The life of a stay at home mom is not as easy as some may think. The demands are endless, and time is limited! Getting out of your pajamas may seem impossible on many days! And let’s not forget that having little ones around can mean you no longer control your time or day. However, having a stay at home mom schedule can turn things around, making your day and life more manageable.
Now, who doesn’t want that?!
Factors To Decide When Planning Your Stay At Home Mom Schedule
Before you crank out your planner and get busy making your stay at home mom schedule, here are some things to consider.
1. Identify the non-negotiable
The first step to creating a stay at home mom schedule that works begins with you sitting down and identifying your non-negotiable.
This is the backbone of your stay at home mom schedule. And the key to how effective and efficient this schedule is when it comes to managing your day as a stay-at-home mom.
Every mom has her unique list of things that she needs to get done at a particular time every day. What are yours?
Examples of non-negotiable are:
- leave home at 7:30 AM for school drop-off.
- Afterschool pick up.
- Homeschooling lessons ( if you’re a homeschooling mama.)
- Bedtime for both you and your kids.
Once you have plugged these critical times into your schedule, you’re off to a great start in making the perfect schedule to become the happiest mom you’ll ever know!
2. Plan your wake-up time and create a morning routine
Creating a morning routine for my kids and me has been a game-changer! But waking up before everyone else in our home has been even better! No kidding!
But here is the thing everyone fails to realize. You do not have to wake up an entire hour or two before everyone else.
Waking up 30 minutes before your kids will give you so much freedom. The freedom to prioritize yourself and fill your cup before serving others.
The freedom to enjoy a steaming hot cup of coffee (and maybe the only steaming cup of coffee throughout your day) without distraction.
Setting intentions and getting organized for your day are some of the many benefits you will get from waking up before your kids.
3. Prioritize self-care & time for yourself
Many stay at home moms, including myself, have been brainwashed into thinking we must self-sacrifice. Be everything to everyone. We underestimate our roles as a stay at home moms.
If you’ve been struggling with this. I want to remind you that the gift you give your family is invaluable. Your service to your family will go a long way, and you can not put a price on your work. To keep serving your family, you must take care of yourself.
Factor in time for yourself to unwind and relax when making your stay at home mom schedule.
4. Regular house chores and home maintenance
Schedule times in your day when you will keep up with house chores. Leaving everything to do at the end of the day is catastrophic and will create a burnout mom.
Create a routine that will help you manage and stay on top of the mundane activities. Hello, laundry!
Teaching toddlers to take their dishes to the sink and clean up after breakfast might be a system you want to implement.
Ask your spouse to help with laundry and clean up after dinner. Ask kids to help out with packing toys away before heading to bed. Sweeping and tidying up in the evening gives the perfect start to the following day.
Find systems that work for you to get house tasks done.
Got an eight-year-old at home? Check out the list of chores for eight-year-olds.
5. Don’t forget the “one of tasks.”
Plan your trips to groceries, shopping, and running errands every week around the same day and time.
A stay at home mom schedule you can steal and make yours
No two stay at moms will have the same schedule. However, you can use this as a guide or inspiration to create your stay at-home mom schedule.
I’m a homeschooling mom of two, but my schedule can easily tweak into your stay at home mom schedule.
At the time of writing this post – this stay at home mom schedule is relatively new to me. We recently made some massive lifestyle changes. Moving across three provinces, transitioning from city living to country living. As well as making the switch from public schooling to homeschooling.
My morning routine as a stay at home mom
- 5:45 AM: Goes my alarm – wake up, brush my teeth, wash my face, and use the washroom
- 6:00 AM: Mommy’s morning routine begins with twenty minutes of workout. I use Leslie Sansone Walk Videos on YouTube.
- 6:20 AM – 6:40 AM: I take a few minutes of my self-care routine to prepare my husband’s breakfast and pack his lunch bag.
- 6:40 AM: Have coffee while journaling. Every morning I write three things I’m grateful for that took place within the last 24 hours in my gratification journal. Following that, I write- I’m the type of person who _______________. Here is where I also set my intention for my day.
- 7:00 AM – 7:15 AM: Meditation
- 7:15 AM- 7:30 AM: Reading. My self-care routine is now completed. I feel fueled, and I’m ready to take on my day.
- 7:30 AM – 7:50 AM: Clean kitchen and head upstairs to get dressed for my day.
