For the first part of my stay-at-home mom life, I had no itinerary for my days. It didn’t take long before I realized I needed to work out how to make a SAHM schedule.
I used to operate under the mantra of “let’s go with the flow”.
If I feel up to going to the gym, we’ll go.
It might be nice to get out, to the library or the mall, so let’s head out.
We need something? Let’s go get it.
And then I started getting burned out fast.
I would feel more and more overwhelmed at everyday things, like trips to the gym, or cleaning. Plus there were things I would want to happen, but they just didn’t seem to get done.
It was time to get more intentional – which was also overwhelming. I strongly dislike (but not quite hate) planning and sticking to schedules. The thought of doing exactly the same thing every single day seems bleak to me.
But there are a lot of benefits to having a daily routine – a SAHM schedule.
A productive day where I accomplish more of my to-do list
Space and time for things I want to pursue
More unencumbered quality time with my family
A less frantic feeling at the end of the day to scramble to get everything done
A set routine that my kids can get used to (which leads to better sleep habits)
While I don’t want to be too rigid about schedules, I want to see the benefits of a family rhythm to the day.
So, where to begin?
If you’re like me, it feels like a lot to have to plan out a day. The “what ifs” start to take over. You might already feel exhaustion, and some sort of pattern feels like too much.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s my simple tips for how to make a SAHM schedule.
First, list all of the things that you need or want to have happen in a day.
My list goes into three parts:
Kids:
- Sleeping
- Eating (and prep that goes with it)
- Play time
Personal:
- Personal quiet time, or time to connect with God through Bible reading and prayer
- Exercise
- Blogging
- Family time
- Household tasks or prep
Things that involve more planning, and may not happen daily:
- Hanging out with others / play dates
- “Field trips” (to the museum or library, for example)
- Running errands
Next, focus on the inflexible parts of your child’s routine.
The best place to start, for me, was the things that can’t be moved around too much for my kids: sleeping and eating. This just starts with paying attention to their regular routine. (But obviously there’s some wiggle room depending on how things are going for the day.)
7:30 – Wake up / get ready
8:00 – Breakfast
11:30 – Lunch
12:00 – Nap time / rest time
3:00 – Snack
5:30 – Dinner
7:30 – Bedtime
These things are the frames to your day that keep the family functioning well physically. But have grace with yourself and your family about these things, as life does indeed happen.
I love these sample toddler schedules, too!
After that, add your personal routine.
Since you’ve already gone through and outlined the necessary parts of the daily routine for your kids, return to your personal priorities and incorporate them into parts of the day that make sense.
I’ve also incorporated time that I know I need to prep or do household tasks.
6:30 – Mom wakes up / quiet time / get ready
7:30 – Kids wake up / get ready / prep for breakfast
8:00 – Breakfast
8:30 – Clean up / pack for gym
Playtime
10:30 – Gym class
11:30 – Shower and prep for lunch
12:00 – Lunch
12:00 – Nap time / rest time / blogging
1:00 – Playtime
3:00 – Snack
5:00 – Prep for dinner
5:30 – Dinner
6:00 – Family time
7:30 – Bedtime
10:00 – Mom bedtime
Finally, add the things that take a little more planning.
These things are usually more flexible, though; things like errands and spending time with people.
6:30 – Mom wakes up / quiet time / get ready
7:30 – Kids wake up
8:00 – Breakfast
8:30 – Clean up time / pack for gym
10:30 – Exercise or hang time
11:30 – Lunch
12:00 – Nap time / rest time / blogging
1:00 – Play time, errands, or hang time
3:00 – Snack (sometimes on the go)
3:30 – Play time, errands or hang time
5:00 – Prep dinner
5:30 – Dinner
6:00 – Family time
7:30 – Kids bedtime
8:00 – Parents’ date night, hang time or errands
10:00 – Mom bedtime
Flexibility is key.
We can always switch things around. For example, if my guys are extra sleepy in the morning, I can put them down for a nap and get some things done around the house. Then we’ll go to the gym in the early afternoon.
