How to get more done with kids at home

I’m often asked how I managed with so many kids or how I get everything done in a day juggling homeschool, working from home, and being the domestic godess of my home.

The truth is that I do achieve a lot in any given day, but I also often drop the ball and there are some days where we get nothing done and just play.

However, I have learned a few tricks over the years that make it easier to get more done whilst homeschooling and working from home and having kids around all day.

Here’s how you can get more done during the day too…..

Wake up early

I try wake up early, before Hamish has woken up for the day.

Doing this gives me quiet time to myself and I can focus on getting myself organised for the day. I’ve usually been awake for at least an hour or two before Hamish wakes at around 6.30am and I can then prepare breakfast; get him ready for the day and plan our morning calmly.

These first few hours of my day are totally uninterrupted and usually my most productive.

Make life simpleĀ 

I don’t stress the small things and know when to delegate chores or where to outsource tasks like ordering takeaway instead of cooking on days where I’ve got frantic deadlines and loadshedding in an hour.

I shop online on busy days and each family member helps to clean.

I will often prep meals and snacks in the morning and multitask a lot. It’s not uncommon to see me put the washing on whilst doing dishes, putting the kettle on, prepping snacks and listening to Hamishs reading.

I also try to do things as I see them. For example I pack away everything in its place after using it, clean the bathroom after I’ve showered or I pack out the next days school work whilst cleaning up after lessons.

By prioritizing my time I work more smarter not harder.

Find a method of organizationĀ 

Many people use planners, post its, bullet journals, Apps, etc to stay organised.

I use a note book and write my daily lists of things to do and tick them off. I also note any items I need to buy or things I need to remember on this.

I use a calendar to remember birthdays, anniversaries, events and other important dates.

But organisation is more than just lists and calendars.

I like to keep my home home organised, clutter free and give everything a space. By doing this it is easy to keep track of everything, makes cleaning less and allows me to spend less time looking for things.

Less screen timeĀ 

Time is one of those things that slips by unnoticed until you realise its gone and social media or screen time has a way of helping you slip through a rabbit hole to return many hours later having achieved nothing.

To avoid this I don’t play online games, don’t watch TV and am only online for work. This works for me as I read to relax but if you wind down watching a movie you may just want to monitor how much screen time you absorb each day.

Occasionally I dissappear down a tiktok rabbit hole or catch a few YouTube videos but these are rare moments.

Routine

I rely on a very flexible routine.

This is my rough idea of dividing my day into blocks of time to achieve all I need to each day.

For example :

4-6am My time to wake, have coffee, get organised for the day

6 – 8am Morning time to wake the house, dress and feed Hamish, get washing on, dishes done and any morning posts i need to do.

8- 12pm this is our teaching time and i’m not normally interupted in this time. I set strong boundries with work; friends and family to not interupt me during this time.

12-2pm we break for lunch, I check on emails and get urgent work done and the house is cleaned, shopping done, etc

2-5 pm I work and Hamish plays

5-8pm I cook, evening chores, supper time, bath time , bedtime for Hamish

8pm -12/1am – This is when I work.

Having a rough routine allows me to get everything done by the end of my day.

Rest

However hard you try to be superwoman, you can’t pour from an empty cup and it’s important to take some time out for yourself, take that nap, rest if you are tired.

Tomorow is another day.

 

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