Busy Mom Survival Guide: 8 Time Management Hacks, So You Can Finally Get Sh*t Done!

Can I be real with y’all for a second? No judgment, okay?

I go through entire days doing the most—I mean, constantly on my feet, handling business, running errands, and making things happen (or so I think). But then nighttime rolls around, I finally sit down to decompress, and it hits me: I only knocked out two things from my ten- item to-do list. And the worst part? I didn’t even get the most important stuff done.

Now I’m going to bed feeling like a failure, annoyed that tomorrow’s already stacked with the stuff I was supposed to finish today. Sigh. Please tell me it’s not just me? Are we all out here feeling like we suck most days?

If you’re nodding along, welcome to the mommy homegirl community!

But let’s be real—we don’t suck. It’s the never-ending demands of Regular Mom Life that make it feel like we do. Between taking care of the kids, laundry, cooking, cleaning, planning doctor appointments, grocery shopping, and somehow remembering to shower and drink water, time just slips away. If only we had an extra body to handle half the list and a few more hours in the day to sneak in a nap and scroll social media uninterrupted—life would be golden.

Unfortunately, extra bodies and bonus hours? Not happening. But don’t worry, girl—I got the next best thing.

We don’t need more hours. What we do need is some Time Management Hacks or what I call it, a Solid System to make better use of the ones we already have.

And in this post, I’m giving out the blueprint for you Busy Moms to get more done without losing your mind. And no, this isn’t another thing to add to your to-do list—I’ve already done the legwork, so all you have to do is plug and play.

So, let’s get into it!

1. Pre-Game the Night Before (Because Mornings Be CRAZY) -Time Saving Tips to Make Your Mornings Easier

Start your day the night before—because we all know mornings with kids (especially school- aged ones) are a whole mission. You need every ounce of energy just to survive school drop-off lines, let alone getting everyone out the door in one piece.

No more scrambling to find shoes, packing last-minute lunches, or reminding your teen for the 12th time to grab their backpack. And don’t even get me started on making sure everyone eats breakfast while trying to make yourself look halfway presentable.

(Let’s be real—as long as my kids are a 9 or 10, I’ll settle for looking like a 5. It balances out. 😂 ) 

The Trick? Prepping the Night Before.

✅ Lay out outfits (for the kids and yourself). Yes, this includes your teen. 

Pro Tip: Make it fun —tell them to show off their “drip” for the week. Now you’ve got them picking outfits on Sunday night for the whole school week. I use these cute stackable organizers for the kids clothes. Stick around till the end I go into more detail, but if you’re anxious and ready to get organized now, get yours here https://amzn.to/3X5Zlk6

✅ Pack lunches and snacks. Have your little one pick their favorite snack before bed and place it in their backpack or the fridge next to their pre-packed lunch.

✅ Set up a grab-and-go breakfast station. Granola bars, fruit, even cereal or Pop-Tarts— whatever makes mornings easier.

✅ 10-Minute House Reset. In my house, this is a non-negotiable. At 8:50 PM, either my husband or I call out, “Pick-up time!” and the whole family knows what’s up. Assign roles and lock it in place:

• My teen unloads and loads the dishwasher, wipes down counters, and does a quick Swiffer of the kitchen floor.
• My two toddlers race to pick up toys. We have a large basket the toys go into, its cute and convenient. See if it could work for you here https://amzn.to/42ZLsHM
• I prep vitamins, reset the beds, and tidy the bathroom.
• My husband helps with toy cleanup, vacuums up the afternoon snack crime scene (You know, chip crumbs and half-eaten string cheese under the couch), and straightens up the living room.

Why? Because waking up to a clean space feels like instant peace.

✅ Schedule Review. After the house reset, I run through my to-do list with my husband— usually while brushing the kids’ teeth. (Try brushing an active 2-year-old boy’s teeth alone—it’s a sport. 😩 )

This keeps everything fresh in my mind so I’m not scrambling to remember important tasks the next morning.

All of this takes maybe 15–20 minutes at night, but it saves an hour (and a whole lot of stress) in the morning. Trust me!

2. The 5-Minute Rule -A Simple Trick for Busy Moms

This one is simple and so effective. I’m not even gonna hold y’all—when I first started implementing this one, it was annoying because ya girl be lazy sometimes. But that’s exactly one of the bad habits we’re breaking here, right? RIGHT!

