Romp n' Roll Pittsburgh Blog
Keeping your home and family organized can feel like a never ending and impossible task, especially for busy moms. Raising children is a full-time job in and of itself; add on household chores, finding time to spend with your spouse and time for yourself, and any work or school commitments you may have, and organization in the home and your schedule can start to feel overwhelming. But no mom is perfect, and you shouldn't feel like you need to be an organizing expert or tackle every area of your life at once in order to achieve some harmony. Sometimes the simplest changes can have the biggest impact in transforming the daily chaos into a slightly more manageable routine. Here are some of our favorite tips and tricks for busy moms, brought to you by your friends at Romp n' Roll.
Organize your Schedule:
Making regular use of a planner is a helpful habit to get into. Technology, mommy friendly apps and online calendars have streamlined this process in a way that is less daunting and easier to keep up with. At the start of each month and week find some time to sit down, take a breather, and plan out your schedule. Use your monthly calendar to plan out a more general agenda. Write down important dates like those of appointments, events, birthdays, work or school related due dates, and payments. You can also list a monthly budget, goals and projects you hope to accomplish, or chore designations for the kids. On a weekly level you can get more specific with a timetable and immediate to-do tasks. Include those aforementioned important dates and add locations and times for them. Break down your monthly budget into a weekly budget, making note of your shopping list, your family's meal plan, and other expenses for the week. You can also schedule time in advance for enjoyable activities you want to do during the week that often get swept under the rug for more pressing tasks. Having a visual layout of upcoming to-do's and important dates will help you feel that you have better control over your schedule and your mental organization, hopefully helping you feel less frazzled.
Just remember to make room in your planning for more than busy work and chores, so tightly scheduled to the point that it makes you anxious every time you look at it. The aim of a to-do list is to help alleviate stress, not enhance it. Allow room for spontaneity and pencil in a spot for personal goals you want to focus on and self-care time. And remember that you don't have to do every item on your list yourself; ask for help when you can.
Organize One Area a Week/ Month
We have all been there, staring at the closets brimming with clothes that need to be sorted through as little ones outgrow them at an alarming pace; the toy room that somehow manages to turn apocalyptic with useless junk and toys that need to be donated or trashed, or the pile of bills sitting on the counter that you just don't have the energy to sit down, sort, shred and file. Looking at all of these tasks at once will immediately make you feel overwhelmed, often resulting in opting for ignoring all of these areas for a day that you will finally have that allusive energy burst you are always hoping will hit you. Instead, take on one task and one task only once a week or once a month. Let it be ok that you're even attempting to tackle the never ending chaos of running a household, one task at a time. Put on some music and lower your expectations of organizing everything perfectly. When it's done, you will feel accomplished and, hopefully, less overwhelmed with the overall organization needs of the home.
Find Time for Yourself
Being a mom comes with a lot of important responsibility, but caring for your children and keeping house isn't (and shouldn't be) your sole focus all day, every day. You're still your own person, and taking time for yourself when you need it isn't something you have to feel bad about. Whether it's a date night with your spouse, a girl's night out with your friends, or even a long, uninterrupted bath while your spouse watches the kids, you shouldn't let the "mom guilt" keep you from having some deserved relaxation. These activities may be a rare luxury for busy moms, especially if you work and/or go to school at the same time, but you can only take care of your family if you take care of yourself too.
Accept Help and Forgive Yourself
This goes hand-in-hand with taking the time to care for yourself. You have to remind yourself that you're only one person who has a lot on her shoulders. Even if you're well organized, stressful days still happen. It's ok to admit you can't get it all done! Some tasks will have to wait, and some tasks will have to be handed off to someone else. Let yourself ask for or accept help when you're feeling overwhelmed. If you're married or have older children there's nothing wrong with asking them to help with chores and errands, and don't be embarrassed to ask friends or neighbors for help as well. Don't let the "mom guilt" consume you; forgive yourself if you don't get everything done in a day you hoped to do. You may have forgotten to pick up milk from the store or had to order pizza for dinner because you didn't have time to make something like you wanted to, but this doesn't make you a bad mom. Some days feel like it's all you can do to keep your children alive. On days like that, it's ok to not worry about small things that can be done tomorrow. You are doing the best you can, and that's enough!
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