(How I Manage a Full-Time Job, Kids, Activities, and a House Without Losing My Mind)
If you’re anything like me, some days feel like a never-ending cycle.
I’m a busy mom… I have work, school pickups, after-school activities, school work, dinner, laundry, dishes, finding a little time to read or craft…
Collapse into bed. Repeat.
Trying to find time to get everything done takes a ridiculous amount of effort.
Hereās how I find more time to get everything done ā and still have moments to actually enjoy my life. š¼
š Shift Your Mindset: Done Is Better Than Perfect
I used to think a “good mom” had spotless floors, perfectly folded laundry, and homemade dinners every night. I remember talking to another mom at the school one day when my older kids were little and somehow it came up that she had a chicken roasting in the oven. I was like you have a what doing what in where? I still had no idea what we were doing for dinner that night.
Reality check: trying to do everything perfectly will burn you out.
Now, I aim for “good enough.”
Sometimes dinner is an already cooked Publix rotisserie chicken and a bagged saladā¦ sometimes just Publix macaroni salad ā and that’s fine.
Quick Tip:
Every morning, I ask myself: “Whatās good enough for today?”
Most days, a clean-enough kitchen and fed, loved kids are enough.
šÆ Prioritize Like a Pro
In the beginning, I would try to keep my endless to-do list straight in my head and I would get paralyzed. I canāt tell you how many times Iād get home from working all day for the kids to run out to the car because the power was out. Iād forgotten to pay the bill. Very humiliating.
Now, I make lists. I prioritize what really has to get done.
Everything else? Bonus points if it happens.
Example from my real list on Friday:
- Figuring out how to run our office by myself at my new job because my boss was at a show ā
- Get crickets for my bearded dragon and groceries for the house ā
- Get to my sonās Spring band concert on time ā
Pro Tip:
You can make lists on a paper planner or on your phone. I like my paper planner because itās so satisfying to cross out what Iāve done.
ā±ļø Master the Art of Micro-Tasks
Once, I thought I needed a whole afternoon to “really clean.”
Spoiler: I never got a whole afternoon.
Now I squeeze tiny wins into odd moments:
- Every morning, I wake up Alfred who cleans my floors. Buying a Shark Matrix Plus vaccum/mop was the best decision Iāve ever made. We have two dogs, six cats, and two ferretsā¦.and two teenaged boys still at home.
Vacuuming every day is a must.
- I load the dishes and clean up as dinner is cooking. By the time weāre ready to eat, everything is pretty much done.
- I do a load of laundry every day (and make sure itās put away before I leave for work the next morning). When my older kids were little I made the HUGE mistake of letting laundry pile up. Once it got to a certain level I felt like there was no way for me to get caught up and Iād become stress-paralyzed. I still have a little anxiety when I think of those days.
5-Minute Rule:
If it takes 5 minutes or less, I just do it immediately.
š Create Flexible Routines
I tried to create a household cleaning schedule where I did certain tasks on certain days. It never worked.
Now I use anchors, not rigid times.
My Morning Flow:
- Wake up an hour and 30 minutes before the kidsā¦having that time to myself is a life saver.
- Make my bed! I make my bed immediately after I stand up. Read Admiral William H. McRavenās Make Your Bed. Itās one of my favorite books!
- 10 ā 20 minutes: Exercise, weights, stretch, danceā¦ anything to move my body.
- 20 minutes: Meditation
- 30 minutes: Getting ready for work
- The rest of the time reading, cleaning, relaxing, planning what I need to get done that day.
Evening Flow:
- Make dinner, load the dish washer with what I can, keep the counters cleaned.
- Start laundry, clean up anything else that needs to be done.
- Relaxā¦ read, crochet, build lego sets.
Reality Check:
Some days it falls apart ā and that’s okay too.
š« Say No Without Guilt
A few years ago, I said yes to everything ā PTO and SAC committees at two different schools, home and away games, etc.
I ended up exhausted.
Now, I protect my “no” like it’s sacred.
Example:
I felt super guilty but I stopped helping at both schools with the PTO and SAC committees and was extremely relieved when my football player said it would not hurt his feelings if I didnāt attend the away games.
And guess what? The world kept spinning. š
š„ Howeverā¦Busy moms can do more than they think
Not everything takes huge chunks of time that start to feel overwhelming. Sometimes all it takes is a change of perspective. If we desperately need something at the grocery store, or I realize we have library books that need to be taken back. I realized it didnāt take hours for each task. I can run in real quick and get only what I need, and I can drop library books in the afterhours slot at the library.
