If every school week is more like an episode of Survivor at your place, don’t worry, you’re not alone! The struggle to stay on top of the school week mayhem is real – so we’ve put together a bunch of clever ideas to give you back some precious time (and sanity).

There’s nothing difficult about these tips, just solid advice and ideas from a mum who’s been in the school trenches for over a decade.

1. Teach The Kids To Make Some Simple Breakfasts

Hang on, this is about breakfast, why are we showing you a picture of mouth-watering cookies?! These are Four Ingredient Healthy Breakfast Cookies – perfect for a prep-ahead school day brekkie!

Depending on their age there are so many safe and easy breakfasts kids can make themselves. From toasties, to yoghurt pots prepped the night before or just cereal. Not having to make breakfast for everyone will literally save you hours every week!

2. Lay Out Clothes For The Week

Use a hanging organiser or labelled baskets for each day. Include uniforms, socks and undies. Kids can dress themselves without the drama of missing items. I’ll be honest, my kids’ uniforms are expensive, so I wash during the week as they only have a couple of sets. However, if nothing else, having just socks and underwear sorted for the week is an absolute lifesaver!

The other huge help is not having to pre-treat stains on my kids’ uniforms, nobody has time for that during the week! My extra tip here is to use a great quality laundry detergent that is powerful enough to remove stains in-wash, so you don’t need to worry about pre-treating. Biozet’s range is perfect, and while each product packs a punch when it comes to lifting stains, I love that each targets different issues. For example, Biozet Attack Plus Eliminator Power Capsules eliminate 99.9% of odour-causing bacteria – great for teenage boy school shirts! There’s also Biozet Attack Plus Sensitive 2L which is dermatologically tested, but still powers through stains.

3. Use A Family Calendar System

Whether it’s a wall planner, a shared phone calendar or a digital calendar, you need everyone to be able to track all activities, due dates and after-school commitments in one place. It also helps gives the kids a a sense of responsibility and doesn’t leave everything on your shoulders!

4. Plan A Weekly School Admin Session

Answer school emails, sign permission forms, top up canteen accounts and check term calendars in one go instead of daily interruptions. You may only need to do this fortnightly or monthly, but just make sure you schedule it in your calendar. Trust me, it saves so much time compared to juggling things bit by bit!

5. Quick-Fire Cleaning Sessions

Set a timer for ten minutes in the afternoon, pop on some music and everyone tidies their zone. This includes the kids emptying their lunchboxes, washing their drink bottles, handing you any notes and putting their clothes in the wash. Small bursts like this stop the house turning into chaos by Friday.

6. Have A Snack Station

Keep a drawer or fridge shelf filled with ready portions. Kids can pack their own snacks for school, and also grab something to eat when they get home. Think ahead and include them in the weekly shopping – ask them what snacks they would like (and cross your fingers they’ll still like them all week!).

7. Set Up A Family Charging Station

One spot for iPads, laptops and phones. No searching for chargers or discovering a dead laptop ten minutes before school! Make sure each child puts their school device on charge when they get home, as part of their Quick-Fire Cleaning Session.

While we can’t promise your school weeks won’t have moments of chaos, taking some of these tips on board will save you time – even if it’s just five minutes here and there. It’s about building realistic habits for the whole family, that will hopefully bring some calm to the school week.

Mouths of Mums is proudly working with Biozet to bring you this article.