If there’s something that needs to be done and it takes 5 minutes or less to complete, Girl, do that shyt right now!

Like, for real—those dishes piled up in the sink? That’s a 5-minute job. Do it right now. Because “I’ll do it later” is how these tasks pile up.

And guess what? In an hour, something else will need to be done. Or your toddler will suddenly decide he cannot nap without you holding him the whole time. Just do it now.

This goes for everything—replying to that work email, responding to your friend’s text (don’t trip, she knows the reply timeframe for a busy mom is 3–5 business days, lol). Shoot, even a quick shower can be done in 5 minutes! No excuses, no laziness—get up, knock those little tasks out, and watch how accomplished you feel after knocking out 4–5 quick things.

You’re about to feel like you can take over the world—but hold on, girl, we’re just trying to take over this household first. We’ll do the world later. 😆

3. Time Blocking: Multitasking is Temporarily Out of Order –The Ultimate Productivity Hack for Busy Moms

Let’s talk about multitasking, or should I say, the illusion of multitasking.

You know the drill: you start by cleaning the dishes, then you notice the fridge shelves are filthy. So, you start cleaning them, but then you spot old food to toss. Next thing you know, you’re heading to the trash, only to find the bathroom trash needs to be taken out too. And don’t even get me started on how your toddler suddenly needs a snack, pulling you back into the kitchen. You sit down to take a break and look around, only to realize—nothing’s done.

You’ve started a bunch of tasks, but not a single one is finished. This cycle? It’s over today.

We’ve all been there, Mama. Multitasking as a busy mom means a lot of things get touched, but nothing ever gets done. It’s time we stop trying to live by the societal rule that we have to do it all, all the time. Honestly, we’re already exhausted from doing one thing—why are we pushing ourselves to do everything at once?

Multitasking is overstimulating, and let’s be real: it’s leaving us in closets eating fruit snacks to cope. Not anymore. We’re done with the chaos.

Instead, let’s get on board with time blocking. This is where you set specific blocks of time to focus on just one task at a time. No distractions, no juggling, just productivity.

Here’s how you can break it down:

✅ Mornings:
Set time for work calls or answering emails. If you’re a stay-at-home mom, use this time for

those “I need to talk to an adult” moments. One hour for texting friends and venting—it’s necessary!

✅ Midday:
Reserve time for errands and housework. Take care of anything that needs to be done outside the house first, then tackle the simple stuff inside.

✅ Afternoon:
Use this block for self-care, side hustles, or self-improvement work. Scroll through social media if that’s what you need—but keep it limited to this time gap.

✅ Evenings:
Family time, dinner, the 10-minute reset, and bedtime routines. These should be your wind-down moments, no work allowed.

The key is to list all your daily tasks and assign them to specific time blocks. When something unexpected comes up, just slot it into the right time gap. Simple, right?

Here’s the real trick to making this work: Discipline. Stick to your time blocks and don’t deviate unless it’s absolutely necessary.

For me, I get texts all the time, but I’m focused on my blog. When I’m researching answers to motherhood struggles, I’ll see the texts coming in, but I remind myself, “I can’t reply until 4 PM.” My text response time block is from 4-6 PM, so I stay focused and get my work done without getting distracted by a chat or scrolling through Instagram Reels.

If you can stay disciplined and stick to your time blocks, you’ll see a massive shift in your productivity. Tasks will get done faster, and you’ll actually finish what you start. It’s a total game-changer—trust me.

4. Delegate and Automate —A Key to Simplifying Your Busy Mom Life

Alright, I’m gonna hold your hand when I tell you this, “You do not have to do everything yourself.”
Seriously, girl, there’s only so many hours in the day. No one said we have to use every single one of them running errands, doing chores, and watching the kiddos.

Here’s how to lighten the load:

✅ Use grocery delivery or pickup
Save yourself hours each month—and avoid the chaos of dragging your little ones through the store. Because let’s be real, ain’t nobody got time for their toddler to suddenly start acting up in the candy aisle. 

Fun fact: A lot of stores offer free delivery on qualified orders or memberships —like Amazon, Walmart, Sam’s Club, or Costco. Some even accept SNAP for grocery delivery!

