Children are the flowers of life, but when there are more than one of them, chaos reigns in the “flower bed.” While you are feeding one, the other is soiled with plasticine, and the third is screaming heart-rendingly, refusing to put on tights. Let's talk about how to cope with the crowd of children and find time for yourself in this turmoil.

1. Porridge for breakfast

  • In the morning you can spend almost no time preparing food. Throw cereal or flakes into the water - let them cook. Get everyone into the habit of eating porridge for breakfast and free up a lot of time. And porridge is very good for health.

2. Soups are a must

  • Soups are another dish that should be included in daily diet. They are prepared quickly and from what is in the refrigerator. It turns out a lot, satisfying and economical. In addition, any soup can be turned into a delicious puree soup dish by blending it in a blender. Children love puree soups.


3. Delivered to your home

  • Everything you can order to your home – from household chemicals to groceries - order at home. It’s cheaper, you don’t have to carry heavy things, and you don’t have to waste time either. It would seem like obvious advice. But then why are supermarkets filled with nervous mothers, whose carts are filled not only with products, but also with children who are impossible to keep an eye on?


4. Document folder

  • An important point is the organization of documents. A mother with many children should have everything at hand. But if you waste time every day searching for directions for tests, a birth certificate or a contract for utility bills, then it’s time to bring perfect order to this chaos. Keep one large folder for all documents, and in it, each family member has his own file.


5. Train to help

  • Mothers with many children often complain - clean up after everyone, cook for everyone. And all because they try to do everything themselves, instead of teaching children to help. Already at 2.5 years old, a child is able to do something around the house. Moreover, it is in childhood that housekeeping attracts the most. Even if children's help will be clumsy at first, but if you praise and encourage them, by the age of 4-5 they will grow up to be excellent helpers.


6. To iron or not to iron

  • At all mother of many children It’s most convenient to come to terms with the idea that things are quite ready to go out into the world when they are clean. But if you are still sure that it is indecent to appear wrinkled, straighten the clothes well when hanging them after washing, and remove them from the dryer half-dry - it is easier to iron.


7. Don’t put it off until tomorrow

  • Never leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight. Firstly, it ruins your mood in the morning. Secondly, there is already a lot to do in the morning. Even if you're feeling tired, find the strength and 15 minutes to wash the dishes before bed.


8. Together is more fun

  • It is clear that training in a fitness room is an unaffordable luxury for a mother with many children. But who is stopping you from studying at home, and not alone, but with the whole crowd? You will not only tighten your figure, but also instill a love of sports in your children.


9. Get up earlier

  • One of the basic rules of life for a mother of many children is to get up earlier. And then there will be time to drink coffee, surf the Internet, prepare a set of clothes for everyone, and much more.


10. Time for yourself

  • And don’t get lost in the household, forgetting about your beloved self. Good mom- this is happy, contented and beautiful mom. Anytime life situation you need to find time for yourself - go to a manicure salon, a hairdresser, or meet a friend in a cafe and gossip about your own things over a cup of delicious latte.


Redirect attention in disputes

Brothers and sisters always sort things out among themselves, this is part of their life. Being a judge every time can be exhausting. Therefore, in small and non-critical conflicts, just keep them busy. At the same time, give them those tasks that are difficult to complete alone. Collaborative work, as Cat Matroskin said, unites.

Make tables for everything

To avoid going crazy with a ton of tasks, hang all your tasks on the wall in the form of a list or table. When to do laundry, when to bathe, when to go to the store, and even what medications to give when. Again, when raising children, this becomes an ironclad argument: “See, it’s written down?”

Separate by color

And then you will not have disputes in the family about who took whose towel and who took whose mug. If each family member has a different color, the questions “whose is this?” and “where does this belong?” becomes much smaller. Even if you don't have nine kids like the author of this life hack, you can still use color divisions to avoid confusion between your dog's paw towel, your baby's towel, and your husband's.