I can take two minutes to spray down the bathroom sinks and counter, wipe them down, and throw the hand towel in the washing machines.
I can run through the car wash, throw away all the trash, and vacuum it out in less than 10 minutes. (getting a monthly car wash subscription is one of my other all time favorite purchases).
š± Use Technology to Save Time
My phone used to be a giant distraction ā endless scrolling at night.
Now, itās a time-saving tool.
Apps I Swear By:
- Google Calendar (nothing would get done if I didnāt have alerts)
- Snapchat/Texting (my best friends and I send quick messages to each other every single day to stay connectedā¦ otherwise I probably woudnāt talk to anyone for months).
- Life360 (This app gives me so much peace of mindā¦ I know where my teenagers are at all timesā¦ does backfire when they can see that my husband and I have snuck out for dinner alone).
- Every other app (that lets me pay bills straight from my phone).
Pro Tip:
Set time limits on Facebook and Instagram during the week. Otherwise… yeah, time just vanishes.
š§¹ Involve the Kids
I used to believe it was faster to just “do it myself.”
(And, honestly, sometimes it is.)
But long term? Teaching my kids to help has been a massive time-saver.
Example:
- My 14-year-old and 17-year-old both know how to start the laundry and change over to the dryer.
- My 14-year-old is a rockstar when it comes to taking out the trash and bringing scraps to the compost bin.
- Biggest fight with them both? Getting them to make their beds in the morning. I am HUGE about making your bed before you leave.
Parenting Tip:
Youāre not the housemaidā¦ get them to help. š
š„ Meal Prep Made Easy
Confession:
I donāt “Sunday Meal Prep” to the level of Instagram influencers.
One of my goals for this year is to be better at meal prepping. The few times that Iāve batch-cooked chicken or riceā¦ and then threw something together with whatās already cookedā¦ the time and energy savings is amazing!
I love doubling recipes though so we have leftovers. Saves so much time the next day.
The next day, I just grabbed a container and go.
Total game changer.
š§½ Embrace “Good Enough” Cleaning
I used to deep-clean on weekends and feel bitter about “losing” my day off.
Now I spread cleaning through the week.
Every day I just try to get a little bit done and when the weekend comes, I can sweep and steam clean the floors or clean the toilets and tubs. By the way, another of my favorite purchases lately is an Electric Scrubber. Makes cleaning a breeze.
Each day, about 20ā30 minutes max.
Mindset Shift:
Itās about maintenance, not museum-level perfection.
š¤ Outsource When Possible
Outsourcing sounded expensive ā get creative.
Example:
Have groceries delivered. Both Walmart and Kroger are amazing choices and will save you so much time and money. Having groceries delivered lets you avoid all of the impulse purchases that jump in the cart when youāre not looking.
If you have younger kids, what about paying a teenager to come over for an hour so you can focus on cleaning and cooking?
Buy a car wash subscriptionā¦ it is TOTALLY worth it! A clean car does so much more for your stress level than you could ever realize.
Outsource Tip:
It doesnāt have to be pricey ā just smart.
š§ Build Mini Breaks Into Your Day
A few years ago, I was running myself into the ground with zero breaks.
Now, I build tiny recharge moments into my schedule.
Real Breaks I Take:
- Meditate, meditate, meditateā¦ even if itās just for three minutes.
- Stretch for 2 minutes after vacuuming.
- Embrace the moment. Be present and enjoy what is going on at this very moment in life.
Remember:
Rest isnāt earned ā itās necessary.
ā³ Remember: Every Season Ends
When my kids were both in sports at the same time, I felt like I lived out of my car.
Now, one is older and driving himself ā and suddenly, thereās breathing room again. Well, there will be when his car gets out of the shop.
Itās a good reminder:
Life changes.
The crazy seasons donāt last forever.
One of my hardest habits to break was feeling like I HAD to go to all of their events. Even every day practices would stress me out. One day I realized I donāt have to do all of these things with my kids. I GET to do these things with my kids. They wonāt be this age forever. Very soon they are going to be adults with their own lives and I will miss these days.
Perspective Tip:
Focus on making memories, not perfect days.
š¬ Final Thoughts
Youāre not lazy.
Youāre not failing.
Youāre managing A LOT.
Finding more time isn’t about doing more ā itās about doing what matters most, with more heart and less stress.
Small changes make a huge difference.
You deserve to feel proud, rested, and joyful in this crazy beautiful life youāre building.
Keep going. Youāre doing an amazing job. ā¤ļø
