Make life easier tips?!?!

[goldpendant]

Back to work ft next week, will work one day at home and flexible hours on two days to manage drop off, DH will do the same....

I'm sure this has been done to death before so links to previous threads much appreciated, but hoped people could share their best tips for smoothing the juggle of two young school age kids and a house to run. Cleaning/ironing already outsourced!

Planning to;

Weekly food shop, batch cook once per week, try to meal plan

Keep a home calendar on the fridge

Get school bags ready night before

Get my work outfit out night before

Anything else we can do to make life a bit less frantic?!

Mine are:

Meal planning

As much prep as you can the night before

Make best use of wfh days (yes of course you Can take a break to do a few chores!)

Batch cook on wfh days - simple meals that take a few mins prep and little attention (eg bolognaise sauce)

Get laundry done during wfh days - takes a few mins to load/unload machine

Everyone's bags packed the night before

Get breakfast bowls etc out night before

School uniforms hung up by beds night before

Make packed lunches at the same time as breakfast - somehow this makes it quicker

Set out the morning routine so kids know what needs to happen - for instance on our most busy mornings my DD knows wake up, "five more minutes" in bed, get up and have a yoghurt, get dressed and we have to be out of the door to breakfast club at a certain time. I find this removes so much of the faffing and chaos.

We get everything out the night before and cook/prep dinner the night before. We find that tidying up when going along helps loads, I will get the kids ready in the morning and hubby will tidy downstairs/wash up/ empty rubbish at the same time before going to work. If your kids are 4+ give them a chore rota for pocket money, my nearly 6 year old daughter will put wasHing up away, polish, strip her bed etc which helps and teachers her responsibility.... Having a set routine can change your life.

Use the washing machine timer the night before wfh days so washing is washed and put out in the morning of the wfh day.

Buy multiple washing baskets so clothes get dried and immediately sorted into the rooms/cupboards they just go to

Buy in a load of easy meal ingredients. (eggs beans have bread in freezer) for days where the batch cooking or shop don't pan out

Great thanks all!

Just thought of another, decent UHT milk in the cupboard for mornings when we've run out!