Life hacks make life a whole lot easier especially when you are a busy parent and time is not exactly on your side.
There are only so many things you can do but with a few hacks you can make life that bit more organised.
Here are some life hacks every busy parent needs to know.
Shared calendar.
If you and your partner have a shared calendar with notifications you will both know where you are and what you are doing for every day of the week.
This makes planning appointments and family activities/events a whole lot easier as you both have the right information at hand. Get into the habit of updating your calendar every Sunday to make sure you have everything in hand.
Whiteboard in the kitchen.
Have a whiteboard with the weekly food menu and put a space for things you need to get in the shop. While noting them, make sure you pop it into your family group chat and get into the habit of checking it before you go home so you can get anything you need. If you get the stuff, mark it off so that your partner doesn’t double up.
Washing tips.
If you have a lot of family members some people advise doing one load on a certain day for an individual family member so there is no mix-up with clothes. However, this may not work if you have only a few family members but perhaps try to do the kids washing together and if you are mixing up clothes – simply mark them on the tag with their initials!
Hang clothes out ready to wear.
Instead of popping clothes away in the wardrobe that can take minutes to sort out, place your clothes on a chair in your bedroom or on a simple rail so you can get dressed quickly in the mornings without losing time.
This works well for busy working parents who must get properly dressed before the school run. It saves a little bit of time, but it all adds up. Don’t forget to get dressed just before you leave or pop a light bathrobe over your clothes so you don’t get them dirty while organising the kids.
Slow cookers are your friends.
If you haven’t invested in a slow cooker yet, then you need to - right away! A slow cooker is ideal for busy days and it takes minutes for you to throw the ingredients in and place on it on low for when you are out of the house. If you have time, boil potatoes and cook rice in the morning while making the kids breakfast so they just need to be heated later in the evening.
School lunches.
Spending time sorting out school lunches with items that can be popped into little bags ready for each day at the start of the week is a good way to save time in the mornings.
You may not be able to do the sandwiches, but you can have dried fruit and snacks ready to go and fill up their drink bottles too. Don’t forget to get the kids into the habit of emptying their lunchboxes when they get home and refilling their water bottles.
Clean while in the shower or bath.
This seems silly, but it works! While you are having your wash just do a quick wipe down afterwards, so the bathroom is getting a bit of a sparkle. Open the window to freshen the bathroom up too.
Get a coffee maker.
Trust us, you'll need one.