7 Hacks And Tips For Working Mothers

Being a working mom is hard. And if you’re like me, I am always asking older women and google for tips for working mothers because I knew there had to be a better way.

Your days probably go something like this, wake up at 5am to get yourself ready and then get the kids up for the day. Do the morning breakfast and get ready routine. Drop everyone off at school and go to work yourself. Come home for the evening routine and then drop into bed exhausted only to have to do it the very next day.

I’ve compiled a list of the best tips and hacks for a productive motherhood for working mothers.

This post is all about tips for working mothers.

7 Hacks And Tips For Working Mothers

1. Know what you need to be a happy working mom

This will look different for everyone but know what self-care you need. Depending on the season of motherhood you’re in this will look different. In the newborn phase, it could be getting a shower and 3 good meals a day. But later, it could look like getting up an hour before your school aged kids to read and ease into your day.

Other ideas could include:

1. An hour in the morning or evening to yourself
2. Taking a bath
3. Reading a book 20-30 minutes a day
4. Using nap time or car rides to and from work to listen to an indulgent podcast or audio book
5. Getting a date night each week with your spouse

2. Have solid boundaries with work

There are so many successful mothers with careers that do this so well. I’ve learned from women in my own organization that the company will always pull for more and more of you. It’s your job to push back and set boundaries.

Learning this from women who have gone before me give me the confidence and permission to do it too. When you’re working, be fully present there and when you’re home, be fully present there (I know, a lot harder said than done!).

3. Set up systems to be an efficient mom

If you’re struggling with how to manage work and home responsibilities, systems are the answer.

“You don’t rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your habits.” – James Clear

James Clear said it best but I have found systems and habits around being consistent with those systems create a peaceful home. Some of the best systems in my home are my laundry system, meal planning system, time blocking my day and getting up an hour before my kids.

Laundry System

Laundry is one of those things that is hard to outsource so create a system around it that can be built into a habit. I’ll share what I do below.

Each room and person in my family has their own laundry basket. Each basket has a day during the week where it’s washed, dried and put away all in the same day. This allows for less sorting and “touching” of the laundry. I do not sort by colors, everything gets washed on cold but I do spray stains. I sit with the done laundry in front of the dresser it goes back into and fold then put away right there.

Meal Planning

I love to cook for my family but meal planning is a challenge. I didn’t do it for year but learned from another mom a great hack. She said to meal plan 1-2 months at a time! Get a calendar out, and write in all the meals for those days for 2 months.

Pull all your favorite cookbooks or pinterest boards and go to town. Even if you don’t stick to it exactly, it’s so nice to have something to look at and grocery shop from each week. This has reduced my spend on groceries and makes grocery delivery so much better because I know exactly what I need each week.

Time Blocking

Time blocking is an exercise where work is preplanned in future chunks of time. The motherload mentally is huge and a system of preplanning when important work and tasks were getting done was huge for me.

Reading Cal Newport’s book “Deep Work” helped me see that there are certain times throughout the day where I work better than others so I should reserve those blocks of time for the most important tasks.

It’s much harder to switch between tasks than it is to get a chunk of time in to complete fully. This is why I wake up an hour before my kids each morning, I have more peace throughout my day when I know I have accomplished important things for that day in that uninterrupted time.

4. Negotiate flexible work

Having an employer or schedule that allows for flexible work is huge. With technology, so many companies are more open to this now than ever. This could look like some days at home where you could do meal prep and laundry in between tasks. Or the ability to leave early for school pick up and finishing later at night.

Whatever it is for you, make sure when you’re negotiating this with your employer you come with solutions on how you’re going to still get the same (or better) results than you did before the change.

5. Have a trusted care provider

Having childcare you trust will relieve so much of the mental load. Whether it’s a nanny, daycare, preschool or elementary school, prioritizing placing your children somewhere you trust the care providers completely is huge.

The last thing you need is to worry about your kids safety or emotional needs being met while you’re away.

6. Establish open communication with your kids

This one is huge and will come as your kids get older. I’ve talked to my children about their hearts, emotions and established a family motto that helps lead them to talk through their day and feelings. It took me 4 years to figure it out but I am confident my kids will tell me what they experienced that day through their emotions so I can help parent them through it even though I am not there.

7. Do a midweek treat

I learned this from another working mom but setting up a midweek treat is so much fun! It gives you something to look forward to each week and a boost to the weekend.

This will look different for everyone but figure out what’s best for you and make it a routine. For me, it’s going out to dinner with my family Wednesday or Thursday night so I don’t have to cook and we can have uninterrupted time altogether without the distraction of bedtime or household chores.

What other tips for working mothers do you have? Let me know in the comments below!

This post was all about tips for working mothers.