How to Create a Stay at Home Mom Routine That Works for You

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I have a BIG confession to make…I’m a huge OCD planner type of gal. You know the kind, the ones who have every minute of the day planned.

When I had children, my entire world turned upside down. It suddenly felt impossible to have a set schedule anymore.

So after some time (not) enjoying a cold cup of hot chocolate from that mornings breakfast by dinner time, I realized something needed to change.

There had to be a way to reclaim a little bit of sanity and create a stay at home mom routine that would work for me.

And guess what?

There is!

I’m going to let you in on my top tips for creating a routine as a stay at home mom. But before we get started, I want to state one thing:

A routine will look different for every mom and family. What works for me, may not work for you. And that’s okay!

The important thing is to find a routine that works for *you*.

Now let’s get started!

Let’s Build A Productive Daily Stay At Home Mom Schedule

Being a stay at home mom is a full-time job in itself.

Between taking care of the kids, the house, and everything else, it can be tough to find time for anything else.

However, it is possible to create a productive daily schedule that will help you get the most out of your day.

(Just to let you know I share my own personal schedule below. Keep reading to get the full detail of how I manage a full house – 5 kids – and maintain sanity homeschooling them as well).

Some of the hardest parts of the day are the “in between” hours (before and after big meals).

This is where you want to focus your attention and see what works best for your energy levels and your child’s attention span.

By creating a productive daily schedule, you can make the most of your time as a stay at home mom.

Here is a sneak peek into our family’s fall routine, and my personal fall schedule:

This way you can see a lot of the topics we will cover, including time blocking, scheduling, routines, and more.

Why You Need To Time Block Your Daily Stay At Home Mom Schedule

If you’re not time blocking your day, you need to start NOW!

Stay at home moms have some of the busiest days filled with a constant stream of activities.

From taking care of the kids to handling the household chores, it can be easy to feel like you’re always on the go.

However, if you don’t take the time to schedule your days, you’re going to find yourself feeling frazzled and overwhelmed.

What Is Time Blocking?

Time blocking is a simple but effective way to manage your time and ensure that you’re making the most of each day.

(And it’s the one thing that’s made all the difference in my stay at home mom routine).

By dividing your day into blocks of time and scheduling specific activities for each block, you can ensure that you’re spending your time in a way that works for you.

In addition, time blocking can help you to identify areas where you may need to cut back or make changes.

For example, if you find that you’re constantly rushing from one activity to the next, you may want to consider reevaluating your old schedule and spacing out your activities more.

Ultimately, time blocking is a helpful tool for any busy mom.

By taking the time to plan your days, you can ensure that you’re making the most of your time and managing your responsibilities in a way that works for you.

Types of Tasks To Add To Your SAHM Schedule

Some tasks you may want to consider adding to your schedule include:

• Self care/Adult time
• Early morning routine (pre-kid wake up)
• Morning routine
• Lunch
• Afternoon routine
• Dinner
• Homeschool lessons/Learning activities
• Playtime/Park
• Meal planning and preparation
• Household chores
• Evening routine
• Bedtime routine
• Naptime
• Reading
• Grocery shopping (you can make a cheap grocery list for a month – you CAN make it happen!)
• Playdates

If you’re a working mom, you’ll want to add in your work hours as well.

My Personal Stay At Home Mom Schedule

When my now 10 year old was a newborn I struggled with motherhood and finding joy serving my family.

Every day felt like one giant continuation into the next day and it honestly left me with a sick feeling inside my stomach.

I know it sounds silly to say, but having a schedule made such a big different for my sanity and my family’s happiness.

And I hope my family’s schedule gives you some great ideas to try in your own home to help you reclaim the joy you deserve in motherhood.

Early Morning Routine (4:00am – 6:30am)

I am a morning person by nature. I love the peace and quiet that comes with early mornings.

I’m usually up by 4:00am and I start my day with some personal time.

I read my scriptures, pray, and update my family’s journal.

I also take time to work on creating cute and helpful printables which you’ll find in our shop, write content for you to enjoy, or work on my latest YouTube video for you to pull hopeful inspiration from for your life.

Here’s the latest video you can save and watch after reading about your stay at home mom routine:

Now, as a disclaimer, don’t wake up this early in the morning if you’re not a morning person.

You want to do what’s best for you and your little ones.

As long as you schedule in some time before your kids wake up, that’s all that matters.

Kids Scripture Reading Time (6:30am – 7:00am)

My children often wake a little before 6:30am and that’s okay if they do. They’re aware of the family rule of quiet hours, especially while the toddlers and babies are still sleeping.

My husband and I invite the children into the living room where we say our family’s morning prayers and everyone does their own personal scripture reading.

The older children have their own Bible study guides and books to go through.

And the younger kids (my preschooler and 18 month old toddler) are read to during this time.

We also use coloring sheets and other learning helps to bring God’s word to life for them.

Breakfast (7:00am – 8:00 am)

After the children’s daily devotional they get dressed, wash their faces, and get ready for the day while I prepare breakfast.

I try to keep breakfast simple for my family, usually oatmeal or yogurt.

