This post may contain affiliate links. Disclosure here.
Let’s get right into some organization for moms because who wants to be stressed and surrounded by clutter? Nobody! I’m sure you’ve seen it- a mom who is clearly riding the struggle bus. Your heart goes out to her, right?
She’s trying to multitask and take care of business while trying to manage a screaming toddler throwing a fit in the middle of the store. Or, maybe you were that mom?
Sweating and feeling embarrassed and just trying to maintain your patience so you can hurry home. Talk about stress! That’s not easy which is why I want to share with you some organization hacks to make your life a little bit easier!
Busy Mom Story: It Was Time for More Organization
Tell me I’m not the only one whose experienced this. Some of the toughest moments for me have been trying to leave the house with my toddler.
One time in particular, I was wearing the diaper bag, I was holding her little hand in my left hand and her water bottle in the other. She dropped her TY Beanie Boo on the floor, so I picked it up and stuffed it under my arm.
I almost forgot something, so I let go of her hand and turned around for just a few seconds so I could get it and…what was that? Oh no! I heard something break!
Man, I had to stop everything to move her to a safe space so I could clean up the mess. I cleaned it up. Whew! We loaded up in the vehicle and I buckled her in. By the time I sat in the driver’s seat, I was tired and sweating and I hadn’t even pulled out of the garage yet. True story!
Comment below if you’ve ever experienced something like this!
5 Organization Tips for Moms
Needless to say, I’ve since organized my routine for leaving the house. Okay Girl, do you have your notebook? You will want to write these down. Here are 5 organization tips for moms that will help make your busy life easier!
1. Prepare Ahead of Time
Plan ahead and prepare things in advance. Planning ahead will save you lots of time and eliminate stress. You can do these things the night before or sooner. Here is a list of ideas to help you get started:
- Lay out your clothes and your children’s house the night before.
- Pre-fill your bags. Make sure your diaper bag/backpack and purse are stocked full of all your must-have items from diapers, to snacks, keys, and lipstick.
- Always have snacks & water, and toys prepared and on hand. Keep shelf-stable snacks in your bag.
- Set aside a set of clothes and toys that you can leave in your car for emergencies.
- Use a planner to plan your day, week, month, and year.
- Think ahead of potential meltdowns. Avoid triggers for your child. Don’t let him/her get overtired or over-irritated when possible.
2. Establish Morning & Night Routines
If you don’t have morning and night routines in place, now is a great time to implement them. You should have a morning and night routine for yourself, as well as for your children and family.
A momma’s morning routine may include waking up early, spending time in prayer, reading the bible, getting dressed, preparing for the day, exercising, reading a book, etc.
An example of a nighttime routine for your children may include eating dinner, cleaning up, bath time, brushing teeth, a bedtime story, prayer, etc.
Morning and Night Routine Suggestions
When teaching a routine, remember that repetition & consistency are important. Repetition is what will help you establish the habit for both you and your family. Try to do these routines around the same time of day when possible, especially if you are just creating a new habit.
After over 20 years of working with and teaching children, I’ve noticed that music cues work really well with children. Consider using the same sound or music to cue certain parts of the day to your children.
For example, play the same song every morning when it’s time for your child to leave their room and get ready for breakfast. I’ve used music to train children as early as 1 year old. It works and once the routine is established you won’t even have to explain things so much.
Your kids will hear the music and know exactly what it means and what they are supposed to do! You will want to teach this explicitly and provide daily opportunities to practice until your children have mastered it.
If you are looking for something simple and cost-effective, you can manually cue up a song on Youtube and play it from your phone. There are other options available also. One of my favorites is a product called the Hatch Rest+ Baby & Kids Sound Machine | 2nd Gen. This is what we have been using with my daughter since she was 1. We love it!
Depending on what season of life you are in, consider waking up early before your family. When I began doing this as part of my morning routine, it changed the game for me!
It is just so nice to start the day off in a quiet environment, spend time with God, and do things that are going to fill me up so that I can pour into my family. It’s also nice to complete most of the things on my to-do list before the rest of the world wakes up!
3. Prepare Dinner in Advance
Dinner doesn’t have to be a frantic last-minute event each night. Instead of scarfing down fast food regularly, or waiting until dinner time to decide what your family is eating, prepare dinner in advance.
There are so many ways that you can go about this. Here are some ideas:
- Prepare freezer meals. Throw the ingredients in a gallon freezer bag, store it in your freezer and when it’s time for dinner, dump the contents of the bag in your slow cooker, instant pot, or oven.
- Meal Prep. Chop all your veggies and marinate your meats in advance. You can do this on the day you pick them up from the store and keep them in your fridge until it’s time to cook. This will save you lots of time!
- Try a Meal Service. There are a variety of meal services available that will ship the ingredients to your door and all you have to do is cook.
- Cook Early in the Morning When Everyone is Sleeping. This is my favorite thing to do. I wake up early enough to cook dinner without interruption and I keep it in the fridge until it’s time to heat and eat. You can also do this the night before.
- Batch Cook. If you have the time and energy, cook 2 or 3 meals in one day and keep them in the fridge or freezer, this way you get a break from cooking every couple of days.
4. Meal Plan & Meal Prep
I don’t know about you, but my toddler loves telling me she is hungry and wants a snack. One thing that I’ve found helpful is to meal prep my family’s favorite snacks.
I love the idea of snack boxes! You can purchase cute Tupperware, fill them with snacks, and store it in the fridge until someone has the munchies.
Not only can you plan snacks, but you can also plan your dinner for each night. Choose your favorite planner and jot down some meals for the week. This will help you go grocery shopping with ease and you’ll know exactly what you’re family is eating each day.
If you have a picky eater, try keeping some pre-made meals and snacks in the freezer. Keep their favorites on hand in case you prepare a new dish they aren’t too fond of. This way, they still have something to eat and you don’t have to cook it on the spot.
Another great way to meal prep is to wash and chop your fresh fruit and veggies all at once. This way, you won’t have to grab your knife and chopping board numerous times a week.
5. Declutter
The last tip for today is to declutter. Throw away any and everything you don’t need. Establish that everything has a home.
Whenever you use an item, put that item back where it belongs when you’re finished. You can teach your children to do this and ask your husband if he can help with this too.
Tidy up before you go to bed for the night. When I do this, I like to say I’m shutting everything down for the night. Put leftover food away, clean the kitchen, a straighten up the living room.
Teach your children to pick up their toys from the floor before bed. Put on a timer to see how fast they can move or offer a simple reward like choosing the bedtime story if they are unmotivated to clean. Some nights, you may want to quickly do it yourself, and that’s fine too.
This way, you will all wake up to a decluttered home. What a great way to start the day.
I hope these tips lighten your load. Comment below and tell me which one you find most helpful!
