Life is hard as a mom, am I right? It is so challenging to do all of the things that need done to run a home well, while taking care of one or more little people who need near constant attention. After years of struggle, I found that these five mom hacks were game changers for me in my life.
I call them mom hacks, but they are really just the things that make my life easier and more enjoyable. They keep me sane, help my home function more efficiently, and increase the amount of time that I have to spend loving on my family, which is really what this mom life is all about.
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Keep reading to learn my 5 life hacks for busy moms that have changed my life.
Life Hack #1: Get up before your kids.
I know its hard. After going to bed late trying to get a few minutes of time without the kids, and then the many nightly wake ups that come from having children, its hard to get out of bed in the morning. I’ve had MANY a morning when I wait for my kids to wake me.
But on the mornings that I get up before my kids are awake, brush my teeth, and have a few sips of coffee before I see their sweet little faces, I am a better mom.
Mom hack number 1: get up before your kids.
Life Hack #2: A place for everything.
And everything in it’s place, right? Easier said than done. Even when I felt like my house was perfectly organized, I still ended up with junk piles and odds and ends that didn’t “go” anywhere. Do you know what the problem was?
I had too much stuff.
If you really want to change your life, consider this mom hack: declutter your stuff.
Did you know that clutter is actually harmful for children?
It is. So help yourself and your children out by seriously decluttering your junk.
Read this to see how my life was immeasurably better when I didn’t have so much stuff.
Get rid of the things that don’t have a place. You likely don’t need them.
Get rid of the toys your kids don’t play with, even if they are super cool, or were expensive. Sell them or pass them off to a local preschool if you just can’t stand the thought of the wasted money. Check out how I seriously decluttered my kids toys.
Get rid of duplicates. You don’t need 15 casual sweaters. You don’t need 3 vacuums (you only need one of these, but more on that in the next section). You don’t need 7 old wallets.
Get rid of the extra papers.
And on and on.
But getting rid of stuff is just you first step (but the biggest step, don’t worry).
Once you get rid of the things that you just don’t need, organize what is left.
Mom hack number 2: a place for everything.
Life Hack #3: Streamline your cleaning routine.
Having a streamlined cleaning routine is SO important. Before I did this, every moment that wasn’t spent picking things up was spent cleaning. Sweeping the floor, vacuuming the carpets, cleaning the bathrooms, wiping the food of the walls, cleaning the kitchen, doing the laundry and then doing more laundry. It was nonstop.
So here are the things that I did to greatly minimize the amount of time I spent cleaning my house (but still have a clean house!).
Get the right tools. Find the things that work for you, that require less time, that are easier to use.
Here are the only 5 tools that I use to clean my house.
These are the absolute BEST things I have found for cleaning my house quickly and easily.
I know I mentioned it earlier, but getting the vacuum was best purchase I’ve made, maybe ever. I’m not one to spend a lot of money on things like this, but I can’t sing it’s praises enough. I can use to to clean every floor in my house, and its actually kinda fun. My kids fight over who can vacuum the toy room (and its so light and easy to use, they do a really good job).
Put chests in each room for quick clean ups of stuff that goes in a different room. Then empty them once a week, putting the stuff in the room that it actually goes it (or are my kids the only ones that just carry stuff from room to room for seemingly no reason?).
Put a decorative basket by the steps for things that need to go up. Take it up on your way.
Follow the one touch rule. When you are putting something away, put it right where it goes with only one touch, instead of putting it down and forgetting about it.
And seriously, get the tools you need to make your mom life easier. This is huge.
Mom hack number 3: use the most efficient tools to clean your home.
Life Hack #4: Plan for success.
Are you the mom who is always rushing to refill the diaper bag before story time at the library? Are you the mom who barely gets her kids to school on time because you’re trying to pack lunches and get them dressed in a semi-matching outfit (or at least one without holes in the knees)? Are you the mom who is wearing leggings and a “cute” sweatshirt each day because you don’t have time to get a real outfit together in the morning?
I was.
Until I started planning for success.
By this, I mean, do as much as you can ahead of time.
Pack lunches the night before. Lay your kids clothes out. Pack the diaper bag. Make sure your keys are where they are supposed to be. Check your purse to make sure your wallet is in it. Lay out your own clothes.
Being intentional about doing these things every night has taken me from the hot mess mom who was asking a much more put-together mom to use her package of wipes at the park, to the mom who actually HAS the wipes (imagine that). I can find my keys every morning. My kids match. I match. And my days are so much less stressful.
Mom hack number 4: plan for success the night before.
Life Hack #5: Do a nightly refresh.
Now that your house is decluttered and organized, and you have all the best tools for cleaning your house quickly and easily, start your day off right by waking up to a clean house!
Every night before bed, I spend about 10 or 15 minutes picking up all of the things that have been left out from the day. I wipe the counters and table off, throw the last few toys into their places and put the pillows neatly on the couches.
Since my husband is home, he can manage any request from the kids. This means that the things that usually take me a half hour to do only take me about 5 minutes. I can zoom through the house at lightning speed, placing each item in its home, without having a little “helper” undoing everything I just did, or slowing my progress by needing this or that.
And every day when I wake up (ideally, before my kids), I come down the stairs to a clean house. IT IS AMAZING. Starting my day like this means that I don’t spend all morning picking up, because everything is already put away.
Mom hack number 5: do a quick pick up every night before bed.
These five things have changed my life.
I am calmer, more put together, and my house is cleaner. I don’t dread unexpected visitors, spend hours entrenched in monotonous cleaning, or show up late to everything because I, yet again, can’t find my keys.
So my challenge to you is, try them out!
See if they change your life like they have changed mine. Enjoy the time with your kids, instead of running through these precious years feeling strung out and stressed.
And let me know how it goes!
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