10 Tips for Making Life on the Go A Little Easier & More Efficient

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My newborn triplets and their "big" brother -- all born within a year
Vintage photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

Life with one's first baby is certainly busy enough.  But when the number of children quickly goes to 4, all within a year like it did for me because I had triplets, things potentially can get a little hectic and out of hand.  That is -- if you let them.

I survived with four babies in diapers at once while my hubbie worked long hours as a doctor at a busy hospital, so my logic holds that you too can manage your family's on the go lifestyle.  That is, if you have a system in place to handle all the peaks and valleys that having kids always entails whether you've got just one child or multiple kids.

Top 10 Tips to Simplify the Crazy Busy Lives
We Moms Live That Worked for Me

1. Always allow extra time for any task or any errand.  Murphy's Law almost always hold when you have kids: If something can go wrong, it likely will go wrong.  Plan for a cushion of time so that you don't always get stressed out by rushing around the house before going somewhere with the kids or alone.

2. When getting ready for a trip, start packing several weeks in advance -- and have the kids try EVERYTHING on.  This way you'll find out which things you need to replace or buy in a larger size way ahead of your vacation's departure date.

3. Teach kids while their young how to take responsibility for making sure that they have everything they need when leaving the house for school each day.  Just about every mom who has survived elementary school car pool driving, knows how often kids forget stuff that you end up having to go back home and retrieve and bring to them at school.

4. Set up an organizational system that works for you.  For me, I learned from a mother of quintuplets how to use a laundry basket by the front door where everyone in the family would leave their shoes when they walked in.  This helped us avoid having to search the house on so many occasions for a missing sandal or Croc.

5. Start kids doing chores when they are as young as possible and increase the complexity of their duties as they grow older.  Inspiring the children to pick up after themselves, by having you set the example by letting them see you  cleaning up your own things.  Rotating chores if you have more than one child keeps it fair so the same kid isn't always stuck with the same duty; it also will bring more peace among your household.

6. Let your children start making choices early by presenting them with two or three options they have to pick from.  Then, before you know it your kids will be able to make decisions on their own without having to ask you for every little thing.

7.  Stock up on staples in your kitchen such as can and dry goods as well as things that can be frozen.  If you have a big variety of foods in your stash it will be very easy for you to create a simple dinner just with the ingredients you have on hand instead of having to go out grocery shopping when the kids are grouchy because they're hungry.

8.  Get lots of rest, always.  If you have little kids, nap when they're napping.  If your kids are older, but you feel you need to rest quietly for awhile, teach the children how to entertain themselves and keep the noise down while you are resting.  If everyone is well rested, you'd be amazing how much easier and smoother everything will run.  If you're tired, you will be prone to accidents and make errors which can be dangerous and waste time, now to mention costly.

9.  Keep a dry erase board or magnetic clip board in the kitchen so family members can add items to the shopping list as you are getting low on them rather than waiting until you're all out.  This running to buy list will always be there when you decide you're going grocery shopping even if the kids aren't around.

10. Slow down and enjoy your children while they're young.  Before you know it they'll be going off to college and getting married.   Right after morning carpool, why not reflect on the family you've been blessed with by treating yourself to some quiet time to take it all in with one Seattle's Best Coffee Iced Lattes in a can?

I know I can't think of anything more refreshing than thinking good things about my children while sipping an SBC Iced Latte this summer.   Follow Seattle's Best Coffee on Facebook so you'll stay up to date on everything they're doing as well as to learn about this brand new product offering.

Image provided by Seattle's Best Coffee

FTC Disclosure:  I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Seattle’s Best Coffee blogging program for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.