Sew on the tags

If there is a small age difference between your children, you have to remember whose tights are and whose T-shirt. The risk of confusion is especially great when the youngest wears clothes after the older one, and the difference between them is a year. Unload your head - just label everything with tags.

Go down one level

Literally. If you want to teach children to be tidy, make sure they can clean up their own things. Move their items to lower drawers and rearrange clothing rods in the lower closet. And arrange the cleaning equipment: rags, broom, dustpan so that the children can take them themselves, without your help.

Use your own rules when washing

You can separate clothes by color, but let's be honest: in the case of children's clothes, this just adds extra hassle. It’s much more convenient to rip everything off in a heap for one child, and then for another. Do clothes wear out faster? Well, yes. Only they will burn panties on the playground slide much faster than improper washing will wear them out.

Have some quiet time during the day

Make it a rule to have time when you are not distracted by your children. They can sleep, play quietly or watch cartoons. but during this period you are left only to yourself. Give yourself an hour to two rest in the middle of the day, and you will maintain mental and physical health for both yourself and your children.

Plan your meals

And cook in a slow cooker. The beauty of this unit is that all the recipes assume that you throw in the groceries and leave. Don't stand there stirring. This will free you up a lot of time from cooking.

Clean at short intervals

Always set yourself a timer for 10-15 minutes a day, and clean only during this time. Don't let chaos drag you into fighting it. Chaos will win.

Place the drive in the middle of the room

And throw scattered children's things into it. And let it be your child’s responsibility to put everything in its place.

Relax with your husband without children

Once a week, once every two weeks, have an adult night. Get out of the house, or stay alone and send the children to grandma. Without such breaks, you risk becoming disgusted with yourself in a very short time.

Are you a mom and don't have enough time for anything? Are your children stopping you from realizing what you want? Is your home and life in chaos and it seems like it will stay that way until your kids grow up? Believe me, no! You can accomplish much more, put everything in order, implement plans and spend a lot of time with your children.

Lifestyle

Before you start optimizing your time, take care of your basic needs and understand your resources. Adequate sleep and physical activity, quality nutrition is what should be a priority.

1. Find your resource

Mom has many places where she can spend energy, but she doesn’t think about where to get it from. In the meantime, the resource must not be allowed to deplete to zero. It needs to be constantly replenished. What fills you up: a bath, a book, a walk, delicious food, laughter, an interesting movie, sports? Plan for it, let there be something in each day that will support you.

If you go for a walk with your children, walk for yourself, not for them. Cook - cook for yourself, not just for your family. Clean up - clean up as if you were doing cardio or... Give mops to the children too.

2. Know your limit

Learn what drains you and minimize those impacts. If you don’t like to play, don’t play; organize a group of peers for your children. If you don't like reading out loud, turn on audio fairy tales.

Motivation

You have to want to do what you do.

3. Determine your global goals and life mission

This is the most difficult point, and for some it takes a lifetime to complete. But it's worth it. To figure it out, try different ways: work with feelings, childhood traumas and attitudes, psychotherapy, constellations, and so on.

4. Take small, motivating steps.

For me, this is a daily morning ritual to set me up for the day. I learned about this method from the book “” by Hal Elrod. I wake up before everyone else, meditate for a few minutes, read short affirmations, and write in my journal. Reminding myself what I can do every day best day. To do this, you need to do what is necessary, and not what is convenient, and not waste time on what does not lead to the goal.

Planning

Don't push yourself into too tight a framework. Don't make a plan in which the day is scheduled minute by minute. With children you still won't be able to follow it. But he will put pressure on you, frustrate and demotivate you.

5. Plan no more than two big things per day.

Depending on your activity, this may be one work task for a certain time and one household or children's task. Meeting with a client and going to the grocery store. Laundry and one hour and a half webinar. Preparation and meeting via video conference. A trip to the doctor with children and a yoga class. And that’s it - there are no more obligatory tasks or plans for this day. If you have done them, praise yourself, you have fulfilled your plan for the day.

