Working Mom Life Hacks?

@quedee This is so helpful. I am borrowing OP’s laundry shortcuts!

I’m adding my own hacks here. I know they might not apply or be accessible to everyone, but here they are:

-subscribe to a healthy meal service. It puts a lot of meals on autopilot so you don’t have to meal plan and prep for the majority of meals.

-have groceries delivered

-maintain a shared, digital calendar with your kids other parents/caretakers to help track kids appointments and engagements. I can’t take the mental load of doing it all myself.

-i chose to raise kids in an apartment/condo building. It means there is no yard to take care of, no driveway to shovel, no gutters to clean, no house to maintain, etc.

-professional cleaner 2x per month

-keep a hidden stash of toys, activities, and interesting snacks to surprise the kids with. I tend to open the stash on weekend days or days that school is closed and I don’t want to rely on screen time. The toys aren’t expensive or fancy, kids just like having something new to open.

-related to the point above, plan a toy swap with people who have kids the same age. Another parent and I will each bundle up a bunch of age appropriate toys, put them in a box, and exchange the boxes. It’s been a great, free way to discover new toys that I wouldn’t have thought to buy and gives kids’ toys another life.

-just say no to invitations and offers that cause unnecessary stress. Ex: someone I’m not that close to invited me to a baby shower. I could have gone but it would have been a pain for me to get to. I felt zero guilt sending my regrets with a gift and a card.

-pack bags you’ll need for the next day the night before and have them ready by the front door.

Edit: two more hacks I forgot:

-I only bring my mail in once a week. When I do bring it into my home, I do it when I’ve also set aside time to go through it and take action on the mail items that require follow up. Basically, I try to deal with paper mail as soon as it’s in my home and not leave it in piles to fester.

-I trained myself to do household tasks more quickly by timing myself doing them. It sounds silly but it’s true that you can cut down on how long you spend on simple tasks, like emptying the dishwasher, if you use a timer and think about how to accomplish them more efficiently.
 
@drrick The laundry stuff was life changing for us when we implemented last year. No more giant piles to fold each weekend.

Especially love the ideas of saying no to unnecessary things and packing bags the night before.
 
@thedeconverter Emeals is an app that has tons of recipes and weekly plans. Similar to that of a delivery service, but you do your own shopping. They create a list for you and then you can shop from Walmart right there and get it all delivered. It’s much more cost effective than delivery meal kits for my family.
 
@kingdomkings Going to look into this! My spouse and I do a pretty good job of sharing the load, but it can get off balance, especially if one of us is struggling at work too.
 
@drrick Fantastic list - I was going to add a lot of this stuff. Playing beat the clock or gamifying house work makes it a bit smoother.

It's also okay to have a take out night occasionally when things get really hectic.
 
@drrick Can you share more about the apartment/condo situation? Do you rent or own? Is it like a true apartment or a townhome? Is there a shared grass space kids can play on? Is there any amenities (pool, gym, etc)? Do you live in a high/low/medium COL area? In my area I think it’s actually cheaper to own with rent prices being so high but then you have to factor in home maintenance so I’m actually not sure. Totally understand if you don’t want to share more! I have fantasized about this and am super curious how it works out.

Edit for another question: is space an issue? I have a 2,000 sq ft home and only one kid and feel like I need more space for all the junk!

Thank you so much if you take the time to answer this! If not, thank you for showing me that parents and kids can do it!!
 
@crouche76 Happy to share and hope it’s helpful. Raising kids in an apartment/condo situation isn’t for everyone and to each his own, but my personal experience has been overwhelmingly positive. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

For context, I own a 1,200 sq foot unit. It’s not a townhome. I don’t have private outdoor space, but the building does have a small garden/patio and community room where kids can play. The building has an elevator and laundry room. No gym. It’s a HCOL area.

Advantages:
-minimal maintenance and no yard work. If I need repairs or maintenance done, like plumbing issues or leaks around the window, more often than not the work and cost are taken care of as part of the monthly maintenance fees I pay to the building. It saves my time and sanity.
-the building is stroller and wheelchair accessible (necessary for my family). There are no stairs in my unit, which also felt easier and safer for young kids.
-in a cold climate, I don’t have to deal with as many winter inconveniences. No digging my car out of the snow, no shoveling, no salting the sidewalk, etc.
-I can book services with neighbors and get a cheaper rate. Ex: internet, window washers, babysitters, dog walkers, etc
-it’s easier to minimize clutter without extra closets, basement, attic, garage, etc. I’m blessed that my friends and family are very thoughtful and don’t gift us things that overwhelm the space.

Disadvantages:
-sometimes it feels like we’re all on top of each other. On days that school is closed or kids are home sick it can be tough.
-we have to be careful not to make too much noise. Thankfully my neighbors have never complained, but it’s a common issue in the building.
-neighbors of mine with dogs have mentioned that it would be more convenient if they had a yard to let their dogs out instead of going for walks.

Finally, this is both an advantage and disadvantage, but no one expects me to host big gatherings or overnight guests at my home. There isn’t really space to do it comfortably. When we do host parties or out of town guests, we book a restaurant or hotel.
 
@drrick Shared calendar is LIFE CHANGING! We've been using Google Calendar for many years and it's great for keeping track of school stuff, appointments, sports. I love that we can share it with grandparents, that way it's easy for them to see what we're up to and then they can ask, "there's nothing going on the weekend after next, want to come over for dinner?"
 
@quedee - Put kids to bed in the clothes they are wearing the next day for school

- Seconding the daily dishes and laundry. It takes SO much less time, somehow, than when it builds up

- Cleaning lady twice a month

- Getting into the slow cooker now but when I have used it, the evening goes so much smoother

You might want to look into the Sunday Basket system for papers. I made my own. Basically all papers just get thrown in there as they come in and you set aside time once a week to process them.
 
@nativenewyorker1980 Nope, but my kiddo mostly wears jersey knit dresses, leggings, or tshirts. Nothing that is super prone to wrinkles. We do hang her “nice” dresses like the ones we wears to church. Also she is 5, so if they are a little wrinkled, no one cares 😂
 
@jsilva18 We started when she was about three. All the cubes are labeled with a little picture so that it is that it’s her responsibility (with help) to put her laundry away.
 
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