How Do I Organize My Home as a Mother?

Parenting can feel like a full-time job on its own. When you throw in things like cleaning and organizing your house, working a job, and other everyday responsibilities, finding the time to do everything can seem difficult.

So, how do you organize your home as a mother? Below, we’ll cover some of the most effective strategies for balancing parenting and housekeeping to (hopefully) make both a bit easier.

Organization Tips for Moms

1. Never Underestimate Lists

Lists are the cornerstone of any organizational plan, so don’t overlook their importance. At the very least, you’ll want a regular cleaning routine or a to-do list. But having a meal plan and timetables for your kids can make life much easier too.

Having things noted on lists works for several reasons. First, it stops you from trying to juggle everything in your brain. Second, it means other family members can know what needs doing and when without constantly asking. There are many apps that can also assist with organization.

2. Have a “Command Centre”

Once you’ve got your lists and schedules, consider setting up somewhere central to store them. Think of this as your family’s command center – the place where people can go to see what needs doing, what’s on their plan for the week, and even what’s for dinner.

Depending on how many family members you have, you might need a fairly large space. Also, it should be in a busy or common area, so the kitchen usually makes sense. You could also consider storing important items in your command center, such as keys and bags, provided this doesn’t make it messy.

3. Prepare the Night Before

Get your kids’ stuff ready for school the night before to save a mad dash in the morning. At the very least, ensure their clothes are ready, their bags are packed, and their lunches are made. It helps to also help to get your stuff ready too so you’re not rushing around.

4. Get Kids Involved with Chores

You might already do this, and it’s something of a no-brainer: get kids involved in cleaning and organisation jobs around the house. Not only will it take some of the load off you but it’ll also teach them good habits for later in life.

Make sure the jobs are age-appropriate though. For example, young kids can tidy their toys away, while older kids can empty the dishwasher, sort out bins, deal with their washing, and make their beds.

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Purge Stuff

Clutter easily gets in the way of an organized home. After all, if there’s stuff everywhere, it can be impossible to create a sense of calm and order. So, be prepared to purge stuff and aim to be as ruthless as possible.

Initially, focus on things that are easy to deal with, such as receipts and junk mail. Then when you’ve got some free time, move to things that might require a bit more thought. This could include old toys and clothes, games, books, sports or club-related equipment, and so on. Get into the habit of doing it regularly and you should find it gets much easier with time.

6. Aim to Do Laundry Every Day

It’s fair to say not many of us enjoy doing washing. However, it builds up quickly, especially for larger families. The most obvious remedy is to do a load of laundry every day to keep things as organized as possible.

Helpfully, you can usually just leave it running in the background. For example, put the washing on while you’re at work and then chuck it in the dryer when you get home. The only manual job is folding and putting away, which you can delegate to your kids!

7. Don’t Forget to Take Time Off

With all the busyness of family and work, it can be easy to overstretch yourself. But the more this happens, the harder it’ll be to bounce back when you do actually get some time off.

So, make sure you say no every now and then and take a day to yourself. Do something you enjoy and spend some time with your family. After all, the housework and everyday responsibilities will still be there when you get back!

Final Thoughts

The key to keeping an organized home as a mother is to plan. Knowing what needs doing means you can delegate, tackle it yourself, or simply avoid it! But most importantly, keep some free time spare so you can sit down and forget about everything for a few hours.