6. Make a list of global things to do that bring you closer to your dream

Write a book, listen to a course of lectures, read the complete works of Tolstoy, dismantle all the closets, wash the curtains - everyone has their own. Break them into small parts for 30-40 minutes. Do it in the order you want, and when you get the chance. But do it.

Time optimization

Learn to do everything well and quickly. Good doesn't mean perfect. Quickly means, without unnecessary thought and without delay. For example, I work a lot on the computer, I spent three months learning how to touch-type. I need to write - I sit down and write. I need to make an unpleasant call - I just pick up the phone and call. This is a common skill, it will get easier and easier each time.

7. Simplify your meal prep throughout the week.

A steamer, an egg boiler, an oven, a stove with a timer practically cook by yourself. What you can prepare, do with reserve. Homemade soup preparations, fermented and dried vegetables, freeze-dried broth and sauces - all this saves time.

8. Organize proper care of things

Teach your children to clean up after themselves and not put dirty things in the closet. Organize their wardrobe, let there be few clothes, get rid of everything unnecessary. Put away seasonal clothing promptly. Start dryer- you won’t have to hang things up and iron most of them. Well, use dry cleaning and laundry - your time should be worth more than their services.

9. Organize your closets

I have this: what can be hung hangs, what can be folded is folded vertically. The vertical folding method is very important: then everything is immediately visible and there is no mess when pulling it out. This is how panties, socks, T-shirts, sweaters, pants are folded, home clothes, sportswear - everything. Arrange things after washing yourself, do not trust your children or husband - this way you can control the order in the closets and sort things in a timely manner.

10. Have a place for every item in the house.

Then cleaning will be much easier. Store all the same things in one place: documents, toys, clothes, stationery, books - let everything have a clear place in the apartment. Shelves and drawers should not be packed to capacity - then everything is visible and easily accessible. Maintaining order will also happen naturally. There is a wonderful book about this “by Marie Kondo.”

11. Sort things according to the conditions required for them and by duration

  • Things that require solitude: scheduling, complex paperwork, construction and other calculations, writing, recording videos and podcasts, business conversations and meetings, yoga class, massage. They all take about an hour and a half. Set aside time for them in the morning, when everyone is asleep, when the children are watching a long cartoon or playing with friends. Let them be no more than 2–2.5 hours a day.
  • Things that don't require solitude and concentration, do with children: cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, doing exercises, listening to webinars, informal or short communication with clients, walking, swimming, reading, surfing the Internet or napping. From such joint activities communication with children develops, and there is no need to play with them and entertain them.
  • Things to do for 15 minutes: prepare a simple dish and put it in the oven, read 20–30 pages of text, sketch out an outline for an article or some other plan, wash and style your hair, do a set of exercises, load the dishwasher or washing machine, put 1-2 shelves in order, have a snack, read an article, answer letters, write to a friend and chat, cut children’s nails, iron a set of bed linen or 10 T-shirts, for future use, scroll through a social network feed (I recommend including this in a 15-minute task , then you won’t get carried away) - well, and much more.
  • Things to do for 30 minutes: prepare a more complex dish or chop everything for soup, make a complex or complex preparation, iron and carry linen through the closets from one wash, change 4-5 sets of bed linen, read 30-60 pages of text, write several pages, listen to half an hour-long webinar - and so on, everyone will have their own.
  • Things to do for an hour there won't be so many, two - even less. It must be remembered that a big task can always be divided and completed in two stages, if circumstances do not allow it to be done right away.

12. Combine several tasks

This is what really adds hours to the day. Everyone can have their own actions, but the general principle remains the same. I’ll tell you how it works for me, and you form your Julius Caesar habits.

