Being a stay-at-home mom is such a busy role! Creating a structured, manageable schedule is key to helping the day flow smoothly and keeping everyone happy. We’re about to dive into everything you need to know about stay-at-home mom schedules.
If you’re looking for some information on what in the world you’re supposed to do with your kids all day long, how you’re supposed to fit in any kind of household tasks, let alone make time for yourself and quality time with your partner, this episode is for you.
Listen Below For The Entire Episode On The Systemize Your Life Podcast
You’ll hear me get real on why a bedtime and nighttime routine is so important, not only for yourself but also for your marriage. We will talk about how a daily routine can help you take your day from overwhelmed and ready to give up to a deep sense of purpose. You’ll finally be that stay at home mom with enough time to take care of yourself and everyone else.
This mom productivity session will help you put the right systems in place so you can reclaim your day, your energy, and your peace of mind.
Meet Ashley
In this motherhood productivity session, I got to talk with Ashley, the sweetest stay-at-home momma. When we spoke, Ashley had just moved to Kansas City. She was feeling like they were finally in a place where they could get back into a daily routine. She was just a few weeks away from leaving her part-time job and was ready to go all in and get a grip on their daily schedule.
Up until now, she had been feeling like she hadn’t had enough hours in the day to get anything done. Sometimes the day would end and she would wonder, “What did I even do today? Other than feed the kids…and I’m not even totally confident I did that.”
She also knew that the kids needed playmates. Her goal was to create a better daily routine so that they could get the household tasks done and still go out and do things during the day. She also knew she didn’t want it to look like a bomb went through the house every single day.
Ashley had recently done the whole Marie Kondo thing and taken 13 bags to Goodwill but she still felt like the house was a disaster. The mess was making her feel emotionally drained. There was so much going on in daily life that the idea of finding time to practice self-care or do personal tasks felt even more draining. She just didn’t have the time or the energy.
The Power Of Meal Prep
She had already started to implement some tips she had learned from the Systemize Your Life podcast. She had attempted some meal planning and meal prep but was still working out the details of her system. The one thing that she took away from that episode was starting to cook dinner, or at least start dinner prep, between 3:30-4pm.
Although cooking meals so early may sound crazy, it makes the evening amazing.
Her husband works close to their home but they share a vehicle. So, at 5:00 they would have to go pick him up. By the time she would come back and start making dinner, it was too late. The kids were tired and hungry and it made the whole process more stressful.
She decided to shift their meal times. Now, she is done cooking before they leave. They go to pick her husband up and then as soon as they get back, they are sitting down to eat.
That small shift in their daily routine has made a big difference. No one is melting down on the floor or grabbing her legs while she tries to cook. She said it has been amazing for the whole family. A little advanced meal planning goes a long way.
Using A Brain Dump To Manage The To-Do List
She also mentioned that she has started using a planner and doing weekly brain dumps to help with her to-do list. Although the brain dump had been really helpful, she wasn’t sure if she had the right planner for her needs.
“I think I need one that has the times laid out for me,” she said. “I don’t like looking at my small block and seeing a list of the things that I’m going to do during that block. I’m either not doing it during that block or I’m realizing we’re going to have nap time soon so I try to get all this stuff done now.”
She thought it might be easier to have an actual time connected to what she needed to get done. For example, at 8:00 we’re going to go to the gym. At 10:00 we’re going to come home and do xyz.
The Hybrid Paper Planner and Google Calendar Method
I offered a very tangible mindset shift for that dilemma. I use my Google Calendar in my phone. My Google Calendar tells me when I need to be somewhere at a certain time. Then, I use my planner to tell me what I need to do during that time.
When I sit down to do my brain dump and I think about what I am doing for the week, I also open my Google calendar and look at where I’m supposed to be. That jogs my memory of other household chores or personal interests that I wanted to prioritize that week.
That is how I stopped feeling overwhelmed and forgetting all of those little things that I needed to get done. You can kind of play with this system and make it yours but I find putting tasks into my time blocks instead of sticking to a strict schedule works better with mom life.
Flexible Stay At Home Mom Schedules
So, in your paper planner you are going to split your day into 5 blocks. First you get up and do your quiet time or whatever is in your morning routine. Then you do into your AM section. You’ll write down everything in there that you want to be doing in that AM time block. You need to be intentional about being productive during that time.
After that you have nap time or rest time where you can do household duties or get work done if you are a working mom. Next, you have your PM block and then your nighttime routine.
For me, when I tried to use a written planner with the time frames, it felt too rigid. Sometimes the kids wake up late or their kids nap doesn’t happen and I’d get frustrated when I had to shift my schedule around. This system helped me create a more balanced routine. It was much easier for me. I think that it really helps with your marriage too if your husband can see in a Google calendar what you are doing all day.
Instead of a rigid stay at home mom schedule template, you can download my free time blocking workbook to see how I use it to create a flexible daily stay at home mom schedule that works for my whole family.
