8 Ideas to "Help Your Future Self"

Ideas to help us all during these chaotic end-of-the-school-year days and beyond!

Well, it’s June 1st - somehow we all made it through the hecticness of “Maycember” and are now in June! But, for me, the craziness of the end of the school year for my 3 kids (ages 5, 9, 11) hasn’t let up yet - I still have many school concerts, award ceremonies, a lower school graduation, multiple end-of-year parties, etc. to get through in just the next 10 days - I know you know what I mean!

This is a portrait of me as a “Maycember Mom” - I’d just left A(5)’s Book Fair where I was class chaperone and then went straight to get burritos for N(11)’s soccer team snack for the last game of the season - I’m carrying those burritos plus a tote bag filled with activities for A(5) to do while the game is played (since he won’t be interested in the game), and I’m making sure to wear comfy shoes (all moms know that Maycember is not survivable unless you wear comfy shoes🤪)

At the end of last June I wrote a newsletter titled “Ways I Help My Future Self” with 8 ideas to get ahead of simple issues that may come up as a parent so that when the chaos of parenting inevitably hits, at least these items are under control. I’m using a lot of those ideas right now as I get through these intensely busy days - it’s so helpful to control what can be controlled so that I can use my limited bandwidth to handle whatever is thrown at me next! Doing these things also helps me get these tasks done efficiently, which I really appreciate no matter what time of year it is…

So, knowing that this is a time of high chaos, I thought I’d share 8 more ways I “help my future self” so we can find ways to manage what can be managed, and therefore have more space to handle whatever comes our way! I hope that the “helping my future self” ideas from then and now can help you get through these busy times, and set you up for a wonderful summer!

8 ISSUES SOLVED WITH IDEAS TO HELP YOUR FUTURE SELF

1. ISSUE: No time to make dinner or snacks

HOW TO HELP YOUR FUTURE SELF: Double batch homemade food & snacks and freeze half for later

Making twice as much homemade chicken noodle soup or turkey pasta bake (and more) takes the same amount of effort as one batch, but I get to freeze the extra and heat it later when I don’t have time to make something homemade for dinner. One key is to not freeze them in glass containers because glass cannot go from freezer to oven - they will shatter. I freeze my meals in these aluminum containers that can go straight to the oven. The same thing goes for muffins! I freeze them individually so I can simply take as many out of the freezer as I need and heat them – it’s super fast (usually like 20 seconds in the microwave) and so handy for a quick snack or to add to a lunchbox! Always remember to label your frozen foods with what’s inside and the date you made it - helps you keep track of what it is and when they expire! Click here for my recipe book of 22 quick and easy dinner recipes, many of which have directions for freezing and heating up later!

Left: turkey pasta bake in a pan to heat right away for dinner and in a disposable container to freeze for another night Center: big pot of chicken noodle soup Right: leftover soup in a glass container for the fridge for later that week and in 2 aluminum containers ready to freeze (with labels of what it is and the date it was made) - both recipes here

2. ISSUE: Being on the go with kids in the car and something unexpected happens

HOW TO HELP YOUR FUTURE SELF: Keep your car fully stocked

In my over 11 years of being a parent, many things have happened while I was out driving with my kids - car sickness, flat tire, major traffic, unexpected park play date right after picking up from school, kids getting injured, kids needing a potty, and so much more! After much experience I’ve found that keeping items in my car to help in many kid situations has been really effective in making my days go smoother! Items like hand wipes and Kleenex are obvious, but the less obvious ones like Auto Bingo cards to keep kids entertained during traffic, paper towel rolls and trash bags in case of car sickness, mini first aid kit, extra clothes for little kids (in Ziploc bags so you can zip up the soiled clothes), diaper change supplies for 3 changes (you don’t want to be left without anything to change kids!), have all been extremely helpful during all my years of parenting!

Here’s how I set it up:

• Center Console:

  • Tissue Box, Boogie Wipes

  • Auto Bingo Game (easy to hand out to kids from center console)

• Armrest/front seat storage has:

  • Wipes, Hand Sanitizer

  • Mini First Aid Kit

  • Post-It Notes & Sharpie (to write reminders to myself)

  • Pens & Pencils (to do homework in the car)

  • Sunscreen Stick, Hair Ties, Hair Brush, Lip Balm, Floss, Mints

  • Back-up Sunglasses

• Trunk (Elementary School Age):

  • Small Foldable Stroller (never want to be caught without one when you need it!)

  • Small Park Toy/Shovel (in case we forget them when we go to the park)

  • Canvas Bag (make sure it has a zip top so nothing spills out!) Filled With:

    • Paper Towels, Lysol Wipes, Trash Bags (to clean up carsickness etc.)

    • Potty Seat (one for either on top of a toilet or a “pop up” one for potty training anywhere)

    • Extra Clothes (in plastic zip bag for kids ages 7 and under in case of sickness or mess)

• Trunk (Baby/Toddler Age - these are most important to have stocked in the car since it can be hard to find these specific items if you get stuck somewhere and need to feed a baby or change a diaper asap):

  • Appropriate Stroller

  • Canvas Bag (make sure it has a zip top so nothing spills out!) Filled With:

    • Diapers, Wipes, Cream (enough for 3 changes)

    • Disposable Changing Pad (I’ve changed many diapers in the trunk and this pad helps clean it all up quickly!)

