Life hacks for mums

> Here are some ways to take the stress out of doing household chores, chief of which is spread the load

WORKING mothers have a lot on their plate, especially those who do not employ any domestic help.

Before work, they have to get their children ready for school or the babysitter.

After work, they feed the family, take care of the children, monitor their homework, tackle the household chores and pack for the next day.

It is not surprising that many working mothers feel stressed out and burned out.

Don’t panic, mothers. Take deep breaths and count to 10. Then try out some of these strategies.

Get the husband to chip in. For example, he could play with the children while you get the laundry done.

Or he could do the dishes while you check on the children’s homework.

Don’t fuss that he’s not doing things how you like it. That’s a sure-fire way to kill whatever enthusiasm he has for the chore, and provides a valid excuse for him not to do it.

As someone said, imperfect action is better than perfect inaction.

Rope in the children as well. Assign them ageappropriate chores such as folding the laundry or doing the dishes.

Even young children can do simple jobs such as keeping their toys away.

If you cook dinner every day, plan out your menu in advance. This will make marketing and foodprepping easier.

Many busy mothers use the crock pot and pressure cooker to save time. You don’t have to cook up a storm each day. One-pot meals are life savers.

Maybe you simply don’t have time to cook after you get home from work. Have your meals catered.

On days when the dishes are not up to your family’s liking, whip up something simple to supplement.

Stash some sausages or nuggets in the freezer for emergency use. Omelette and baked beans are favourites with most kids.

Simplify your life by cutting down on activities.

Are you a social butterfly who goes out with friends a couple of times a week? Does your husband thrive on buddy outings? Curtail these activities. Let’s face it, when your children are growing up, you simply do not have the time for as many social events as you did before.

Reduce your children’s activities too. Do you have to enrol them in so many extra-curricular activities?

Piano, swimming, calligraphy, taekwondo, chess, painting, guitar, the list goes on. Choose wisely.

Bill payment can take up a big chunk of time. Running around town to pay different utility bills is not only time consuming, but can also hike up your blood pressure when you can’t find parking.

Make life easier by signing up for credit card auto-debit, or pay your bills online.

Finally, embrace imperfection. Some control freaks might find this a difficult concept but try it, in small doses.

So what if the laundry is not folded as neatly as you would like it to be.

Or the dishes are piling up on the drainer like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Or the porch is littered with dry leaves. Go easy on yourself. Finally, author Jill Churchill, said it best: “There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one.”

Lydia Teh is a mother of four and author of 10 books, including the latest, How I Wrote 10 Books. Send comments to lifestyle. lydia@thesundaily.com.