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You will hear so many people offer time management for moms tips. Motherhood. Womanhood. Wifehood. Everything that ends in the hood involves the community and coming together. That is the main reason I started this blog back in March 2020.
I was only months postpartum, and when everyone was unsure of the future, I began to understand much more about what it takes to get through a year as a new mom. I knew my time management tricks and productivity would have to come up as my son got older.
One of the biggest lessons I have learned about being a mother is that you have pockets where you can do things for yourself first and then for your spouse and children. Productivity can be hard to conquer when you are always on time—management tricks for motherhood.
Before having my son, whenever I needed to think, I would go to brunch with my friends, and we would be able to hash it out over cocktails and mimosas.
We can’t do that in the same capacity anymore, so now I have to find new ways of getting my thoughts together. That is why finding good time management for moms has been a goal of mine for several years now.
This post is about time management for moms.
Being home with my son means I don’t have time to myself unless he is napping, and now that he is closer to 10 months, nap time is few and far between. But when I have those pockets of time, I always ensure I have the four items I need to be productive.
Before the pandemic, I was in the entertainment events industry. I transitioned out of that into ad sales (which I will NOT do forever), but that mindset never left. Being in the entertainment industry, you will find that most events involve pre- and post-production parties. With some of the finest wines, you have ever tasted.
By tasting some of the best wines in the world, I have always associated getting down to business, allowing me to stay focused and get what I need to be done. Since I’m allergic to red wines (I’ve had many red wines in the past; hence how I found out I was allergic to them), white wines are a staple in my home.
Management Strategies
Being a blogger has taught me that you have to have set work hours and stick to them. The work time I have for the blog may vary, but I have a specific time frame of what I need to do, for how long, and each day.
These strategies have allowed me enough time to hang out with family members and quality time with me.
Books for Busy Moms
These books are some of the favorites that have helped me develop a daily routine that is management and helped me reach my long-term goals every single day.
The 12 Week Year
Price: $12.59
What I love about this book is that you accomplish goals every 12 weeks instead of every 12 months. The book’s framework has helped me with my own business. It has allowed me to spend more time getting wins that have resonated in many other aspects of my life.
Atomic Habits
Price: $11.98
This book is about changing habits and time wasters to get the things you want to get done. Having a busy life doesn’t make it impossible to get the most out of the days of the week. Making a few changes can have a significant impact, and I love that this book teaches you how to do that in a user-friendly way, even for moms.
Time Management Hacks for Working Moms: 10 things you need to start doing right to manage your time as a working mother
Price: $5.99
This book is really for the working mom. It’s all about how being intentional is the key to getting your life more organized and impacting the whole family.
Everyday MAGIC: The Joy of Not Being Everything and Still Being More Than Enough
Price: $13.99
This book is by THE Mattie James, the queen of being a mom, influencer, and businesswoman. In this book, James shares what her family life is like meal planning, and the different things she does to make sure that everyday is magic. If you are looking for a great self-help book, this is an easy read that will change how you structure your daily life.
Best Time Tips
As a mom, you will realize that your entire family relies on you to complete everything. From doctor’s appointments, teacher conferences, and everyday shopping, busy moms don’t have time to remember everything that needs to be done.
As a working mom who is still in Corporate America, the time management skills I have developed come from my years of working. But every mom can benefit from these quick and easy tips.
Please write it down
I’m sorry, mama. You are not going to remember. That’s the truth. The important things need to be written down, and you must plan. The time block is an excellent method if you don’t have much free time.
Make lists
I’m a pen-to-paper girl. It won’t get done if I don’t write it down or make a note. In the long run, making lists takes less time and increases your home life because you can break things off into sections to get the important tasks done reasonably.
Do it Online
If you can, do as much as you can online. It’s a great way to do a list of things at once and now feel like you’re not getting anything done. Online calendars or digital planners are more ways to check off items on your to-do list.
Outsource What You Hate
Whether it’s grocery shopping or laundry, outsource it if you don’t want to do it and can afford it. You don’t have to clean your house. If you don’t want to and if it’s causing you stress, give it to someone else. Finding time to do things you enjoy is more important than trying to spin your wheels with the biggest time-wasters.
Even doing everyday household chores, you can outsource to a family member to do.
Revolve your life around your priorities
Make sure you set ground rules and boundaries of what you can and can’t do, and don’t waver. As a mom, you have a busy schedule.
Sometimes you will find that you can’t do everything the way you want to, and you have to find creative ways of getting things done.
Cleaning as you go
Cooking dinner is the place where the most messes are made. Getting clean as you finish one part of dinner will allow extra time to hang with family.
I hate this part, but it’s been beneficial in getting so much time back daily.
Do something different for You
Incorporate your passions into your daily schedule. For me, there are a few things that I love about you, and I try to find the best way to make sure I take care of my mental health.
Parenting is like having 2.5 jobs, so if you need to set aside time to do things for yourself on your schedule, then you do that.
Don’t feel ashamed, and don’t apologize for it, either.
Snacks
For some reason, whenever I am working, I have to nibble or take many breaks. I stay away from the sweets 1) because of my toddler and 2) because I need to lose more of the baby weight, and cupcakes don’t help.
My favorite snacks are ranch sunflower seeds by Davids and sliced fruit. I love a mixture of apples, pears, watermelon, and pineapple.
I can get to work if you give me either of those things. What sucks is that I eat it up so fast that I don’t have snacks for the next day, but it’s worth it.
Laptop
I used a planner in the past. However, my toddler is in the phase where he wants to put everything in his mouth.
My laptop has become my planner. I jot down all my notes and things to do on my computer to know it will be safe and away from my toddler.
I’ve had my laptop for almost five years. I will use it until the wheels fall off. I use my laptop more than my desktop computer because it’s more convenient.
Without my laptop, my productivity wouldn’t be where it is today, especially with blogging, as much as I do.
Music
I have to listen to music when I am working. Or have the TV on, so it’s not entirely silent. I can’t be the only person like that, and I’m sure it shows up differently.
I love listening to Hip Hop and R&B, and there is a time when I will listen to my favorite YouTubers, so I feel like I am catching up all at once.
These are my top ways of getting productive. There are other resources you can use to get productive but these work for me.
Embrace Changes, Regularly
During the work week, you will find that things happen. Even if you have a cup of coffee a day, you won’t be able to get everything done because you won’t have the energy, and the best thing to do is embrace the change at the end of the day.
Flexibility will be hard at first, but it will allow you to get the most done and the best within your means.
Programs for Time Management Needs
I know some people use Google Calendar to stay organized. Some use Monday.com or a standard planner as one of the ways to get productive all through work.
For me, I like a combination of a planner and using Google.
For my social media, Later is the app. I have been using it to schedule all of my Instagram and Twitter. Sometimes I use it for Pinterest, but I manually pin my content there.
These tips will differ if you are working from home. This blog post is a good one for you to read. My goal is to always be transparent with the tools I use. Also, to be the best mom and woman I can be. My schedule has to change, but I know that is the cause of the course.
As I continue on my motherhood path, things will constantly change and evolve. I’ll do another productivity update in a few months. It’ll be great to see how my life will change after the toddler is 2-year old.
This post was about time management for moms.
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Excellent tips and resourcesπ€π€
Thank you so much π