Being a SAHM isn’t for the weak! But with this stay at home mom schedule, you’ll have fewer of those runaway horse moments and more time to actually think.
A while ago, I told a friend that every day I feel like I am waking up on a horse that is already off and running. And no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to grasp the reigns.
Waking up to chaos every morning is no way to live. When you have an infant or toddler who doesn’t sleep well, living life any other way seems impossible!
But there’s hope. Even a few small changes in your stay at home mom schedule can make a big difference. Let’s talk about some tweaks you can make that will help you have better days.
The Stay at Home Mom Schedule
It’s a Typical School Morning…
After prying your eyes open (or, more likely, having your eyes pried open by someone else’s chubby fingers), you’re finally able to pull yourself out of bed.
It was another looong night of trying to sleep in between cries for Mama, nightmares about Blake Shelton stealing your baby for a new TV show (note to self…find a more soothing bedtime drink choice), and having to get up to pee three times.
As a reward for putting both feet on the ground, you head to the kitchen for some coffee.
Except–oops–you forgot to set up the pot the night before. Now you have to make coffee before drinking coffee.
So you measure out the coffee grinds, but accidentally turn on the pot before adding water because you heard the baby cry.
The kids are up and headed down the steps. Hey, they got themselves up! But the 10-year-old has no clean pants to wear. And the middle schooler did his homework… but he left it on the counter and already left.
The 1-year-old has a dirty diaper, and now you realize you can’t change him and get to school on time.
Sound like a typical morning? That was mine, too!
Then Help Came…
One tool that helped me improve my mornings was the Make Over Your Mornings course. I wasn’t sure I would like it, because I am NOT a morning person. (Understatement of the year??)
But this course isn’t about learning how to get up at 5:00 a.m. It’s about choosing the best way to start your morning right so your head doesn’t fill with regret when you lay down at night.
It was the change I needed in my stay at home life to get my routine in a much better place, and I think you’ll get so much out of it, too!
Here are some other changes that will make your day run more smoothly…
The Night Before Routine
The best way to make sure your morning runs smoothly is to plan it out before your head ever hits the pillow. Put together a checklist of things your family needs every day.
It might looks something like this:
Before bath time kids must…
- All kids complete homework, have it checked by a parent, and put INSIDE their backpacks.
- Pack a lunch (most kids can do at least part of this themselves).
- Clothes for the morning are laid out.
Meanwhile, Mom and Dad can…
- Load and run the dishwasher.
- Start laundry for tomorrow.
- Set up the coffee pot so you can enjoy coffee without having to make it before coffee.
The Stay At Home Mom Morning Routine
Having a morning routine is a life saver. If everyone knows which things need to happen before a trigger, you have a better chance at success.
What’s a trigger? This is something you know no one will forget to do! For us, food is always a trigger. Something like, “Don’t forget! No breakfast until you have clothes on down to shoes.” Or “No TV until everyone has their lunch and backpacks packed and ready to go.”
The plan for the kids each morning might look like this:
- get dressed
- eat breakfast
- pack their lunch
- find a minute to squeeze in some exercise or a little stress relief
- brush/potty/wash faces and hands
- get into car with backpacks and lunch boxes
Meanwhile, I do these 4 things:
- Empty the dishwasher
- Change out laundry (I need to do 3 loads per day to keep it going smoothly)
- Make the bed (it looks much nicer and is my space for folding laundry)
- Plan supper
I have found that if I only do these 4 things in the morning and nothing else (aside from monitoring kid activities, of course), the house will still run pretty smoothly. Of course, there’s plenty of other things that must be done!
But on those days where everything is just crazy… if I can only do these 4 things, we will be fine.
If you’re struggling to imagine what the right mix of activities is right for your family, Makeover Your Mornings can help you create the perfect schedule for your own situation!
Stay at Home Mom Schedule Template
Here’s a template you can print out to help you work out your own stay at home mom schedule! Fill in the blanks with the things that need to be done the most in your own home.
Be sure to add some stress relief. That might look like prayer time, exercise, reading, a Bible verse, or whatever makes an impact in your life.
Get access to your own stay at home mom schedule template PDF below![et_bloom_locked optin_id=optin_2]
[/et_bloom_locked]
A few tweaks will make your stay at home mom schedule run better than ever!
I guarantee your coffee will taste better if you start these smart strategies! (Because this time, you’ll remember to add the water…)
And if you still aren’t sure about the Makeover Your Mornings course, you can try out day one for free!! Just scroll to the bottom of this page to learn more.