  • When I clean or cook, I either do it with the kids or something. I always have something to listen to, I have a whole list. It is clear that there must be technical capabilities: mobile Internet, Wi-Fi, wireless headphones.
  • When I go for a walk with my children or to the sea, to classes, I always have a book with me or something to listen to. If the walk promises to be long, then I even take a laptop. While the children are playing, and they play for hours, I can even do an hour-and-a-half-hour task that requires solitude.
  • When I take part in webinars or some online meetings that require me to connect only occasionally, I simultaneously put things away, sort through clothes, fold small items, sharpen pencils, organize socks by color, polish pots, sometimes do squats and push-ups . I watched the webinar, got my work done, and worked out.
  • When I cook something complex, I don’t stand and wait for the water to boil or the frying pan to heat up, I disassemble the dishwasher, I can quickly rearrange pots or wipe out drawers, and put things in their places. You can cook soup at the same time, for example. Or you can do all this with an audiobook on headphones. Or you can also wear a fitness band on your legs.
  • When I’m just walking or driving somewhere and there’s no way to listen or read something, then I make plans and think, write them down in notes or in a notebook. During massages and care procedures, I try to relax as much as possible, and during a pedicure I am always at the computer - this is another opportunity to do the very thing that requires solitude.
  • When I watch a cartoon with my children or a movie with my husband, I do something with my hands: ironing, sewing, knitting, sorting something, mending clothes and books, cleaning cutlery.
  • When I'm driving in a car, I listen to audio, watch videos in a traffic jam, have long conversations over the speakerphone that I don't allow myself at other times, do facial exercises, and sometimes put on makeup.

In general, this is a matter of habit and desire. Look for opportunities to combine - and there will be more time in the day.

13. Put everything in order

In order not to waste time searching for the right recipe, document or book, everything needs to be kept in order and always at hand. I have several lists, they are called very simply: “Buy”, “Read”, “Listen”, “Cook”, “Watch”, “Trip”. This way, everything is always at hand and you don’t have to remember anything - I put it on the list and return to it whenever possible. Planner programs, shopping programs, storage of books, audio and video are very convenient. The main thing is to make your own clear lists in them.

14. Eliminate time wasters

  • First of all, this is social networks - I allocate time for them in 15-minute intervals, so that the framework forces me to switch off in time and do business.
  • These are people who are constantly dissatisfied with everything. You will not help them, you will not solve their problem, you will simply waste time and energy on them. Avoid them.
  • This is mental “chewing gum” and hanging on past events. Instead of thinking and planning something inspiring or listening to something interesting, you go over the events of the past or fantasize about who and what you will say and what they will answer. We also need to get rid of this.
  • Alcohol, rich fatty foods, and TV also do not allow you to spend time consciously and effectively. Don't let them control you.

All these rules of life allow me, with four children, everyday tasks and several “jobs,” to feel free and relaxed. Achieve a lot, but not be in the constant grip of time pressure. This summer they allowed me to fulfill my dream and start writing. And write a lot: a dissertation, half a book and six articles.

I love to enjoy life, and I also love when everything happens by itself. Try it too!

“If you don’t approach parenting with humor, you can cry for days on end,” says a mother with many children. Katerina gives advice on how to help parents in difficult everyday situations. A mother of many children shares life hacks that have a positive impact on life not only in families with many children, but also in families with only one child.

Katerina, a mother of four children, chose the most common difficult situations in large family and shared her experience on how to deal with them. The advice that will help many parents can seem both reasonable and ridiculous. However, mothers can be so confused that any advice, even ridiculous, will be most welcome for them. For example, let’s remember our stay in the maternity hospital. Mothers sometimes simply forget to eat, for which doctors scold and remind them about it. Below are tips and life hacks that will make life easier both in a large family and in families with one child.

Lists are a good organizer

The morning can be not entirely organized and even crazy in any family. And this does not depend on whether the family has many children, or one child, or no children at all. But when in a large family one child doesn’t want to get up, the second can’t find his pencil case, the third doesn’t like omelet for breakfast today, but prefers toast, then mom is not far from nervous breakdown. There is a way out - make to-do lists.

  • Use a notepad notebook or download the application to your smartphone/tablet;
  • Write down morning routines for everyone in the family. The list should include everything that children need to do before leaving home. Getting up, morning toilet, making bed, breakfast, packing a briefcase, etc.;
  • Various badges, stickers, emoticons or other nice prizes will help motivate children. The main point to encourage them to do what is on the list;
  • To-do lists and reward lists should be placed side by side so that children can see what needs to be done. Leave encouraging notes or emojis around the house.