Sample Schedule for Stay At Home Moms
For example, if I get up at 5:00 and my kids get up at 7:00, I know that my cut off time for my morning routine is 6:45. In the early mornings, I can practice self-care, have personal time or even get some work done. My morning routine is for me. However, I have to be done at 6:45 a.m. so I can head into the kitchen and start lunches.
I give myself 15 minutes to do that. Then, at 7:00, that’s when my AM stay at home mom block starts. That lasts from 7:00 in the morning until about 11:15.
At 11:15 we do lunch. I always buffer those time blocks with time to clean up. Then, during nap time I can use that for my podcast. I would reserve that time during the day for something that is meaningful to you.
I would definitely suggest that you have your morning time that’s just for you and then you have your nap time for a work block or personal time.
Write down a list what you want to see ideally happening in your morning block. Do you want one-on-one time with no technology? Or do you prefer educational games? Do you want to spend some time doing a few chores?
Set realistic expectations for how you want to be spending time during the entire day and then create mini-routines that will lead you from one thing to the next.
How to Find Time To Clean
I do all of of my cleaning before my kids go to bed. I utilize the technology strategically or a quiet activity where the kids can play independently. You could have a list of quiet activities or everyday activities you want in your day.
I also include my kids as much as possible in the cleaning. Daily chores are teaching them important life skills. give you quality time together and make the household tasks feel a little less overwhelming.
In your Google calendar, set reminders to go off 5 minutes before a new time block starts. The reminder signals for you and the kids that it’s time to clean up so that everyone is ready to move on to the next thing.
You can be less specific with what you put in your Google calendar and just use it when you actually need to be somewhere or you can actually put in at 7:00 am I do this daily routine.
You’re going to have to build in time after every single activity and before every single transition so that you can clean up the space you are in before you go into something new. If you are cleaning up gradually throughout the day, it won’t feel as overwhelming. You can literally set a timer for 5 minutes before you go into lunch. Then, every single day you’re kind of starting with a clean slate.
My big times are before lunch right before dinner. Everything gets cleaned up. That has helped us to not have so much random stuff laying around.
Avoid the Emotional Drain as a SAHM
Often, as a stay at home mom, it isn’t the big things that get to us. It is all the little things that add up. We want to make sure our kids are doing things that are engaging and good for your child’s development but we also don’t want to be drilling the ABCs and colors into their brains every single day.
We know that they need a lot of simulation but then there are also all the other things to get done as busy moms. That is why it is important to get a good grasp on what we want our daily routines to look like so that everyone can find a sense of balance.
Systems Take Time
You’re going to have to be patient. Learning new systems and getting into a new routine takes time. You definitely don’t have to do the same thing every single day but, for a while at least, you might want to. Then everyone can get used to the structure. That way, if you do go on a play date and it is through nap time, the next day the kids know how to fall right back into what you’ve done every other day.
The Importance of Bedtime and Nap Time
It also is my sincere opinion that bedtime and nap time need to be hard and fast rules. There are people who don’t like that. They just want to do what they want and give in to their kids and the freedom of being a SAHM.
However, if you want the structure to be able to take care of you and invest in your business or your dreams, you need a semi-predictable schedule. You also need to prioritize sleep, for yourself and your kids. That is how you make sure everyone is a happy camper.
That means you need to know what time breakfast has to be on the table, what time lunch is on the table, and what time dinner is on the table. You also you need to know what you’re eating for every single one of those meals, what snacks you’re having on hand.
It’s also helpful to know how many days a week you’re doing an outside of the house activity like a playdate. I always looked forward to like an every other day kind of thing. One day we went out and the next day we did a structured activity in the morning. The other half of the morning was their independent play. Then, we would have lunch together and then it would be nap time.
Once you get into that routine, you’ll find that you’re able to pick up a little bit more often. Eventually, it’s just going to be normal for them.
“The goal isn’t to create this rigid structure but to create a framework that brings balance and peace to your day.“
Creating a Stay at Home Mom Schedule that Works for You
Motherhood can feel overwhelming at times, but there’s so much freedom in setting routines with intention. By creating time blocks, involving your kids in everyday tasks, and prioritizing your own mental and physical wellbeing, you’ll find time to get it all done and more joy in being home with your kids.
For more guidance on creating a flexible stay at home mom schedule that works for you, download my free time blocking workbook. It’s time to get out of the chaos and into confidence so that you can enjoy your days and your kids.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the stay at home mom schedule change with different age groups?
The great thing about using time blocks instead of a rigid schedule is that your time blocks can adjust and flow as your schedule and your kids change. I’ve got some great podcast episodes about how I structured my day with my kids at different ages:
Your Perfect Stay At Home Mom AM Block For Toddlers
3 Tips to Balance Home and Business When the Kids Are Out of School
How many hours a day can a stay at home mom work?
In my coaching program, Systemize to Scale, I teach moms how to carve out at least 15 hours a week for their business or passion project. If you’d like predictable systems that help you get more done, and have on-going support to help you implement them, join Systemize to Scale today!
