Whether you’re a stay at home parent or a working one, getting everyone on the same page and out the door on time in the morning is half the battle. Here are 7 life hacks for busy parents who are juggling home, work and kids.
Crumpled Clothes
Put crumpled work clothes in the dryer with a damp face cloth for 3-5 minutes while you do your makeup. The steam will flatten out any creases. If your collars are crooked, quickly run your hair iron down them to stiffen them up. A quick tip if you are already straightening your hair anyway.
If your child hasn’t got a pristine clean uniform, don’t worry. Pre-teen children don’t have body odour and a paint stain or bit of dirt isn’t going to hurt for one day. Give it good shake, wipe off any really obvious dirty marks and get the children dressed.
Getting your children changed every afternoon into play clothes will help keep their school clothes or uniforms in great condition.
No Lunch Life Hacks
We all have the benefit of hindsight when it comes to thinking about being organised when school lunches haven’t been made.
Weekly or monthly baking days of muffins, cookies and slices all popped into the freezer can really help on these busy mornings. Even better is baking savoury options like muffins, fritters, etc with grated vegetables, ham, bacon and/or cheese. These are a great alternative to sandwiches.
Here is a handy FREE guide to stick on the fridge to give you ideas for school lunches so you can always keep a supply of everything you need.
If your school has a canteen, once a month, write up a couple of brown paper bags per child with the correct money to grab on those rushed days you know might happen. If your school doesn’t have tuckshop open every day or only online ordering, pre-fill some paper bags with packaged snacks (for example muesli bar, chips, boxed fruit juice, muffin, dried fruit etc) and hide them in the back of the pantry.
When all else fails and you have nothing prepared or a back up in the freezer, make yourself aware of what the local stores have available on the way to school drop off. Not that I’ve ever had to do it (but know it’s available if I need to) but our local corner store has a lunch pack you can buy with a sandwich, cheese/cracker snack, muesli bar and boxed fruit juice for less than $10. A lifesaver on those busy mornings.
Create a Drop Zone
One of the best habits I got into, right from the moment my children started Kindergarten, was to create an area close to where they walk into the house after school that had a hook for their backpack, a basket for their school notes plus a noticeboard for a chore chart and step by step process in the mornings.
Getting your child used to a morning routine and helping them to know this is where all of that daily school stuff goes, helps you and everyone else to grab it all from there in the mornings.
This can include umbrellas, swim bags, music equipment, sports uniforms or other essentials that might need for the school week.
Dressing Toddlers
Put toddlers and children who’ll be staying home with you to bed in the clothes they are wearing the next day. An absolute lifesaver for those who have toddlers that tantrum about wardrobe changes.
A toddler dressed in their pyjamas at school drop isn’t going to mean the end of the world either.
Lost Shoes
If mornings are always hard, try to remember to put children’s socks and shoes in the car the night before and they can put them on during the drive to school.
Makeup Life Hacks
Invest in tinted moisturiser, coloured lip gloss and mascara. This will take you only 1 to 2 minutes to apply and will make your face look fresh and natural.
This quick makeup routine can be applied on the bus or train on the way to work or in the car before you get out. A lip gloss or lipstick in your bag, when all else fails, can sometimes be enough to get you through the day.
Quick Breakfast Ideas
Buy a bottle of fresh juice or squeeze your own and make ice blocks and freeze on the weekend. One orange fills one mold. The kids will love having ice blocks before school and you will know they are getting their Vitamin C every day.
A muffin or muesli bar, toast or even a sandwich in the car on the way to school is better than nothing. Use leftover or uneaten cereal in your next baking day to create homemade breakfast treats.
Breakfast style bacon and egg muffins or burritos can also be pre-made and frozen then re-heated in the microwave or sandwich toaster while you’re waiting on everyone to get ready.
These are the things that used to work for me, so I hope this helps you. At the very least it may help you to know that you are not the only one struggling. Being prepared as much as you can the night before is a life saver. You’ll thank yourself in the morning and it will be your contingency plan when your precious cargo are being at their most difficult.
7 Life Hacks for Busy Parents
