Thank you to reader Amanda for sharing her thriving at home story.
When I had my first baby I was 28, I know not that old probably the average age, but by that stage of my life I had really come to a certain routine, a level of organisation & order about life. So of course the biggest thing I struggled with once my first daughter was born was that loss of control of life, the need to change the strict structure routine to a more go with the flow baby’s needs first lifestyle! Especially after having an emergency Caesarian and not being allowed to (or able to, yes I tried when I shouldn’t have! & suffered for it!) clean or lift things! Keep reading for my How to stay organised with 2 kids under 2 tips which will help you prepare for the day ahead and have a sense of control.
I have shared my top tips on How to stay organised with 2 kids under 2 below, this makes for a smooth morning when everyone’s feeling tired from the night or not quite perked up yet!
How to stay organised with 2 kids under 2!
The night before
Things that helped me feel prepared for the day ahead & gave me some sense of control and power over the unknown was doing 20 minutes of preparing the night before:
- lay out fresh clean flannels at every feeding station around the house (for burping & wiping up milk spills from breastfeeding) at the coffee table, next to my bed & next to the feeding chair in nursery.
- I’d check to see that all the nappies & wipes were stocked up ready to go.
- I’d lay out my cup, plate & utensils ready for breakfast, fill the kettle & all my water bottles & put them at my feeding stations
- I’d lay out my clothes & babies clothes ready for the following day.
Then as I was able to I’d also:
- give the floor a quick swish (like a big broom but with a soft fibre head) only takes like two minutes but so nice to walk out in the morning to a neat looking floor
- make sure the dishwasher was full & put on & wash any pots & knives that can’t go in washer so there was no dishes on the sink the following day
- check that there was something defrosting for dinner the next night.
At afternoon nap time
I’m lucky that my children have both been fairly consistent with the length of daytime naps so in the two hours I knew I had for the afternoon nap I’d:
- chop veggies for dinner
- make up sauces or marinades or alike so all I had to do was throw things into pans or oven later during the witching hours!
- then I’d always allow myself 30 minutes to have a nap or have a cuppa in peace or watch some TV solo to refresh my patience & on those days where the naps were guaranteed is do this first then do whatever housework or cooking I had to once I’d had my patience refreshed with some me time or sleep!
Now that I have two kids (two under two) who are now 2yrs & 8mths I do things like:
- lay out pjs & nappies for everyone during the afternoon nap
- ensure I’m dinner ready
- have some me time
After dinner
After dinner I send the kids into the shower with hubby & I:
- do the dishes, stack & start the dishwasher
- put all dirty clothes away in piles ready for washing
- put rubbish outside into bins
- lay out clothes for everyone (except hubby he can do his own ????)
- look at my meal plan for breakfast & lunch for the following day and ensure I’ve got everything there & lay out cutlery & plates etc, fill kettle
- give the floor a swish
- pick up toys & put them away
PLEASE SHARE YOUR TIPS
Through the new series ‘Helping mums thrive at home‘ I will be sharing my stories and tips, but I would love to read and share yours as well, just like Melinda’s. I am positive those who are feeling out of control at the moment will find some comfort and help reading how other mums have managed to get through these times, be it that you struggled too or you found one simple tip made a difference or you found a way to manage from the beginning. Your story and tips can make a big difference to another mum. Please email me your story or tips.
This post is a part of The Organised Housewife’s guide to help mums thrive at home series. You can view all other posts in the series here.
