The house smells like toast and freshly brewed coffee. I grab the Bun pot and fill my cup. The coffee is almost too hot to drink, but I sip it anyway because coffee and I belong together. Wrapping my hands around my mug, I can’t help but think how much I love an organized stay at home mom schedule.
In case you didn’t know this is the part about being a stay-at-home mom that is just for me. I check my phone and see a message from my friend Kelly. She always makes me laugh with her jokes about wine and not sleeping. This is how I connect and feel human even when motherhood takes over *almost* every crevice of my life.
I take another sip of my coffee and it dawns on me that right now I’m filling my cup in more than one way.
Stay at home mom schedules are awesome.
I’m nourishing my soul by taking a few minutes to sip steaming hot coffee in the morning stillness. I’m taking a moment to breathe before the chaos of the day starts. And even once chaos starts, the schedule will save me. And this is why..
It saves a mom’s sanity.
Honestly, it’s a luxury to reliably predict your day to day happenings. It can help you feel more at ease with everything. Less stress, happier mom. Personally, that’s how we thrive and function in our home. As a busy stay at home mom, I can rely on specific times of the day to get things done, and that makes me feel more organized and less crazy.
It increases a mom’s focus.
If you know there is a set available time to get something done, it becomes easier to stay focused. I’m a lot more motivated to finish something on my to-do list when I only have a set amount of time. A schedule can help drive you to accomplish tasks on hand. If I know I have an hour, I work quickly to work through my to-do list, rather whittling away at it bit-by-bit throughout the whole day. By increasing your focus, schedules eliminate wasted time throughout the day to accomplish one menial task.
Better self-care for mom.
If I know my kids will play alone for a certain amount of time each morning, I can prepare and anticipate a time during the day to get things done. Like drink a cup of coffee for 5 minutes. Or shower for 10 minutes. Or briefly chat with my parents, who live half-way around the world.
Moms need to take time to build up themselves so they have something to give back to their kids. Even if it’s only for 30 minutes in the morning while your kids play alone. 30 minutes of self-care recharges your patience. I’m a waayyyy better mom when I take a moment to breathe!
You’re more intentional with daily life.
For me, true happiness is based on intention. When I have time to get things done around the house, and take care of myself, I am more intentional with all the fun stuff and free time. So if you take a day trip or an afternoon outing, the 20 things you need to get done at home won’t be cluttering your brain and ruining your time. It can help you feel more relaxed.
Personally, I’m happier with the schedule. I feel better because I know there is an upcoming time slot when I will be able to get things done in the near future. If there are chores left undone in the house, there will be time soon. No worries.
A sample schedule for you, mama.
Schedules and routines are very popular on this blog, so I thought it would be fun to share our current daily schedule with you. I appreciate seeing what other moms are doing, and maybe you do too.
As a military family, my husband is a gone on and off quite a bit for work. This is a schedule I tend to follow when he is home. We like to have time together in the evenings, and we make a point of heading to bed together each night.
- 5:00 am wake up, drink piping hot coffee, laugh with Kelly
- 6:00 am baby wakes up, feed her, get her dressed for the day, briefly catch up on news
- 7:00 am toddler wakes up, eat breakfast
- 8:15 am take toddler to school
- 8:45 am return home
- 9:00 am baby naps, I work from home during this time
- 11:00 am baby wakes up, feed her, eat lunch, play, run errands
- 1:00 pm baby naps
- 2:15 pm baby wakes up, feed her, pick up toddler from school
- 2:45 pm return home, play at park near our home
- 4:00 pm head inside, toddler watches TV, baby naps, I cook dinner
- 5:00 pm baby wakes up, eat family dinner, baby eats solids, clean up
- 5:45 pm bedtime routines start (Yes! Two kids seem to take my husband and I an especially long time. We like to give plenty of time! Plus, this give us lots of time to roll with bedtime stall tactics!)
- 6:30 pm kids are both in jammies, feed baby, read stories, enjoy our snuggle time.
- 7:00 pm both kids down for the night, hallelujah.
- 7:00-10:00 pm several nights per week both my husband and I work in the evening. The other nights (it’s about 50/50) we watch movies and shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
I take one more sip of coffee.
Kelly sends me one more joke about being a sleep deprived parent and then I hear my daughter stir and cry a few times. I feel it coming. The chaos of the day starts to roll inside my mind. It’s picking up speed. And I know before long, I’ll be running full throttle like a runaway train. The schedule will bring me back to center though.
I take one more look at my Bun coffee pot (I’ll never use another coffee pot!) and drink of my coffee. This time it’s a gulp instead of a sip. I’m ready for the kids. Let’s do this. Bring it.
Alison
Wow! You only need 7 hours of sleep? I think that’s my number one problem as a mom. I need at least 10, 12 if I’m waking up several times with a baby or pregnant. I’d love to wake 5 . . . You’re lucky.
Lenora M Powell
i would like to know a daily routine for a ten year old when school is out how to get up and do what i need to do plz and thanks