Running a family home can take just as much management as running a business. Ensuring that everyone is clean, fed and on time can sometimes feel like an uphill struggle. Don’t lose your cool, stressing and shouting – its wasted energy. We’ve make a list of the top 10 tips to help make your day to day family life more efficient and less stressful. A happy mum makes for a happy home.
1. START THE DAY RIGHT
Yes, yes we know it sounds obvious, but getting your morning sorted really can get you ahead of the game for the rest of the day. If you can, get up before your children – get washed, dressed and full of your first shot of caffeine before the little ones wake up. Try and organise as much as you can the night before – lay school uniforms out, pack bags and organise lunch boxes.
2. MAKE A LIST
We know it sounds old fashioned, but making a list really can help you organise your day. By making a note of all the things you have to do, you can keep track and stay focused. Writing notes on the back of a bus ticket isn’t the most ideal way to do this. Keep a diary, notebook or even an electronic memo pad or calendar on you phone, laptop or mobile device to keep everything in one place. Also, don’t forget, the immense sense of achievement you will get at the end of the day when everything is ticked off and done. Hoorah!
3. ORGANISE YOUR PAPERWORK
Bills, bank statements, letters from school, work emails, flyer and circulars are a constant part of our day to day lives. Keep bills and important documents organised in a file or folder and diarise payment dates, or deadlines. You can keep bills organised by payment date, or supplier and make a written note on them when they have been paid, or keep a copy of a receipt with them. Having all your money, bills and deadlines organised and in control leads to less sleeplessness nights worrying about them. Let’s be honest, no one likes paying bills, but it’s far better to get them out of the way.
4. ORGANISE A MEAL PLAN
Feeding a family with different tastes and schedules can sometimes feel like running a small hotel. Keep it simple – Set out meal times so all the family know when food will be ready and to ensure that they work around you NOT the other way round. At the beginning of the week make a simple plan outlining breakfast, lunch and dinner menus for the next 7 days. A meal plan is also a great way to eliminate waste as you can plan extra meals or snacks with leftovers.
5. EAT ONE MEAL AS A FAMILY
Leading on from your meal plan, you should be able to plan at least one meal a day where everyone sits down and eats together. Most families are around for dinner time so make that your family time. Take the time to enjoy your well planned meal, whilst catching up with the kids and your other half. A relaxed meal not only tastes better, but is more enjoyable. And with everyone so busy, its nice to take time to just breathe and catch up with those around you.
6. GETS THE KIDS TO HELP OUT
Chores are a bore for everyone! Fact! But you can help incentivise your children into pulling their weight and making bed making a little bit more appealing. If your children get pocket money, make them work for it. A chore board, or a reward sheet can be a great way to show them how well they are doing. Try things like tidying your toys, sorting out your dirty washing, making your beds – all easily achievable and easy to reward. Also after your family dinner, get the children to help clearing away dirty plates, washing up or loading the dishwasher and putting clean plates away.
7. SHOP SMART
Lets face it, most of us are too busy to be wandering around markets and picking up fresh produce on a daily basis, but by organising your weekly shop you can still eat well and be organised. Whether you go the supermarket or have your shopping delivered make sure you have a list to work from. Purchase only what you need and try not to be tempted by offers that may look great but may not be practical. For example 3 for 2 or BOGOF offers may look like great value for money, but if you aren’t going to eat them before they go off, or if you don’t have room to store them – they just become extra waste.
8. ORGANISE A SET DAY FOR LAUNDRY
Again this may sound a bit old fashioned, but having a designated day or time for doing laundry alleviates the need for big piles of washing and ironing cluttering up your house. Even if its over the weekend, put you wash on, get them dry and maybe dedicate Sunday evening to ironing and putting away. Granted, its not a very rock and roll way to spend an evening, but knowing you don’t have to scrabble around for clean clothes in the morning, or try to iron over the breakfast table is immensely satisfying.
9. TIDY AS YOU GO
Children (and most adults too) make a mess. Whether its getting toys out, getting dressed, making a snack – everything has some kind of cleaning up attached to it. If you put things away as and when you finish with them it helps from having your house look like a bomb site by the end of the day. Also, where possible, try and stick to the old adage “a place for everything, and everything in it’s place”. Having well organised storage space is far better than just shoving things in a cupboard.
10. FINALLY……DO AN HOUR A DAY!
Cleaning we mean! Just an hour a day can keep kitchens and bathrooms clean, carpets hoovered, beds made and your home clutter free. Even if it’s not an hour, just making sure the basics are done will keep the dust to a minimal and everything looking clean and sparkly. Most folk will have a certain day of the week where they spend longer on cleaning which is fine if your lifestyle allows for that, if it doesn’t consider having a cleaner come in for a couple of hours to take up the strain.
Maid In Essex supplies domestic cleaning staff throughout the Essex area. At prices starting from just £11.55 per hour, it’s a really cost effective way to let a dedicated, professional cleaner keep your house gleaming while you get on and concentrate on the million other things you have to do on a daily basis. Call us now on 01277 812220 or click here to contact us via email