Sometimes the kids will help me make pumpkin chocolate chip bread or banana bread the day before (and those are always exciting breakfasts).

While the kids eat their food I will read to them from The Book of Mormon and a page from The Standards of Youth Pamphlet.

We dive into deeper discussions about God’s word and living godly lives of integrity and goodness.

This is also a great time to give them encouragement and for them to ask any questions that are on their mind.

Kids Preparations Time (8:00am – 9:00am)

While the kids brush their teeth and cleanup from breakfast, I’m able to eat and pull out any food that might be needed for dinner later that day.

Once the kids are ready they put their dirty clothes in the laundry room (sometimes they need a little reminder). Then they return to the living room and we have a “family huddle.”

Morning Routine (9:00-11:00am)

Now, as a disclaimer, I do homeschool my children (who vary in age from 10 to 18 months).

When I don’t homeschool them such as a weekend or the summertime, they often have a predetermined schedule.

We might go to a park, do housework together, go to our local u-pick farm to pick produce, or volunteer to clean our local church.

Unless the weather is crummy. Then we plan on staying home.

My children’s homeschool bookwork is done primarily in the morning time. Their minds are invigorated and active for learning.

The older ones will work independent with their workbooks and printables and my preschooler and baby will enjoy playtime.

Once a week we take time learning about the US Government and the Constitution. We’re using the Good and the Beautiful’s unit study.

You will find the unboxing below and I’m planning on doing a mid-year review soon too, so be on the lookout for that video.

Prep for Lunch (11:00am – 12:00pm)

The children enjoy an hour of free time before lunch.

The boys will often play with their cars or building blocks while the girls will spend time reading or helping me with lunch in the kitchen.

Having littles help with meal planning guarantees more time in the kitchen, but the life skills they’re learning is worth it.

Lunch (12:00pm – 1:00pm)

We all sit down and enjoy eating lunch together. We discuss what they’re learning in their workbooks.

They share anything they found interesting or silly during their learning.

Afternoon Routine (1:00pm – 3:00pm)

By the afternoon time the kids have a bundle of energy and wiggles to get out. This is our time of day to get them outside to learn, explore, and play.

Most of the time we take them to a local park, go on a nature hike, or explore a new place.

If it’s raining, we’ll spend time reading and building forts with blankets or play hide-and-seek inside the house.

Because heaven knows that mom life and mom schedules can change in the blink of an eye.

Quiet Time / Reading (3:00pm – 5:00pm)

Since kids have a tendency to get a little grumpy by the late afternoon (many people call it the “witching hour”) we all enjoy quiet time before dinner.

The children will have a snack to curve those hangry pains.

Then they can spend some time reading, drawing, or playing quietly with their favorite toy.

About 4:00pm I will excuse myself to prepare dinner, which I try to keep simple but healthy.

Dinner Time (5:00pm – 6:00pm)

Before our family starts eating we have a tradition of praying and then going around the table and sharing one gratitude from the day.

My husband will lead the family during our family Bible study (right now we are learning more about Isaiah in the Old Testament).

I love having our family scripture study during dinner since the young ones are a bit more contained and can’t run off.

Dinnertime is also one of my favorite times of the day. Things feel like they’re winding down after a full day of learning, playing, and being productive.

It’s a time for our family to relax and just enjoy each other’s company.

Evening Routine (6:00pm – 6:30pm)

Our family says evening prayers together at 6:30pm, so the children have from the time they finish dinner until 6:30pm to complete any chores they need to finish.

This can include putting away toys, doing the dishes, sweeping the kitchen, or putting their clean laundry away in their dressers.

My husband and I are always available to work alongside them and help them where we can.

We are trying to instill a bit more self reliance and provide encouragement for the children to be independent with their work (especially as they get older).

Bedtime Routine (6:30pm – 7:30pm)

I love bedtime! And not because of the obvious reason of tucking the children into bed.

The bedtime stories, the snuggles, and the cuddles are the best part of the day.

I love tucking in each of the children (even my older kids) and reminding them of their value and worth.

A common phrase my children often hear in the home is “Jesus loves you and so do we.”

Even though the kids are in bed at a fairly early time, they don’t have to go to sleep right away. Some do, but they’re not required to.

This is their scheduled quiet evening time.

Our family has found that having the children enjoy their quiet time in bed, whether they’re journaling, reading a book, or playing quietly with a stuffed animal helps lull them into a better sleep.

When You Have Toddlers and Babies

We still have toddlers, preschoolers, and babies in our home. One of the things I’ve found to be most helpful for them at night is a good bedtime story.

Sometimes we will read picture books and those are fun.

But the best success that I’ve had with helping these littles fall asleep are when I read them a chapter book.

They love falling asleep to The Little Prince, The Secret Garden, or The Chronicles of Narnia.

For whatever reason, once they snuggle down and listen to the story they will fall asleep to the sounds of you reading.

Next Day Prep & Adults Only Time (7:30pm – 9:00pm)

After the children are in bed, it’s time for my husband and I to get some quality time together.

This is often our favorite part of the day because we can finally relax and unwind from the craziness that is parenting young kids.

Depending on my husband’s schedule we usually watch a show together or just spend time talking and catching up.