More independence for children

“Every day I pack four lunches for school. Honestly, this is my least favorite responsibility. But since I involved the children in the process, everything has become much easier,” says mother of many children Katerina.

  • Buy 3 plastic containers to fit on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator. On each one, stick pictures of fruits, vegetables, snacks, or simply label them;
  • In the evening, wrap pieces of fruits, vegetables, healthy snacks in foil and place everything in appropriate containers;
  • In the morning, while you are doing the bulk of lunch, the children choose their own snacks and put them in their school backpacks. You save time, and the kids can't complain that you forgot to give them an apple.

The child should be comfortable in the kitchen

Children show independence with early childhood. Support their desire to be independent, do not try to do everything yourself, otherwise you are guaranteed to feel constantly tired. You need very little for this: the kitchen space should be comfortable for children so that they can perform basic actions on their own. For example, on a weekend morning you can have a snack and you can rest for an extra hour.


  • Buy dishes of a certain color for each child. They will know their plates and cups, which will prevent arguments about who should eat from the red plate and who should wash the green mug;
  • Children's dishes should be placed in the closet so that children can get them on their own;
  • The same can be done with foods intended for breakfast or snacks. For example, place a container of milk in the refrigerator below, cereal - in the bottom cabinet of the kitchen table. When children wake up on a day off, they can have a snack themselves. The main thing is to remove all spices, flour, etc. away.

For rewards - a jar with pebbles

That's right, you heard right. We need a jar of stones or chestnut fruits for each child. This is the most convenient way to keep track of bonuses received or spent, for example, to control the time children spend in front of the computer or TV.

  • In addition to stones and a jar with a sticker on which the child's name is written, you also need a timer. You can allow each of the children to decorate their own jar;
  • Decide on the rules that will regulate the time that children spent in front of the TV screen or at the computer for 1 stone, for example, 15-20 minutes. But there is a limitation - you cannot accumulate stones for a long time in order to sit in front of the screen all day;
  • Determine what the child needs to do to get one stone. Here everything is individual for each family. This could be some homework, a nap, a completely eaten lunch, etc.;
  • The child sends the earned stone to his jar. When he wants to use it, he will pay you with a stone. That's it! BUT, you must adhere to the rule: you cannot take away stones as punishment for bad behavior. Stones are not a means of blackmailing a child; he “earns” them himself and “spends” them himself. But you can offer a compromise: pay in stones. For example, a child is mischievous and does not want to clean up his toys or bed. Offer the following options: do the cleaning yourself and get 6 stones, clean with you for 3 stones, you can clean for the child, but he must give 6 stones. The choice is his.

Post signs

Repeating the same thing over and over again is annoying for many parents! Children often let things slide and then get upset that they upset you. To prevent an open tube of toothpaste, an apple core on the table, or untidy things from ruining your mood, help each other!

Read 17 cleaning life hacks from popular mothers with many children. Basically, people clean their apartment or house no more than once every seven days. On the third day after cleaning, the apartment already becomes dusty and dirty, therefore, the conclusion is that one cleaning per week is not enough.

However, there are several life hacks for cleaning an apartment that can significantly reduce the formation of dust and dirt in your apartment and house; with their help, cleaning can be done once a week, and it will take much less time.

The children's room becomes very dirty almost every day due to the presence of a huge number of different plastic, wooden, plush products (toys). Dust, dirt, lint, etc. fill the room every twenty-four hours, especially when your child plays with toys.

We are also talking about order in the nursery, because if toys are scattered throughout the room, then something should be done.

For example, toys should be divided into categories and packaged in boxes. Firstly, it is very convenient, and there will be no excess dirt from toys on the floor, since they will be in a convenient container. Secondly, if you set aside a corner for toys in the nursery, you can significantly reduce the scope of work, and you will only have to clean that very corner.

