When you’re running around trying to clean the house, make dinner, keep an eye on the children and get some work done, it can be difficult to stay sane. It always seems like there’s too much to do and never enough time to do it!

Sound familiar? Tack on the time needed to take kids to school, other lessons, and after-school activities, and it seems like the days pass by in a blur. You’ve probably said to yourself, “I wish I could be more organised and less… frazzled.”

There are so many benefits to getting organised! You’ll get more time with your loved ones, you won’t feel as crazy, and you’ll actually enjoy living in your home (for once). Here are six quick and easy tips for busy parents who just want to catch a break.

Tip #1: Start meal prepping

Meal prepping is quickly becoming a trend among millennials, but that doesn’t mean you can’t join in! Every weekend if you spend a couple of hours preparing meals for the week to come you will find things much easier. It can be hard making that time when you are trying to finish off things that didn’t get done in the week or enjoy some quality  time together, but it’s normally time well spent when it comes to the week ahead.

Meal prepping not only saves time, it ensures that you’ll have a home-cooked meal every day of the week. It’s healthier than struggling to think up a meal for dinner and resorting to fast food.

Tip #2: Hire a tutor

Not the first time-saving tactic that comes to hand and of course this one will cost you but it might be worth considering, depending on the age of your children. Your child might have difficulty with their lessons, homework, and projects. It’s important for you to stay involved in your child’s schoolwork, but at the same time–you’re not a teacher! You might not be equipped to assist in every single one of your child’s assignments, especially as they get older. What’s a parabola again?

That’s where a tutor could come in. A tutor has the energy needed to teach and guide children through their homework. You’ll be able to get some other things done for an hour or two, and your child’s grades will improve. Just make sure to find tutors who are qualified and fit well with your kids!

Tip #3: Get rid of your old things

Ever heard of the Konmari method? It’s a method of cleaning your home that is sure to help de-clutter. One of its central tenets is to determine if each item sparks joy. Go through your closet and decide: do you really like that dress, or are you keeping it “just in case”? Go through your house and toss items that you’re holding on out of guilt. If you aren’t strong enough to simply throw them away, hold a car boot or garage sale or pop a few things on ebay ! You’ll be able to make some extra cash and you can see that your old things go to loving owners.

Tip #4: Use containers

Containers and hooks can be used in every room of the house. For example: instead of piling your clean pots and stuffing them into a random kitchen cabinet, install pull-out hooks to hang the pots from. You can simply slide the rack out and grab the pot you need. When you’re done, all you have to do is wash it and put it back–right where it came from.

You can also use containers in your bathroom. Group your cleaning tools together, keep a container for spare toilet paper, and re-home that stack of magazines into a nifty box. Don’t forget to put everything back in its place once you’re done, or the containers won’t be very useful.

Tip #5: Install vertical shelves in the kitchen

Instead of shoving your spices into your pantry where they can get messy, try installing vertical shelves and lining them up there. It saves precious space in your drawers and the display looks nice. The spice rack will add a touch of warmth to your kitchen and keep them much neater than your pantry or cupboard ever could. Plus, they’re much more accessible—all you have to do is grab them off the shelf and place them back when you’re done.

Tip #6: Cord clutter

What busy parent hasn’t tripped on a cord just lying around in the middle of the living room? Lamp cords, computer cords, charging cables, video game cords: these all present headaches for every parent! Here’s one trick: Get a large bin just for your cords and cables. Buy a large pack of small- or medium-sized sandwich bags and put one cord in one bag.

Line them all up in the bin and only take them out when they’re being used. It’s much more appealing and far cleaner! Just don’t forget to remind your family to put their own cords back into their bags. When done right, you should never have to trip over another cord again—and that’s less stress for you.

Fell free to share any chaos-containing tips of your own below!