✅ Put bills on autopay
Okay, I’m not gonna front—I’m still not quite mature enough for this yet, but if your budget allows, autopay is a total game-changer. It’s one less thing you gotta worry about. We all know how annoying it is to get that email saying your payment is late because everything else slipped your mind. This way, your bills get paid automatically, and you won’t be scrambling to make sure it’s all set.

✅ Give your little ones a job
Yes, even the toddlers can help around the house. Our cute little broke besties deserve a light job, plus they’ll like it. Let’s be real—most of the mess came from them anyway! Here are a few ideas:

• Picking up their toys
• Emptying bathroom trash bins (if they’re small)
• Putting water bottles in the fridge
• Restocking their snack bins.

Make it fun! I usually turn it into a game: “Whoever picks up the most toys before the timer goes off gets to turn on the fan before bed!”

Little rewards like this work wonders—trust me, they’re excited about feeling like the big kids.

✅ Make a shared family calendar
This one is a lifesaver, especially if you’re trying to get your partner to pitch in without constantly telling them what needs to be done.

A shared family calendar helps everyone stay on track. You won’t have to ask your husband for help because everything is right there, laid out in black and white. It’s a simple way to keep everyone involved, without the extra effort on your part.

Let go of that “I have to do it all” mindset, and watch how much time and stress you get back. Shoot, by the end of the week, you might even feel like a normal functioning adult. (Haha, yeah, right!)

5. Batching: The Secret to Actually Being Productive— How Batching Can Help Busy Moms Stay Organized and Save Time

Instead of jumping from task to task all day, try batching similar tasks together. This way, your brain doesn’t have to keep restarting or overthinking. Here’s how you can make it work for you:

✅ Laundry
Pick one or two days a week to do laundry instead of spreading it out every day.

If you go with one day, make it your laundry day—literally do nothing else but laundry. This will help you break the cycle of washing and drying clothes, only to leave them in piles on the bed or your favorite chair for a week because you didn’t have time to fold and put them away. Focus on laundry only on that day, and you’ll get it done quicker.

✅ MealPrep
I’m not talking about full meals (though if you can, go for it). I’m talking about prepping the fruits and veggies for the week. Chop them up and store them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.

This makes meal prep for the week a lot easier and quicker. Plus, it saves you time when cooking dinner and gives you healthier snack options already ready to go.

✅ Errands
Batch your errands into one trip instead of running out every day. Those days when you need groceries, but you also have to grab your kids a new outfit for a themed week at school?

Don’t put it off till tomorrow. Knock out both stops today! If you’re feeling tired after the grocery store, don’t stress—just make it quick. Get in, get what you need, and get out. You’ll save time and effort, and tomorrow, you’ll be able to knock out even more tasks since you won’t have that extra errand hanging over your head.

Batching helps you stay focused, save time, and get more done with less effort. Win, win, win! 

6. Race Yourself— How Competing With Your Past Self Can Boost Your Productivity and Confidence

Girl, I know it sounds wild, but just trust me on this one. To quote the homie Kendrick, “bear with me for a second let me put y’all on game.”

Let me take you back for a second. Remember when you were growing up, and you’d spend the whole day playing and turning the house upside down? Then, with 30 minutes left before your mama got home from work, you knew she didn’t play about coming home to a messy house. You rushed around and cleaned that whole house in 10 minutes flat, then plopped on the couch acting like you’d been chilling, watching TV, and doing your homework. Yes? Then, girl, we lived the same life. Mama did not play.

Or maybe you’re a stay-at-home mom now, and you let your toddler tear up the house while you’re scrolling social media all day. Then you get that “I’m on my way home” text from your husband, and suddenly—boom!—you’re running around getting the house cleaned up in 15 minutes flat, greeting him like you’ve been working hard all day.

Or this one hits close to home: company announces they’re coming over, and out of nowhere, you’ve cleaned the whole house—and the bathroom—right before they arrive. If you can’t relate to any of these, you’re cut from a different cloth because, baby, I’ve got stories.

But real talk, the truth is, we all work faster under pressure. It’s just in our nature. So why not use that to your advantage? Here’s the trick: race yourself. Set a 10-15 minute timer and see how much you can accomplish in that short burst of focused energy. You’ll be shocked at how much you can get done in so little time.

