You know that old saying 'preparation is key'.
Think about your pain points in the morning routine and set aside 15 minutes ‘prep time’ the night before.
This could be locating uniforms, preparing school lunches, laying out or ironing your own clothes for work.
2. Meal PlanMeal planning can alleviate the stress of cooking 'last minute', reduce unhealthy food choices, save time and money, reduce waste by using food already in the fridge, pantry or freezer.
3. Use Visual AidsInvest in some planners and sit down for a few minutes every Sunday to map out the week ahead.
Write down all the family’s movements, work and school activities, sporting commitments, uniform or library days, any birthday party or social commitments planned for the weekend.
4. Create an 'Organisation Station'
Create a physical space for a family ‘organisation station’ or ‘command centre’ in the home. This can include visual aids such as wall or magnetic planners, a calendar, your shopping list, birthday invitations, notices from school, bills that need to be paid.
5. Establish a Cleaning RoutineAllocate days to do some of the bigger household cleaning tasks so that the workload does not build up and become overwhelming. Eg. Do a load of washing every day, the floors on Tuesdays, wash the towels on Wednesdays and sheets on Sundays.
6. Encourage family participationShare the load. Allocate age appropriate household chores to your children.
Chores are character building, can develop your child's sense of responsibility, work ethic and teach them valuable life skills which they will need in the future.
7. Chore & Responsibility ChartsCharts can provide a good visual aid and help to both delegate tasks and motivate the kids to work through them.
Provide some incentive, whether it be an ice cream for dessert or weekly Pocket Money. Whatever works and helps you delegate some of the household responsibilities.