If my husband is busy then I’ll get to work creating more cute printables and content for you sweet readers.

The only change to this evening time is Friday nights, which are date nights for my husband and I.

Then it’s time for my personal evening prayers and off to bed to get some needed sleep.

What To Do If You Find Yourself Off A Routine & How To Get Back On

We’ve all been there before: life gets in the way and suddenly we find ourselves completely off our routine.

Whether it’s a new baby, a big holiday, or just the busyness of everyday life, it can be hard to get back on track once we’ve fallen off.

But don’t despair! There are a few simple steps you can take to get yourself back on track and feeling good again.

RELATED: Ponder and pray over these 50 Bible verses about unborn babies as you prepare to welcome your newborn into your home. God has a plan for them

First, take a step back and assess the situation.

What exactly caused you to fall off your routine in the first place? Once you know what the problem is, you can start to address it.

If it’s something outside of your control, like a holiday or a medical emergency, try to set aside some time each day to focus on what needs your attention before getting back on track.

If the problem is something within your control, like letting your workouts slip or certain chores not being done in a timely manner, make a plan to slowly incorporate healthy habits back into your schedule can make a big difference!

Next, be patient with yourself.

It takes time to develop new habits, so don’t expect to be back on track overnight.

Falling off your routine is not a sign of failure, so don’t beat yourself up about it.

Just keep moving forward and trust that you’ll get there in time.

Finally, ask for help if you need it!

If you’re struggling to get back on track solo, reach out to friends or family members for support.

Sometimes accountability is all we need to stay motivated.

At the end of the day, getting back on track is all about taking things one day at a time.

So put one foot in front of the other and soon enough you’ll be back on your routine and feeling better than ever!

SAHM FAQs

How Can I Not Be So Angry All The Time?

If you’re mom anger makes the Hulk blush then the first thing I’d ask you is about your sleep routine.

Are you getting enough sleep each night? If not, then that’s probably the root of your problem.

Lack of sleep can make even the most easy-going person turn into a raging lunatic.

So if you’re not getting enough Z’s, try to adjust your schedule to ensure that you’re getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

How Can A Stay At Home Mom Get It All Done?

I hope you know that no woman has everything perfectly put together.

Being a stay at home mom is rewarding, but there is a time and season for everything.

Some days you’re going to feel like you’re rocking this mom thing and other days you might feel like you’re trying to put out all the fires.

It’s all part of the job!

One of the best pieces of advice I can give you is to focus on one task at a time.

Whether it’s getting dinner on the table or getting everyone out the door for school, just take things one step at a time.

And please don’t let what you didn’t get done overshadow what you are doing inside your home.

And don’t forget to take time for yourself.

I know this is easier said than done, but work with your spouse to give yourself time to take a nap, do that craft you’ve been putting off, or give yourself a facial.

You’ll find a review of honey mask benefits and why you need to try this kind of skin care.

But more importantly, remember that being a stay at home mom is an investment in your children’s lives. When they’re young they need you physically, and when they’re older they need you mentally.

Sometimes the rewards that come from being available to our children and husband aren’t seen for many years later.

Can Having A Stay At Home Mom Routine Really Help?

It can be tough to juggle the demands of motherhood with the needs of a household, but having a routine can help.

A stay at home mom routine can give your day structure and purpose, while also providing much-needed down time for you and your kids.

Kids thrive on routine, and it can help to prevent behavioral issues.

Plus, having a daily schedule can help you to get more done around the house.

Even if your routine is flexible, it can still provide a sense of stability for both you and your kids.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, consider establishing a daily routine. It just might be the key to maintaining your sanity as a stay at home mom.

What If I Don’t Like Schedules and Routines?

Routines and schedules can be helpful for getting things done and keeping on track, but they don’t work for everyone.

If you find that you’re constantly struggling to stick to a set schedule, it might be time to reevaluate your approach.

Instead of trying to force yourself into a rigid routine, focus on creating habits that work for you.

For example, if you know you have more energy in the morning, make it a habit to start your day with learning or play with the kids.

If your children are attending school in person, you can run errands, do housework, or take some time for yourself while they’re gone.

Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to creating good, healthy habits. So find what works for you and your family and stick with it.

Can I Change My Schedule Or Routine?

Absolutely! Just because you create a routine doesn’t mean you’re stuck with it forever.

As your children grow and change, so will your needs as a parent.

And as your family’s dynamic evolves, you may find that your current routine no longer works for you.

That’s perfectly normal! As your family changes, so should your schedule or routine. Just be sure to give yourself some grace as you make the transition.

Final Thoughts On Creating A Stay At Home Mom Routine

Having a routine can help to keep you organized and on track, but it’s important to remember that there is no perfect way to do this motherhood thing.

So don’t be afraid to experiment until you find what works best for you.

So what is the best schedule for a stay-at-home mom? The answer is different for every family.

Some moms may need to get up early to have that alone time to center their minds and hearts for the day.

Others might do their housework during nap time (but don’t feel guilty if you take a nap yourself).

There isn’t one perfect solution, so find what works best for you and your family and go with it!

What has worked well for you as a stay-at-home mom? Share with us in the comments below.

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