After our eldest child was born, I was in a state of pure happiness, joy and love when BANG in walked routine, all sassy, bold and quite frankly exhausting. I knew that if I wanted to regain some kind of normality, clarity and calm as a parent, organising had to become my new best friend.
After much trial and error, these are my top five tips for getting organised at home when you have little people…
1) Get ahead of the game! Nowadays I plan my days/week in advance using a good old fashioned notepad and pen. I also tend to spend a quick 5/10 mins every evening making sure I am prepped for the next day – I clear the dishes in the sink, get all the school stuff out, clothes out of the washing machine etc etc. It’s just another way of saying don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today!
2) One thing I learnt very early on was to get myself ready in the morning before I deal with the kids. Give yourself that ME time because it’s so important to you and your mindset. Look in the mirror and congratulate yourself, you’re doing a bloody amazing job and trust me a little tinted moisturiser and lip balm will give you that extra boost even if you are staying inside all day.
3) Do things your own way. Once you have a baby you’re thrusted into this crazy world of “this is how it should be done”. Don’t listen, its all bonkers! Establish your own ways of keeping organised and have confidence you’re doing what’s right for you and your family – routine, classes, feeding, changing etc etc. It takes a month to establish a habit, so if you are not a naturally organised person then don’t worry. Research, get inspired, and learn what methods suit you. By the end of the month you’ll be doing lots of things you wouldn’t have dreamt of and best of all, you’ll be doing it your way!
4) Plan the bedtime routine. My Nan and Mum would say bath/bottle/bed and that really worked for me. I’d prepare the bedtime routine in the afternoon but you can do it whenever works for you. Organise the changing mat, clothes, toys, cleaning products and aromatherapy oils etc….so that bedtime is all about downtime for you and your baby. Play some calming music, use essential oils, dim the lights, massage and relax! A happy and contented baby is everything and with a little planning those last two hours of the day can be really enjoyable for mum too.
5) Be kind to yourself and don’t expect too much too soon. Beyonce wasn’t built in a day. Change one thing at a time and build from there. Remember you’re in charge and you’ve got this in the bag!
By Nicola Lewis
Professional Home Organiser
