Working moms, especially single moms, have a full plate of responsibilities. Life can seem hectic and challenging at times.

My dad deserted my mom when I was four years old and my sister was six years old. This was back in the 1950's when there were no laws forcing a father to pay child support if he moved out of state. So my mom had the burden of millions of other single moms of that era with a low paying secretarial job and two young children to support. She worked 40 hours a week for $51.20 after taxes.

However, my mom was a very hard working and organized person and our household ran smoothly year-round. My mom passed away a few months ago. This hub is dedicated to her memory.

The most important thing that my mom did was to prepare as much as possible on Saturdays. Here was her routine:

• Early on Saturday morning (around 7 AM) my mom washed the clothes for the week. She had an old washing machine that had to be manually filled with water from the spigot on the large wash tubs in the basement and then the machine was turned on to wash the clothes, then manually changed from the wash cycle to drain into the large wash tubs, and then the same procedure repeated for the rinse cycle. So washing 3 loads of laundry took more than 3 hours plus drying time on the clothes line.
• Since she had to stay in the basement babysitting the washing machine, she spent that time sweeping and cleaning both the basement and the garage. Then she mowed the small strip of grass in backyard (we lived in a row home) and weeded the flower bed. In nice weather, she also washed the car and our little chihuahua. She never stopped working because she took pride in her home and her family.
  
• While the clothes were drying on the clothesline, our mom cooked our dinners for the week. She made simple stove top meals and many times only soup but, using all 4 burners at once, she had the whole week of dinners cooked in less than 2 hours including clean-up. The foods were placed in "refrigerator dishes" and frozen.
• She then set about cleaning the house. We didn't have much and the house was always kept picked up and vacuumed all throughout the week so there was no clutter to slow her down. She finished in an hour.
• The next chore that she did to stay organized was to iron our clothes for the week. They were hung in the closet in sets (matching skirt and blouse) so they could be quickly retrieved each morning.

Although this was a lot of work for a young single mother, it made life much easier during the work week. When she came home at 5:30, she only had to heat dinner on the stove. While dinner was heating, she packed everyone's lunch for the following day. Then she relaxed for the rest of the night.

As my sister and I got older we took much of the burden from her shoulders. We picked up her enjoyment of cooking and cleaning and working in the flower bed --- but never ironing. I don't think we ever offered to iron clothes.

There are some reasons why my mom was able to be such an organized working mom and you can apply these to your own situation.

• She taught us from the time that we were toddlers that it was our responsibility to put our games and toys away immediately after we finished playing with them. We were not allowed to do anything else until the area where we played was as clean as when we started.
• She taught us that it was everyone's responsibility to pick up anything that was seen on the floor regardless of who dropped it. The house was kept picked up at all times. There was no shame when someone knocked on the front door because our home was clean and inviting.
  
• Our home was kept clean by another important rule: food and beverages never left the kitchen. We never had a stain on the rugs nor did we ever have ants or bugs.
  
• We had a routine from an early age. Children thrive on routines because they know exactly what is expected of them and when it is to be done. It builds confidence as well as character. Our routine was to get washed and dressed in the morning before going downstairs to have breakfast, even on weekends. We scraped and rinsed our own plates from the time that we were tall enough to reach the kitchen sink. Homework was done as soon as we got home from school. Children in the 1950's did not get much homework -- about 20 minutes and never on Friday. So there was still much time to play outside with our friends.
• My mom kept a calendar with all upcoming social obligations as well as due dates for utilities bills and household expenses such as the milkman. She kept the calendar sitting right on top of her desk so she would see it every day.
  
• My mom kept a bound notebook (like a blank journal) where she recorded how much she was paid and where the money was spent. This kept her finances organized and also prevented frivolous spending because she knew that she would have to look at that entry in the book for a long time.
  
• She had one page for savings so she would not have to check all of her hiding places to add up her money. Even on her meager salary of $51.20, she lived on $50 and saved the $1.20. Once a pay envelope had $10 in it my mom would hide that envelope and start a new one. She was a regular saver even if it was just a small amount each week. My mom was as organized with her finances as she was with the rest of her life. She never went in debt up to the day she died.

Each of us has a different situation but hopefully some of these tips will help you to be an organized working mom.

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