I’d say that anything more than two children is a large family. I definitely felt the switch when we welcomed our third child into the family. Suddenly we were a ‘big’ family. Now we have five children and a lot of our daily routines and organizational habits, have become absolute second nature for me, that I do not even notice I am doing them in a certain way. But a lot of my daily habits have been learned overtime and are ways to make our family life run more smoothly and more efficiently when need be – and also preserve my sanity of course! 😉 So here are a few tips and tricks that we do in our family. I hope some of them can be helpful to you too!
- Clear Roles. Have clear roles in the family. I manage our family life 100% – schooling, social life, extracurriculars, vacation planning, doctors, bills, life admin, meals, etc. If I need hubby to be somewhere or know about something (ie school related), I ask him to put it in his diary.
- Family Calendar. Have a joint family calendar. Hubby and I have recently set up a joint google calendar and it has helped us so much. We both know where we are and when and there are no surprises this way.
- Get Help. If possible, have help (we have a nanny Monday – Friday). This allows me to not rely on my partner, when I need help with the kids, and gives us both some more freedom when need be. I feel happier and healthier as a result.
- Streamline Shopping. I basically only shop online (other than our groceries). Everything else (clothes, diapers, toiletries, toys, presents, etc…all online). There is a constant running list of what needs to be bought (more socks for this kid, underwear for that kid, that special face-cream that you can only get in that pharmacy, etc….) I don’t have time to run to shops.
- Meal Plan. Sunday nights, I meal plan for the week ahead. We try to always eat early, together as a family. Our kids and I do not generally eat the same meals (not yet at least!), so I meal plan for the kids for every day of the week and I meal plan for us parents for every day of the week. Sounds like a lot, but I get our nanny to prep the kid’s meals earlier in the afternoon, leaving me to prep dinner for hubby and I. Also, once or twice a week, I make sure to cook a meal that allows for leftovers for the following night.
- Grocery Shop. I grocery shop every Monday morning, where I do one big shop for the week. On Fridays, I do a smaller top shop up for weekend.
- Bulk Shop. I do a bulk shop once every 6 weeks (cleaning products, dry goods, water, etc), and make sure the pantry is always stocked with our essentials.
- Healthy Habits. We juice once a week (Mondays) in a large batch, as well as bake a fresh loaf of seed/nut bread. Makes for an easy, healthy start to every morning.
- Bath Time. Before bath time, I always make sure ever child’s PJ is already laid out in the bathroom, along with nappies for the youngest ones. This allows for smoother bath time. And yes, we do bath time with all kids at once. It is like a little factory chain!
- Bedtime. Bedtime routines are clear in our family. The kids know what to expect. Early bedtimes are a norm (when it’s not summer time!).
- Clean Spaces. We clean up every single room every night, before going to bed.
- The Morning Rush. Prepare for the mornings before you go to bed. Lay out breakfast and the kid’s clothes the night before, on school nights.
- Engage & Give Responsibility. Engage the older kids and give them responsibilities early. Our 9 and 7 year old need to help me a lot. It is expected and normal for them.
- Sleep Training. I know this is not for everyone, but we chose to sleep train, using a sleep coach, all our babes at around 8/9 months and it has worked wonders for us. Clear, simple, easy bedtimes, and long dependable naps as a result of sleep training. And 12 hours of sleeping through the night, every night.
- Holiday Plan. We vacation/holiday plan way ahead of time. Same with packing – I start packing and organizing for a trip a couple weeks out. We have a joint Year Travel calendar, as a family. This one of the best parts of everyday life!
- Limit The Commute. We have chosen places to live (since becoming parents), where we have limited travel times. No long school commutes (and hubby works from home, when he is not traveling internationally for work).
- Cleanse Toys. I cleanse toys (and clothes) regularly. And I only shop toys in certain categories – Lego, Playmobil, dolls, wooden train tracks, metal trucks, wooden blocks, Schleich animals, crafts, etc. Random plastic toys don’t survive in our home. And our kids share all toys, for the most part.
- Wardrobes. I streamline colours (clothes) in our family. For aesthetic and organizational reasons.
- Entrance Hall System. One thing I am dying to do, but I need some interior reno first, is create an entrance space with a locker system. Where every child has their own little locker, allowing for you to organize lockers with each child’s individual essentials – namely, winter coat, rain coat, school bag, extra-curricular bags, basket for artwork, basket for homework, the many different kinds of shoes, etc. At the moment, I have my own organizing system that works (hanging coats in order of age for example, and same for the school bags), but I am still dreaming of renovating our entrance hall!
Stellarize your life!
Stella x
