The Importance of Organization for Busy Parents: Tips and Tricks

Have you considered why it’s important to be organized? As a parent, staying organized can help you enjoy more time with your kids. Of course, it’s not possible to be organized all the time, we all falter now and then. And we all know that, as parents, we always need to be ready for a few curve balls. These tips and tricks will help you do more things that you enjoy and will also allow you to bond with your kids more!

Tips for Organizing Your Home

Is your home a bit unorganized? Don’t feel any judgment, however, there are ways you can get it more organized and up to par! If you are struggling with getting things put away and making your house and vehicle more organized, then these tips are for you!

Declutter your living space

One of the easiest ways to organize your home is to declutter your living space. Decluttering is a several step process. You can start by removing the trash from your home. This will really help you to see what’s still there. Then, start decluttering in one corner, and from there, you can move throughout the house slowly getting rid of the junk. Try to do this one room at a time, and try to get your family members (depending on ages) to do what they can to help. This will ensure that they are invested in trying to keep the home organized.

Set up designated spaces for items

If you’d like to avoid things getting cluttered again, then it’s important to set up designated spaces for items. Books should go on a shelf. Toys should go in a toy box. If you give every item in your house a home, then your home will be less likely to get cluttered again!

Implement a cleaning schedule

Parents are some of the busiest people on earth. Between taking care of children, working, playing, and care tasks, it can be hard to find time to clean. Implementing a cleaning schedule is a great way to stay organized. It can also be helpful for your frame of mind; seeing a messy bathroom on Thursday won’t be as stressful to you if you know that you’ll be tackling it on Saturday morning. The same is true for daily tasks; the cluttered living room floor can stay that way in the afternoon when you know that tidy-up time is at 7:00pm.

Put things away as you go

When you take the time to put things away as you go, you are going to stay more organized. Waiting for things to pile up can be a huge disaster down the road. If you are going to the kitchen, then take an item to the kitchen with you. If you are heading towards the laundry room, then take the dirty clothes with you. Heading outside? Take out the trash! You’ll be so glad to get this habit down because it will help you stay more organized than ever! We know that things can quickly get out of hand, but a great rule of thumb is that if it can take less than five minutes, then do it immediately. Don’t let too many tasks pile up on you.

More Tips for Organizing Your Home

Give yourself plenty of time, don’t think it’s going to happen overnight.
Keep track of what you have and what you don’t have, so you don’t over buy at the store.
Maximize space when possible, if you see a space not being utilized, think of what you can put there and keep organized.
Use color to organize things. If you do better with color, then this tool is great for you! And color coordinating is also great for all the kids in the home. It’s easy to see and remember.
Make sure the items you use the most are easily accessible. This is especially true for parents who have little kids: keep the diapers, wipes, and baby accessories as close to you as possible

Tips for Organizing Your Time

People often feel stressed about being more organized in their homes and vehicles, but what about their time? If you can organize your time better, you will feel more organized overall. Here are a few tips for organizing your time!

Create a family schedule

A family schedule is a great tool for keeping organized. You can create a family schedule that shows when you will be out doing something, when things get done, and in what order. Schedules don’t have to be set in stone, but it is nice to feel prepared for what’s going on in your life. And this is true not just for parents, but for kids as well. Kids who are aware of when things are happening tend to be more organized themselves. The older kids have time to prepare themselves for what’s on the schedule.

Prioritize tasks and chores

When you have an urgent task, it’s important to prioritize that one first. Prioritizing important tasks first is super important because it keeps you from getting anxious. Once you have completed the most important tasks, you can move onto the next one! Just keep on moving down the list!

Use time-saving tools and apps

Another tip for keeping organized as busy parents is to use time-saving tools and apps. Any project management tool will work great. Greenlight, Asana, BusyKid, Homey. It can take a little time to get used to actually using these time saving tools and apps, however, try one or two that interest you and try to implement them into your everyday life. The more children and activities that you have, the more you might find yourself needing one of these apps. This can also become useful in the teenage years when the older ones can put in their school, activity, and work schedules on their own so that you know what everyone is doing at any given time.

Mental Space Organization

Sure, your house is important to keep organized. However, the space in your brain is just as important. If you have a lot going on, it can be hard to stay focused. Here are a few tips for organizing your mental space.

Practice mindfulness and self-care

Most parents don’t get a chance to prioritize their self-care. However, if you want to live a more peaceful and organized life, then you will have to spend some time prioritizing your mental health and self-care. What makes you happy? Do a little more of that! Just because you have kids, it doesn’t mean you can’t have fun and find enjoyment in life. Tag team with your spouse to make sure that you both get the time you need to do the things that you like to do. And be sure to schedule in a babysitter to make your marriage a priority too!

Utilize stress-reducing techniques

There are plenty of stress-reducing techniques that help parents, you just have to figure out which techniques work best for you.

Try not to bring stress home from work
Dedicate times to be screen-free – don’t look at your phone or computer
Find something fun to do every now and then
Find other parents to connect with
Take breaks from the chaos when you can
Take deep breaths and count to ten

Find something that brings you joy

You can have more mental organization if you can find something that brings you joy. Learn how to crochet or play golf, read a book, or simply lay outside and enjoy nature. What you choose to do doesn’t have to be super time consuming or expensive. Finding something that brings you joy can also help you stay more motivated to stay organized; you’ll need to organize your time so that you can fit in the things that bring you joy. This is true both individually and as a family. Take the time to find the things that you also enjoy doing together as a family. Again, this can be as simple as a few hours at the playground or on a nature trail to decompress, or as elaborate as a vacation to an exotic island. Some of these things might be once-in-a-lifetime events, and others are things you want to schedule once a week or a few times a month.

It’s very important for busy parents to stay organized. The more organized you can be, the easier your life will become. Of course, you shouldn’t stress yourself out to the point of breaking down over organization. But every little bit helps, and even small changes that organize your life a little better can help your entire family feel less stressed.