Reminder systems ... desperate plea for help!

[sonotfunny]

Please would you lovely MNers be so kind as to share with me what type of reminder system you use to prompt you to do certain chores/errands at a particular time of the day.

I really am shocking ... I've tried everything under the sun - but if I hear my phone beep and I'm already in the middle of doing several things at once, I just ignore it.

Maybe I am a lost cause - but I could really do with getting my act together. I work non-stop (up at 4 or 5am and on the go till I flake out at 10ish) but the problem is I don't always prioritise correctly or get things in the right order.

Bein a lone mum of 5 with no family or other outside help - I really do have to nail this!

I've tried: BB reminders, Ipad reminders, Noticeboards, silly slips of paper.

[sigh]

sorry for the ramble ... but HELP PLEASE!!!

Any recommendations/suggestions??

I don't know, could you use your children to help you? Make one in charge of remembering a particular job, for a small reward.

I find the kitchen cooker timer quite useful, as you have to go there to switch it off and that tends to be where things need doing!

Are you giving yourself credit for being a single mum to five DC on 6 hours sleep a night?

Not really in a similar situation, as you have a much bigger workload than I do but I am very forgetful too (without your excuses.)
I stick to very basic flylady routines.
Morning routine: soon as I get up I fill a wash basket and stick the machine on. Then feed animals, make tea, fix packed lunches, all while DC are in bed. Empty dishwasher (or draining board if you wash up by hand) and get breakfast ready. Only then do I wake DC. Lovely to get a bit of order to the day before they are about. But if you have very young ones, that's not so easy.

Then when school drop off is done, I come home, hang out washing, clear up dishes before starting work. But that's easy for me as I work from home. Do you work outside home?

Again, after school pick up, we have a 10 min catch up. Shoes and coats away, school bags emptied, lunch boxes cleaned, sports kit in wash etc, and then I let DC laze around on the computer for 30 mins while I cook tea. After eating, they do home work at kitchen table while I tidy up, fold laundry etc.

One thing I did which helps is to have a blackboard (just paint one kitchen cupboard door with blackboard paint. In the morning make a list on no more than 5-10 things you need to do that day, including any appointments at school, docs etc, then cross them off when done. Wipe it clean each morning and add any new jobs/commitments you have that day. Not much help if you're out all day though!

Have you looked at the home routines app? I'm trying it out now, so far so good.

I have a reminder/alarm on my phone and it does not stop until I turn it off