You’re already a great parent and you’re able to handle all the things that pop up daily, but life is still full and busy and chaotic sometimes!
It’s nice to have some handy little hacks ready for those extra tricky times.
Want a few to keep up your sleeve for when you need them? I have some favourites I'm happy to share 
Take the pressure off and try one or more of these swaps when your life feels a bit too hard:
Swap holding a birthday party for having two friends over for cake.
Same amount of fun, less mess and you won’t be as exhausted afterward.
Swap birthday party presents for $20 in a card.
Buy a stash of cards at the start of the year so you can grab one quickly on the morning of the party.
Swap toddler lace-up shoes for velcro ones.
Also, swap button-up clothes for zippered ones. So much easier!
Swap trying to remember where you parked at the shops with taking a quick photo with your phone.
Snap a pic of your parking location (usually the column nearest because it has the colour and code of the floor you’re on) and the entrance to the shopping centre and just check it when you leave later.
Swap serious family dinners for chilled ones.
Pop a blanket on the floor and have an inside picnic, eat on the lounge and watch a show together, eat outside if the weather is nice, or if your kids are older and you need a break, tell everyone it’s cool if they want to eat in their bedroom.
Swap spur-of-the-moment catch-ups for regular ones.
For example - brunch with the girls on the first Saturday of every month. Easy to schedule, easy to remember, and if someone can’t make it one month it’s no big deal because it’s a regular thing.
Swap “No devices on school mornings” to “You can have your device when you’re ready for school”.
Both work, but the second one gives you a bit of a breather to get yourself ready too.
Swap “you cook and I’ll wash up” for “we take turns doing dinner start to finish”.
If one of you likes to clean as you cook and the other doesn’t, this method will lessen frustration and arguments. Plus when it’s your turn you can choose the easy dinner options like one-pot meals ;)
Swap mum guilt for self-care.
Every time you feel guilty about something, take it as a sign you need looking after and book time in for something that makes you happy.
Swap morning showers for evening showers.
Less rushed, more relaxing, and you can throw in some self-care while you’re locked in the bathroom.
Swap “yes/no” for “if/then”.
For example, “Mum can you drive me to work?” “Sure, if you can unpack the dishwasher I can give you a lift to work today”. “Mum, can we go to the park?” “Sounds good, if you can tidy your room we’ll go to the park this afternoon.”
Swap doing it all for delegating or outsourcing.
Each high school aged kid cooks one night a week. Oldest does their own laundry each Saturday, youngest each Sunday. One kid feeds the pets in the morning, one kid feeds the pets in the evening. Send out your washing, grocery shop online, hire someone to walk the dogs if you have room in your budget for it. You don’t have the time or energy to do it all yourself, and you’re not getting paid to do it.
Swap meal planning for a never-ending cyclical plan.
Never think about what to have for dinner again!
Swap paying for all the streaming services for borrowing your favourite movie or tv series for free at the library. While you’re there, borrow your favourite magazines each month for free instead of buying them and adding more clutter.
Swap buying a new outfit for events for renting one.
Much cheaper, less wardrobe clutter, and you’ll always have something nice to wear that you haven’t already been photographed in. GlamCorner is my favourite (affiliate link).
Swap micro-managing for being curious about what will happen / how they will handle it.
Most of the time the worst-case scenario isn’t too bad or is fixable, so if you feel like this situation might not end well but won’t be a huge disaster either, sit back, be ready to support them if needed but let them muddle through it and feel good when they’ve figured it out or resolved it themselves.
Swap rushing in the morning for prepping at night.
Set out your clothes, put your make up bag on your bedside table, curl your hair before you go to bed. Set your coffee maker to turn itself on when you wake up. Put your toddler to bed in a comfy tracksuit and you won’t have to dress them in the morning. Pack leftovers into lunch box containers when you finish dinner so lunches are easy in the morning.
I hope you found these ideas helpful! If you’re ready for next steps in making life easier as a parent, you might to check out my popular House & Family Binder. It’s a simple set of prints to help you reduce the mental load and streamline the running of your household, and I’m adding digital versions of each planning print too to make it even easier to use! Check it out here anytime.
x Marissa
