18 Great Ideas to Lighten Your Load

Sometimes things get rough and tough and sling some good old fashioned sleep deprivation on top and it can be jolly hard to see the wood for the trees.  Here are some cracking ideas to knock out some of that overwhelm:

1. Even if your partner does long hours,there are still little things he can do to help. Can he put the washing on before bed? Then it’s ready for you to hang out in the morning.  He could put the load on before he leaves in the morning or load or unload the dishwasher for you.  Ask him/her to assist you in these ways.
2. Have a washing basket for each child and if they are old enough they can be responsible for their own basket. Clothes, toys, anything that needs to go in their room – put it in their basket.
3. If you can afford it,  get a cleaner in for a couple of hours.
4. MamaBake!  Grab a friend or three, big batch bake, divvy the meal up between you and Boom!  You have dinner done for a number of nights.  Give it a go..groups often evolve into babysitting circles, housework swaps etc.
5. If you can’t, arrange to do a houseclean swap with a friend.  Swap 2 hours each.
6. If you can’t find the time to do a big MamaBake sized cook up, just double every second meal and freeze your leftovers. You might double any sauce you make then all you have to do is add your meat or vegetables.
7. Have an ‘All Hands on Deck’ half an hour where all screens are turned off and everyone does what needs to be done. Draw up chore charts so that each member of the family is clear about what they need to do during this time.
8. Prepare evening meals either first thing in the morning or the night before.
9. Wash clothes every night & hang out on the line; often they can be dry by mid morning.
10. Encourage the children to do chores along with you in a fun way from an early age.
11. Prioritise: some things can wait.
12. Use a slow cooker for easy meals
13. Prepare vegetables for two nights at once
14. Plan your menu for the week so you know what you’re cooking and can shop to the menu; it also means you don’t have to think about what’s for dinner at the end of the day when you’re dog-tired.
15. Order groceries online
16. If you need some extra hands ask older teenagers in your neighbourhood who might be interested in extra pocket money to come and help out.
17. Have a couple of super easy meals up your sleeve
18. Have a look at employing an au pair if finances allow.

Can you add any other ways of lightening the load for our Mamas?  Have you tweaked something in your daily life that makes everything a little easier?  Please do share!