7 Hacks to Organize Your Life as a Full-Time Working Mom

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Staying organized as a working mom has its challenges. More and more women are working full-time, but a mom’s responsibilities often stay the same, even when working full-time. As you’re creating better routines for moms, staying organized as so important!

Moms still have to make sure the kids are fed, bathed, and ready for school. Then they have to do laundry and pick up toys, all while still worrying about getting to work on time, prepping for a meeting, grocery shopping…. The list goes on and on and on!

Time is precious for working moms because the day is not spent with their children, so maximizing time at home is key as well as staying organized. After all, time spent being disorganized is wasted time.

1. Delegate as many tasks as you can

Off-load tasks that can be handled by other people.

Whether it’s hiring a cleaning lady or getting lawn care, figure out which tasks don’t require your personal touch. It’s worth the investment once you take those tasks off your to-do list.

If you live near family, use their help or find a college student looking to make some extra money. You’ll be happy you did.

Another option is to get things delivered, like using Hello Fresh to deliver healthy meals, trying Stitch Fix to deliver cute clothes for work, and finding other delivery services to make your life easier.

2. Meal plan to simplify your dinner plans

Meal planning, grocery shopping, and then preparing meals is a process. But if you start a week without a plan, everyone fails.

Pick a day of the week that works best for you and stick to it. Allow 30 minutes, which will give you enough time to choose meals as well as plan your shopping list.

Keep your meal plan posted where you can see it. It can be on a door, cabinet, the refrigerator, etc. This will help everyone in your family know what’s planned for dinner. You’ll be more likely to stick to your plan (and you just might reduce complaints from picky eaters).

Related reading on Organized Motherhood:

• The Beginner’s Guide to Meal Planning
• How to Get Delicious Dinners on the Table (Even if You Hate Meal Planning)

3. Batch process your household chores

Instead of doing little things each day, pick one day and get it done.

For example, pick one day a week to finish all laundry. No one likes to do laundry (if you have, send them my way, please!) and doing a little bit every day is dreadful. Pick a day and bust it all out.  

You’ll find yourself more productive when you batch process. This holds true at work, too.

4. Use one family calendar 

Use one calendar for everything. Multiple calendars are tough to manage and things can easily get lost in the shuffle.  

Most working moms have a work calendar and personal calendar but don’t combine the two because they don’t want their personal appointments and family schedule on their work computer.

Many companies use Outlook for calendar invites, as does mine.

I recently changed to a digital calendar and now forward my work appointments to my personal calendar. It is an added step, but it has really minimized the confusion. I also print out my calendar for the week because I need to see it.

However, for family calendars, it can be helpful to set up a command center and only include “after work” family activities on it. A command center is a great way to organize family activities so everyone can see upcoming events, practices, etc.

I especially like the command center accessories from Erin Condren, which can be customized and arranged in the best way to suit your family.

Whether you use an electronic calendar or paper planner, have one master calendar and stick to it.

5. Get your kids to help

Babies and young toddlers really can’t help out much when it comes to putting toys away, but as they get older they’ll be able to put away some toys and do small chores.

When kids help, it saves you time from picking up toys, but it also teaches them the importance of cleaning and organizing on their own.

If they’re unwilling to help, there’s always the threat of throwing it all out – works every time!

You can also use a chore chart and reward system to entice your kids to work around the house. Get the Organized Motherhood Kids Chore Chart Bundle here:

Related reading on Organized Motherhood:

• How to Get Your Kids to Clean
• 4 Simple Tips to Declutter With Kids
• Natural Cleaning Supplies Your Kids Can Use

6. Turn off technology

When you leave the office, leave it there.  

Turn off notifications at night if you need to. Constantly checking your email at night or on the weekend is a distraction. Be intentional about your time spent on the weekends so when Monday rolls back around, you are rested and fully ready for the week ahead.  

Also, turn off the notifications on your smartphone. Keep the ones that are really important to you, such as phone calls, voicemails, text messages, etc. Chances are, you have at least 30 apps on your phone. Go into the settings and turn off the notifications.

This is likely going to be really hard since we have become a society addicted to our smartphones. However, you’ll find yourself more productive because your phone won’t be constantly sending you alerts interrupting your day. Plus, you will see your battery life increase.

7. Write things down

Using printables is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to become organized. You can use customized printables, like The Organized Motherhood Planner, or just a piece of paper and a pen. Either way, putting it on paper makes it easier to remember your tasks and stay focused.

Study after study has shown the importance of writing things down. You’re more likely to accomplish your goals and remember things.

If you are looking for free organizing printables, sign up here to gain free access to over 20 printables!

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