Every single sock that I own is exactly the same. OK, that’s not entirely true. I have two pairs of trouser socks for business meetings that I never wear anymore since I became a stay at home mom. I keep thinking that if I get rid of them, a meeting will come along that I would need to wear them to. And, since I never want to attend a meeting again where I would have to wear trouser socks, by owning them, I feel as though I am somehow warding those meetings off.
But I digress.
Coming back to the point – ALMOST all of my socks are exactly the same. They are black ankle socks. They are the same brand. I probably own 15 or 20 pairs but I never, ever have to pair them. Because if they are exactly the same, why bother? I can just grab ANY two socks and I have a matching pair.
Imagine a life where you never have to match your socks again. Think of the minutes you would save over the course of your lifetime, never having to wonder if there really is a sock monster eating your socks in the dryer. Sounds good, doesn’t it?
This is called streamlining. It works. And you should try it. Here’s why.
When you are living the special needs life it is so easy to get bogged down in details. Getting ready to leave the house can be like packing for a long trip to a vacation spot that you never quite get to. My son, Kai, just turned seven and it still feels this way. Kai has cognitive disabilities but needs no physical assistive accessories. Still, we have a diaper bag. In the diaper bag we usually have diapers, wipes, a changing towel (because we have long outgrown changing tables), baby food, spoons, a bowl, a sippy cup, two changes of clothes, cookies, two tablets and a hot spot, grocery bags for soiled diapers and clothes, any medications Kai may need and usually more. Now, if your child has physical disabilities, on top of this could be added a wheelchair, assistive technology for communication, crutches, jtube accessories and many, many more things. Parents of typical children fondly remember how much stuff they packed when their kids were newborns. To special needs parents and caregivers, a newborn diaper bag seems like a cakewalk.
Assuming that we finally have it all together and our child is ready to leave the house, the bottom line is that we still have to get ourselves ready, too. Why would I want to search for two socks that match?
Think this sock thing is ridiculous? Let’s try another example.
How many times a day does your child with special needs have accidents and need a change of clothes? Oh, but wait, the bedding got wet, too. And then at lunch, food was dropped all over their shirt (if you are lucky for that meal, it’s just the shirt). And you grabbed a towel to catch a spill before it went even further. All of this stuff needs to be washed.
Are you still separating whites and colors? Doing different loads in hot, warm, cold, delicate, regular? Guess what? I’m not. EVERYTHING gets washed in cold (unless it’s a really, really gross mess). And, EVERYTHING gets washed together. Colors and whites are united in a vat of lovely cold water. Got delicates? Wash ALL of it on the delicate cycle. It comes out exactly the same. I promise.
Streamline. Simplify. Make the process easier. Go with your natural hair texture most of the time. That’s right, put the flat iron down. Want to work out? Save money and time by doing it outside or at home online. You never have to worry about gym hours or gym bills. Are you the cook in the house? Make a big pot of some type of grain (rice, pasta, etc.) and keep it in the fridge for several days. It’s a quick way to make meals, just change up add-ons and sauce. Doing Keto? Keep the concept, switch the grain to a batch of chicken. Keep it easy. Making pancakes for your kid on Sunday morning? Make extra, slide into Ziplock bags with wax paper in between and you have more meals for the week.
Make your morning routine more simple by laying out everything the night before (yes, I am becoming my mother, but that’s not a bad thing). Then in the morning, instead of spending a few extra minutes trying to find things, you can spend a few extra minutes lingering over coffee. Or, you know, spending time with your kid.
Speaking of your kid, you know that diaper bag I talked about earlier? How many times have you left the house with what you thought was everything only to discover that one really important thing was not replaced the last time it was used? MAKE A CHECKLIST. It is impossible to keep everything you need to remember in your brain when living the special needs life. The diaper bag checklist makes the process faster, easier and complete. When you go to replenish supplies in the diaper bag, look at the list. Go down it and check that everything on the list is in the bag. Done. No brain gymnastics required.
The above ideas are just that. Streamlining will look different for everyone because everyone is different. But what we all have in common as special needs caregivers is being on overload. All of the time. So, streamline. Simplify as much as you can. Make the process as easy as possible.
You deserve easy.
How do you streamline while living the special needs life? Please share in the comments below.