Being – and staying – organized may seem like an impossible feat, even before you have kids. After – it probably seems like an even greater exercise in futility. But the reality is, your family will thrive and you will discover time you never knew you had once you put in place rhythms, systems and tricks to organize your home and family. Not sure how to be organized? I’m here to help.
How to Be Organized
Confession. I *may* be a bit Type A, semi-OCD when it comes to routine and organization. And my husband is even more-so than I am. That carries over into a lot of the parenting and household topics I share. They span the range of how to be organized from your family finances to keeping your kids’ playroom chaos at bay. Even your children’s daily rhythm benefits from consistency and organization.
Family-Friendly Home Organization
No matter how streamlined you are, with kids comes stuff – and lots of it. More food. More dishes. More gear. More clothes (that they outgrow at an impossible rate). Find our best tips for organizing your pantry, bring organization to your child’s playroom – even organize books on your kids’ shelves that will enable them to help keep them that way! And – my personal favorite – how to organize your mudroom. Making the most of this typically small space can be a total life changer in your house!
How to Be Organized with a Daily Rhythm
Do you like your day to have a predictable consistency? I know I do. And guess what? Your kids do too. Kids of every age, from newborns through adolescence, thrive and find comfort in the consistency of routine. I help provide that comfort through predictable sleep and feeding patterns, beginning with infant sleep patterns. By the baby sleep stage (4-12 months), the rhythm becomes more predictable, with your baby sleeping through the night and activity organized around 2 consistent daily naps. Toddlerhood sleep patterns typically cut down to one nap each day.
When childhood transitions occur, like moving from a crib to a big kid bed, starting solid foods, or – GASP! – giving up naps altogether, having an established daily rhythm will help smooth your child’s transitions. After three kids, I’ve also shared great tips for making it through these trying times. And not only does consistency make transitions easier, I truly believe it helps raise well-adjusted, well behaved children.
Getting Your Financial House in Order
After organizing your home, and your family’s general daily rhythm, the next area I find drives the most stress in people’s every day lives is their family finances. As a finance major by education and financial analyst by profession (before retiring to full-time mommyhood), I am constantly amazed by the lack of financial savvy by most adults. And it leaves you and your family vulnerable to being taken advantage of.
My Family Financial Savvy content aims to help you better understand how finance works, how to better organize your finances with livable budgets, and ways to save, from cutting your cable bill, to finding the best deals on diapers, to savvy shopping for household appliance deals and even best buys on vacuums.
Once your finances are organized, you’ll soon have money to save. Learn how to maximize your savings by understanding different savings options. Do you know what an IRA is and how to use it? Do you know how to make the most of your 401K savings? Are you saving for your children’s college? Have you started a 529 Plan? Learn how to help your children avoid financial pitfalls and massive burden of student loan debt.
One of the things I have learned is how much I don’t realize I intrinsically know as a result of my financial experience. If you have a family finance question, I’d love to help answer it. Send me your questions to be addressed in future Family Finance posts!
Want more great life organization tips? Check out these from our friends at Sunny Day Family, starting with her Declutter Checklist. You can find more of our favorite tips for how to be organized on our Organize Me! and Mom Hacks boards on Pinterest.
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