When the kids are young, it can be a bit of a struggle to stay on top of everything household related while taking care of the children at the same time.
It’s a never-ending cycle of cooking, cleaning, and caring for your children and the constant interruptions can leave us feeling overwhelmed and stressed. We love our kids but it would be nice to have some uninterrupted time to just get things done!
If you have babies, toddlers or primary school aged kids, that uninterrupted time might not be a reality for a few more years, but in the meantime a simple simple daily routine can help you keep the household (and life!) running smoothly.
Here’s an example I found helpful when my kids were little, feel free to try and tweak it to suit your household:
Morning.
Wake up before your kids if possible to have some quiet time to yourself. If that means drinking coffee in bed while you scroll on your phone, so be it. This time is for you.
Take a minute to look over what you’re doing that day and make note of any appointments or errands to run.
Start a load of laundry and let it run while you go through your morning routine.
Make breakfast for yourself and your kids.
While the kids are eating, unload the dishwasher and put away any clean dishes from the dish rack.
After breakfast, have your kids help you clean up any dishes or mess from the meal, or take care of it while they play or watch a show (after meals or snacks is the easiest time to get things done when the kids are little because their tummies are full and they’re not looking to you for comfort).
Get everyone dressed and ready for the day.
Mid-morning.
Take a few minutes to tidy up any clutter in the living room or playroom. We have a ”put away basket” in the high traffic rooms so I just toss everything in there and straighten up the lounge cushions.
If you have things to do outside of the home, now’s a great time to do it. Pack a snack and drink for all of you and head out.
If you’re staying home, do a little play time together, then have a snack with the kids (something simple).
Set the kids up with a simple activity to do, and do it with them for a couple of minutes, then tell them you are going to do a quick job, to keep going, and you’ll be back in a minute.
Do a quick clean of the bathrooms, wiping down the sink, toilet, and bathtub/shower. If the kids follow you, give them an extra cloth each and have them do the outside of the bathtub or bathroom cupboards.
Afternoon.
Have lunch with the kids (leftovers, or a simple sandwich and something little and fun).
Clean up any dishes or mess from the meal and encourage the kids to help.
If your kids nap, put them to bed, hang the load of washing from this morning, and then take some time to rest too.
If your kids don’t nap, hang the washing together (I used a little clotheshorse and an indoor rack to make it easier), then have quiet time with them, lay down and watch a show or a movie and snuggle up together.
After rest time, have a small snack, then go for a little walk outside.
Late afternoon.
Start preparing dinner, and if the kids are a bit clingy, give them a little bit of whatever salad, cheese or veggies you’re making to play with or snack on while you prep dinner. Wash dishes or stack the dishwasher as you go.
Evening.
After dinner, clear the table, finish loading the dishwasher and run it.
Put toys, books and anything else that’s out away again.
Vacuum or sweep the floors.
Do bath time, story and bedtime with the kids.
Look at your plan for tomorrow and gather anything you’ll need into a tote bag so it’s ready for when you need it.
Do something just for you.
Choose your outfit for tomorrow and have a shower before bed so you have two less things to do in the morning.
My favourite tips for getting things done with young children.
Involve the kids in tasks where you can but don’t feel bad about letting them watch tv while you whiz through it if that’s easier for you.
Lower the bar for yourself, especially when the kids are young. Take shortcuts to make tasks quicker and easier. Have the same breakfast every day, keep dinners really simple, use a rotating meal plan, get groceries delivered, clean with wipes, use technology to lessen your workload. Life gets easier as the kids are older, it won’t always feel this busy.
Don’t stress if you don’t get everything done. There will always be more laundry to do, more meals and snacks to prepare, and more cleaning that needs to be done, and honestly, no one will notice if you don’t do it all every day.
I hope you found these ideas helpful! If you’re ready for next steps in organising your home & life, you might want to check out my popular House & Family Binder. It’s a simple set of prints to help you get organised and run your household without stress or overwhelm.
Check out the House & Family Binder here >>
x Marissa
