Beginners Guide to Becoming a more Organized Mom with Young Kids

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Beginners Guide to Becoming a more Organized Mom with Young Kids

“Why,” you might ask, is it important to become “A more organized mom with young kids?” Well…life’s about to get BUSY- if it’s not all ready. Your life is NOT all yours anymore. You now have kids relying on you for all their needs, while you try to keep yourself together. I was NOT always an organized mom. My biggest mistakes were…

• thinking I could do everything I came across. And…
• Thinking I had to do everything on my own.

Doing this nearly destroyed me physically, mentally, and spiritually. I was running a haunted house, writing and publishing a book, performing two church callings, joining MLM’s, coaching baseball, all while raising two kids without a babysitter, and nursing one of them. If your life sounds anything like mine use to, you need to slow down and GET ORGANIZED! Fast forward a few years, and I now have three kids with more on the way and though my life is busy, I’m completely organized, to the point that I can enjoy a leisurely bath with no regrets of forgetting something. What did I do?..

• Eliminated
• Delegated
• Created Routines
• Designate

What is a more Organized Mom?

A more organized mom is…. someone who does NOT do everything on her own. It’s impossible to do everything completely on your own and do everything successful. Delegating and training will be your BEST FRIENDS. Organized moms also have routines for certain everyday tasks that help the task become more effortless. So effortless, that some of those tasks almost complete themselves. And…lastly, a more organized mom does her best to manage her To-Do’s to prevent becoming overwhelmed. They do NOT take on more than they can handle.

• Delegating and training will be your BEST FRIENDS.
• Organized moms also have routines for certain everyday tasks that help the task become more effortless. So effortless, that some of those tasks almost complete themselves. And…lastly,
• A more organized mom does her best to manage her To-Do’s to prevent becoming overwhelmed. They do NOT take on more than they can handle. Eliminate
• Junk, piles, and messes will quickly make you feel unorganized. create a designated place for everything and keep it in that area. Toys, papers, food, clothes… They should not mix together.

It’s a HUGE misconceptions that an organized mom is someone who does everything on her own. Even in setting up the routines, she is not the one completing these routines, organized mom’s just put them into place.

• Want a great example? Bedtime with my kids!!! If you’re a mom with even one child who is old enough to voice their own opinion you have probably experienced how rough bedtime can be. If your kids don’t want to go to bed, they’re going to voice it. But I’ve overcome that completely. Now I say one simple sentence, “Okay, let’s brush teeth.” and all three kids going up stairs, brush their teeth, floss, go potty, wash their hands and face, get a drink, change into Pj’s, and wait in the room for our scripture study and bedtime prayer. They do all that, and all I had to do was say one sentence. How did I do that?… I create a routine!

How to start becoming a more organized mom with young kids!

• Eliminate! First things first, take a look at your calendar, even if it’s just in your head (Calendar organization coming soon). Now ruthlessly, cancel all unnecessary appointments or events that you don’t want to attend, then eliminate all but one or two hobbies. A hobby is something you do for yourself. And…finally, learn to say no. this sounds harsh, but there’s no point to clearing your calendar if you’re just going to fill it up again with everything everyone else wants you to do.

• Designate! You need to designate a place for everything. Make a place for papers and organize it into groups for mail, school work, and more. Then, start an easy filing system. I have a filing system post coming soon. Organized moms should have designated areas for cleaning supplies, tools, toys, electronics, etc. All of your separated areas should not be used at the same time. For example, if kids are playing with toys, they should not pull out electronics for gaming until toys have been put back into their designated area. This also goes for the organized mom. If you have crafts or papers spread out across the table, do not leave it there while you begin making dinner. Put the craft or papers away first. Multitasking is just a mess. Don’t do it!

Tips for Success in becoming a more organized mom with young kids.

• SAY NO! Warning! This is going to sound harsh. Organized moms HAVE to learn to say no. The easiest way to becoming overwhelmed and disorganized is saying “yes” to too many things. What’s the point of clearing your calendar if you’re just going to fill it up again with every miscellaneous event you’re invited to participate in. My kryptonite is service project. When I’m asked to participate in a service project, I feel obligated to say yes. Luckily, since I keep my schedule pretty open, I get to participate and help with many of them. NOT all of them, but most of them.
• KEEP IT TO TWO! Prioritize and keep a schedule. When organized moms book an appointment or schedule an event, they first check to see what else is going on that day. Is there school, Dr appointments, do they work? Do not schedule yourself for more than two things a day if possible. This includes grocery shopping and other errands. If you only schedule yourself to a maximum of two things a day, you’ll be more available to deal with the spontaneous chaos that comes on a daily bases; like kids getting sick, or an emergency.
• DON’T TAKE BACK! In other words, if organized mom asks some else to do something, they do not start doing it for themselves. This will make make the other person think you can do it on your own. For example: a child making their bed may forget to make it one morning. Don’t go into their room to make their bed. A gentle reminder will let them know that is their responsibility.
• NO MULTITASKING! Trying to do more than one thing at a time is one of the easiest ways to become disorganized. You’re focus is split and you won’t complete the task at the quality that you would have if you had given it your full attention. When your playing with you kids, make that all that you are doing. When you’re working on a projecting, take a complete break when it’s time to make dinner, rather than trying to do both. I can’t tell you how many times I burned dinner because I was trying to do more than one thing at a time.

