As a busy mom, time is our most valuable resource. When I started working again, I found it incredibly hard to juggle work, kids’ activities, and household responsibilities. I often felt like I had no time to breathe. After a year of struggle and another year of testing out different strategies, I have found a couple things that help me save precious minutes, reduce stress, and reclaim my day. These 10 time-saving parenting hacks are designed to help you streamline your routine and simplify your life.
1. Meal Plan Like a Pro
One of the biggest time drains for me (and pretty much every other parent I know) is deciding what to eat -every. single. day. Meal prepping saves hours during the week and reduces dinnertime stress. One of my favorite family meal prep hacks is spending one hour deciding ALL our meals for the week. This makes it super simple for me when I go to the store because I know everything I need and then I don’t have to shop more than once a week (it also helps with budgeting meals for the week too!)
Two of my other easy meal prep tips for moms are:
1) Starting the week with a soup or chili that can last for two days (Sunday & Monday covered!)
2) Prepping a base that can stretch multiple meals (a meat or a grain is easy to dress up or down).
Pro Tip: First off, I LOVE MY INSTANT POT!! Invest in a slow cooker or instant pot to make hands-off meals that are quick and delicious without hours of labor. Search for recipes that work for your family’s preferences to keep it simple.
2. Create a Family Drop Zone
Anyone else spend the morning saying things like “put on your shoes” or “where are my keys?” at least a million times? OR After school constantly repeating “get your backpacks off the floor.”
My best organizing tip for busy moms is creating a drop zone! It doesn’t have to be anything fancy (but it totally can be!), it just needs to be a designated area for backpacks, keys and jackets (shoes too, if you have the space) by the door. Easily create this entryway organization idea with hooks for jackets, bins for shoes, and a small shelf for keys and wallets.
Pro Tip: Use a label maker to assign a specific spot for each family member’s belongings. This helps kids develop good organizational habits, too!
3. Use a Shared Digital Calendar
To be honest, I’m the planner in my family. My husband is a wake up and see what the day brings kind-of-guy. Meanwhile, I’m already adding birthday parties to my calendar six months in advance. Juggling appointments, soccer practices, and birthday parties can be overwhelming without a system. A shared digital calendar and a written calendar on the fridge helps us stay organized. Two of the best family calendar apps that I’ve used are Google Calendar and Cozi. Organize your family calendar and share it with your partner and older kids to track appointments, school events, and extracurricular activities in one place. This helps with the mental load we often carry as mothers. With the family calendar we all have a shared responsibility.
Pro Tip: Color-code each family member’s activities to make it easier to read at a glance.
We use these dry erase calendars all over the house:
4. Streamline Morning Routines with Visual Charts
Now that my kids are no longer homeschooling, our mornings look a lot different. The mornings are very much wake up and go-go-go! One thing that has helped make it less stressful is creating a visual routine chart. Help your kids stay on track with a visual routine chart. Include tasks like brushing teeth, getting dressed, and packing lunch. For younger kids, use pictures instead of words to make it easier for them to follow.
Pro Tip: Laminate the chart and use dry-erase markers so you can check off tasks daily without printing a new chart every week.
I love using these charts from Amazon:
5. Keep Essentials in Multiple Locations
On my third kid, I’ve totally become a Type B mom…you know the kind that barely makes it out of the house with clean clothes on and always forgets something important at home. One of the best parenting hacks for moms on the go that I have FINALLY picked up is keeping my must-have essentials in multiple locations. Store a set of essentials in your car, another in your diaper bag, and one in your home. This ensures you’re always prepared, whether you’re running errands or heading to soccer practice.
Pro Tip: For older kids, create a homework station at home with extra pens, pencils, and notebooks, so last-minute schoolwork doesn’t derail your evening.
We use this art cart to store ALL the homework/craft necessities:
6. Simplify Laundry with a System
Can we be honest…the worst part about having a large family is hands down the laundry, Laundry is one of those endless tasks that can feel overwhelming when it gets out of hand. Simplify it by creating a system: assign each family member a laundry day, and involve the kids in folding and putting away their clothes. My best time-saving laundry tip for families the no-fold laundry method. The kids have their own designated bins: one for clothes, one for pajamas and one for socks and we don’t fold the clothes. They simple grab their laundry after it’s been washed and put it in the designated bin.
Pro Tip: Outsource your laundry - but we’ll get to that next!
7. Outsource Whenever Possible
One of the best ways that I’ve learned how to save time as a working mom is outsourcing what I can! Sometimes, the best way to save time is to delegate. Services like grocery delivery, house cleaning, or laundry services can free up hours in your week. My motto is that I can afford anything that I want, sometimes that requires swapping out things that month based on priorities or working it into my budget.
SEO Tip: Target terms like “best apps for busy moms” or “how to save time as a working mom.”
Pro Tip: Book a cleaner twice a month to do the deep cleaning, so the house never gets too chaotic and out of order.
8. Pack a Ready-to-Go Bag
If you’re here you already know how life with kids can hit you with some surprises (good and bad!) At any moment, you could have to pick up and go! So I have found that having go-bag for the kids ready is a must! Keep a “go bag” ready with essentials like snacks, water bottles, sunscreen, and a change of clothes for each child. Store it in your car or near the door for easy access.
Pro Tip: Rotate items seasonally—include warm clothes in winter and sunscreen in summer.
9. Prep Snacks in Advance
If you know, you know I’m all about saving dollars, keeping us healthy, and saving the planet! So when it comes to giving my kids snacks (and you know kids gotta have their snacks), I have all the time-saving healthy snack ideas for kids. I include healthy snacks ideas for kids in my weekly meal planning and let the kids help me prep their snacks for the week on Sundays. That way throughout the week, their snacks are easy to grab and go! I don’t have to stress over whether they are healthy or what to buy at the store.
Pro Tip: Use reusable silicone bags to save money and reduce waste.
I use these reusable bags from Amazon:
And these containers for their fruit & veggies:
10. Prioritize Self-Care
Okay, this late tip is one of the most important to me! Learning how to avoid mom burnout was imperative for me after having my third child and going back to work in corporate America. Yes, moms are superheroes, but even superheroes need rest.
Here are a few of my top self-care tips for moms:
Every single day, DO SOMETHING JUST FOR YOU for at least 10 minutes.
- Meditate, Pray or Journal
- Workout
- Enjoy your coffee or tea (sit with it - be still).
Pro Tip: Use moments like waiting in the carpool line to listen to an inspiring podcast or audiobook.
Final Thoughts
Parenting is a full-time job, but these time-saving hacks can help you balance the chaos and find more moments to enjoy with your family. Start with one or two tips, and gradually incorporate more as you refine your routine.
What are your favorite time-saving tips for moms? Share them in the comments below to help other busy parents!