Three minutes may not sound like much to some, but I know many busy moms who would willingly give up some nonvital organ to get just a few minutes back each day. 

Think about what you could do with that extra time:  snuggle with your child that much longer, down a glass of wine, actually go to the bathroom...

A few weeks ago, Karen Kaufman Orloff guest-blogged  on this site about how she shortens her to-do list. Her post inspired me to share some tips of my own. These may not save you hours a day, but they will save you a very reasonable 3 minutes per task, and over the course of a week, that definitely adds up to some guilt-free indulgence you deserve! 

1. Double-Duty Dinner Prep:  Make your kid’s lunches while you are making dinner (instead of after they are in bed or watching TV). Chopping carrots for the stew? Washing cucumbers for the salad? Toss a few slices of each into the lunchbox too. 

 

1. Strategic Dishwasher-Loading: When you place dirty eating utensils in the dishwasher, group them together: spoons in one section, forks, then knives in another. When you have to unload the dishwasher, no more sorting utensils one by one as you place them back in the drawer. Just grab and dump!

 

1. Grocery Groupings:  Make your grocery lists by section of the store:  produce, dairy, meat, cleaning products, freezer aisle. It makes shopping a lot more efficient when you’re not running from the deli counter to the cleaning product aisle back to the cheese … Your children and tired feet may thank you too.

 

1. Brush at Breakfast: Comb/brush/pigtail your kid’s hair while she is eating breakfast. She is seated, generally facing forward and less likely to notice when you give her that lopsided ponytail.  (Guilty!)

 

1. Clean and Chat:  Tidy up while you’re chatting on the phone with friends. Hopefully you’ll be so distracted by the latest playground gossip that you won’t even notice that you’re picking up dirty socks for the millionth time.      

Of course, I don’t have to tell you mamas that hygiene tips are an entirely other beast, so for some quick tips to get you out the door in the morning, check out my prior blog post: “Hygiene Confessions of a Frazzled Mom.”

Share your wisdom, parents! What's your multitasking tip?