Other Articles from Joan Thatiah
Steps To Organise Your Life As A Mother
Juggling the work, home, child-care and school schedules can be a daunting task. Having a plan will even out the rough edges and enable your day to run smoothly. It will also allow you to have some time for yourself and an active social life that every mother needs. Here’s how you can bring some order to your life;
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Wake up early
Getting up early in the mornings puts you in charge of your days. Most people try to get things done late into the night after the children have gone to bed. Try mornings instead when you are more energised. Try waking up one full hour before your kids such that when they wake up you can focus on them.
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Stay on schedule
Stay on the to-do list you made and take the most efficient route to get the tasks on the list done. If you had a doctor’s appointment for your little one, for instance, going in very early in the morning will ensure that you spend less time on queues. To avoid last-minute dashes, plan on going everywhere 30 minutes earlier.
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Get rid of the clutter
Having many items lying around the house means that the more time is spent cleaning, dusting and putting it away. Decluttering your home not only helps you bring order to your home, but it will also help you feel more energised. Ensuring that everything has its place in the home prevents the young ones from making a mess as they will have an easier time putting things away. Also, find a spot for storing keys. We waste a lot of time at home searching for keys.
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Put it on paper
Writing things down is more than just a habit. It will actually help you remember things that you need to do. Do not limit the writing to only the shopping lists. Write down the other activities that you need to do, the appointments that you need to keep and your child’s school activities.
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Meal plans
You will spend less time on your shopping if you prepare a weekly meal plan at the start of every week. This also allows you to shop in bulk and stops you from wasting time on indecision about what to cook. There will be no more wasted time dropping by the supermarket each evening on your way home. For more guidance visit Mums Village Info Centre and download a free meal plan guide.
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Put away the papers
The world may be riding on a digital wave but our day to day lives still include a lot of paperwork. Create some space in your home to store them. Have a set space for bills or your favourite magazine articles. This arrangement helps you locate them quickly and thus cut down on time spent.
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Evening preparations
Mornings will be easier if everything that you will need is prepared the evening before. Involve your house help in checking that everything is in order the night before. Involve your school-going children in this evening preparation routine. Put books back in the bag after checking homework, check the diary, check if they have any notes from the teacher or requests to bring money. Check the next day’s clothing. Try including dishwashing in this evening routine. Waking up to a sink full of dirty dishes puts a damper to your energy levels.
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Bulk shop for school supplies
Stock up on exercise books, pencils, rubbers and other school supplies that your child regularly runs out of. This will prevent that morning hustle looking for a book shop.
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Consistency
Deciding to organise your life is a long-term change. You will change your lifestyle. You can’t do it alone. Get your whole family to commit to the changes. Train your children from an early age to follow their morning and evening routines. Having a checklist to tick off will help.
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Let go of the guilt
Sometimes you will miss an after school event or fail to do everything that you had set ou to do – Do not beat yourself up about it. Guilt will drain you of your emotional energy.
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