The Best Mom Hacks for getting more done in less time

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Looking for smart tricks to help manage your home effectively and save time? Here are the best mom hacks for getting more done in less time.

It’s 9.00 PM and you’re still standing in the laundry room with a ton of clothes scattered everywhere, with a never ending list of tasks looming before you can finally call it a night.

Your husband and kids are sound asleep, the house looks like a tornado hit it, and you’re left wondering how on earth other moms seem to effortlessly manage everything while you’re barely keeping your head above water.

From managing schedules and cooking meals to tackling laundry and homework, the demands of motherhood are relentless. It often feels like you’re always doing, but never quite done, which can be incredibly overwhelming.

But do you know that there are smart strategies that aren’t about doing more, but about doing things smarter and faster?

After many years of trial and error, I discovered some incredible time saving hacks that have become my secret weapons for staying organized, making the most of my time, and ensuring my weeks are packed with more joy and less stress.

These hacks have helped me accomplish more in a limited time. This way, I have more time for my family and myself.

The best mom hacks for getting more done in less time

1. Make a To-do List and prioritise tasks

Grab a pen and paper, or open a digital note on your phone. Now, for the next 10 – 15 minutes, just write down everything that comes to mind that you need or want to do.

Every single chore, every task, every worry, every idea, big or small.

Go through each item and arrange them in order of importance. This is where you decide what’s truly urgent and what can happily wait.

This step is key because it stops you from getting bogged down in less important tasks while the truly urgent ones pile up and create more stress. You’ll immediately see what needs your attention now and what can be tackled later, giving you a clear path forward.

2. Change your mindset

Motherhood is not easy. It’s messy, it gets interrupted, and you have to be flexible enough to handle the fact that kids are tiny chaos agents who can derail any plan.

You don’t have to be perfect. The house doesn’t have to be spotless, the kids’ outfits need not be perfectly coordinated, and you do not need to make homemade meals from scratch every night.

Let me tell you about the morning that changed everything for me. I was running around like usual, trying to get everyone fed and dressed, when my four year old asked, “Mom, why are you always so stressed in the morning?”

It was then that I realised I was starting every day in panic mode, and my kids were absorbing that energy. So I decided to try something different.

A done task is almost always better than a perfect, undone task. “Good enough” isn’t about being lazy; it’s about being strategic. It’s about letting go of the need for everything to be flawless and accepting that sometimes, “finished” is the ultimate goal.

3. Prep the night before

Instead of trying to do everything in the morning, prep the night before. These are some things i do the night before:

Set out clothes for everyone (including mine)
Pack snacks and put them in the fridge
Put backpacks by the door with everything they need
Put out breakfast bowls and cereal
Bring out the stew base or any frozen food i may need for preparing lunch

The first night I did this, I thought, “This is too simple to work.” But the next morning? It was like magic. No one was crying about not having clean clothes. No one was searching for homework. I actually had time for my quiet and personal stuff.

4. Involve the kids

Here’s something I learned the hard way, every time you do something for your kids that they can do themselves, you’re creating more work for yourself.

My friend Tina used to pack her 10 year old backpack every night. She checks his school bag, makes sure he has his homework, packs his lunch, and gets everything ready. Then one day she was sick with the flu, and I told him, “You’re going to have to pack your own bag tonight.”

It was hard but he did it. He figured it out. And when she got better, she realised he’s perfectly capable of doing it all along.

Here’s what works in my house:

Ages 3-5:

Put toys in bins
Put dirty clothes in hamper
Feed pets (with supervision)
Set napkins on table

Ages 6-9:

Make their beds (doesn’t have to be perfect)
Unload dishwasher (non-breakable items)
Fold and put away their own laundry
Take out bathroom trash

Ages 10+:

Do their own laundry from start to finish
Load/unload dishwasher completely
Clean their bathroom
Help with meal prep

Make it fun, play music, tell stories, or turn it into a game. My 6 year old’s bed looks nothing like the beds in home magazines, but it’s made, and that’s what matters.

