Decision-making can be complex, but using the urgent vs. important matrix lets you learn what is urgent, what needs immediate attention, and what personal activities you value most. It’s easy to get distracted and feel like you’re being pulled in multiple directions. Still, by learning to prioritize what is most important, you can balance your time between urgent responsibilities and important aspirations.

To read more about the urgent vs. important matrix, click here.

Creating a master schedule

The benefits of having a community schedule that includes each family member and their activities and appointments are endless. Sit down together weekly to review that week’s commitments, appointments, and responsibilities to ensure everyone knows what is happening. Creating a printable schedule is simple and can be done on Canva for free. Many have daily and weekly options that can be edited to fit your needs. Here is a great template you can edit to fit your needs. Syncing calendars on Google or iCal is another great option for spouses to see each other’s appointments and commitments.

Setting aside dedicated time for self-care and personal is crucial and should be scheduled like any other commitment. Schedule it throughout the week and stick to those scheduled times for self-care. You deserve it. While these tips mostly encourage time management for busy moms, everyone could benefit from this system. Once you start implementing a family schedule, it gets easier with time. Ensure each person can express their needs and responsibilities and schedule them throughout the week.

Time-saving strategies for daily routines

Time management and hacks for saving time are my specialty. It comes with the territory of having a large family. If you want to get anything done around here, you have to stick to your routine and schedule! Here are some of my favorite tips to save time to maximize your productivity:

Morning routine:

Mornings are notorious for being hectic. We have to be efficient to ensure that our oldest gets to school on time and our other children get to their school assignments. Waking up about 20 minutes before I need to start getting the kids ready helps me have a few minutes to prepare for the day, review our responsibilities, and prepare for the day.

To save on time, once a week, I bulk bake a few breakfast options, plus we always have bread and cinnamon bread on hand to keep things simple. (Side note: cereal is expensive and doesn’t keep my kids full. We tend to steer clear, but if you find that it works and saves time, this is another good option!)

Once it’s time to get the kids up and ready for the day, the older kids get dressed and then either start on breakfast or help with their younger siblings. They are incredibly helpful in the mornings, and I’m grateful. They know they don’t have to help, but they still offer.

Before our oldest went back to school, we didn’t have to worry about driving kids anywhere, but now that we have an added item on our schedule every morning, it forces us to be on time. It can be a little hectic sometimes, but it ensures that we start our morning at the same time each day and finish school assignments early.

Our children have chores they are responsible for in our home. They know to have free time to play video games or go outside, they must ensure their chores are finished. This helps teach them responsibility and takes some stress off of me.

Evening routine:

Our afternoon activities differ depending on the day, but we usually have quiet time so the younger ones can nap, and the older kids are free to play quietly in their rooms. This gives me time to step away and take a break and either work on my blog or get some of my daily cleaning done and then prep dinner.

In the evenings, the kids have showers, do evening chores to help shut down the house, and start their bedtime routine. This includes brushing their teeth, picking up their rooms, and setting out their clothes for the next day; plus, on evenings before their homeschool group, they pack their lunches and make sure their bags are by the door so the morning runs smoothly.

Having consistent routines helps us know we are getting essential responsibilities done daily and allows smoother transitions throughout the day. Since implementing these simple tips in our schedule, we have seen a tremendous shift in our productivity as a family. When my kids know what to expect and what comes next, they handle transitions much better.

Delegation and outsourcing

Hopefully, you’ve thought to delegate some of your responsibilities to other family members to help you. There is no reason to do it all yourself. Seek help from your family or hire help if you can afford it. If not, chat with your spouse and kids about splitting responsibilities and evening things out. Older children can help with household tasks while encouraging responsibility and independence.

Outsourcing tasks like cleaning when it fits the budget, grocery shopping, and meal prep can help free up precious time to allow you to do other tasks. Following these tips on time management for busy moms will help you include self-care in your routine without feeling like you’re neglecting other tasks on your to-do list.

Embracing technology and other tools