Organisation is key for a full and fun day

My days as a mum work best when they involve a series of lists. I'm reminded of one of the scenes in the recent movie I Don't Know How She Does It, where the main character, Kate, is lying in bed after her children and husband have gone to sleep and her to-do list flashes across the screen as she creates it. I watched the movie after Laura was born, so such scenes really struck a chord. On the matter of bringing up your child(ren) and running a household — not to mention throwing outings, holidays and work into the mix — I applaud all mothers who have gone before me.

The other morning, I overheard my husband telling my girlfriend over the phone, 'Yes, I'm sure she'd love to meet you for a coffee. Before 10 am might be a little tricky, though.' Another girlfriend once told me she was glad I suggested 10.30 am for a play date for our children, as had it been any earlier she would have been pushing it to get there on time. In the mornings at our house it's all stations go, go, go, yet I find that even with my husband and I both contributing to the morning routine, we need every minute of the two-and-a-half hours from the time our daughter wakes up to the earliest time I seem able to make it out the door.

Getting out the door in the morning is one thing. Going on a family holiday is another. Our little family recently went away for the weekend. We only stayed away one night, and packed light (a happy result of lessons learnt when we travelled overseas and to Melbourne earlier this year), but it still took me most of Friday to get us packed. My aim when we travel is to take essentials only (for example, hotel towels and face washers are fine for her skin at this age), while minimising the risk of being caught short. A new mum recently tweeted a photo of a porter's trolley overflowing with her family's luggage, and the caption along the lines of 'the stuff you need when you travel with a baby'. I hear her — you have an extra person to think about, for whom it isn't always so easy to apply the attitude 'I'll go without' or 'I'll just pop down to the all-night corner store for the missing supplies'. On our first holiday away at Christmas last year, our car was packed to overflowing, including the basket on our roof racks.

Planning the following day and the upcoming week (not to mention a trip away) is the best way for me to limit potential chaos and ensure Laura and I can get out and about and enjoy ourselves. Otherwise, I have a sneaking suspicion that I'd be forever running around chasing my tail. Or, I'd discover that Laura only has clean summer clothes on a winter's day. Or that we had run out of her prepared meals when we're going to be out all day.

If there's anything I need to make sure I do, it helps to have made a note about it beforehand, as remembering things while we're trying to get out the door on time and while supervising an increasingly mobile baby is a difficult task. Do I need to pack a snack for Laura, or can we buy her something there? Will I need to take a hat, a warm coat? Is the stroller adequate, or do I need to put the pram in the car? How many of her meals do I have left in the freezer? How many more days of warm clothes does she have until I need to do another load of washing? Do we have time to put her down for a nap, or will she need to wait until later in the morning?

Mapping out my day may seem like a bit of an overkill. The way I see it, it's only going to get more hectic as Laura gets older. There'll be her school, after-school activities and weekend sport to fit in our calendar, alongside her parents' social engagements. And I'll be back at work. So I look at this as good practice. Besides, there are other benefits to being organised: it also enables me to fit in quality 'mummy time' while Laura's napping and to regularly catch up with girlfriends. But, I do still have a little way to go, as currently I have no idea how I'll add day care drop-off to our daily morning routine!