Time savers for busy moms

What’s the one thing you could use more of but can never get as a busy mom? Time!

It’s no secret that many moms are overburdened and overworked. The story has played out on television over and over again as well as real life. I remember an episode of “Desperate Housewives” where the character Lynette Scavo became addicted to ADHD medication so she could have more time to finish making costumes for a school play. I was teary eyed as that story line came to a close because I could relate to the pressures she felt.

Most moms dream of having precious time on their hands to get one more thing done. How many of us wish we could be more like the mom on the show “No Ordinary Family?” Stephanie Powell has superpowers moms can only dream of… tremendous speed not to mention the added bonus of a super fast metabolism. She can accomplish things in a single day that would take most of us days or weeks.

Why are moms obsessed with getting everything done and being perfect? Has anyone ever truly achieved that status? Clearly, we’ve set ourselves up for failure. Since we shouldn’t hold our breath waiting for superpowers, I thought I’d share a list of time savers instead.

Here goes:

1. Read your Blackberry/check your emails while drying your hair on the high speed setting.

2. Get mobile. Eat a healthy breakfast standing up, but don’t eat fast and don’t eat more – you can accomplish tons! Watch the morning news on your cell phone so you can move around.

3. Speaking of phones… don’t get stuck on the phone in a long conversation. Text when it’s appropriate. Save the long conversations for mom.

4. If you’re a TV geek like me, invest in a DVR. Don’t watch primetime television live. You don’t have the time! (Shhhh… don’t tell my boss I said that.)

5. Get everything ready for the next day before you go to bed no matter how tired you are. If you are a coffee addict, you should take advantage of the delay brew so that a fresh pot is prepared when you wake up.

6. Quickly clean one room of your house each day rather than trying to do the whole house at once. You’ll gain back the time you spend dreading a whole day of cleaning in your future.

7. Keep yourself and your family organized, but stop maintaining multiple calendars for work, home, etc. Try to get yourself down to one and only one calendar!

8. Turn your children into helpers. Let them know what you need whether it’s setting the breakfast table or packing their own snacks and teach them how to do it.

9. Don’t feel guilty about serving something simple occasionally like sandwiches for dinner. Use a slow cooker once a week or more for a no fuss meal.

10. If someone you trust offers you help, accept it. And don’t be afraid to ask if you need it.

With all the time you save, you can set aside special time for yourself, your spouse or your children! Maybe you’ll even get more sleep! A mom can dream…