This month I have been holding a series of "coffee breaks" on campus to meet with parents and discuss strategies for busy families.  The following is a list of tips I pulled together.

Daily Organization

☐  Basket by door for each family member to keep things that need to go back out the door (book bags, computer chargers, permission slips, etc.)

☐  Designate a spot for “in-use” cups; put names on cups– this will reduce washing cups after one use

☐  Put a favorite song on and see how much the family can clean up together before the song is over

Weekend Organization

☐  Do a purge!  Get rid of everything that doesn’t have a place

☐  Buy a door mat for each door (maybe even a shoe rack) to reduce the amount of dirt that comes into the house

☐  Don’t buy clothes that need ironing or dry cleaning

☐  Create a themed weekly meal plan (leftover Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, etc.)

Automation

☐  Order groceries on-line

☐  Auto-pay bills

☐  Order gifts on-line

Involving kids

☐  Get them to help prepare meals

☐  Always late getting home?  Prep it on the weekend and throw it in the crock pot in the morning

☐  Teach them to sort (or do) their own laundry

☐  Incorporate exercise while cleaning (hop like a bunny to the toy bin with your toys)

Routines

☐  Make sure to have a good bedtime routine– sleepy, cranky kids take a lot of time to manage

☐  Pack a healthy snack to take to carpool line so you can spend 10 min playing with your kids when you walk in the door

☐  Create check-lists or picture boards about your child’s morning routine so they can be more independent

Make time for yourself

☐  If you are not overwhelmed, you will be more productive

☐  Making time to exercise will give you more energy

☐  Dividing up household responsibilities will help you feel supported

I would love to hear your favorite tips!!  Please share them in the comments!