Mommy Shortcuts

I'd like to share with you a list of my own personal mommy life-hacks. These are little things that help me save time and "mom" with better outcomes. So, without further ado:

Have a dinner candle.

This one is a shortcut to a nice dinner. It takes a lot of the annoyances out of dinner time. Have you ever noticed how kids can make dinner time last an eternity when they don't want to eat their green beans? We have a dinner candle that we light and everyone has to be in their seats while it is lit. We give a five-minute warning before blowing it out. Whoever has cleaned their plate when the dinner candle goes out gets dessert if we're having it. They tend to hurry up and finish eating even when we don't have dessert because we have given them a time frame and goal.

Format your requests correctly.

When giving a direct mom order, don't yell a bunch of stuff into the air, aimed in their general direction. This never works for me. To save time, give it in this format:  [child's name], (make eye-contact) I want you to... Then give simple, clear instructions on how to do it. If it's more than 3 steps, make it less or don't be upset when it isn't followed.  When we're getting ready to go somewhere and I remember to use this, it cuts so much time off. I will talk about it more in my next post on how to end the "late mom" streak.

Pick up legos and beads with the vacuum.

WHAT?! Is this woman crazy? Put a thin sock or thick pair of tights on the end of the hose and suck them up quickly. Then empty them into the appropriate container. So easy. I actually keep a sock twist tied to the vacuum.  Use this technique to vacuum small pieces out of floor air vents as well. Crisis averted.

Always try to give them two choices.

Kids like to feel that they have some safe control over their lives. I'm sure you know that issuing a bunch of demands to a toddler is usually a disaster. That's ok though. We want kids to grow up to be independent and to be capable of making their own decisions.  Help them practice their decision-making skills by giving 2 appropriate choices when you want them to do something.

Example:  You want them to get dressed. 

You could say "please get dressed" a million times then go storming in, pick out their clothes and dress them in a hurry because you're late now. OR, you could say, "Which shirt will you put on? Your red one or your yellow?"  Kids are smart. Mine know where their shirts are kept. When I remember to word it this way, they go searching for their favorite shirt and emerge a few minutes later with it on backward, but so proud. I stick matching pants inside each shirt so that when they pull out a shirt, they have the pants decision already taken care of. It's a twofer.

Don't forget about sticker charts.

We use sticker charts for so many different things at our house. They work so well. They save time by serving as a physical reminder to do whatever it is the chart is for. We currently have a sticker chart for reading lists, bed making, after meal tooth brushing and potty training. 

Have a go-bag for in the car.

When we're getting ready to pull out of the driveway, I love to waste lots of time going back into the house for things I forgot to pack. 

It's the best.

It's good to have some extra supplies in the car in case you forget something or get into a pinch. It's better to have your stash in one organized location in the car, preferably in a bag for easy portability.  Here is a list of what I keep in our bag:

wipes

extra hair ties and clips (if applicable)

a hairbrush

nail clippers

an extra pair of socks for each child

extra diapers

a small first aid kit
sunscreen
bug spray

a few bottles of water

nonperishable snacks
toothbrushes
toothpaste that doesn't need to be spit out

crayons and a coloring book for each kid

and I keep a blanket in the bottom of the bag 

Streamline your entryway.

Save precious load-up time. Keep kid shoes in a cute basket right next to the door. Get 2 command strips and hang their coat right above the shoe basket. Hang their hat right above that. Keep gloves inside coat pockets. You can go a step further by sticking adhesive velcro inside the pockets to keep gloves from falling out.  When the warm weather returns, pull the hooks down. No muss, no fuss. 

Get a citrus peeler.

This one is so random. But we eat a ton of oranges and it used to take me FOREVER to peel an orange for each kid. My 4-year-old can't get them started easily and my 2-year-old would get too impatient and just start gnawing on it, peel or no peel. Now I just hand them each an orange and a peeler. DONE. They're really cheap. I paid a whole dollar for ours.

Play a drinking game.

No not that kind! When my girls are sick it can sometimes be difficult to keep them hydrated. I used to sit next to them half of the day and beg them to drink. Now, I keep a dry erase maker by the bed and draw a line on the outside of their cup marking the level of the liquid. Then I ask them how far they think they can drink before I draw the next line. I act astonished at how much they can drink. "SO BIG!"

Make a quick hot pad or cool pack.

Fill an old tube sock with dried rice and tie a knot in the end. Microwave it for 10 seconds. It will hold heat and soothe ouchie ears or sore muscles. You can add lavender or tea tree oil to the rice as well. For a cool pack, stick a clean, wet sponge in the freezer. It will get cold quickly and won't leave a drippy mess everywhere for you to clean when it defrosts.

Fiber gummies.

Avoid days of worrying about minor constipation.

 Transient tummy troubles? Potential poo problems? Have a gummy honey! (But don't abuse these!)

Avoid overdosing or underdosing meds with a chart.

Draw a day-of-the-week chart, for the duration of the prescription, on the back of your child's medicine bottle and remember to check off the doses as you give them. 

 Quick Extras:

Put an egg timer in the bathroom to time toothbrushing and proper handwashing.

Most large stores give free cookies to keep little ones happy while parents shop.

Toss finger puppets in your purse for check-out time distraction.




These are my favorite quick Mommy shortcuts that have truly helped me to save time and sanity. I hope you find one or two helpful!

What about you? What are your best Mommy time-saving tricks?