Let’s tackle that mom life a little more! Check out these 20 Quick Hacks for Raising Large Families That Will Make Life Simple.
What’s the most important part of your day?
I'm Jamie, and I want to help you afford a beautiful life with your family. 
Fabulous resources and testimony. visiting you this week from Motivation Monday. Feel free to visit back anytime.
Aww, thanks for the kind words!
Your mornings sound a lot like mine! Towards the end of the summer term life was a little (okay, a lot!) chaotic. I’m determined to get back into better habits when the kids go back to school… Being organised the night before really does make a huge difference 🙂 #sundaystars
We totally lose most of our routines in the summer time (I do manage to keep a shortened version of these morning and evening routines, but generally chaos reigns). We might not like the whole going back to school thing, but we sure need the routine back! Thanks for the visit.
I don’t have kids yet, but I totally do these things and have a pre-bed routine that makes mornings easier. I don’t see how people make it through without one!
It was a few years before I understood how important the evening or morning routine is. Now I can’t function without it! Thanks for visiting.
I’m on day 3 of the course and I love it! Honestly I’m struggling not to work ahead ha.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with working ahead a little bit! If you’re ready for it and it fits your learning style, I’d go for it. I like to do a couple of Make Over Your Morning lessons per day, myself. 🙂
Sounds chaotic lol, but keeps us on our toes I guess 🙂
Thanks for linking up to #AnythingGoes
Debbie
I purchased this course and I have really enjoyed it. I am still working through it, but what I have learned has really help me get my mornings off to a better start. It is worth the money because as a Mom I need all the help I can get to get my mornings off to a great start! Great Post! I’m visiting from Me, Coffee & Jesus
Yeah, I’m not one to normally spend money on myself much, but this course was absolutely worth it! Thanks for the visit. 🙂
Mornings… aren’t they just so exhausting 🙂 Thanks for linking up with #ShowcaseTuesday
Hi Jamie, you have done great putting your course to work for you. My kids are a little older now, but I remember the school days very well, the chaos and the relieve after everyone was were they supposed to be… Since I started working, many moons ago, I adopted an evening routine and have kept it up all those years. Whenever I forget to do something it sure throws things out of sink . Stopping by from Around the Fire Pit
Sites “aren’t trusted” when you click on this site… Liked what I have read so far on “Medium Sized Family”. Jamie, I love your sense of humor in dealing with it all. My children are grown now, but I had 3 under the age of 4. I remember the days of almost completing tasks very well. The children grow up way too fast and its sounds like you are making the most of it. Love to see that! Blessings to you and yours.
Uh oh. Can you tell me where you clicked from so I can try to figure out how to fix the “not trusted” thing? And thanks so much for your kind words!
I am definitely going to check this out. I’ve blogged a lot about getting organized and have even tried to follow things like FlyLady where it’s about setting habits and small routines to get things done without it seeming like an all day task, but I just don’t follow through like I should – and I need to. Thanks for sharing this! #FridayFunday
Fabulous tips. If every parent did these things before school, all my students would arrive ready to learn! (By the way, when I click your pinterest share button, the image does not appear… Thought you’d want to know.) Thanks for linking up to Blogger Brags. I have pinned your post to the Blogger Brags Pinterest board.
Thanks for letting me know about the Pinterest problem!
Yes, routine is so necessary for me to function most well! I find that when things are too chaotic before I get to bed, then my mornings are ever more chaotic and I struggle the entire day and/or I don’t get as much done as I need to because I’m spending my time taking care of things that could have been handled the night before. Sometimes, though, I consciously leave things at night and just know/plan to take care of them in the morning, which also helps me out! 🙂
It is nice to wake up with some idea of what needs to be done, rather than chasing things as they get away from you. Thanks for visiting!
I don’t make my bed, but the four things really does help. Mine are laundry, dishes, a 15 minute quick clean, and prepping supper (like taking meat out of the freezer). Makes such a big difference.
Thank you for sharing with us at #JoyHopeLive!
I know because of my pain problems I need 30 minutes to stretch/ yoga to get up and moving in the morning. II build in enough time to allow me to accomplish this.
So I am a stay at home mom of 6 kids from 11 years old to 2. I would love advice on how to get things done. My husband owns a business so he’s never home. Need something that doesn’t involves him