The term “busy mom” sounds pretty redundant to most moms. Is there any other state of motherhood? Seems like the to-do list never ends, the calendar stays full and every minute finds you multi-tasking. Sometimes the idea of spending time just ends up as a line item in your planner.
“I have so little time, there’s not much to save!” says a Fullerton working mom of a 3-year old. But everyday doesn’t have to leave us exhausted and over stimulated. While moms can manufacture more hours in a day, they can take a few, or all, of these twelve tips to help make the most of each minute.
Use your commute: Forget the news and traffic report. Drive time is catch-up time. Hook up your hands free device and rev up that cell phone. I use my commute to help catch up with girlfriends, make doctors appointments, and return phone calls.
Good morning before goodnight: Prepping for the morning routine keeps the schedule on track the O’Neill-Hill household. They pick out her daughters clothes and pack her lunch each night. And mom also readies the espresso machine before turning in so she need only flip a switch in the morning.
Online banking: It may seem scary to trust a computer to pay your bills, but it works….and it’s a serious time saver. Schedule recurring payments each month for your banks website. And set a reminder in your calendar to pay everything else on the first and 15th of each month. In a few clicks, you’re done!
Get online for more time: Once you pay your bills, hop over to some other sites to buy stamps, schedule the US Postal Service to pick up packages at your house ( no more waiting on lines with usps.gov!), rent a movie at Netflicks or blockbuster.com and schedule a grocery delivery ( we like Vons.com).
TV on your time: We all have our special shows, but they often come on at inconvenient times. A digital video recorder ( think TiVo ) lets you schedule recording on your favorite show for an entire season! No remembering to set the VCR, and you can fast forward though commercials to turn one-hour programs into 40 minutes!
Closet on wheels: being prepared isn’t just for scouts. I travel with a small closet in the back of my car, with extra hats, socks, jacket, shirts and diapers at all times. Plus I stay stocked with bottled water, sunscreen and snacks. Not having to stop home for a jacket or at a store to buy sunscreen at the way to the next outing saves close to an hour sometimes.
Rethink meals: Spend Sundays cooking and shopping for the week. Sunday’s large roast chicken provides meat for Monday's taco’s and Tuesday’s soup. She chops up vegetables for the week and makes pasta that lasts several days. Also consider some of the prepared foods that grocery stores stock, which can make Wednesday or Thursday night meal quick and easy with little cleanup.
Not your mothers crock-pot: Consider investing in a good crock-pot book---- they even come with low fat recipes. Letting the pot do the cooking for you can give you 45 minutes of your day back…. And a healthy meal with limited cleanup.
Buy gifts in bulk: Find a great set of kids books at a store? Buy three of them. Notice that your children love a new toy you ordered from a catalog? Stock up on several. Keeping gifts, wrapping paper, and cards in reserve saves the last minute rush to the store or the time-consuming hunt for the perfect gift.
Delegate: Yes, free yourself from perfection and let others help you. Does your husband work near a shoe repair or dry cleaners? Can a friend on the way to a mall pick up a gift you need? Are you enforcing chore time with your kids? Everything may not be handled just as you would, but the trade off is, it’s off your list your time is just as valuable, so let the guilt go with delegating.
Prepare for maximum multi-tasking: take a moment to consider your schedule for the next day or week. If your child has soccer practice, keep an extra pair of jogging shoes in your car and several pairs of socks so you can walk the field while watching. Keep a stack of greeting cards in your planner or trunk for some quick notes and thank-you’s while you are waiting at the doctors office or sitting at the car wash.
Keep on schedule: The Quick phone call or memo to your friend can often go 20 minutes longer than you expected, leaving you battling in a snowball effect of late appointments and pick-ups. Stay disciplined by letting those you are talking to know that you just called for a quick catch-up, or keeping a close eye on your watch when shopping. And be realistic with you to-do list. There is really only so much you can accomplish in one day, so set yourself up for success with the right expectations.
Busy moms know you can’t make more time, but with some forethought and creativity you just might end up with some time to “set aside” for family fun and maybe even a few relaxing minutes to yourself.