5. Wake up 15 – 20 minutes before the kids

Waking up a little earlier before the demands of the day crash over you can make a huge difference. These few minutes can give you mental clarity and reduce stress, a quiet moment to breathe, plan, or simply be.

You can start small. Set your alarm for just 10 – 15 minutes earlier than your usual wake-up time (or 10 – 15 minutes before your kids typically wake you). Do this for 3 – 5 days.

Once that feels manageable, shift it another 10 – 15 minutes earlier. Gradual change is sustainable change.

You’ll be amazed at the power of a few quiet moments all to yourself.

6. Meal Planning

This is one task that requires a lot of thinking and mental work.

I used to have issues thinking what to make the next day because I had no meal plan to guide me. This is also an issue with most moms.

Here’s how it works:

Pick 10 – 12 meals your family actually eats (not meals you think you should make)
Write them on a list and stick it on your fridge
Each week, pick 5 – 7 meals from the list
Make your grocery list based on those meals
Repeat

I tried this and was shocked at how much mental energy it freed up. I wasn’t standing in the grocery store at 5.00 PM wondering what to make for dinner

7. Prep meals and vegetables on weekends

I cook soups, and stews on weekends. I also make stew bases for jollof rice and pasta and carefully label and store in the freezer. That way, I save time and energy within the week. Just bring out the stew bases and Viola! Jollof and Pasta are ready.

For fruits, pre-portioned fruit, spinach, and protein powder into freezer bags. In the morning, just dump it into a blender with liquid.

8. Organise your kitchen

When you bring groceries in, put them away immediately. When you take something out, put it back. Don’t let things pile up on counters.

Dispose kitchen utensils or appliances you don’t use anymore.

You can also zone your kitchen by grouping similar items together. You can also put your species in different containers and label them accordingly.

An organized kitchen isn’t just pretty; it’s functional. It reduces mental load and makes cooking and cleaning much faster.

9. Batch similar tasks together

I started batching errands and was amazed at how much time it saved. Instead of going to the store every time we needed something, I made a list all week and did all my shopping in one trip on Saturday morning.

Same with appointments, I try to schedule everyone’s doctor and dentist appointments on the same day if possible. It’s one afternoon of appointments instead of multiple days disrupted throughout the month.

10. Use Technology to your advantage

There are so many services, equipment and tools that you can use to your advantage as a mom. Here are some that I use:

Digital calendars for keeping every single appointment, school holiday, or extracurricular activity going here. You can even schedule a family calendar and invite your husband and kids.
Task management apps like Asana, Clickup, Microsoft To-do to create tasks, list and assign tasks to your partner or older kids. Set due dates and reminders. This frees your brain from constantly trying to remember everything, allowing you to focus on the task at hand. When you think of something, immediately add it to the app, then get back to what you were doing.
Online grocery shopping and pickup. We now have personal shoppers and online stores for grocery shopping. You pick what you want and get a delivery agency to bring it to your door step.
Set up automatic bill payments, use smart home devices (like robot vacuums) to handle chores.
Use family messaging apps (WhatsApp groups, Slack channels for family) and create dedicated groups for immediate family, extended family, or specific activities. For video Calling (Zoom, Google Meet, Facetime).

The hacks that work best are the ones your whole family participates in. I sat down with my husband and kids and explained that I was feeling overwhelmed and needed everyone’s help to make our house run more smoothly.

I didn’t just announce new rules, i asked for their input, “What would make mornings easier for everyone?” “How can we make cleanup time more fun?” “What would help everyone remember their responsibilities?”

When they felt like they had a say in creating the systems, they were much more likely to follow them.

But at the end of the day, your kids aren’t going to remember whether their socks perfectly matched, or if dinner came from a box instead of homemade meal. They’re not going to remember if the floors were sparkling clean every single day.

What they are going to remember is that their mom was present. They’re going to remember your laughter, your hugs, the way you listened to their stories, and that you were available for what mattered most, your cuddles, listening to their worries, cheering them on, or for just being there.