10 Habits of an Organized Parent

Local Parents Share How They Achieved Tranquility

Feeling overwhelmed is a common problem for parents. What with kids, housework, jobs, spouses, and errands, the to do list can seem never-ending. One way to help prevent being overwhelmed and feel more in control is to be more organized. A few simple changes in your day can save you time, energy, and stress. If you need help keeping it all together, check out these 10 daily habits to be a more organized parent!

1. Make a to-do list.

One of the easiest ways to be more organized is to make a to-do list. This can be as simple as a small notebook or as elaborate as bullet journal. But whatever style you choose, a to-do list is key to being a more organized parent. Write your list out the night before. Spend about 5 minutes each night and sit down to make a list of everything you need to do the next day. Check all the calendars, paper, phone, and family. Then check in with your spouse and kids. Everything you have to do goes on the list. And cross them off as you accomplish each item. It is extremely satisfying, and it ensures you don’t forget things, especially on busy days.

2. Meal Plan

Mealtimes can be stressful for parents if you don’t have a plan. If dinner rolls around and you’re still searching the pantry or flipping through recipe books to figure out what to make, your evening can start to really unravel. Save yourself the stress by meal planning! Spend a few minutes each week figuring out what you will have for dinner over the next few days. Then buy all the ingredients when you shop. Knowing what you plan to make and that you have everything you need on hand makes evenings more relaxed and your day more organized.

3. Start Dinner Ahead of Time

While you are meal planning, be sure to include some slow cooker or freezer meals in your plans. With many slow cooker meals, you can start dinner in a few minutes in the morning and have it ready to serve at dinner time. Imagine how much better your evenings would be if dinner was ready to eat without a lot of prep time after work. For meals not made in a slow cooker, consider if you can chop vegetables the night before or make the sauce ahead. Any prep work you can get done ahead of time will make your evening less stressful and your day more organized. If you want to be a truly organized parent, consider freezer cooking! With freezer cooking, you can spend an hour or two on the weekend prepping your meals for the entire week. It’s an easy way to save time and money on groceries while making dinner time less hectic.

4. Get Up Before Your Kids

This one can be hard if your kids are early risers, but getting up before your kids makes a big difference in how your day begins. Even 15 minutes can be enough of a head start to get yourself ready before you start worrying about everyone else in your family. If you’re fortunate, you may even have time for a cup of coffee and a little quiet time before your kids are awake.

5. Pack Lunches the Night Before

Mornings are one of the busiest times of day for many parents. Anything you can do to lessen the stress of getting everyone out the door on time is worth it. If you pack lunches for your school-age kids, food or bottles for daycare, or lunch for yourself or a spouse, that can eat up most of your morning! Packing lunches the night before will help you be a more organized parent.

6. Lay Out Clothes the Night Before

Like packing lunches the night before, laying out clothes for the next day can be a real timesaver. Let your kids choose their own and look it over to make sure it’s good for the weather or appropriate in general to avoid any morning arguments or last-minute searches for missing socks, shirts, or shoes. Lay out your own clothes so that when you get up a few minutes before your kids, you can quickly dress and enjoy the quiet time.

7. Schedule Household Chores

If your plan for household chores is usually based on when you have time for them, chances are you struggle not to fall behind. The easiest way to be a more organized parent when it comes to housework is to schedule time for chores. Put routine chores on your calendar and on your to-do list to make sure they get done. And this isn’t just for you. Your kids should have their chores scheduled as well. Give them a day and a time when they will be working on them. Building it into the daily routine can reduce the number of arguments about chores and the number of chores that get forgotten.

8. Schedule in Time for Breaks & Delays

When you create your daily to-do list or schedule, make sure you allow time for things to get off-schedule because they will get off-schedule. If you build some downtime into your schedule, you will feel more relaxed and not like you are constantly running behind when things take longer than expected.

9. Declutter

Clutter causes stress. Just seeing it raises the stress level of many parents. Lost toys, missing shoes, and misplaced keys are often a direct result of too much clutter. Decluttering can take some time upfront but over the long term, it will save you time and stress. Not to mention you’ll love the way your house looks when it isn’t bursting at the seams with too much stuff. Organize your stuff, organize your life.