What are your life hacks for being organised in family life?

[NearlyHeadlessNick]

I work 4 days and have 2 under 5. I feel like I'm always on the go but still always chasing my tail on tidying, sourcing birthday presents for family, sorting family admin - insurances, general tasks, meal planning, decluttering etc.
I'd love a 'system' to keep me in check.
Basically I need someone to set me up with an organised life that I can just run with
I'll be going up to 5 days when they're both at school as we could do with the extra so I guess I'll have even less time.
what are your hacks please?

Following, I have 2 under 2 and will be returning to work full-time in October. I also need urgent help 😊

My best tip for admin/paperwork is an "only touch it once" approach- as each thing comes in, do it immediately. Obviously not always possible but it often is and makes things much easier.

Also a big A4 diary with absolutely everything in it.

I use an old fashioned wall calender. I write everything on it. Reminders two weeks before birthdays, MOTs etc are due
Have at least 4 birthday cards in the cupboard plus a sympathy card. Stamps always in my bag
I write in a cheap note book what meals everyone likes and just refer to that everyweek as I can't be arsed to think of new things every week-amazing how that builds up
Have a constant shopping list so once something is used it's replaced as soon as I can afford it

All dates in your calendar ( i use my phone calendar)- then weekend before check the week ahead.
Always have wrapping paper, cards and a couple of presents in the house, (cards 10 for £1 from the card factory, wrapping paper from the card factory and cheapo gifts from either the entertainer or the works).
Dont fill up the diary with too many extra curricular activities the minute kids start school- give them a minute to settle, you too.
Have a good routine so the kids are in bed by 7.7.30.8- depending on the age, without a couple of hours in the evening I'd die.
Also whilst the kids eat dinner I do my house blitz- hoover stairs, put things away, clean the bathroom as I run a bath- so the last half hour of the day, the place is clean and I can chill with them before bed.

oh and delegate to your other half if he doesnt take the initiative- Ive relinquished the aldi shop to him, loathed it.

It's not really a hack but if you have a partner, start by making sure whole areas are their responsibility. Not just tasks you delegate, but stuff they run themselves. We aren't perfect but mine does birthdays and cards on their side of the family, insurance, TV subscriptions and all the school payments - I don't even have a login to the system.

Use your phones to split stuff from day 1. If DH sets up admin rights on his phone for one child's bank/homework/phone account then it becomes easy for him to do it next time. If you initiate it all, even with good intentions of handing it over, it somehow always stays your job.

The Organised Mum Method is a good one for cleaning ( On facbook ect but has a webpage and books too)
I write in my phone calendar daily too.
meal plans for the week too ( Im uaeless at this though) Also maybe do ' click and collect ' food ahops- This has been massive for me so much easier than having to go in and food shop weekly!

Do it right away when it comes in or bung it in the annoying sort pile on the side for a free moment.
Whiteboard for shopping list and meal plan. Write on it the moment you run low on something.
Family calendar including things like birthdays and appointments for everyone in the family.

That and drop standards 😂

Wall calendar - everything goes on it and in my work outlook

Whiteboard in the kitchen - when things run out or I think if something I need I write it on there to make food shopping order easier

Don't iron

Get a cleaner if you can

Look up the minimal mom on youtube. Since minimalising our home everything runs much smoother.

Its more than just decluttering. Its about having nothing to distract you from the important things.

Take pictures of important letters on your phone so that you aren't scrabbling around for a missing piece of paper when you're about to leave for the hospital/school trip/themed party.

Keep a stock of generic birthday cards and party presents in stock.
Regular grocery delivery/grocery shop (alone if possible) late evening.
Amazon is an uncomfortable convenience!
Set phone alarms and reminders for everything!!

I have 3 DC (10,6 & 3) and work 4 days a week, DH works full time and has a long commute so I do 90% of life admin.

I photograph all the paperwork that comes home from school/ nursery and then chuck the original straight away.

Add any dates to my iPhone calendar with reminders set and invite DH if he needs to be home/do pick up etc

I use the To Do app and have a number of lists on the go, some shared with DH (like groceries/toiletries) so we can both add to them when we run out of stuff and I know what I need to order. I have one for each kids birthday to make a note of presents etc, one for random stuff I need to do, one for house stuff (like things that need to be repaired, bought, thrown away). You can add dates and reminders it's really helpful.

