When life is full—full of kids, crumbs, food shoots, and a thousand little tasks—you don’t need a perfect routine. You need tiny systems that work hard in the background, without needing your constant brainpower.
We don’t have a cleaner. We don’t have local family helping day-to-day. So I’ve had to set up things that remove friction and make our house run smoother, even in the chaos. These are small changes, but they’ve made a big difference.
🍽 1. Leftovers Are the Plan, Not the Backup
My oldest son eats school dinners. The two younger ones eat leftovers from the night before—usually warmed up while I prep my lunch too.
This means I don’t have to cook three lunches. Just heat and plate. It’s one of the easiest systems we’ve put in place, and it saves my brain and energy during the midday slump.
👟 2. Shoe Zones (One for Now, One for Later)
We keep everyday shoes in a small cupboard near the front door. Everyone knows that’s where they go in and out. For less-used shoes (church shoes, sandals, seasonal extras), we keep them behind the stairs.
It’s not perfect, and the back area definitely needs a declutter—but the split helps stop the usual pile-up at the front door.
🧦 3. The “Downstairs Sock” Idea I Plan to Use
Someone once told me: “Put socks downstairs.” Brilliant. Why go back upstairs 300 times a week to chase socks?
It’s on my to-do list to actually implement it—but even just thinking this way (“how can I make this task simpler?”) helps me rethink what belongs where.
🧥 4. Coats Have One Hook, Not a Whole Closet
We keep coats simple. One hook per person—easy to grab, easy to put back. No closet rummaging or hangers for daily wear. (Especially helpful when you’re trying to get three kids out the door at 8:35 AM!)
🧽 5. Systems > Memory
The biggest shift for me has been realizing that systems are for removing mental load. I used to try to “remember everything” or “just do it quickly.” Now, I look for tiny systems that remove that need altogether:
- Same shoes? Same spot.
- Same lunch? Same leftover box.
- Same after-school flow? Same shelf for snacks.
💭 Final Thoughts
These aren’t Pinterest-perfect systems. They’re not color-coded or laminated. But they work for us. And when I’m deep in toddler land, photo shoot messes, or just don’t have capacity to think—it helps to know that a few parts of our home are already decided.
And that gives me just a little more room to breathe.