Stay at Home Mom Routine

I work as a freelance television producer for most of the year, but there can be extreme down periods between jobs where I turn into a stay at home mom. To prevent myself from going crazy, I find that a stay at home mom routine is essential.

I never wanted to be a stay at home mom. I know that is a chosen path for many, but for me, personally, my career is something I have worked hard for and gives me a sense of confidence in being good at something.

However, working as a freelancer, my job can fluctuate A LOT. So, during those downtimes I discovered that I need structure and routine just like my kids do. Without it, I feel like I lose my sense of direction and it is hard to feel motivated at times.

We are not all alike

There is no one size fits all approach to being a stay at home mom, but I will give you tips on what has helped me. Remember that all of our living situations are different.

My kids are in elementary school and high school, which means that they are more self-sufficient and are at school for the bulk of the day. Someone with multiples in diapers would have significantly more challenges as toddlers can be even more unpredictable.

So, the key is to give yourself grace. Don’t set a schedule so strict that you beat yourself up if you don’t stick to it.

Block scheduling

Instead of scheduling things down to the minute, I try to think about my day in big chunks. For example, this is how my stay at home mom routine generally breaks down when I am not working:

• Before school routine
• Midday errands
• After school homework & extracurriculars
• Dinner & evening routine
• Me time
• One-on-one time with my husband

For someone with younger kids at home, your block schedule might look something more like this:

• Morning routine
• Midmorning errands
• Lunch
• Kids nap time / Me Time
• Playtime
• Dinner & evening routine
• Time with partner

I try to only put 1-2 big things on my schedule per day to not burnout or feel overwhelmed. Sometimes I feel like I have to get a million things done in one day. When in reality, there are likely things that need to be prioritized and other things that can push to another day.

Monthly Newsletter

* indicates required

Email Address *

/* real people should not fill this in and expect good things – do not remove this or risk form bot signups */

To make your life a little more organized, sign up for my monthly newsletter for a free weekly planner.

Morning routine

Start your day off right by setting a good morning routine. For some, this might mean sitting down with a cup of coffee while watching the news. For others, that might be fitting in an intense workout before kids wake up.

I know how frazzled I can get if I sleep past my alarm and don’t have time for the things I usually do in the morning. So, whatever your stay at home mom routine is, try to be consistent. It starts you on a good path for the rest of your day.

Explore More: Head over to my plan for making morning & bedtime routines with your kids a breeze.

Get active

This one is sometimes easier said than done for me. I am not one of those people to wake up at 6:00am to go for a run; in fact, I absolutely hate running.

I definitely have my days where I just want to binge Netflix during the day and not move. But, in reality, the longer I do that, the less motivated I feel to get up and do the things I actually need to do.

However, it is important as part of your stay at home mom routine to stay active and get moving. That doesn’t always mean you have to go to a fitness class or do some crazy cardio workout.

Run around with your kids at the playground or go for a walk around the neighborhood. You will feel better for it.

Explore More: Check out my plan for how to get stronger and live healthier.

Get out of the house

Going along with being active, it is important to get out of the house every. single. day. It is easy to feel mentally trapped in your home, especially if you have little ones and fear for their behavior in the outside world.

Again, I’m not saying you need to do something over the top. Just sitting in your backyard soaking in the sun can make a big difference to your mental health.

I find that doing errands or volunteering also helps me find purpose outside of my house. This year, I went so long without a job that I picked up a part-time job at a local bakery just to help fill my day. Now that I’m working again, I still go back to that bakery and volunteer my time whenever I can.

After school routine

I find that our after school routine is probably one of the most important parts of the day. It is my time to really connect with the kids and check-in with them about how their day is going.

I use this time to help them with homework or take some down moments to just hang out. Our evenings then extend into any sort of extracurriculars, which might be soccer or Taekwondo.

Most importantly, I try to be off my phone during this time of the day to really engage with my kids.

Evening routine

Our evening routine starts when I begin to make dinner. After dinner, our kids get themselves ready for bed by taking a shower and brushing their teeth.

I make sure to connect with each my kids before they go to bed. It is a routine to ask them the best part of their day and what they look forward to the next day.

As part of your own nighttime routine, make sure you get enough sleep! There is nothing worse than dealing with cranky kids when you have only gotten four hours of sleep.

Explore More: Need ideas for quick and easy meals? Head over to my meal planning page for some ideas.

Me time

As part of your stay at home mom routine, it is important to get some time in for yourself each day. As a stay at home mom, it is very easy to get wrapped up in your kids’ schedules and making sure their needs are met. But, you need to take care of yourself too!

Prioritize time for yourself whether in the morning or evening, whenever you can fit it in. For me, that might mean binging the Kardashians or some other reality show my husband hates. Or, maybe it’s taking a yoga class. I also love to go out with my best friend and see the newest musical in town.

It is the old adage of when you’re on a plane, put on your own mask before helping others. It is important to make time for yourself so you don’t burnout and can then be the best mom you can be.

Explore More: Need help prioritizing time for yourself? Check out my tips to lighten your mental load.

Time to connect

My husband and I both work from home, so we try to find time to connect during the day when we can. Sometimes that means grabbing lunch together or going out for a coffee date. We also love to watch new television shows each night (Survivor being our favorite).

It is important to make time to connect with your significant other. Again, being a stay at home mom, it is very easy to get wrapped up in everything revolving around the kids. But, you have needs too! So, prioritize date nights and time spent together.

And, don’t just connect with your partner! Carve out time to call family or friends you don’t usually talk to. I tend to make a point to call a family member anytime I get in the car for 15+ minutes by myself.

Go easy on yourself

As a stay at home mom, I think it is common for moms to be extra hard on themselves. There can be this unsaid pressure to be “perfect,” to have the immaculately clean home, to have perfected the logistics of everyone in your family, and to cook healthy fresh meals every day.

Let’s be real – that doesn’t always happen! Sure, I love to cook, but I can’t tell you how many days we end up ordering pizza or eating chicken nuggets for dinner. My house is a mess more often than not with random socks and legos found in nearly every corner.

When I’m not working, I have this extra desire to feel like I’m pulling my weight around the house because I’m not bringing in any income. But, the truth is, I add value to my family every day. My kids are fed and happy, I have a loving husband, and I’ve learned a lot about myself along the way.

Go easy on yourself and just try your best. Your best might look different every day, but you got this mama!