- 7:50 AM – 8:00 AM: Kids are usually waking up. My nine-year-old makes her bed and tidies her room. She changes, brushes her teeth, and then comes down for breakfast. While my five-year-old is brushing and getting dressed, I will make and tidy his room. Sometimes he helps make his bed, and it takes longer on those days. But, I’m okay with that because I admire his willingness and independence.
- 8:15 AM: Kids are downstairs and ready for breakfast!
- 8:45 AM: Wash the kid’s dishes.
- 9:00 AM: Our homeschooling day begins! We start our day off with prayers and mindfulness activities– such as breathing, meditation, or listening to a mindset story. Then we head straight into dance and move our bodies.
- 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM: The lesson plan is in progress. If you are a homeschooling mommy and would like to see what our homeschooling day looks like, please leave me a comment below.
Afternoon schedule of a stay at home mom
- 12:30 AM – 1:00 PM: Lunch. Both kids and I have lunch at the same time every day. Then I tidy the kitchen. There’s just something about having my kitchen space clean. If the kitchen is clean, I feel more organized and productive. ( It could very well be a mindset thing) but it works for me!?
- 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM: The kids usually watch television and play games. During this time, the kids are unstructured. Having unstructured time allows kids to tap into their creativity and free will and is excellent for development. (source). It also allows me to write, catch up with emails, share my blog post, reach out to sponsors, plan lessons for homeschooling, etc.
- 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: We head outside to enjoy nature and play. On rainy days (which we get a lot o here), we’ll play board games, dolls, cars, etc. The kids are in control here.
- 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM: My daughter plays the piano and has this time for practice and piano lessons. I use these 30 minutes for special one-on-one time with my five-year-old son. One-on-one special time is a beautiful way to connect and be present with your child. Creating memorable moments all while building your child’s confidence.
- 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM: This is time for kids to bathe and use the toilets.
- 5:00 PM- 6:00 PM: My husband gets home and takes over with the kids. I then use this time to vacuum and tidy up before preparing dinner. I try batch cooking as much as I can on the weekends. This has helped me save a lot of time! I might just have to do a salad during the weekdays or go for taco nights.
- 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM: We have our dinner and chat about our day as a family.
- 6:45 PM – 7:15 PM: Do dishes and clean the kitchen while daddy chat or plays with the kids.
Nighttime routine as a stay at home mom
- 7:15 PM – 7:30 PM: Kids brush teeth while mommy enjoys a warm bath.
- 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM: My husband takes over with my son and reads to him while I spend some one-on-one time with my daughter. This is our special time. We usually chat, play games like tic tac toe, or do a word search.
- 8:00 PM – 8:30 PM: Tock the kids in their beds. I usually put my son to bed, and my husband gets the honor of placing his baby girl to bed.
- 8:30 PM – 9:00 PM: I’m in bed, either scrolling on social media or doing some high vibes reading.
- 9:00 PM – 9:30 PM: Chat with hubby. Share our day etc.
- 9:30 PM: Say a prayer and off to sleep.
As a stay at home mom, you need to prioritize your sleep. Failing to get enough sleep will make you cranky and lethargic throughout your day. Making your job more difficult than it actually is.
If you are a girl’s mommy or have a little girl. I recommend you read how to raise a strong, confident daughter and raising strong daughters quotes.
Additional notes on my stay at home mom schedule
Since moving to a rural community and homeschooling, my husband helps pick up groceries and run errands. This has been a tremendous help.
As a stay at home mom, don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Being a stay at home mom is not easy as ” eating a piece of cake.” Anyone who thinks it is will be in for a shock!
However, if running errands and grabbing groceries were up to me. I would stick this task in on a Friday. Fridays are fun Fridays in our homeschooling schedule. So I would schedule groceries and run errands between 10 AM – 1 PM every Friday.
Final notes on creating a stay at home mom schedule
Having a schedule creates organization and structure around your home. This is great for both you and your family. It prevents you from burning out and feeling like you are running around all day to accomplish nothing.
Those feelings will make you feel unworthy, and mom guilt will take you over.
Creating a schedule will allow you to manage your home and your life. Making you enjoy this beautiful season of life you are in. Being the happiest mom you ever know.
But, remember, no two days are the same in motherhood! Some days are better than others.
Days where things are not going as planned and you cannot stick to your schedule welcome flexibility. Let flexibility be your best friend and switch to what works for you on those days. And as soon as you can again, return to your stay at home mom schedule.
Oh, and before you go, don’t forget to grab these free journaling prompts. ⬇️⬇️
