{Guest Post by Rebecca Temsen}
Before you were a stay at home mom, you may have thought that spending your days at home with your kids was a dream come true. In many ways, life can be fulfilling and enriched when you spend your days with the little ones you love most. However, you may also find that your days are chaotic and even stressful. You may be looking for a great way to boost productivity. Whether its breaking a habit or just doing things differently, here’s how you can be more productive at home.
12 Tips to be More Productive at Home
Get Up Before Your Kids Do
Waking up on your own terms, rather than be woken up by the kids’ instant demands, can drastically improve your day. Set an alarm clock to wake you up with ample time to tend to your personal needs before the kids wake up. You may even be able to enjoy a cup of coffee in peace before chaos sets in.
Prepare for the Day
It is best to allow enough time before the kids wake up to get yourself fully prepared for the day. Take a shower, do your hair and even apply makeup. This will help you to feel more relaxed and ready for the day before you get started caring for your kids.
Create a To-Do List Each Day
There is a seemingly endless list of things for you to do each day, such as getting groceries, visiting the doctor, running errands and more. It helps you maintain a schedule for your day. It is wise to make a to-do list each night before you go to bed so that you know exactly what needs to be done the next day. Let this list guide your activities for the day, and prioritize it so that you know which items can flow through to the next day if necessary.
Recruit Your Kids to Help
There are many ways little kids can start helping around the house, and you should actively encourage them to do so. For example, even young toddlers can sort socks by matching colors, sizes and shops. They can even put their toys away, unload the pots from the dishwasher and complete other easy tasks.
Encourage Your Kids to Play Independently
You may spend ample time playing with your kids and even teaching them different things throughout the day. However, there are times when you need to get adult things done, such as paying bills or calling the utility company, for example. Teach your kids how to play on their own or with their siblings, but always keep them within view of you for their safety.
Follow a Regular Nap or Rest Time Routine
Nap and rest time provides you with another opportunity to get adult things done around the house, and this period of time may be an hour or two in many cases. Even when kids no longer want to nap, encourage them to enjoy quiet time in their beds reading books or even watching a movie on their own.
Set Up Drop-Off Playgroups With Other Moms
Chances are that you know other moms who also are looking for ways to improve productivity around the house, such as the moms in your kids’ play groups. Talk to these moms about having drop-off play dates, where one mom watches all of the kids for the group. You can set up a regular schedule so that every mom is participating evenly.
Establish a Regular Cleaning Routine
Some mothers prefer to clean the entire house all at once. When you have young kids, however, taking a few hours to devote your undivided attention to the house becomes almost impossible. It is best to add a few cleaning items to your to-do list each day rather than try to do it all at once. This daily checklist can help.
Schedule Active and Quiet Times
The most productive moms are often the ones who have a regular schedule and who stick it to without fail. Your kids need ample time to run and play as well as to socialize with other kids. Set up regularly scheduled active times, but ensure that you work quiet times into your day as well.
Let Your Kids Play Beside You
There are always instances when you need to sit down and tend to adult matters, and you can easily set up activities for the kids to do beside you. For example, you can set out a few puzzles or art supplies. Let the kids go to town on their own while they sit quietly beside you.
Hire a Babysitter
These tips can help you to free up a considerable amount of time in your day, but you may find that you still need extra time to be fully productive. Another idea is to hire a babysitter to spend a few afternoons each week with your kids. You can use this time to run errands or even to tend to chores in the house while someone else keeps a watchful eye on your kids.
Take Advantage of Evening Hours
In many homes, evenings are spent gathered around the TV, but you can use this time more productively. For example, while your spouse is home from work, head to the grocery store so that you can cross an item off of your to-do list without the kids in tow. You may also use the evening to relax with a quiet bath and enjoy personal time.
Being more productive at home is often challenging, but you will find that using the right strategies and improving your organization is helpful. These tips can easily be used to help you free up more time in your busy day for productivity.
How do you add more productivity into your day as a mom?
Rebecca is an author, entrepreneur and most of all a wife and mother of 2. What she enjoys the most is helping normal people reach their full potential. Rebecca uses her ever growing skills in writing to inspire people and not settle for a normal life. As an entrepreneur, she has no shortage of failures and that is why Rebecca is the ideal person to talk about this. You can read more from Rebecca on her website.
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These are very helpful and informative tips. But you can make your home more productive by doing some renovation. You can remodel your kitchen, bathroom, room etc. A small renovation make your home more productive.