Common Questions/FAQ About becoming a more organized mom with young kids!

• Is multitasking ever okay?
  • Short answer, Not on your own! If you have a machine helping you, then yes. If you have a dishwasher washing your dishes, or a washing machine washing your clothes, then you can feel good about making dinner while the dishes wash and the clothes are being washed. Congratulations on being born in the twenty first century. Modern day luxuries can actually help you do more than one task at a time. BUT, do NOT assign yourself personally two tasks to do at once. I do have one exception and that is watching TV while folding laundry. You’re hands are doing one things, so this isn’t true multitasking.
• Is it possible for a single, working mom to be more organized?
  • YES! It’s more important for a single mom to be organized, because she has less opportunity to delegate and have extra help. A single mom must stay in charge of her calendar, overbooking yourself will have higher consequences if you’re the primary caregiver in your home. Minimize your schedule. Avoiding clutter on your calendar, in your car, your purse, and your house will help you stay on track with each task that you need to complete. I’m also writing a blog on tips for being organized as busy mom. This will include quick and healthy meals, activities, and cleaning. I do love a good hack.
• My kids are older. Is it too late too late to implement a routine into our lives?
  • NO! It’s definitely not too late. Have you heard the phrase, “You can’t teach a dog new tricks.”..? Well, that phrase is false. I’ve seen plenty of old dogs learn new tricks. Implementing a routine into your older family that is still living at home will be easier in some ways and harder in other. Get everyone on the same page. Sit down with them, when there are no TV or other electronic distractions, and let them know what you need their help with. You NEED to tell them WHY. If they understand WHY you are introducing this new idea of organization and routines into the household they will be more willing to get on board with the idea. Prepare yourself ahead of time for some FRIENDLY reminders and a bit of complaining. Just remind them of the reason why that you gave them for wanting this. AND, very importantly, reward. Just like I reward my kids with a surprise quarter on their pillows for making their beds. Come up with some kind of reward for your teen for their efforts. They don’t have to get it perfect right away. But people are always more willing to put forth an effort if that effort doesn’t go unnoticed.
• I tried this before and it didn’t work for me. Did I do it wrong?
  • There are a two main reasons why becoming a more organized mom could fail. First, if you try to change too much at once. Start with one or two small areas of your life- Your calendar and your purse or wallet. Start by clearing out what are unnecessary events and dates, and clean out your purse and wallet. Work on keeping these two things organized for two weeks. This can start a snow ball affect. Second, consistency. This isn’t a done once and good to go sort of deal. You are always going to have Dr appointments and events wanting to clutter your calendar. You need to stay on top of it. By staying on top of your calendar, you will always have time for the rest of your life.
• Is being an organized mom of young kids boring and time consuming?
  • NO WAY! It’s the opposite of boring and frees up so much time. Once you are an organized mom of young kids, you will suddenly find the time to have fun. You’re calendar will now be in your control and you can schedule the date night getaway you wanted (It wont happen if it’s not scheduled, that’s another blog). When you’re organized, you can schedule a day at the zoo, or a simple sprinkler picnic in your own backyard. The options become endless.
• Is being an organized mom being too strict or restricting on kids?
  • Being an organized mom of young kids helps kids acquire many skills. It’s not meant to be a punishment, but to encourage development and working together. Kids learn that there are good and bad consequences for their actions- or lack thereof, while living in a safe environment. You reward good behavior and if they don’t help with making beds or cleaning an area of the home, they will not being able to move on to their next activity. Learning this at a young age helps kids develop a desirable work trait.

The Last Thing You Need to Know about being a more organized mom with young kids!

To summarize what’s most important for achieving your goal of being an organized mom, focus on the following…

• Keep your schedule free to keep it your own.
• Delegate and get help on things you don’t like doing on your own.
• Start implementing a routine for your young kids, so they know what is expected of them without you doing everything for them. And, lastly…
• Have a designated area for everything. Small tip: Don’t put it down, unless you’re putting it away.

This is just the beginning!

This is just the Beginning Guide to Becoming a more Organized Mom With Young Kids. Let me know what areas you struggle in and I would love to share tricks and tips that have helped me and loads of other mom to be more relaxed and organized mamas.

I would also love it if you share a comment of what tips you personally have to stay on Organized Mom with Young Kids!

GOOD LUCK MAMA!!!!

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