever it is convenient to do so.
Remember, in order for any strategy to work, moms need to ensure that their partner and children are a part of the process. There is greater power in numbers!!
