TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS FOR NEW MOMS.

Let’s discuss this! Time management tips for a new mom because I’m a new mom, and I think this is such an important topic.

Firstly, let me start by saying, in NO MEANS do I have my shit together. I do not have this whole put-together-mom-life all figured out. Somedays I do, and other days I’m a hot mess of a mom where Lemon is throwing her dinner on the floor, and I’m burning the rice, the garbage bins are overflowing, and Andrew and I are yelling at each other for something stupid. LOL.

But, somedays, when I get it right, I feel INVINCIBLE. The laundry is all done and put away, I’ve had a hot coffee, the kitchen is spotless, I’ve meal planned for the week, and I’ve been able to get work done. Truly a great feeling.

So, on that note, I want to share some time management tips that have been working for me.

TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS FOR NEW MOMS:

HIRE HELP:

Recently, Andrew and I decided that we needed help with deep cleaning the house. We were always doing it ourselves, and still will continue to do most of the cleaning, however, this is a huge time management tip. I find that once every 3 weeks or so, I would like a deep clean of the house. I want baseboards cleaned, and bathtubs scrubbed, and the entire house to be vacuumed and moped, etc. So, we decided that based on our budget, we were comfortable hiring the help.

Now I’m not saying you need to hire someone for every aspect of your life, but if you can, hire help for something you truly don’t want to spend your time doing. That could be gardening, or getting help with your business, etc. Time is so so so precious, and you want to make sure that you are spending it wisely. Would you rather clean your bathrooms or would you rather take your kids to get ice cream? For me, it’s the latter.

GET A SHARED GOOGLE CALENDER:

If you don’t already have one with your significant other, you NEED ONE. It’s game-changing. Andrew and I now use a shared calendar and it’s helped us organize so many things, flawlessly. As parents, time escapes you. One minute you are having a coffee at 7am, and the next minute it’s already 7pm and you’re putting your kids to sleep. Am I right?!

A shared Google calendar helps to organize your day, sends you (both) reminders of appointments, meetings, etc, and that way, you both are in the loop of absolutely everything you’re doing. Nothing falls through the cracks. This is one of the best time management tips ever. We schedule, gym time, OB appointments, zoom meetings, doctor’s appointments, phone calls, etc. And yes, of course, you also have your own calendars as well. But 90% of our calendar is shared and we like it that way. Again, parenting is a whirlwind, and being disorganized is really just not an option.

TIME BLOCK YOUR DAY:

I’ve talked about time blocking before, and it’s nothing new, but it WORKS. If you have never time blocked your day, you need to. This was you are less distracted and can focus 100% on the task at hand. Basically, how it works is you break up your day into the tasks your need to do and allot yourself specific time for each of those tasks. You cannot veer from the time allotted!

For example:

TASK	TIME
– Respond to emails	8AM – 9AM
– Brainstorm content	9AM – 11AM
– Admin work	11AM – 12PM
– Lunch	12PM – 1PM
– Take phone meetings	1:30PM – 2:30PM
– Prep for tomorrow	2:30PM – 3:00PM

This is just an example of what time blocking looks like. This could change every day based on what your days are like. And it can include anything, based on your lifestyle. Ie: spending time with your kids, attending to the garden, cleaning the house, doing laundry, etc.

I find it to be a genius time management tip in getting anything done. I like to jot this down in my daily planner. I’m obsessed with this planner, by the way. It’s a dateless one, and very to the point. No fluffy bullshit. It’s such a good one. And while we’re at it, these are the pens I use and love.

MAKE TIME FOR THE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY:

I cannot stress enough how important this is. I see so many moms that are completely burnt out, and that’s because they no longer do anything that makes them happy. I totally understand you wanting to put your kids first, however, you are not serving anyone when you are burnt out.

Ask yourself: What were some things you enjoyed before you had kids? Think about this long and hard. Was it getting your nails done? Was it taking 20 minute walks out in nature by yourself? Going to the gym? Was is grabbing coffee in the mornings? What was truly making you feel like YOU?

Get back to that. You aren’t doing anyone any favours when you are overworked and tired. As a mom, it’s taken me a while to get back to me. And some days I still feel overworked and tired. You have to really make an effort to spend time on yourself. You have to work with your significant other to “allow” these things to happen. I know, I hate the word “allow” and it’s not the way I mean it. what I mean is, working with your partner to find a time that you can have. Your partner has to be available so that you can disengage and do something for yourself. And of course, the same goes for your S/O too.

Andrew and I will block time off (in our shared calendar) to take time for ourselves. We have our own hobbies, interests, etc., and we make sure that each other gets to enjoy that.

ORDER ONLINE WHEN YOU CAN:

Okay, hi Amazon! Whenever you can, order online. Trust me on this major time management tip. I’m so over going to the grocery store for things like paper towels, dish soap, toilet paper, diapers, etc. It save me SO MUCH TIME to order these things online. (Not to mention, cheaper sometimes!) Again, time is so precious, so don’t waste it.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love going to the grocery store for our actual groceries. I actually find grocery shopping to be very therapeutic sometimes and I love browsing new items/foods to cook with. But when it comes to the odd household stuff, I just prefer to get that delivered. Grocery shopping takes us no longer than 10 minutes. We have a list, and we power through it. We are huge cooks, and we cook meals 3-4 times a week, so we need time for that.

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Okay, there it is – my top time management tips for new moms and parents. What do you guys think? Do you find this helpful? What are some tips you feel are missing from this list? Let me know in the comments. I’d love your feedback.

Xx, kim

++ If you enjoyed this post, check out My Realistic Morning Routine as a Mom.

+++ Oh, and the Newborn Essentials List You Actually Need.