Kids sports/swimming stuff gets washed and put straight back in the sports/swimming bag ready for the next week rather than in the wardrobe so we're not rushing around to find stuff right before we need to leave.

I keep some wrapping paper and gift bags, general birthday cards in a box with a pen, scissors and sellotape.

Dishwasher on every night, unload in the morning before we go out. Washing machine goes on a timer in the evening, I unload when I get back from school run before my first work call and put it in the dryer. Remove and fold when I get back home in afternoon. Kids have to help put their clothes away.

I also get up half an hour earlier than everyone else in the morning, shower get dressed and have a cup of tea in peace. Sets me up for the day!

I agree with getting up a half an hour before everyone else in the morning, that has probably made the biggest difference to me

A wall calendar with a column for each child. I buy mine in Aldi every December. It has 5 columns, I use one for bills that need to be paid/ life admin.

Batch cooking

Declutter

I have a drawer full of birthday cards, gift wrap etc. I have a jug full of £5s and £10s. It’s handy for paying for kids activities or for sticking into a birthday card rather than having to buy a present

I don’t iron, unless for a formal occasion

I only buy plain socks, eg all black, navy, white. That way, there’s no uneven pairs/lost socks

Get a cleaner if you can afford to

Don’t let housework build up. I have the things I do everyday like filling the dishwasher and then things like dusting which is weekly. In past houses, I’ve left it and it’s become so overwhelming and it’s depressing and got worse. Agree with PP who said deal with letters as soon as they come in. Have a folder with all important stuff like insurances etc so you can lay your hand on it straight away.

STEP 1 - organise
Make sure you house is organised. Give everything a place to live and if need be label so people know where everything goes. Make sure your storage is suitable eg no point in having a shoe rack for 6 pairs of shoes if there are 4 of you and you have 20 pairs of everyday use shoes - school/work, trainers, wellies etc.

Our life has run much better since we moved house and I planned where everything would go in the new one with military precision and made sure we had the right sort of storage for everything. everything has a place and all the junk that built up over 12 years and 3 kids in the old house was sorted and got rid of.

STEP 2 - planning
make sure everything is written down. So depending on what you prefer that could be a diary, phone, wall calendar etc. We as a family have a calendar on the phone that we can all see and add to (kids are young teens). This is for where people need to be when etc. I also have an organised mum family diary which has columns for all five of us, a meal column etc Everything gets put in here and i can make notes eg jubilee day - need a packed lunch , school trip drop off early etc.
Then every sunday evening I go through and make sure anything from any letters/emails i have received has been put in and also review the week ahead and then transfer the week ahead onto a magnetic weekly planner we have on the fridge so every one can see what is happening and what the food plan is (older 1 teens can then get dinner started if needed). sort out school dinner booking, top up dinner money etc.

STEP 3 - Shortcuts
Find ways that work for you to lessen time and effort. We now have Hello fresh as easy for kids/DH to cook dinner, food gets delivered without having to think about every ingredient we might need etc. Get food shop delivered. if you can afford it (I wish!) a cleaner/gardener etc. Bulk buy cards - card factory do 10 for a £1 which do for kids parties etc. If you see a good present then buy a couple to put away. I found it useful when mine were younger to have a designated uniform and activity wardobe on the landing - anything school or acitivity related went in there and it was easy to find it rather than trying to locate it across the house/bedrooms!

STEP 4 - relax
sometimes the house is going to be a mess, or the kids wont do all thier homework. Sometime if you have had a hard week relax - it wont hurt anyone to have takeaway or to put a tenner in a birthday card.

Ad breaks.

When they come on, get up and do something.

When they're done, come back.

This gives you 5-15 3m slots to do chores in the evening that you barely notice.

I’ve got baskets by my front door - one for hats/suncream/hairbrush and hair bands for the mornings - things I absolutely need to have to hand.

then another basket for things to remember eg reading books, reading records, pe kit for pe day, letters to go back etc.

it really really helps make the mornings run smoothly!

