I can see you reading the title: “The Secret to Getting Kids Dressed & Out the Door in 10 Minutes or Less.”

Yeah, right. You must  think this is a joke, right? I must be kidding you. How in the world can any parent get multiple children dressed and out the door in under 10 minutes? In truth, I’ve never been able to do it. But—I am going give you my suggestions anyway (which may absolutely work or not at all) and at minimum, I am going to make you laugh, okay?

So, here you go: The Great Big Secret to Getting Your Kids Dressed and Out of the Door in Under 10 Minutes. (Drum roll, please…)

Make them dress themselves. Tell them you are leaving in 10 minutes, and if they are not ready in time you will leave without them. Then, you actually have to leave without them.

Crap. Scratch that. If your kiddos are young you will get in trouble for leaving them in the house alone. Okay, maybe simply walk out the door at the 10-minute mark, hide around the side of the house and spook them when they frantically come out to see if you truly left without them.

You’re telling me that’s mean? Okay. Fine. Don’t do that either.

Okay, I’ve got some new (better) suggestions, and ones that are more realistic and kind. (Thank goodness.)

  1. Layout clothes ahead of time. Whether you pick out their clothes or they do, lay out all outfits for the next day the night before. This simply eliminates the frantic search for your child’s favorite pair of leggings.
  2. DON’T FORGET THE SOCKS. I don’t know why and I don’t know how but each and every time I lay out my kids’ clothes, I forget to lay out socks and then I can never find matching ones.
  3. Nothing needs to match. Be fine and even encourage your child to wear mismatched items when a match cannot be found (which is every day in my house).
  4. Time checks. Give your children time countdowns and embellish about how close they are to the deadline. Yes, it is totally fine to lie to your children when you are trying to get them out of the house on time.
  5. Don’t leave your house. Okay, that’s not really doable, but try to leave it less if you can. If you leave your house less, my thinking is that you and your children will likely both be bored and more inclined to put a little pep in your step when it is time to go somewhere.
  6. Don’t dress them. If you leave the house naked, things will move forward a lot faster, right? Oh, that’s not allowed? Okay, how about don’t stress how they get dressed. Your princess wants to be Elsa today? Great. Let it the freak go and let her do her. Your son doesn’t want to wear his rain coat? Let him get wet and learn for himself. The point is for each and every battle in which you choose not to fight, you are one step closer to the front door and leaving your home in a timely manner.
  7. Forget the freakin’ deadline. Because no matter how many of my suggestions (or suggestions from a real expert) you follow, you will rarely meet it. Drop the anxiety and the guilt.

Well, that’s all the advice I’ve got for you. Hope it helps, but it probably won’t. I’ll see you at the next event to which we are both invited. I’ll be there late and so will you and we can commiserate—or better yet, celebrate together in the fact that we are winning at parenting by not giving a hoot about ever trying to get out of the house in under 10 minutes.

 

Featured Photo Courtesy: sasint/Pixabay

Nicole Merritt is the Owner & Founder of jthreeNMe; an honest peek at real-life marriage, parenting and self-improvement. jthreeNMe is empowering, inspiring and entertaining. Nicole's work was been published by Scary Mommy, The Good Men Project, BLUNTmoms, Motherly, Red Tricycle, Thought Catalog, EverydayFamily, The Spilled Milk Club & many more.  

Dad comes strolling in the door after a long day of work. Mom welcomes him with a smile, dressed in an attractive outfit (no, not those pajama sweats). The house is in order, everything in its place (sort of like Leave it to Beaver) and she happily informs him that dinner will be on the table in 15 minutes (or is this the episode of Last Man Standing where nobody is allowed to speak to Dad until he has been home for 30 minutes?). The children shuffle in, helping set the table and courteously take their places around the table just as Dad enters.

Hmm… Are these productive parents? Well, yes, in the very strict sense of productivity—tasks are complete, everything seems to be in order and in place, laundry done, children behaving considerately, etc. However, a better question might be, “As a productive parent, what am I trying to accomplish?”

