All moms know that motherhood can be one bumpy ride. Through the tears and smiles, bedtime stories and grass-stained jeans, raising children is an adventure all of its own. And, even though you love your little ones, it seems there’s never enough time in the day to get groceries, do laundry, cook, clean and more. Luckily, there are a few ways to simplify your crazy life and make mom life a bit more doable. Here are 10 mom hacks to make your life easier.
1. Pre-Plan Outfits
As a mom, you inevitably end up being late to things. While before kids you only had yourself to worry about, now you have to make sure your three-year-old has pants on before leaving the house. Make the whole getting-ready process simpler and less stressful by pre-planning your child’s outfits a week in advance. Match up their bottoms and tops on the weekend when you have more time. Go one step further and plan out your outfits too to make morning routines way less frantic.
2. Freeze Meals
Likewise, plan out your meals in advance. Sure, you probably won’t be able to meal prep an entire week’s worth of food, but you can make extra and freeze it. Try making a big casserole, serving half and freeing the rest. These frozen meals come in extra handy on the more chaotic weeknights. Just pop it in the oven and serve — no dicing, marinating or simmering required.
3. Keep To-Go Toys by the Door
Another smart way to save time – and chaos! — is by packing a small to-go bag of toys and stashing it by the door. So, on the nights you make a mad dash out the door to meet friends for dinner, you’ll already have crayons, racecars and plastic dinosaurs ready to bring along. This will save you from running around the house searching for toys to keep your little ones preoccupied.
4. Make an Oopsy Kit
Another to-go essential, an oopsy kit is the ultimate lifesaver when it comes to a hungry baby or a car seat diaper explosion. This kit should include a change of clothes for everyone in the family, snack, diapers, baby wipes, first aid and stain remover. So, if someone does have an oopsy, you’ll be prepared and won’t have to turn the car around to grab a change of clothes.
5. Bulk Buy Gifts
Being a mom is stressful, but holidays and birthdays are like icing on the cake. Save yourself some time and trouble by buying gifts for your kids early and keeping them stashed away in a closet or attic. If you bulk buy gifts and stockpile them, you won’t have to run to the mall every time your kids or their friends have a birthday or gift exchange.
6. Reuse Water Bottles
From saving the planet to saving money, reusable glass water bottles are a hack that will make mom life easier. For instance, if you designate a water bottle for each of your children, they’ll always have something to drink. And, if they ask for juice or chocolate milk or another sugary beverage, you can tell them they already have a drink. Plus, glass doesn’t have any BPA or chemicals as is the case with many plastics. Cheers to drinking clean, free water!
7. Wake Up Early
I know. The last thing you want to do after a night of little sleep is wake up even earlier. But crawling out of bed before your little ones rise is the key to starting your day in the right mindset and with the right attitude. Spend 15 minutes in quiet solitude. Read your favorite book or enjoy a cup of coffee on the patio. Carving out some time for yourself will help reduce stress and help you focus on the day ahead.
8. Utilize Grocery Pickup
If you haven’t tried grocery store pickup yet, the simplicity of it will blow your mind. All you have to do is hope online and throw everything you need in a virtual shopping cart. Then, you show up to the store parking lot and someone loads all your groceries into your car for you. You don’t even have to take your kids out of their carseats. Easy as pie.
9. Wash Socks in a Mesh Bag
Do you feel like every time you do a load of laundry, you end up losing your kids’ socks? Trying to find one missing sock in a pile of clothes is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Solve the mystery of the missing sock by washing all socks in a mesh garment bag. This will keep them all together in one place, making them harder to lose and much easier to put together and put away.
10. Find Joy In the Little Things
Last, but certainly not least, one of the best life hacks for moms is to enjoy the moment and find pure joy in the little things. It could be rocking your baby to sleep at night or reading a story to your preschooler. Those moments that make you realize how blessed you are to be a mom are the ones you want to hold on to, even if motherhood is crazy and frantic and oh-so-stressful most of the time. So take a moment to admire your kids and be joyful because this stage of life won’t last forever.
Amanda Schmitt
Latest posts by Amanda Schmitt (see all)
- Best Shoes for Baby to Learn to Walk in: Tips and Recommendations - March 30, 2023
- Single Mom Budget Tips: A Practical Guide to Financial Success - March 29, 2023
- How Can I Adopt a Baby: A Comprehensive Guide for Prospective Parents - March 28, 2023