• Family calendar with column per person. I like busybee. Next to it a weekly time table for each person eg Child A Monday PE KIT, homework, Child 2 - toddler group, Mum yoga 8-9, Dad late home meeting. Next to that this week’s menu. A shared rolling calendar in notes with reoccurring things eg January- MOTO for Focus, Jenny’s birthday (DOB 11th January 2016), book annual leave, book child A birthday party. Weekly family meeting with DH to look at what is coming up and divide up jobs.
• For young child choose one shop and buy all their clothes from there. They will outgrow them all at the same time so no sorting and minimal shopping.
• Rolling 3 week menu, include pizza friday and occasional make twice as much and freeze. Always have something easy to make for dinner in 15 eg pesto pasta, veggie chilli. Weekly online food shopping.
• Every 6 months get a handy man to do little jobs which never get done.
• Cleaner and eufy hoover.
• School party gifts have a theme per year so no thinking and either order a few at a time or Amazon eg nursery Orchard game,YrR craft set, Yr1 science set
• Buy fewer gifts for adults.

I find it really easy. I'm naturally organised. As soon as the school email comes in I review it, action everything, buy said costume from Amazon / eBay, put things in my diary, don't think about it again. On Sunday Dh and I review diaries and comment on anything this week, I'm out to see Top Gun Wednesday, ds2 has orthodontist Thursday after school. This 'meeting' between Dh and me takes less than a minute.

My kids are slightly older - 1 primary 1 secondary (but SEN so needs similar support in organisation!)

I have a plastic box each person (Inc adults) in the garage for hats/gloves/scarves/boots which switches to baseball caps/suncream/fly spray.

I meal plan monthly - and whilst doing so set up supermarket deliveries for the month (with my tesco delivery pass) that way there is always food. Sometimes it gets a little dull - but we eat!

I have a Google calendar for each person - shared with everyone else. (My youngest can access on a tablet - he doesn't often but its important older dc can as well as dh). On there go events but also details - so ds to Cubs at 6 at x school. Needs a water bottle, coat and an old newspaper etc. I attach photos of invites / lit lists etc to these events. I also post reminders in advance if I known we are short of kit/presents.

I keep an amount of children's birthday cards wrapping paper and when they were smaller generic gifts (reception/yr1 are birthday party hell!).

I go to card factory about 4 times a year and buy a batch of cards for the next x months family birthdays (ours are helpfully clumped). I have amazon prime and this gets used more than it should for presents.

For Christmas I tend to sit mid November ahead of Black Friday and work out what I aim to buy for everyone needed. Then I usually book the day off and buy everything that day. It's tough going but it means everything is done!

My kids have certain things they have to do. So there is a place to out school bags/coats/shoes etc when they come in. They have to empty and repack their lunchboxes from pre- set up baskets in the fridge (filled from the online shop).

On a Sunday afternoon they are asked to check on their uniforms and everything else they need for the week - so swim kits, pe kits etc. All are packed in their own bags on Sunday night. (They have bags for example for cubs - where forms that need to be returned get put - filled out when they come in.)

Am I any less busy... no! But hopefully some of these ideas help?

Im terribly unorganised, but what keeps my head above water is repetition. Bit groundhog day-ish, but saves reinventing the wheel every week.

Buy a supermarket delivery pass, plan a weeks worth of food, do an online shop and save the list. Re-order every week with minor adjustments.

Plan 5-10 easy outings and rotate between them on weekends, little kids don't seem to care that it's repeated and saves all the research/planning.

Have a set time for cleaning/ tidying and just do what you can. No one will die if it doesn't get finished.

If possible only buy cloths that can be washed together. Almost every wash I do is mixed colours, no separate whites or darks. If you kids school has the option of white polo or school colours, always get coloured (unless it's yellow).

Next time you replace your washing machine, get the biggest size you can do. Going from 8kg to 12kg saved me a few loads a week.

The night before I choose and lay out my toddler's outfit for the following day and make his breakfast (minus the milk) ready for the morning.
On payday I check my filofax for whose birthdays are occurring during the coming month, and then next time I'm at the shops buy cards for them and make a note on the calendar when to post it.
Things like insurance and bills we sit down together on payday and discuss whether what we're doing is working, we have a financial plan each month for what money goes where and what's left over, do you have that? Then monthly we only need to check whether we've been paid more or less and decide what to do about that money.
Meal planning I decide at the start of the day what the meals will be for the rest, unless it's near payday then I'll do a shop with cheaper meals in mind and designate a few days to eat through the freezer/cupboards.
Don't do it all yourself, unless you are a single parent. This is a two person job to run a household and kids.

see a few posters proposing setting aside time on a Sunday to coordinate diaries. We used to do that but switched in to Thursday so we could enjoy a leisurely evening ahead of a busy week. DH sorts the laundry. I do the food shop. Seems easier when you’re in the swing of mid-week.