maximize time at home as a mom
Life and Career

10 Quick Ways To Maximize Your Time At Home As A Mom

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As a mom, there is so much going on in your life that it can sometimes get overwhelming trying to figure out what to do each day and to also get the list of things done within a set period of time.

I know what it can feel like when you have to juggle it all and still try to keep a positive look at life.

There is so much of a high expectation placed on moms and it can sometimes feel intimidating to accomplish everything. It does not have to be that way, however.

Maximizing your time and effort each day while balancing family life and work-life can be accomplished with different strategies throughout the day.

Here are some of the tips and tricks that I use to try to help me maximize the time that I have.

Just a reminder, I do not have the manual for motherhood (I wish I did), but I try to find ways to make my journey more manageable each day and to share what I do with my readers.

How do you maximize your time at home? Please feel free to ask your questions or concerns below. I will be happy to help you!

“Maximizing your time is key to getting things accomplished as a mom.”

1. Have a Schedule

You have probably seen this in most of my posts, that having a schedule is important in maximizing your time throughout the day. Prior to starting your day, jot down the day’s events and schedule, making sure to list your priorities first, then appointments and tasks throughout the day.

Also, I recommend not fully packing a schedule because you want to be able to leave room for spontaneous, unexpected events that may occur, especially with kids. For example, you may have an unexpected call from the school, etc to pick up your child or any last-minute errands that have to get done. Keep it as simple and flexible as much as possible.

Check out my Mommy-Inspired Planners to help to get your day started and organized.

2. have a set routine

Routine is super important, especially as a mom. What I have observed in my family and it may be completely different from yours, but for the most part, when I have a set routine, I tend to maximize my day much better. Whenever I leave anything to free will, do it as I go, I don’t get a lot done.

I, therefore, believe that routine is definitely important especially when it comes to managing your time wisely. A definition for “routine” in my world means, having a set time to do things that don’t really change except in emergency situations, or vacation time, etc.

Having a similar routine, for example, bedtime with kids is a major thing. I have observed that no structure with a set bedtime leads to overwhelming nighttime stress, which may leave me just exhausted trying to get kids to bed, especially during a school week.

If you implement a routine from early on with kids, they actually will stick to their routine and go to bed on time. Children in my observation, thrive more on routine and less on chaos.

Have a set time for wake up, bedtime, meal times, etc as much as you can and try to stick to it.

3. Keep Home Clutter-free

Do you have that one kid who never seems to know where their favorite toy or even their homework assignment is and they call you to come and find it for them? There are toys or paper everywhere and you spend at least 10 minutes trying to locate missing toys or homework!

It does happen, but the key to reducing the need to always searching for things is to keep clutter reduced as much as possible. Now I know this is easier said than done, especially as moms trying to keep the clutter down but, the trick is to also teach your children the need to keep their areas organized as much as possible, especially in their bedrooms, play, and study areas.

Chore charts, for example, are a great way of teaching kids about being responsible and keeping their areas neat and tidy. When there is more structure in these highly used areas, the need to find things is reduced, because they know where to find them. (Download a copy of my FREE CHORE CHART printable that you can use to help you plan chores)

Free chore chart
FREE CHORE CHART

4. Do a small amount of housework each day

Household chores are probably the enemy of most moms, including myself. I dread seeing the laundry clothes pile up or even the dishes that seem to grow overnight. When I do have to tackle this tedious task, I dread it so much that it will continue to pile up until it reaches the ceiling.

However, once I started to do a small amount each time, the load was not as difficult to manage anymore, than when I allowed it to pile up. Children can also be a part of the clean-up process. As mentioned before, you can have a chore chart and give each child as young as 2 a responsibility, whether to keep the toy room or bedroom clean, dishes duty or even to sort their own clothes.

It all depends on your child and their maturity level. But it helps to get some things done and it also builds teamwork. (Download FREE CHORE CHART above to help you plan your chores).

5. Laundry

I don’t wait for the laundry to pile up high to wash them. I do more frequent washes in the week than waiting on one specific day. This I find to be less time-consuming. So you may be wondering hmm…my water bill might be higher, but here is the deal, you will probably spend more time doing multiple laundries anyway and still use that same amount of water than just doing a small amount throughout the week.

In order to save money on your water bill, the trick is not the washing of the clothes but the actual time you do wash your clothes.

You are charged more for washing in peak hours of the day (I had no idea until my lovely sister-in-law told me) than any other time.

Look it up with your county to see the cost during peak and off-peak hours, then try to schedule laundry time on those days or times.

6. Dishes

Dishes can take up a lot of time, especially kids’ dishes. Most days you may have a sink load of dishes piled high waiting to be washed. In my household, I find it easier to do it once in a dishwasher, than actually handwashing them in batches each day.

