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All moms of young children can attest that there’s not enough time in the day. Between work, committees, shuttling kids to activities, and putting a meal on the table, there usually isn’t much time left. Here are some tips for saving time on busy weeknights.

Save Time Cooking

1. Meal prep for the week. We’ve all heard the term and may have tried it to varying levels. Here’s the key, be sure you are cooking food you actually like and can get your family to eat. There’s nothing worse than making a week’s worth of meals that no one will eat when it comes down to it. Find a handful of easy recipes that you and your family enjoy and rotate through. Easy meals include slow-cooker roasted or shredded chicken with rice, beef stew, and pasta with red sauce. Load up on veggies in the recipe to keep it healthy.
2. Prepare lunches on weekends. Dedicate a few hours to chopping veggies/fruit and packing lunches. Fruits like melons, berries, and citrus can be chopped in advance for a week’s worth of enjoyment. Prep healthy snacks in to-go reusable containers, including cheese and crackers, carrots and ranch, bell peppers and hummus, and string cheese and apple. This way, every time you pack lunches for school or work, you won’t be starting from scratch.
3. Make large portions. If you know you have more time one night then the next, double up on dinner portions to give yourself a break the next night or have leftovers for lunch.

Get Through Housework Quicker

1. Multitask. One of the best times to empty the dishwasher is when waiting for the oven to heat or water to boil. You are already in the kitchen, so put that proximity to work.
2. Put the kids to work! If your kids are school age, they can handle household responsibilities. Make a weekly chore chart and have children choose the chores they’d like to help with.
3. Organize. An easy way to have a less cluttered house is to invest in storage bins and baskets. It’s easier to train the kids to put stuff away, if there’s a clear and obvious place to put something…yes, the floor seems like a good option to them, but learning to store and care for their own things is a great life lesson.
4. Hire out. It may seem like a waste of money, but remember, time is money. Time spend cleaning is time missed with your kiddos. One option: hiring your kids, hopefully at a discount rate, in the form of allowance, but if they are too young, consider a professional. Even just having someone in once per month to deep clean the bathrooms and kitchen will save you plenty of time and backpain!
5. Tackle the laundry. While weekends should include time for family fun, see if you can work large laundry loads in, while meal prepping. If you can get a week’s worth of laundry done you’ll save time not only because it will be clean, but also because you can lay out five days of clothes for the kids in neat piles. You can also choose short cycles while doing laundry. Most people choose longer cycles, when in reality, their family’s clothes simply are not very dirty. Choosing a shorter cycle saves time and, even, natural resources, so you are also helping the environment.

Do you have any time savers for busy moms? Share them on our facebook page or comment below. We’d love to hear from you!