I've been mulling over this subject for quite a while now. Collecting little tidbits from here and there that have been helpful to me and maybe will trigger some ideas for you too. And of course disclaimer #2 fits in here too. These are a few things that have worked for me, this should not in any way be interpreted as a "she has it all together, gets everything done and never wastes time," post. It's just not like that folks! In fact, I had almost decided that maybe I'm the only one who has these issues and these "tips" are things everybody else has known forever. But in talking with some Mommy friends recently I realized again that we've all been there. Some days go better, some fall to pieces. What works for you might or might not work for me but it never hurts to have a new idea or two in your bag of tricks.
So here we go.....
*If you can do it in 5 minutes or less, just take the time to do it right away. Think about it for a second, if you take 3 minutes to make your bed when you get out of it, your room will look MUCH more organized just like that. If the covers are on a heap on the floor you'll be more tempted to throw dirty laundry down there with it and before you know it you've got an hour of cleaning up that could have been done in much less time along the way.
*Look for ways to make waiting time work for you. You can probably empty the dishwasher in the time it takes to heat water for a cup of tea. I don't have a dishwasher so my dishes usually collect during they day and I often wash them while I'm waiting for the macaroni to boil or the hamburger to brown as I make dinner. I'm right there by the stove but I'm still getting something done. And don't write off time you spend waiting at the doctor or waiting for soccer practice to be over. You can keep a book, a couple of blank cards to write notes or coupons to clip/organize in the van where they're handy if you meet up with an unexpected 10-15 minute wait. Of course, if you have really little children waiting time is usually just a matter of survival. In fact there was a time when it happened so rarely that a book would not have worked for me. There's no use reading the second chapter if it's been 6 months since you read the first. Maybe a magazine with short articles would be a better option or a devotional with short stories, whatever works for you. Plus, the next time you have to wait longer than you expected instead of getting uptight and anxious you'll secretly be hoping it lasts as long as possible! =)
*Let the kids help! No, it won't be done the "right" way but it might be better than not at all. Even little kids can dust, fold washcloths, put their own clean laundry back in the drawer, pick up shoes and toys and sweep up lunch crumbs with a dust pan and brush. It's tempting to think that letting the kids help will only make it worse, and there definitely ARE some things that work that way but there are plenty of things they can do too. I don't recommend turning your toddler loose with a bucket of water on the kitchen floor but hand them a wet rag and let them wipe (at least some of) the jelly off of the chairs.
*Set the timer. We had fallen into the rut at our house where it was more hassle to get the kids to pick up toys before bed than I had energy to deal with at that point in the day so it was easier to put them to bed first and do it myself. But I do want my kids to learn some basic principles like "clean up after yourself," and "Life is not always fun and games," so we started "Five Minute Pick-up." I set the timer for five minutes (bet you didn't see that coming. tee-he!) and they see how much they can get done. Sometimes they aren't finished when the timer beeps but they still get to stop. They enjoy the challenge of racing the timer and they like knowing that it will only last so long. Occasionally there is a reward if we beat the timer but not always. And sometimes we do have to work until we're done so we can vacuum or whatever but it's taken much stress out of my evening routine! The timer tip works for Mommy's too. If there is a job you're avoiding set the timer and tackle it for 20 minutes. Even if you only have half of that stack of papers filed and sorted when the timer beeps it's better than none.
* Do what you DO have time for. I tend to put off jobs like washing the kitchen floor until I have time to "do it right." That doesn't happen very often at my house but I've learned that it only takes a few seconds to grab a napkin and wipe up that sticky juice spot. So even if my floor isn't sparkling at least no one is sticking fast anymore. If you don't have time to scrub the whole bathroom you can still take 30 seconds to wipe the toothpaste off the sink.
* Do double duty. Make 2 recipes of whatever is for dinner tonight and freeze some for later. Or grill extra chicken tonight so you know you'll have leftovers to use in your recipe for dinner tomorrow night.
Heading upstairs for more diapers or another load of laundry?? Grab a couple pairs of shoes or some folded laundry from the last load and take it up with you.
Your turn. Tell me your favorite tips for "saving time." Trust me, I could use a few more!