Is it just about getting meals on the table or the laundry done, making sure homework is finished and nobody was left at sports practice or music rehearsal (not that I’ve ever done that!)?

What if the goal is to create a refuge for family members, so they know that they are always welcome and loved here—no matter what kind of day they have had? What if we’re motivated by instilling values and character in our children so they will be “productive” citizens of our communities, learning to be responsible and giving while embracing the joy in the journey?

If these are the effects we are trying to produce as productive parents, perhaps instead of being pre-occupied with putting together a perfect home environment (with everything exactly in its place)—even though that is very nice—we can choose to focus on the priorities of relationship, interaction and creating lasting family traditions (while not ignoring the fact that the house still needs to be cleaned and laundry done, of course…).

Is there a “secret” to this kind of parenting: keeping focus on the most important things while still managing the everyday tasks that need attention? It’s not really just one big secret, but rather six different ways you can change the way you think about parental productivity.

  1. Be intentional. Define the end goal, and don’t be distracted by anything else.
  2. Divvy up and share some of the “everyday” tasks so that the whole family helps get those accomplished—building a sense of teamwork, individual responsibility, as well as learned skills that will benefit all of the family members.
  3. Choose some of the tasks to build a game or family tradition around. I love the scene in Mary Poppins where the children have to clean up their playroom, and she begins to lead them in singing “A Spoonful of Sugar” until the work is finished. Something as simple as this can start a family culture and tradition your children will always remember (and perhaps one day pass on to their children).
  4. Be present in the moment. While organization, a routine, and orderly environment are helpful in keeping a peaceful home and setting for everyone to enjoy, let the family see that sometimes just stopping the tasks to enjoy a fun conversation, an impromptu dance contest or choosing to be present in the circumstances of that moment (eyes connect over a comment—give a hug) are the most important things in the long run.
  5. Build family memories around the little things as well as the big things. Maybe you choose to have grand vacation experiences every year to create huge memories for your crew. That’s an amazing thing to be able to do for and with them. Remember throughout the year, though, to celebrate and build memories around the little things—a special meal served to celebrate certain holidays or accomplishments, a happy dance for finishing a task well, an evening of s’mores around the fireplace for no reason at all—just because. These are the things our children will remember of us as parents—that instill in them the joy of the journey, the importance of recognizing and encouraging those around them, all while carrying inside the investment we’ve made towards their enjoyment of the future and their own families.
  6. Take a few minutes today to choose one thing to do differently. Take two minutes to sit down at the kids table while they have the chalk or Play Doh or bubbles out and join in the fun; take a minute with an older child to tell them about the kind action, responsible behavior, or simple accomplishment they had recently that you noticed and appreciated; spend a few minutes at bedtime reading a short story to the children, saying a prayer with them, or simply listening about their day before saying goodnight.

These are the priceless ways of being (secrets, if you will) of a productive parent, whose children and families know that their home is a welcoming place filled with meaningful traditions, kind and adventurous memories, along with a call to aspire to be something greater—and inspire those around them to do the same.

Featured Photo Courtesy: pressfoto/Freepik

As a long-time devoted wife, mom of all boys and homeschool parent, Melanie is the founder of Dish Dish–Your Online Family Cookbook and passionate about inspiring families to enjoy dinner around the table together.  She enjoys traveling, volunteering with church and community, cooking, reading and doing jigsaw puzzles. 

Let’s face it: there’s a lot you can’t do when you’re nursing. Taking a shower, cooking a meal or cleaning the bathroom are pretty much impossible. But there are still ways to be productive while feeding your little one. Here are 10 ways to multi-task during your next bottle or breastfeeding session.

Photo Fun

If you’re anything like me, the camera roll on your phone is basically an endlessly scrolling montage of your child’s adorable face. Are you backing up those photos? Just think how upset you’d be to lose that image of junior’s first smile, tooth or haircut. An app like Google Photos allows you to save your pictures online so they’ll still be accessible if something happens to your phone. You can also create and share albums in the app—yes, you can do this one-handed while you nurse!

