Home management can be a challenging task to say the least. The challenge increases when you have small children who can’t help much but need a lot of your attention and time. So, what does one do? Ignore the pile of laundry in the living room while you play with your baby? Or let the television be babysitter while you catch up on chores? Actually, neither. With a bit of planning and some smart thinking, you can easily keep an organized and well-managed home while having plenty of fun with your little ones too.
Here are some tips for managing a home with small babies:
List Your Home Management Priorities
First things first, you need to know your priorities when it comes to managing home. Take ten to fifteen minutes to create a list of everything that is home-related and important to your family. Healthy meals? Put meal planning down as a priority. Clean clothes means laundry is a must. Evaluate each priority carefully to ensure that it really is a priority and not just something you think you have to do. For example, dusting everyday is not a priority unless someone suffers from an allergy to dust.
Delegate and Downgrade
Having small babies around the house means you need to spend time with them, recharge yourself and take care of the house as well. So, you need to get real and let something go. Delegating some chores frees up your time while still getting things done. Moreover, you don’t always have to delegate to a family member. How about a neighbour or a friend? Or even the babysitter? Alternatively, you can just stop doing something that isn’t essential to your family’s health and happiness. For instance, organizing the bathroom cabinet or the spice rack every fortnight.
Schedule Weekly and Monthly Planning
Planning is key to a well-managed home. There are several home management software packages as well as websites and eBooks available to help a mom menu plan and organize cleaning schedules. Spend half an hour each week and at the end of the month to plan your meals and home management projects so that you know what you need to focus on.
Managing home with babies and toddlers does not have to be overwhelming and exhausting. With a bit of planning and some careful evaluation, you can easily put together a list of must-dos for the house and then, kick back and enjoy playtime with your little one.
Prerna Malik - Prerna Malik is a professional freelance writer, business blogger, social media expert and obsessive organizer.
Join the Conversation