If there isn’t a gym class that morning, we can hang with friends, or have a field trip out, and I can exercise or do a class later.
Of course, no two days are exactly the same. If there are days like last Wednesday, when we were all sick and nothing went as planned, we can completely drop the schedule and just go with the flow.
Need more help with this?
I put together a free printable to help you figure out what works best for you! You can download the printable here.
Also, our current homeschool preschool routine is up for if you’re looking for more detailed structure and activity ideas for that age level.
Now you:
Do you have a daily pattern or routine? What are your tips for how to make a SAHM schedule? What are the pros and cons of a schedule for you?
Photo Credit:
1 – Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
2 – Amy Humphries on Unsplash
3 – Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash
This is great! I’m such a schedule person!
I am SO not! 🙂 But I’m definitely learning!
I need to be better at this and schedule our day!
Me too! I’m still just at the start 🙂 Hopefully it goes well, and I can stick to it!
This is a great idea! I find myself living by the moment on my days off with my son. This would help gear my to-do’s and quiet time! Thanks for the printable!
Thanks Jessica! I am so glad it was helpful! Hopefully it will help you fit in everything you want to do with your son on those days you can!
This is an awesome schedule! I have four little ones, all under 4, so my Type A scheduling habits had to take a back seat, although I’m trying hard to get hem back:)
Wow!! I should be learning from you!! Parenting changes everything. I guess it does it in ways you don’t expect, like putting you on the opposite side you were before – I have never been one for schedules!
I’ll admit, as a SAHM mom, I can relate to feeling overwhelmed. I like the idea of a schedule. I’ll have to give this a try. Thanks <3
Lots of luck! I am definitely still just in the beginning stages – I’ll have to follow up and let you all know how it goes (and if I actually stuck to it) 😉
I am not stay at home and my kids are grown, but this certainly is great tool for those who do, nice work! Thanks for visiting my blog again and have a great day!
Valerie
Thanks, Valerie! Love your pretty corner of the internet 🙂
So interesting to read, because I LOVE schedule/planning so it feels natural (and was always so hard when Hendrik was younger and he would have unpredictable nap schedules) – but so interesting to read how someone who doesn’t typically like that finds it helpful in life with a kiddo. Based on my (limited) experience, kids do seem to like it – Hendrik had so many fits while we were on vacation, but when we were back home in his routine he was so much better!
Ugh, every time we go through some kind of sleep transition, I feel like everything is thrown for a loop! Nope, definitely not a fan of planning and structure, ha ha, but I totally agree – kids really do want/need a pretty set schedule, both to know what to expect and just for their little bodies and brains to get used to!
I need to do this but its hard because I work from home.
I totally understand! While I don’t quite consider myself working from home, I definitely put a lot of time and effort into my blog, and setting up a schedule helped me to get that done in a more efficient way. But I’m sure it’s a lot more effort in organizing when you work full-time!!
I’m not a stay at home mom (yet) but I plan to be in the future! I can see how having a set schedule will help with little ones and a business!
It definitely does help! Even as much as you can organize your time now will help you in the future 🙂
What a great schedule. We’re operating on the fly by the seat of our pants model right now but I’m sure someday I’ll want an actual schedule. 😉
Some days are definitely just whatever we can do in a day! Ha ha 🙂 But I’m finding I’m able to make my time more productive with somewhat of a routine.
I completely resist schedules, but I know I need one. I have 3 boys (11, 8, & 6), and they are learning some bad habits from the lack of scheduling. I very much appreciate how you gave the “backbone” approach to creating a schedule that works for my own family, because I plug in my own elements. It’s exactly what I needed!
Thank you! That makes me nervous too – passing on my bad habits! I feel you. I am so glad it was helpful for you! That’s pretty much how we continue to do it, since my little guy’s schedule changes all the time. It will be interesting to add a newborn to the mix! I tip my hat to you for keeping it together with three 🙂