Making a List, Checking It Twice

Maybe it’s not glamorous, but I find that breastfeeding is the perfect time to make a grocery or Target list. I use the Notes section on my phone to type out what I need (diapers, inevitably). Plus, I can just copy, paste and email the list to my husband if he’s on errand duty.

Tune In

There are days when I desperately need to hear another adult voice. Enter the podcast. In a matter of seconds, I’m launched out of my messy living room and into the (equally messy) world of politics … or I immerse myself in culture, comedy, self-help advice or more. Plus, the number of podcasts about raising kids continues to grow. Get started by downloading “The Longest Shortest Time,” “Coffee + Crumbs” and “The Shameless Mom Academy.”

Best Sellers

Put down the phone and pick up a book… or a magazine, newspaper or Kindle! Nursing is a great time to relax with a good read. Before my daughter was born, I felt guilty when books took me away from washing dirty dishes, paying bills, prepping meals or all the other tasks on my never-ending to-do list. But now I tuck into the latest bestseller guilt-free as my hungry newborn eats. Paperbacks, I’ve found, are supremely easy to hold in one hand.

Sweat Sesh

People work out on airplanes, so why not while nursing? Try a few simple exercises to get the blood moving. I recommend ankle, neck and shoulder rolls, followed by a gentle twist to each side. Then go for a figure four: Bend one leg so the ankle rests on the knee of your opposite leg and lean over to stretch your glutes. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, hold tight to your baby as you stand and squat 10 times. Finish it all off with your Kegels.

Nom Nom Nom

I had no idea that breastfeeding would make me so dang thirsty. I keep a water bottle on each side of my glider to encourage constant hydration. Whether you’re breastfeeding or bottle feeding, follow your child’s example and use that time to eat and drink. Who knows when you’ll get another chance to chow down, what with changing diapers, overseeing tummy time and so on. Keep a stash of granola bars or nuts in reach, put a spoon in an open yogurt container in the fridge, grab a string cheese on your way to nurse and make sure you keep your water bottles filled.

Dear Diary

Those first few months of your baby’s life are such a magical time, but figuring out how to care for this new person is often exhausting. Your reserves are tapped. You’re not sleeping. And yet, when you look back on this period in the future, you may wonder how time went so fast. Preserve these special days by making a video or audio diary. It’s as simple as using a voice memo app on your phone. As your baby eats, record a few thoughts about him or her, what you’ve been thinking and feeling, or anything else that comes to mind.

Clear the Clutter

You might be metaphorically chained to your chair when nursing, which makes it difficult to do any “actual” cleaning. However, this limitation doesn’t extend to your cellphone. When was the last time you took a cold, hard look at your contacts and apps? You probably don’t need the phone number of your friend’s cousin whom you met years ago or the contact information for the shuttered takeout place down the street. As for apps, be ruthless about which ones you actually use and delete the rest. One bonus from this clutter-clearing exercise? More storage space for photos of your darling kiddo.

Reach Out

Now that you’ve culled your contacts, it makes sense to reach out to some of the folks who made the cut. Pick up the phone and give them a ring. Get ready to share stories of your little one’s latest exploits, and don’t forget to ask what’s happening in their lives, too!

Blissful Adoration

Okay, so maybe gazing wonderingly at your baby while you feed him or her might not always feel productive. But there’s also nothing wrong with redefining the meaning of “productive,” especially when you have a newborn. You’re keeping this tiny human alive with milk or formula—what’s more productive than that? So take a moment or two (or 10) to bask in this single and singular task before tackling the other items on this list.

Featured Photo Courtesy: Keiko Zoll

I'm a Chicago-based writer and editor, mom and fitness enthusiast with a weakness for chai lattes and baked goods. You can find my articles in Midwest Living magazine, various university publications, and online at aSweatLife.com, Refinery29, A Practical Wedding and elsewhere.