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Top Tips for Busy Mums

Top Tips for Busy Mums

13-Jan-2011,
 
1. SAY NO TO OTHERS TO SAY YES TO YOURSELF – This is my very top tip to all mums! As mothers we try to say yes to everything so that we are (a) considered to be wonderful competent women, and (b) wonderful, competent mothers. Yet every time we say yes there is a small voice inside us screaming NO! Start to care less about how wonderful you may seem to others and ease some of the pressure on yourself by just using that powerful two letter word. 

2. HAVE A ‘TO DO’ LIST – If you feel like you’re running around all day but achieving nothing then focus yourself with a ‘To Do’ list. Each day make a list of all the things you need to get done, no matter how small. Add to it as things pop into your head – you may remember something while you are brushing your teeth or sitting in traffic – just WRITE IT DOWN! Don’t rely only on your memory – if you have young children it’s the second thing to go after your figure! Keep crossing things off as you do them. At the end of the day congratulate yourself on how much you’ve achieved but don’t beat yourself up if you haven’t done as much as you’d hoped. Get in bed and write out your list for tomorrow, carrying forward anything outstanding. 

3. DON’T BE ####### YOURSELF – Don’t compare yourself to others – they will always seem more perfect and successful than they actually are! Don’t set yourself impossibly high standards just because you think other people are managing to do everything. They probably aren’t! Trying to do everything means you will have to compromise certain areas of your life: either yourself, your family or your career. Decide on your own limits, know your personal threshold and stick to it. 

4. HAVE A LIE DOWN – Extreme tiredness becomes a way of life for most mums with young children. There will ALWAYS be million other things you could be doing instead of putting your feet up but I think half an hour resting your body will do you FAR more good than half an hour’s housework. If you have very young children, rest as soon as they do, or lie on the sofa and watch TV with them – just get horizontal and rest that poor tired body! 

5. CLEAR YOUR CLUTTER REGULARLY – Family life creates a constant flow of clutter coming into the house. Make sure that there is an equal flow of stuff leaving the house at roughly the same rate. If the clutter-in/clutter-out balance gets upset then you will start to sink! Review clothes, books and toys regularly and donate to charity or sell at a car boot sale. Clutter can have a hugely debilitating affect on all aspects of family life so don’t let it get out of control. 

6. KEEP ON TOP OF PAPER – Excessive paper is the single most common cause of disorder in people’s homes today. It comes into your home uninvited on a daily basis and if it’s not dealt with regularly you will quickly have a paper crisis on your hands. Open your post over the recycling bin and aim to reduce what you keep to as few pieces of paper as possible. File it, deal with it or bin it. Have a shredder nearby so you can shred anything with your name and address on immediately. 

7. REDUCE YOUR IRONING PILE – Be sensible about ironing – DON’T MAKE WORK for yourself! If you have a tumble dryer then smooth and fold items such as children’s t-shirts, school sweatshirts, nightwear & sportswear as soon as they come out. Don’t leave them to cool with all the creases in. Fold duvet covers and flat sheets neatly and dry them on the radiators, not in the tumble drier, then iron them without unfolding. NEVER EVER iron socks, underwear or towels! 

8. BE STRICT ABOUT SHOPPING – If you’re doing the food shopping at a supermarket be strict with yourself. Don’t be diverted into the clothes section or browse through the CDs and homewares. This will not only eat into your time but will also increase your expenditure as you will almost certainly end up making unplanned purchases! If possible shop without the family so you are not inveigled into buying all sorts of rubbish, food or otherwise. Stick to your list and if you can’t find something, survive without it! 

9. MAKE A NOTE OF ITEMS YOU LEND & BORROW – It’s easy to lend things out to friends and their children but not so easy to remember what went where! The same when you borrow something (especially money). Don’t upset your friends by forgetting to give things back, or horror of horrors – LOSING them! Keep a ‘Lend & Borrow List’ in the back of your diary or in a prominent place in the kitchen. 

10. USE A BIRTHDAY CARD BOOK – If you are always missing birthdays and regularly buy cards for people and then lose them, I recommend you get one of these very simple but wonderful inventions! A book with a pocket for every month in which you can keep suitable cards, and space on every page to write birthdays and other important dates. Keep it open in a prominent place so you can keep checking what you should be remembering! Don’t tidy it away into a drawer – it has to be in front of you to work! You can buy these online from www.lakeland.co.uk 

11. SET UP A PRESENT BOX – If you have children it’s likely they will be invited to parties and need to take presents. Keep a supply of suitable gifts and wrapping paper in a special box so you can quickly put your hands on them. A word of caution though: don’t buy huge quantities of gift items in the sales just because they are cheap – be selective. If you don’t have someone in mind to give something to then don’t buy it! 

12. KEEP A CATALOGUE BOX – Everyone enjoys a wander through catalogue-land, but it’s a dangerous place to go! The whole point of a catalogue is that it seduces you into wanting things you never knew you needed! Don’t be conned into placing large orders just to save on postage – ask yourself if you can live without these items. If you really want to keep catalogues set up a box file or similar so you always know where to put them, but you MUST throw out old issues when the new ones arrive. 

13. KEEP RECEIPTS TOGETHER – Get a large clip and put all receipts into it as soon as you bring your shopping home. If you need to return something you’ll always know where to find the receipt. If money is an issue and you want to know where it’s all going it’s a good idea to separate receipts into different coloured clips for groceries, clothes, petrol, entertainment etc. 

14. HAVE AN INSTRUCTIONS & GUARANTEES FOLDER – Keep all instruction leaflets/guarantees for household appliances, electrical goods, furniture, toys etc together. Weed it regularly so you don’t keep papers for items that have long since been thrown away. 

15. PLAN YOUR TV VIEWING – TV is the worst time-thief! Get a viewing guide and circle the programmes you REALLY want to watch - don’t be sucked in by other stuff. Do something as well as watching telly – ironing, sewing on name tags, cleaning shoes etc. Or be brave and just turn it off – it’s only telly! 


Naomi Saunders is a professional organiser and clutter consultant based in Reading. She can be contacted on 07799 126195 or through her website  Her book ‘Simplify Your Life’ (Sheldon Press) is available on Amazon priced £7.99.
 
 
 
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