Pro Tip: Make it a contest with the kids! See who can finish their chores the fastest. The winner gets to pick their dessert (or a small reward). Trust me, they’ll love the challenge.

7. Stop Saying Yes to Everything — How Setting Boundaries Can Improve Your Time Management & Mental Health

Girl, I’m holding your hand when I say this: You do not need to be at every event, playdate, PTO meeting, or party. Your time is precious, and let’s be real—you don’t have enough of it to go around. It’s time to start prioritizing.

We do this to ourselves all the time, spreading ourselves too thin. Saying yes to working extra shifts, doing someone a favor, volunteering at the school, coaching the kids’ team, and so on.

We already have so much on our plate, and adding more to the list just because we don’t want to hurt feelings, or we want to be nice, or we’re trying to help out is just OUT. I mean, shoot, we need help too, and people aren’t exactly volunteering to help us.

Before you commit to anything, ask yourself a few questions:

Do I actually want to do this?

Do I realistically have time for this?

Will it add value to my life, or just more stress?

If the answer is no, skip it. Protect your time like you protect your edges. That’s just that on that.

Trust me, I know this is hard because you’re such a kind and giving person, always wanting to be there for everyone and everything. But, girl, you can’t pour from an empty cup, and sometimes, you need to say no to others so you can say yes to yourself.

For example, my husband coaches both of our kids’ sports teams. Our kids play every season, but this upcoming Spring season (from March to May), we had to make a tough decision. We’re in the middle of trying to find a new house, and we need to be moved by June. On top of that, we’re expecting baby #4 in July. The thought of coaching both teams while juggling house tours, packing, and preparing for the baby felt overwhelming. As much as my husband loves coaching, we had to face the reality that it didn’t make sense. With him already working a full-time job, handling the kids’ school activities, and all the moving logistics, adding sports coaching would’ve stretched us too thin.

It wasn’t fair to our kids, and we knew we couldn’t give them the attention and effort they deserved during the season. So, as hard as it was, we said no to this season. Our kids will play next season, after the move, and everything will be just fine.

Saying no is not the end of the world—it’s the beginning of your new, minimal stress world. 

8. Take Breaks, You Deserve It —Boost Productivity and Prevent Burnout.

Burnout is real, girl! Like I said earlier, you can’t pour from an empty cup. Why do you think they always tell you to put your oxygen mask on first before helping others on a plane? Because you can’t help anyone if you’re not breathing! (Okay, maybe that was a little dramatic, but you get me.)

You’re no good to anyone running on caffeine and 4 hours of sleep. You’ve got to take care of yourself—mentally and physically—to show up as your best for everyone else.

Breaks, even small ones, are crucial to your mental health:

✅  Pause for a few minutes between tasks to reset

✅  Read, stretch, or scroll TikTok (if it’s still around when you’re reading this)

✅  Give yourself permission to rest – it’s okay, mama! It’s imperative—and you deserve it. You work hard all day, so take a moment for yourself, guilt- free!!! 

TIME TO RECLAIM YOUR TIME !! Whether you have 1 child or 5, being a mom means being busy—but we don’t have to be overwhelmed or overstimulated.

Try these time management hacks and see what works for you. Watch how much easier your days feel when you stop letting time control you!

What’s your go-to time-saving trick? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear how you make mom life work!

And if this post helped, share it with your fellow mom friends! Let’s grow this community and get our time back together.

As promised, here are a few products I use to stay organized:

For weekly clothes organization: I use these stackable 3-drawer plastic containers.

I have a total of 5 stacked together for each kid, labeled Monday through Friday. It keeps their outfits, socks, and even shoes neat, wrinkle-free, and in one spot. I tell my 4-year- old to grab his day’s set and meet me in the bathroom. Check them out here: Stackable Drawer Organizers

For toy pickup: We use these super cute large baskets. The boys drag them around to pick up toys or toss the toys into the basket like it’s a basketball net. Whatever works, right?
Get yours here: Large Toy Basket.

These are just a few of my go-to products, but if you need recommendations for cleaning supplies or anything else, drop a comment below. I’ve got you, girl!

🚨 🚨 More Game-Changing Time Hacks Coming Your Way! This was just Part One. I’ve got even more real-life, mom-approved time management hacks coming soon.

We’re about to start running this Regular Mom Life instead of letting it run us. 

Stay tuned for Part 2! 💖

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