The #1 thing “they” say about kids is that they need routine. I’m far from perfect when it comes to this, but while the timing of our day may not be the same every day, we stick to the same basic routine for stay-at-home moms, especially on school days. Honestly, not only do THEY do better when they know what’s coming next during the day (even if the time it happens is a little earlier or later), but I’m more productive and patient with them because we’re all on the same page and the boys know what to expect next. Weekends are usually pretty close, but we try to keep it more flexible so we can do fun things with them on the only two days a week we get with both of our boys home.
Of course, like I said, this is mostly a routine for stay-at-home moms since it involves a lot of at-home time and doesn’t involve daycare or being responsible for answering to a boss that’s older than 5. It would also be a decent routine for work-at-home moms, if they added more work time in than I do (maybe with a mother’s helper or babysitter?), since I just work on the blog before they wake up as part of my morning routine, during nap, and after they go to sleep as part of my nighttime routine.
After I’ve completed my morning routine (which is a huge part of how the rest of my day is functional, but it also helps immensely with my patience level with the boys), it’s time to start the one I have with my little family. This routine for stay-at-home moms makes every mama’s day go smoother while getting more quality time in with your kiddos (and sanity breaks for you!).
A Daily Routine for Stay-at-Home Moms
6:30: If it’s a school morning, the boys eat breakfast at the counter while I get the backpacks packed, lunches ready to go, etc. I also make my to-go cup of coffee while they’re sitting still so that it’s ready to go when it’s time to leave.
7:00: When they’re done eating, teeth get brushed and they both get dressed for the day before we head to the school bus stop or into the car to drop Matthew off.
7:20: Most mornings, I’ll take Mason in the stroller or his bike so we can go for a walk after Matthew gets picked up from the bus stop or once we get home from dropping Matthew off. We’ll head over to the neighborhood park to let him run around before it gets too hot, which also lets Mama finish her coffee, get some energy out of the toddler, and give us both a fresh air start to the day.
9:00: Afterwards, we head home to grab whatever we need to run errands if that’s on the agenda for the day. If we don’t have errands to run, we’ll play upstairs or out back until 11:30 or so, when we come downstairs for lunch.
11:00: I fix lunch— usually leftovers or some sort of easy sandwich/quesadilla— and we eat it at the counter in the kitchen or on the patio out back before I go upstairs to read him a book and lay him down for his nap.
12:00: I use his nap time to get a little rest for myself (#pregnancylife, y’all), pick up the house some, get blog work done, or even just get the vacuuming, kitchen cleaning, or supper prep done.
2:00: When he gets up from his nap, we usually have an hour or two before it’s time to pick up Brudder (either from the bus stop or school, depending on the day), so we’ll have a snack and play upstairs.
3:15: After my kindergartener gets home from school, I work on whatever “homework” he might have, but mostly, we focus on playing outside (if it isn’t a bajillion degrees) and getting some time together.
5:00: We head inside for me to finish making supper (started during nap time, which gives me more time to play with my big kid after school). My boys will either play upstairs or get to watch a show while I get it ready to go.
5:30ish: We’re theoretically eating (sometimes closer to 6, depending on what meal I have planned for the night). We eat at the dinner table as a family, whether Daddy is home or not, almost every night, so I can hear about Matthew’s day.
Afterwards, they help me clean up the kitchen (at this point, that mostly just means they put their plates in the sink or dishwasher, but I’ll take whatever help I can get!) and we go upstairs.
6:15: Matthew showers in his bathroom while I give Mason a bath. Then, I read Mason a story in his bed (Matthew joins us, of course) before Matthew says prayers. We say good night to Mason and head into Matthew’s room to read him a chapter out of whatever Amelia Bedelia book we’re currently on (soon, it’ll be The Chronicles of Narnia and I cannot wait!), just the two of us. It gives him some time with just Mama (and Daddy, when he’s home) and gives us a chance to connect without his little brother around.
7:00: After we say good night, Matthew gets to read until his “Okay to Wake” light changes color. It’s set via an app on my phone, so I control how late he gets to stay up each night, what time he gets up in the morning, etc. and can set it by day, time, color, sound, and brightness— hands down the best investment I’ve made. He usually ends up turning it off before the light changes to “go to sleep” (you can set it to allow your child to mess with it or lock it), but I like to give him the chance to read his Bob Books and practice on his own, too.
I head downstairs to work on the kitchen, get some blog work done, clean a little, and start my nighttime routine!
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