    • Bottle, Dry Formula or Hand Pump

    • Blanket, Pacifier/Lovey

    • Extra Clothes (in plastic zip bag for sickness, diaper blowouts, etc.)

3. ISSUE: Your kids’ recitals, performances, and playoff games keep catching you off guard

HOW TO HELP YOUR FUTURE SELF: As soon as you sign up for an activity, add in all the dates for practices AND potential playoffs and performances

This fall my daughter C(9) is in a musical theatre class. The performances are on a weekend at the end of November, and as soon as I signed her up I added all the class dates into the calendar AND the performance dates so that when the intense holiday party schedule begins (which seems to sneak earlier and earlier each year), I will know when her performance is and I won’t book something at the same time!

4. ISSUE: No time to get to the market

HOW TO HELP YOUR FUTURE SELF: Grocery delivery

It can be difficult to find time to go to the market in between all the demands of shuttling kids around, with being trapped at home during nap times, and when it’s a fight to get kids to go with you! And it is really frustrating to be stuck home but not have the groceries you need to help you make food for your family. That’s why, during many seasons of my life as a mom, ordering from services like Thrive Market, Instacart, Amazon Fresh, sameday.costco.com to keep my pantry and fridge full of what I need to feed a family of 5 has been extremely helpful! None of those services require a recurring order to use them (although if that’s how you like to set things up they do offer recurring orders!) so I don’t feel locked in like I did with ButcherBox which makes you sign up for a recurring shipment that requires you to spend a certain amount each month. I do like going to the market, but during really busy weeks, grocery delivery services save me so much time because I don’t have to drive to the market, park, buy the items, and then drive home. I also like that I can click to see what I usually order and then just refill my cart with those items! Plus, it’s also so helpful to have someone else get the items from the top shelves of markets (especially at Costco - I’m short!).

It was easy to get my 3 kids to go to the market on this day, but that’s not always the case - and even if you get them there it can also be difficult to manage kids in a market (especially in the younger years!) so grocery delivery has been really helpful for me

5. ISSUE: Trying to get out of the house quickly with everyone dressed appropriately for weather

HOW TO HELP YOUR FUTURE SELF: Baskets/bins with a clear organization system by the door

We keep bins by the door - where everyone takes their shoes off when they get home and puts them back on when they leave - filled with helpful items we may need as we run out the door. We’ve found that there are two ways to organize these, and it depends on how our family is running at that time - either one bin for each person, or each bin is labeled with what’s inside that everyone shares. It seems to work out that in the winter one bin for each person is most helpful since everyone needs their own gloves and hats, and in the summer bins that are filled with one item (i.e. sunscreen is in one bin) works best. Either way, the goal is to have items ready as you go out the door so no one is running back into the house to get stuff and delaying departure!

This picture and text is from one of my Instagram Stories during the winter about how we set up these baskets to keep us organized and getting out the door efficiently!

6. ISSUE: You want to make a family photo album from a trip/special occasion but finding time to choose the pictures is daunting

HOW TO HELP YOUR FUTURE SELF: Before the trip/special occasion, create a digital album in your phone

We went on an amazing trip to London and Paris for Spring Break this year, and took so many pictures! I knew I wanted to make a special album that we can all look at again and again, so we can relive how wonderful the trip was. But, picking the best pictures from that trip takes forever… So, instead of waiting until after the trip to do that, before the trip I created a photo album in my phone titled “London and Paris 2025” and each time I took a great picture, I put it in there. Then when it came time to make the album (I love using Artifact Uprising for nice albums) I simply went to that digital album on my phone and uploaded those pictures!

7. ISSUE: Kids are bickering/school gets canceled last minute/weather is bad

HOW TO HELP YOUR FUTURE SELF: Keep a shelf filled with “back-up crafts” for them to stay busy

After one too many unexpected days at home with my kids getting major cabin fever and bickering all day, I realized I needed to be prepared for these days. So I now have a “back-up crafts” shelf. I keep simple crafts that are ready for me to pull out any time I need them. Two keys to this are:

1. Keeping the items a secret: part of what engages kids is the surprise of what the craft is going to be

2. Only choosing what I can realistically oversee: some crafts require a lot of my participation, and others are totally hands off - choosing what I need for ME during the craft time is very important to it going smoothly!

These are some of the items on my back-up crafts shelf - click here for ideas to stock up on for your kids!

8. ISSUE: Your regular sitter isn’t available and you need help

SOLUTION: Keep a list of sitters in your iPhone notes so it’s easy to access and find help

I have a “note” in my iPhone that lists sitters that we have vetted and like. I list the sitter’s name, phone number, and hourly rate. Then when I need a sitter I can simply look in that note for ideas, see their rate, and then click their number on that note and I can either text or call them directly from that click!

I hope that some of these ideas are easy to implement and effective for you! The goal is to simplify these types of things so that we all have more time to focus on spending time with our families, instead of spending all our time on all the “unseen work” that goes into modern day parenting…

Sending us all strength, patience, and wishes for wonderful family memories during this first week of June 2025!

❤️, Amanda, your Type A Mom friend

PS- For more ways to help yourself, take a look at these other articles I’ve written:

Ways I Help My Future Self

Help For The Final Weeks of Maycember

Most “Liked” Quick Type A Mom Tips

The Answer to “What’s For Dinner?”