What people don’t understand is that being a stay-at-home mum is a full-time job with endless tasks and responsibilities – and I love it! To help you stay organized, productive, and stress-free, here are 21 clever hacks that will simplify your daily routine! These organizational tips for stay-at-home mums are key to making your day super charged!
This post is all about 21 Life Hacks for Stay-at-Home Mums to Make Life Easier
Life Hacks For Stay-at-Home Mums
Time-Saving Household Hacks
Let’s start with my time-saving tips for stay-at-home mums as we all need to find extra time don’t we!
- Frequent Meal Prep – Batch cook meals during your free time and freeze portions for quick weeknight dinners. Cook more than you need so you can freeze more portions.
- Create a Weekly Cleaning Schedule – Tackle one or a few tasks of doing everything at once. Keep certain tasks daily so they don’t mount up – for instance the dishes, wiping kitchen surfaces and cleaning up after yourselves.
- Use a Laundry Basket System – Put a load of washing on daily to keep on top of it. Put away clothing as soon as its dry, do not leave to pile up.
- Keep a Donation Box Handy – Declutter effortlessly by tossing in unused items regularly. I have a garden box which is especially for this, so the clutter isnt kept inside the house! Absolute game changer!
- Invest in a Slow Cooker or Instant Pot – Save time on cooking with easy dump-and-go meals. I prep meals beforehand in zip-lock bags and freeze, the night before I take the bag out of the freezer and let it defrost overnight – sometimes I even chuck it in frozen.
Parenting & Kids Hacks
Next up are productivity hacks for stay-at-home mums. I feel like I need all the help I can get, so there must be other mums out there feeling the same:
- Label Everything – Assign name labels or colours to each child’s belongings to avoid mix-ups.
- Create a DIY Snack Station – Store healthy snacks in accessible containers, I have an accessible kitchen cupboard. And my kids can help themselves as and when needed/wanted.
- Rotate Toys Weekly – Keep kids entertained by cycling through a small selection of toys each week. Note how I have said a small selection, having too many toys just means the kids will scatter them everywhere and plus its apparently not good for development! Help yourself and keep the selection small – this also helps when cleaning.
- Use an “Oops Box” for Forgotten Items – Collect misplaced items and have a set time to put them back. I actually use my laundry basket, this means I can’t do the next wash until the items are put away.
- Turn Cleanup into a Game – Allocate a song as your tidy up song. This means each time you put it on the kids will know its time to tidy up. (If your kids go nursery as them what song they use and use the same song to make it simpler)
Self-Care & Productivity Hacks
Now to self-care strategies for stay-at-home mums. At the moment I don’t even know where self-care fits in but with time I will surely make it happen. Here are the tips I have thought of which can help you grab some free time:
- Wake Up Before the Kids – Enjoy some quiet time for yourself before the chaos begins. I keep trying this and keep skipping my alarm but when I actually get up my day starts alot easier!
- Use a Digital Planner, App or Wall Planner – Keep track of tasks, appointments, and to-do lists in one place. I find it very helpful to keep a wall planner in the kitchen.
- Schedule “Me Time” – Even 10 minutes of self-care daily can make a huge difference. Maybe plan this once the kids are in bed or for during your time when you get up earlier than your kids.
- Practice the Two-Minute Rule – If a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately.
- Set a Laundry Folding Routine – Fold while watching TV or listening to a podcast to make it enjoyable. Or alternatively fold with your kids, this normalises the task and gets them involved.
Money-Saving Hacks
Now to budget-friendly hacks for stay-at-home mums. Without being savvy, it can sometimes be hard being at home financially with the kids. Here are a few ways to help you achieve and keep being a stay-at-home mom.
- Plan a Weekly Grocery List – It can be hard at times, but try to meal prep and then create a grocery list to prevent impulse buying and stick to a budget. I do this after batch cooking, so I use up all my leftovers first and then make a list.
- Shop Second-Hand – Save money on kids’ clothes, toys, and baby gear by buying used, I do this using Vinted. I even sell their old clothes too to make money back for buying the next size up.
- Use Cashback & Coupon Apps – Earn rewards and discounts on everyday purchases, I use TopCashBack for this and I have earnt back over £970.57 up to now.
- DIY Cleaning Products – Make natural, budget-friendly cleaners using vinegar, baking soda, and lemon. This can make it super cheap to clean, but if you haven’t got time and you want something the same try Miniml cleaner.
- Cancel Unused Subscriptions – Review monthly expenses and cut out services you don’t need. We have even cut out our tv licence as we don’t actually watch ‘normal’ TV.
Bonus Hack
- Say “Yes” to Help – Accept assistance from family, friends, or even online grocery delivery to ease your workload.
With these simple hacks, you can reclaim your time, reduce stress, and enjoy motherhood to the fullest! Which ones will you try first? 😊
Leave a Reply