If you’re a working parent or a homeschooling parent — or both — you’ve probably heard it a thousand times: “Wow, you’ve got your hands full!”
It’s one of those comments that’s both a nice recognition of your hard work — and, depending on the day, a little bit of a “Thanks for stating the obvious” moment.
The truth is, yes, my hands are full — but over time, I’ve learned that staying organized is less about being naturally good at juggling everything and more about being intentional. It’s about putting real systems in place to help life run a little more smoothly. Without those systems, it would be way too easy for important things to slip through the cracks.
Today, I’m sharing some of the tools and routines that have helped me stay organized — not just as an individual, but also alongside my husband as a team. These are small things we do every day, week, and month to stay connected, keep our household running, and make sure we’re showing up fully for our three little ones.
1. The Magnetic Refrigerator Calendar: Our Monthly Anchor
One of the best tools we’ve added to our home is a simple magnetic dry-erase calendar on the fridge. At the start of every month, my husband and I sit down and fill it in with everything we know is coming up — doctor’s appointments, birthday parties, planned hangouts with friends, extracurricular activities for the kids, and anything else that’s already on the horizon.
Of course, last-minute things pop up (because life happens), but having a shared “command center” right on the fridge means that we can both see at a glance what’s happening and plan accordingly. No one feels like they’re operating in the dark, and it cuts down on double-booking ourselves or scrambling at the last minute.
Especially when you’re managing school schedules, work deadlines, toddler activities, and family events, having a visible monthly overview is invaluable.
2. Shared Notes on Our Phones: Lists That Keep Us Sane
Another simple but powerful tool we use is the Notes app on our iPhones — specifically, shared notes.
We have a running grocery list that either of us can add to whenever we think of something. That way, if one of us is out running errands, we don’t have to guess what the family needs. It’s all right there in real time.
We also created a “Quick Chores” shared note — a list of tiny 2-5 minute tasks that we can squeeze in before the kids wake up, between meetings, or during other pockets of free time. These aren’t big projects, just small things like:
- Decluttering the car (because with three kids, there are always crumbs and snack wrappers sneaking in)
- Rinsing the dog’s water bowl
- Folding 1/3 basket of laundry (again, the goal is to chunk out the work)
- Emptying 1/2 of the dishwasher
Having a quick-reference list like this makes it easier to stay on top of the little things that keep the house feeling manageable, without needing a full deep-cleaning session every day.
3. The Clock App: My Secret Weapon for Time-Sensitive Tasks
While a lot of people rely on dedicated reminder apps, one of my favorite tools is actually the Clock app — yes, the same app you use to set alarms for waking up!
The Clock app lets me set alarms for specific tasks, and the snooze feature is the real hero. For example, if we need to leave the house by noon, I’ll set an alarm for 11:40 AM to remind myself to grab a bag of milk from the freezer for my little one. If I’m not quite ready when it goes off, I can simply hit snooze — and it’ll remind me again in 10 minutes.
It’s a simple system, but incredibly effective for time-sensitive, last-minute things that could easily slip my mind when the kids are swirling around and there are a million other things happening.
Bonus Tip:
If plans shift, it’s super easy to adjust the alarm time or set multiple alarms to layer reminders as needed. I love that flexibility when juggling work calls, homeschooling activities, and getting everyone out the door on time.
4. Calendar App: Thinking Ahead for Appointments
Between work meetings, homeschooling activities, and doctor appointments (especially for managing my thyroid condition — you can read more about that here, my personal calendar app is a critical piece of the puzzle.
When I schedule a doctor’s appointment, for example, I immediately add it to my phone calendar and set two reminders:
- One for the day before (so I don’t accidentally make other plans)
- One for two hours before the appointment on the day of (to give me time to pump milk, organize the kids’ needs, and get out the door without stress)
Appointments are often made months in advance, and the biggest lie I could tell myself is, “Oh, I’ll remember.”
In reality, with so much happening every day, there’s no way to mentally juggle every little thing. Using the Calendar app as my “second brain” has made a world of difference.
5. Communication Is Key: We’re in This Together
Finally, the biggest piece of staying organized with a career, homeschooling, and family life is constant communication.
My husband and I aren’t just coexisting in the same house; we’re intentionally partnering.
Whether it’s updating the fridge calendar, adding to a shared grocery list, texting each other a heads-up about a schedule change, or even just syncing up over coffee in the morning, staying organized requires both of us being active participants.
It’s not about one person carrying the mental load alone — it’s about building habits together that make life smoother for everyone.
Some weeks are still chaotic. Some days the plans change. And that’s okay! Having systems in place gives us flexibility, not rigidity. It’s a safety net that helps us catch whatever life throws our way.
Final Thoughts
When people say, “You’ve got your hands full!” I smile and nod — because yes, we do.
But thanks to a few intentional strategies, we’re not just surviving; we’re thriving – by our standards.
Organization isn’t about perfection.
It’s about creating small, sustainable habits that keep your life moving in the direction you want it to go — even when your hands (and your heart) are very, very full.