Rethink Your Routines

Morning Rush

-Lay clothes out the night before. Make sure there are no spots, rips, loose buttons or other problems.
-Set the breakfast table after dinner. Put out bowls, spoons and the cereal selection.
-Fill the coffeemaker with water and put coffee in the basket.
-Change wakeup times. To make getting ready more efficient, stagger when the kids get up. As one goes into the bathroom, the other can finish getting dressed.
-Fill the gas tank at night. It eliminates a last-minute stop, and if gasoline gets on your hands or clothes, it doesn’t matter—you’re on your way home, not to work.

Chores

-Do more than one thing at once. Catch up on paperwork when you’re waiting to pick up the kids from soccer. Use telephone time to sort mail, clean out drawers or a cabinet, or dust shelves.
-Tackle a big job in small spurts. Schedule 15- to 30-minute sessions for tasks like cleaning the basement or the garage. You’ll be more energized for the time that you do spend cleaning.
-Learn to delegate. Make a weekly schedule and assign chores. This way everyone can see at a glance what he or she needs to do. (Let the kids exchange jobs if they want to.)

Errands

-Arrange to have your paycheck directly deposited into your bank account and start online banking to avoid time-consuming trips to the bank.
-Keep road maps, a phone book, paper towels and baby wipes in the car to avoid unnecessary stops.
-Set up an errand co-op with friends. One person goes to the post office, another to the pet store and a third to the hardware store while one babysits for
everyone.
-Give older kids a list of items to find on shelves when grocery shopping. It speeds things up and gives them something to do.