Tips and tricks for saving time every day

Get yourself a planner

If you don't have a planner, agenda or family calendar and you manage to keep track of everything, we want your tricks! Since it's impossible to remember everything in your head, the idea is to have a visual reference in plain sight, preferably in a strategic spot (for example, on the fridge). It's where everything gets recorded: classes, activities, appointments, chores and even the week's meals. You can also write down that you need to thaw ground meat for tomorrow's dinner and that you need to buy eggs and bread on the next grocery run: everything, everything, everything! Having a visual of all of this reduces anxiety and mental load, because you no longer have to constantly think about everything you mustn't forget! The Les Belles Combines weekly family planner is the ideal tool for this. And to make sure you truly forget nothing, in addition to everyday appointments and activities, don't forget to also write down this important information related to your children's school:

• school activities and field trips;
• the days when there's gym class;
• the dates when a permission slip or signed form has to be returned to school;
• the days your little one eats in the cafeteria;
• oral presentations or important exams (because it will remind you to encourage your child beforehand and to understand if they're feeling more anxious and restless)

Also keep (if it's not on the planner, it can be on a sheet nearby) your children's teachers' names and class numbers. It's always handy when you're sending back forms or calling the school to report an absence. If your little ones are in daycare, put the daycare's phone number and the name of their educator on that same sheet. It's an easy little trick to save time! Also discover all our printables related to school life that will help you be even more organized every day!

Meal planning and groceries

• We save a ton of time on weeknights because we avoid spending long minutes deciding what to eat;
• We get caught off guard less often because we forgot to thaw certain foods we needed for preparing meals (because it should be written on our planner!);
• We (in theory) have all the ingredients we need;
• We have an overview of the week's meals, which lets us vary the menus;
• We save money by making our grocery list accordingly.

To help you write your grocery list, consider using our notepad designed especially for this purpose!

Packed lunches

A foolproof trick: make them the night before! It sounds silly, but in the morning we have so much to deal with that lunches often get thrown together in a rush (because everything has to go fast in the morning!), when it's a task that could very well be done calmly beforehand.

Also get in the habit of cutting up the vegetables when you get back from the grocery store. Personally, when I'm hit with a craving, I want something quick. If I have to peel my carrots and cut them up, there's a very good chance I'll vote for a cookie instead! When you're packing lunches, if the veggies are already ready to go, you also save a ton of time! What's more, even young children can help by filling little bags with the (already cut) vegetables to eventually go into the lunch boxes.

You can also get in the habit of baking batches of cookies, granola bars, energy balls and/or muffins on Sunday so you have them on hand for part of the week (why not make the snacks and desserts suggested in our monthly batch cooking?). On weekends, we're usually less rushed than on weeknights, so it's easier to get the kids involved in the kitchen.

By involving the kids in packing lunches, we can also take the time to teach them the importance of using reusable containers. Whether it's containers or pouches for yogurt or applesauce, a water bottle for the drink or a reusable bag for cheese pieces or grapes, all zero-waste alternatives are good! If we get them used to it young, they'll make it a habit, and later it will feel normal for them to use reusable containers.

Finally, don't forget to slip a little note into the lunch box from time to time; it's so nice to find a little note at lunchtime!

Force yourself to delegate!

As a parent, I believe it's important to let my little ones do things by themselves. It's not easy with household chores, but it can really be beneficial! It goes without saying that:

• It will take longer;
• There's a greater risk of mess;
• You'll surely be tempted to go behind them and redo it your way;
• The job won't be done as well as if you had done it yourself!

And that's perfectly fine! It's not easy to let go, but it's worth a try! For the development of their independence and self-esteem, it's important to let children do things by themselves. We also need to congratulate and encourage them when they find a task harder. Depending on your children's ages, it can be a good idea to give them one or a few tasks to do every week. You can also choose the tasks for a month and pick different ones for the following month. By the way, here you'll find all our tools for getting the whole family involved in household chores!

Getting dressed

• The child who empties all their drawers, tries on lots of clothes, wastes a lot of time (which ends up wearing down the parent's patience!) and ends up putting on the first outfit they tried.
• The child who has a choice imposed on them, who objects because it's not the sweater they wanted to wear, and who may end up having a meltdown (which also ends up wearing down the parent's patience!).

So I'm suggesting two small solutions. The night before, choose together what your child will wear the next day. Otherwise, you can pick out the clothes yourself and try to give your child a bit of leeway by letting them choose what to wear from two or three outfits you present. You could also involve your child in selecting those two or three outfits for the next day. In the morning, they then get to choose what they'd like to wear.

After school

Homework time can be a great time to lose time! Set up a routine with your children so you can be as efficient as possible. If your kids are older and do their homework on their own, make a list of the tasks to do together (to give them a visual reference, use the small routine chart). For example, they can have their snack, then do their French homework and math exercises, and then go play outside or watch TV. The idea is to make them independent so they take charge of their own homework time. Also make sure your child has all the supplies they need at hand. You can lose so much time looking for a pencil or an eraser! To help you, download this printable to help you set up a handy homework independence station!

And there you have it! There are still plenty of time-saving tips out there. What are yours?

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