Baskets for toys under the bed, sofa, closet

You can also use the space under cabinets, sofas and beds (if any) to increase free space. By increasing the space, it will be more convenient for you to clean it without being distracted by various little things in the room. For this you need simple baskets. In them you can put all the unnecessary and extra items in the room, including extra toys. Thanks to this cleaning life hack, you can clean a large room in five minutes by simply wiping the floor and clearing dust from tables and shelves.

Boxes on wheels

Remember office paper holders, which are made in a vertical position. If you take a closer look, they are very convenient for storing towels for which there is no room in. These stands are called paper trays, they are simple and very convenient, which is very good, because they can reduce space on the shelves. Place them on one of the bathroom cabinets, and hang robes and other large towels on the hooks.

Transparent bags

When a child is born, new things appear in the apartment, and every month there are more and more of them. You should be prepared for this. For example, purchasing a separate children's wardrobe would be a great idea. All your shelves in the closet will still be free for your things, and the child will immediately have places for his personal things. This option will be very space-saving and will also be very useful in the future.

Freezer and food labeling

We advise you to save a little more space, but not only in the apartment, but already in the refrigerator, or rather in the freezer. It is very convenient to pack all the products into packs, bags and containers and write down what is where. We also recommend that you sign the date when you put this product in the freezer, this will save yourself time and space in the freezer.

Toy cabinet

It happens that at one moment there is simply an impossible number of toys. Simple cabinets with shelves are created for such moments. With their help, you can save space and, accordingly, maintain order in the children's room. These cabinets are very easy to use and compact.

Cabinet under the sink

In general, the space under the sink is free for a reason; there are plans for this space. Some people put a trash can there to save space, others put heavy, large dishes. We advise you to save space for storing chemicals, namely, place all household chemicals in this place. This way, you will free up both space and time to find what is where. You will immediately know what to clean various surfaces all the products in one closet. If you have children, we recommend using locks for protection.

Small room

There are apartments with very small rooms, for example, a children's room, or a small room made into a dressing room. Cabinets with drawers are perfect for such rooms. This move will significantly save space, which is always critically lacking.

Construction set for children

An ironing board is used in all houses and apartments. However, there is one drawback, which is that the board itself is very large, and there is not even an idea where it could be attached. But there is an option to place it behind a closet, or on the balcony. This life hack for the home will help you not lose your place, and it will always be at hand.

Creativity corner

Every child loves creativity, various pencils, plasticine and paints, felt-tip pens and colored paper. When a child creates a work, it should be preserved; for this, it is best to use a wall with a large board called “Creativity Corner.” The board should be hung with hooks, shelves and holes so that each piece can be placed, glued and hung on this board.

Hairdryer

Very often girls have a problem with a hairdryer when getting ready for work in the morning. It can be very far or close, and sometimes tangled in knots. However, this can be avoided, namely, attach the hairdryer to the cabinet in the bathroom, on any of the convenient sides. You can attach baskets with right side, and place the curling iron and hair dryer in them. Thus, they will always be nearby and easy to use.

Functional bed

If yours has a simple design, that is, you can put something under the bed, then this is another plus. Can be placed under the bed various items It’s your choice to make the entire floor with boxes that won’t disturb anyone, or to build shelves for things and books in this frame. It's very convenient and everything is at hand.

Door and toys

Children, as you know, have a large number of not only things, but also toys, and in some cases things are in toys, and toys, accordingly, are in things. There is not enough space for anything, but you can use a door. On the side of the room on the door, install hooks with large capacious bags for soft toys. This method saves a lot of space in the nursery. This can also be done from the side of the cabinets.

Workplace in the closet

Sometimes you have space left in your dressers and closets, but there is still nowhere to put the equipment. There is an option to combine. If your chest of drawers has a large compartment, then you can place a printer in it, and at that moment bring the wires to the background. It will also save you desk space. And if this chest of drawers is located close to the desktop, then you can use the printer without any problems. You can also place other kitchen appliances in such a cabinet: mixers, food processors, hair dryers, irons, and others.