Hi Friends!

Let’s chat about the dreaded time management issue most busy moms have! I don’t care what your method of homeschooling is; it is a challenge to stay organized and keep it all streamlined. With 3 kids, 2 of them 14 months apart I stay busy; add in homeschooling, meal planning and preparation, housework, outside obligations, and running a business from home…I have to be organized!

It sounds like a lot. But what if I told you, I keep it all flowing pretty well? Sure, I have toddlers melting down, and normal problematic situations like every other mom. But, I do a pretty decent job of staying organized, and that minimizes so many potential issues. I firmly believe in the planning prevents chaos theory!

I want to share with you the same tips I share with my homeschooling clients to maximize productivity in the home and homeschool! (Curious about how I work with homeschooling moms just like you, click here)

Top 7 Go-To Tips to Streamline Your HOMEschool Organization

I completely understand if you aren’t a “naturally gifted” organizer how this will take some focus, but I promise you can do it! Put some simple processes in place, and it will all come together. Streamlining processes is where you can customize things to work to your advantage, and then just maintain the new system or rhythm.

There are areas that I am not gifted, and I have to put forth more effort, focus, and be more intentional to succeed. For example, I don’t enjoy cooking, so I have to focus in this area to plan and prepare healthy meals for my family. Not because I don’t want that, but because it does not come naturally to me so it requires more effort. So, if something doesn’t come naturally to you, that’s ok; you just need to be intentional in that area.

I want to share some of my favorite go-to tips to help with time management in your home which essentially is also your HOMEschool. These are intertwined in my house, and I believe you should always think of them as one. These are quick and simple tips that you can implement right away to start to make a difference!

Let’s Get Organized!

1. Your Planner! Make your planner work for you. What do I mean by that? I have used ALL THE PLANNERS, choose one that works for YOU and all that you do. There are so many ways to stay on top of things these days, apps, digital planners, paper planners, DIY binder system, doesn’t matter as long as it works for you. Don’t be drawn to pretty if the inside isn’t functional. Choose one that aligns with how you plan; I used to plan in different planners for work, school, and personal – time waster! Choose one planner that you can house as much as you do all in one place if possible.
2. Your Phone! Make that phone work for you too! Use automatic reminders for things (anything). Set up reoccurring reminders, you can use this for chores, school items, meals, whatever you need help keeping up with have your phone remind you.
3. Prioritize! Keep in mind when planning for your family you are the control center and manager, in most homes if mom is unorganized then the family suffers. Chaos and lack of routine is not an environment where your children will thrive, children will adapt to a routine, and they thrive when knowing what to expect. So prioritize your tasks momma! Most important to least important is how we should focus our task management during the days. I have to keep meals on the top of my priority list so that my family is fed well and not eating take out or throwing something together last minute. So think of basic needs being met and planning for that, then what is the next most important item for you to focus on? And so on.
4. Time Blocking! I have done this a few ways, and it helps keep me on task for the day. Block yourself either in hours or half hours, then fill in your prioritized tasks. You can make a set block schedule for the week, or certain days might have variants in the tasks or time blocks. But it is helpful to see if you are getting behind in the day, you know you need to wrap up whatever activity you are in and move on to the next thing. It is more productive to spend a little time each day on each task so that your projects are always moving forward. This mindset may seem overwhelming for you, but you won’t find yourself watching tv for hours and wasting your day or getting caught up in something that isn’t important in the big picture of running your home. I have one permanent daily flow chart with specified time blocks and place it in a central area where the entire family can see it. Yes, we are flexible to rearranging when we need to (Dr. Appointments, Unexpected Events, etc.)  but the general routine keeps us flowing.
5. Think Business! You are the business manager of your home, use that to your advantage. Plan, Prioritize, and Delegate. You CAN have well planned days that lead to successful and productive teamwork within your home.
6. Schedule! You are in charge of your schedule. Period. Eliminate time suckers. If you have activities that are financial or time drains, stop. The easiest way to get overwhelmed is to load up your calendar with too much. It is ok to say no. No, I just can’t commit to a book club, social commitment, extracurricular activity for the kids or whatever it is that may be draining you. Eliminate what doesn’t support your families priorities.
7. Plan! I plan everything, and it keeps us on task, sure we have fun, but we plan time for that. Know what you have coming up tomorrow before tomorrow comes. Every night I write out on a post-it my top priorities for the next day, so I wake up with a plan already laid out. It doesn’t need to be something fancy, a post-it works wonders for organization! But have a clear vision of what needs to get accomplished for the day, the week, and your month. Your meals each day, your school plan, your work if you have a side business or projects.
8. BONUS TIP! Eat well, rest well, and give your best self to your family. Serve them well. No one wants grumpy, frustrated momma; your family deserves healthy happy momma. I know from personal experience that when I don’t feel my best I can’t physically keep up, I might be irritated, and mentally can’t focus. We should serve our families well and that means our best selves.

I use a planner for everything, and then I use a Priority Sheet for my most important daily tasks. I laminate it and keep it right in my planner to the page I have it opened to so that I always have it available. I use post-its on it, and it is a fantastic simple system. Keep your planner somewhere out, open, and visible. If you have a family command center or area that you can see this often I recommend keeping it all there. I keep mine in the kitchen since we are always preparing meals or in the kitchen for one reason or another I find it helps to have right there.

I have created 2 Priority Sheets for you to choose from if you would like to download them for FREE today! I recommend laminating them too. They fit a standard post-it perfectly, so you can just tear them off and add a new list when necessary. I love the simplicity of them!

Download Priority Sheet Black & Gold

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Download Priority Sheet Grey