My Stay At Home Daily Schedule
(PLUS a list of activity ideas for moms and kids!)
I’ve been a stay-at-home mom going on 8 years and I’ve learned that having a daily schedule can be the difference between thriving and surviving. With young kids at home all day, it can be easy to feel like you don’t know what to prioritize—your mental health or cleaning duties? Brushing your toddler’s hair or getting out the door on time? Extra sleep or time to yourself?
Good news—Creating routines that work for you and your children can help in so many areas of your life! I use routines to stay on top of my health, our homeschooling, cleaning, managing our home… and more! Let’s just say perfecting a family routine is kind of my thing. I am going to share with you the things we do in our daily schedule that is helping my family thrive and connect with each other every day!
One of the reasons I spend so much time on our family routines is because I have seen the results of my whole family knowing what to expect each day. Routines help guide our kids into independence, hold us accountable to things like family fun nights, and help cleaning and organization be a part of our everyday life!
Routines have also helped bring my husband, myself, and our children into living a healthier lifestyle. We have been able to create a balance in our home with our eating habits and mental health!
Every family is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution, but here are the things we do in our family to help keep structure and balance in our home!
We love using the hatch to structure morning wake ups and bedtimes!
How schedules helped pull me out of harder times…
Once upon a time, there was a new mom, totally overwhelmed with motherhood and who wondered how other moms are doing it all…. and that mom was me! Schedules have been a lifesaver for both my husband and me as we transitioned through parenthood. When I first became a stepmom to a 4-year-old, I had no idea how to go from being the babysitter to structuring our days as a mom figure. I tried just going with the flow of my stepdaughter—but instead of thriving, we were surviving …and I wanted more.
Getting into a routine saved the day!
She was 5 years old (a teenager now) when I started structuring our mornings using charts!
A few years later, when my husband got an excellent job across the country requiring us to uproot with 2 kids, another baby 7 months along, and no family, friends, or help in our new city, routines allowed for a smooth transition.
When we decided to downsize to pay off debt and moved into a 2 bedroom apartment with 3 kids, having schedules in place helped give my husband and me time with each other AND helped us get into a workout routine—something we had never done before!
When postpartum depression hit me hard, having a schedule for our kids helped them thrive while I took the time I needed to heal.
When the entrepreneur in me came out, routines allowed me time to start and grow my first business—something I never thought I’d be able to do at this point in my life!
A schedule doesn’t always look like a whole day planned out. I love to live the kind of life where we go with the flow of the day, but there are certain times when schedules help accomplish big and small goals!
I’ve used routines for our homeschool, self-care, exercise, meals, cleaning, and more! Here are just a few of the cute charts we use to keep track of our new schedules!
When I start a new routine I love using charts as a tool to help us get on track with new goals in mind!
If you are new to having a routine in your home start here:
Start with a piece of paper (or chart 🙂)
Now, write down the basics. Getting dressed, brushing teeth, eating breakfast…
Now add in the things you already do that are working well. Think of a typical time of day. How does your morning usually go? Lunch routine? Nighttime?
Write down a few NEW things you’d like to implement! Think of the things you and your kids truly enjoy or the things that can help you reach goals!
Commit to it—make changes when necessary and know that optimizing routines gets easier!
Ideas for activities for kids:
1-on-1 time with you
Playtime with dad or siblings
Music time (we love these bells)
Reading time
Outside time
Independent play
Learning time
Creative time
Screen time (We use Osmo for learning!)
Family time
If you need more ideas, follow me on Instagram where I share a lot of fun activities!
Ideas of activities for moms:
Exercise
Listen to podcasts
Music time (Bring out the old violin!)
Favorite hobbies
Self-care (I love these in my facewash)
Journal
Prayer/meditation
Call your friends/family
Arts and crafts
Read a book
Outside time
Learn something new
Start a business (I started my first business with this iPad and apple pencil!)
Or anything else that brings you joy or peace!
Important: Make sure you start small. Don’t overload a new schedule. Leave room for flexibility.
Something we love to do in our home is have themed days… Music Monday, Taco Tuesday, Sibling Night, and this gives our kids (and us) something to always look forward to!! Bringing joy into your home on a regular basis helps family bonding so much.
If you want more help with creating schedules, simple meal plans, and creating healthy habits consider joining my membership program with ALL of my ideas to help you on this journey through motherhood! I have been using charts to help structure our home for years and these are the answer to how I manage 5 children in our home + enjoy time with hubby + homeschool + all the other things!
If you haven’t used charts in your home before, consider signing up on my email list for some free charts!
With some flexibility and adjustments here or there, schedules can allow space for you and your family to learn and grow together!
Follow me on Instagram where I share more about managing motherhood!