I actually waste more water that way than to just wash them in a dishwasher. Also again, the time at which you turn the dishwasher on can save more on your water bill as well (check with your county’s local water and sewer management system). That would probably be in the peak hours, which are most nights and weekends.

Another great way to also reduce the number of dishes washed is also to make use of disposable plates and utensils. They are really not that expensive and are recyclable too.

Yes, you can still take out the expensive chinaware during the holidays, or when your mother-in-law is coming over, or to serve hubby during the week).

7. Cleaning Floors

I am not a fan of cleaning the floors and I am sure most of you may not be as well. It may take 2 hours or more for me to get the floors cleaned if I decided to vacuum first and then mop. So in order to save time on this task, with a little research, I found a vacuum and mop option that saves so much time.

It vacuums steams and mops the floor ALL at the same time (yeah!), therefore reducing my time spent cleaning the floors or carpets. I also use my little Swiffer mop daily to get to the messy places my kids may leave behind. Look for little tricks and ways around the house to maximize and save so much time when it comes to cleaning.

Another gadget that I have found to be very useful to pick up the endless crumbs my kids drop ALL over the floor is my new best friend, a ROBOT VACUUM CLEANER!

I use to have to sweep every time they drop things all over the floor in between cleanings. I could not keep up until I got this little helper of mine. Now I know there are more advanced models of this vacuum cleaner, but I just got a simple one that was very affordable at the time and does its job.

8. Grocery

I know some moms love doing the grocery shopping because it is like an escape from daily activities, but I am a huge huge fan of curbside pickup especially now during COVID-19. I must admit I like the convenience of just ordering what I need and then picking it up.

Before I use to bring my kids with me to the store to grocery shop and it was a lot of hassle when they wanted everything on the shelves or they get tired of being in the store and start throwing tantrums.

So as much as I would love to grocery shop by myself, I don’t always have the flexibility to do so. Instead of wasting time or even spending more money when I do shop in the store, I opt-in for curbside pickup at Target (my Favorite) or Walmart (if I can get a spot).

Amazon is also is a great alternative to shopping online for groceries as well and it’s really convenient for my family. It does however minimize the time and stress spent shopping, especially with the kids.

9. Clothing

Going shopping with the kids is not my favorite pastime activity as you can see. I will rather be out playing sports or going out on adventures. I rarely go into the store to shop for my kids, but rather I make use of online shopping and the convenience of it being shipped right to my house.

I, therefore, make use of this outlet as a way to save time going into the stores to shop especially when I do have them with me. Keeping two boys entertained in a store is quite the experience if anyone can relate. I rather click the buy online button.

I am also a post COVID-19 fan of curbside pickup! I am usually running errands when I pick up my kids from school and I must say that this is really a heaven-sent mom-friendly solution to shopping. I no longer have to drag two tired kids into the store to get anything done especially the last-minute stuff.

Make use of these alternatives to help you stay stress-free as much as possible!

10. Food prep and storage

I love to cook but I hate the recipes that take the entire day. My husband’s side of the family makes dishes that can take a whole day to prepare. So when I learned how to make these dishes, I thought to myself, I have no time to spend an entire day in the kitchen preparing food!

I opted instead to find quicker ways to make the process easier and more convenient. Instant Pots and crock pots are my absolute go-to for spending less time, but getting meals done quicker. With the Instant Pot, I literally dump the food in and leave it to do other things.

A crockpot is similar when I want a really good slow-cooked meal I just add to the pot and let it cook overnight. I tend to find recipes that my family love and I can prepare quickly.

I also do bulk meal preparations on weekends or a weekday. For example, in our household, sometimes on Saturdays or Sundays, we may turn the grill on and cook a good portion of chicken, meat, fish, etc.

Throughout the rest of the week, I may prepare different quick dishes (eg. chicken alfredo, soups, etc.) that cut back on the cooking time tremendously. I may only have to prepare a salad, rice, or potatoes, that I can quickly do on the stovetop or in the Instapot.

You can use a weekly meal planner or daily planner to help you get started with meal preparations.

Get my Mommy Inspired Meal Planner printable available on my website, to help you to plan your family meals.

These are some of the tips and tricks that I use to help me maximize my time as a mom as much as I can so that I can have more time to create more memories with my family.

If you do need additional help with time management, please read my blog posts on:

Did you find the strategies listed in this article helpful? What were some of your favorite tips? How have they worked for you? Leave a comment below, I’d love to know what you think.

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I am Donae! A wife and a mom of 2 kids, ALL boys! I would love to share with you my experience with motherhood. Let my life Inspire, Encourage and Motivate you on your journey through motherhood.

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