My Stay-At-Home Mom Schedule

Almost four years to the day I became a stay-at-home mom leaving behind my career(s) in TV news and politics. While my schedule looks drastically different these days, I wouldn’t have it any other way. If you’re considering becoming a stay-at-home mom or a new mom looking for tips, I hope my stay-at-home mom schedule below may be of some help or encouragement. I have found a few routines that help me manage the chaos and keep our home a comfortable and content place. I give no guarantees about a daily shower though. I cannot work magic.

(And for my work-from-home mom friends, I wrote a post on how I kept our schedule during that crazy time too.)

My Stay-At-Home Mom Schedule

Wake Up between 6:30 am 7:30 am

I know a lot of moms wake up before their kids so they can have a few minutes to breathe, do their devotional, or work out. I commend you! Actually, I admire you. It’s not that I don’t enjoy getting up early. I am a textbook morning person and have never set an alarm a day in my life. But during this stage of life, I am getting up 2-3 times per night with one or both of my kids. So, no, I do not set an alarm for 4:30 am to do any of these things.

Instead, I simply get up when my first kid wakes up and we start the day together! Is it more chaotic than if I woke up earlier than them? Absolutely. But that’s a trade-off I need to make right now and maybe you do too.

Dressed, Breakfast, and Devotionals: 7:30/8:00 am ish

I change diapers, get my older daughter dressed, feed our cat, and make breakfast for everyone pretty much as soon as my feet hit the ground.

I then fill my 40 oz tumbler from Iron Flask to make sure I stay hydrated throughout the day. Thankfully, it keeps my water cold all day (up to 24 hours!) No joke, I accidentally left it in my fridge full of ice,  for four days, and came back to the cup STILL full of ice.

I also love how it comes with three different leak-proof lids: a straw lid, a flip lid with a handle, and a stainless steel screw-on lid. If I’m staying home I usually opt for the straw lid which makes it easy to make sure I can take sips throughout the day.  I personally don’t drink coffee, but the Iron Flask will keep your liquids hot for up to 12 hours.

If interested, you can check out Iron Flask here. They come in so many colors and styles to match any lifestyle too. And $30 for a 40Oz tumbler is a great deal as well.

And now it’s time to eat. I try to make a point to all sit down together and have breakfast. It allows me to keep my baby occupied while my older daughter and I do a kid-friendly devotional together. Right now we’re learning the Fruits of the Spirit.

While my four-year-old finishes her breakfast, I sneak in a couple of chapters of the Bible myself. Sometimes she asks me to read aloud as well.

Clean-Up 9:00 am ish 

I set my oven timer for 15 minutes and do a quick clean of the kitchen. (For my sanity!) I then usually play with both girls until my baby takes her first nap.

Mommy-Daughter Time 9:30ish 

Next, I set a timer for 30 minutes to give my oldest daughter my full attention. No phones, no cleaning. We just do whatever she wants to play. Sometimes this means reading books, other times it means riding her bike in the cul-de-sac in front of our house, and other times it means building forts with the dining room chairs. I’ve been trying to incorporate pre-k work right after Mommy/Daughter time. We work on letters, numbers, writing, etc.

Workout – 10am ish

I now take a few minutes for myself to get my daily workout in. Since I gave my daughter quality time she is usually prepared to play by herself for a while while I do. Sometimes she even joins in my workout. 😉 Thankfully, my water is still ice cold in my Iron Flask, helping keep my refreshed during the workout.

Work 10:30/11:00 am ish

Mid-morning I like to spend at least 30 minutes getting my own work done. That includes writing blog posts, creating social media content, filming videos, etc. On other days it includes paying bills, calling the dishwasher repair man, or cleaning up a mess my four-year-old made.

Baby wakes up 11:30am ish / Lunch noon

My baby wakes up! I change her diaper, feed her, and then set on the floor to play while I make lunch for me and my other daughter. We all eat lunch together. And then I spend another 10-15 minutes cleaning up the mess from lunch. I’m pretty sure cleaning up messes makes up 50 percent of my day.

Walk/Outside time

No matter the weather, I’ve been trying to take my girls out for some outdoor time. I’ll be honest, when it’s cold and cloudy it doesn’t always happen but I still try for at least a couple of days a week. My older daughter rides her bike while I push the baby in the stroller. I make sure to take along my Iron Flask tumbler to stay hydrated.

Baby Takes Second nap 2:00pm – 3:00pm

I get my baby ready for her second nap and into bed. I then give my older daughter another 20-3o minutes of my full attention for mommy/daughter time. We play, paint, hang out in the backyard, dance, whatever she wants to do.

Clean 3:30ish

I pick one area of my house to clean each day to keep up with it all. I used to follow a strict cleaning schedule but it hasn’t worked as well in our new house which has a lot more square footage. Instead, I follow a loop schedule of what needs to be cleaned next. One day it might be the downstairs bathroom, the next it might be washing the floors.

4:00pm Baby’s up! Make dinner

Sometimes during cleaning my baby wakes up. I get her a snack, her diaper changed, and play for a few minutes. I then start preparing dinner so we can eat around 5:00 or 5:30 depending on when my husband gets home. I feel like this is the most chaotic part of my day. I have hit a wall, my four-year-old might be a little cranky, and my baby wants attention. And yet, the show must go on!

5:00pm -5:30 pm Dinner/ Baths

We all eat dinner together. This is very important to make sure we do every day to catch up. Since my kids are probably messy, I give them a bath every few days right after and into their jammies. When I come down I either finish cleaning up for dinner or thank my husband profusely if he did it. 😉

7:00pm Get baby ready for bed

I feed my baby and get her into bed by 7:30. During that time we let our four-year-old watch a cartoon or two before bed. In my ideal world, we would sit around and read or play games, but we all make concessions. haha

7:45/8:00

After wrestling my four-year-old into her jammies and brushing her teeth, my husband and I take turns taking her to bed. This includes reading several books, taking her to the bathroom, filling her water bottle, saying her prayers, and tucking her in for the night!

Parent’s Time!

I usually take this time to finish cleaning the kitchen, showering if I need to, and getting into my pajamas. I refill my Iron Flask water bottle for the night as my husband and I watch a show or two before I fall asleep on the couch after about 30 minutes. As soon as I woke up my husband asks, “What did you think of the show?” sarcastically before I pretend I wasn’t asleep. This is part of our daily routine. Sometime between 9:30 and 10 pm I carry myself and my large Iron Flask tumbler up to bed and call it a night.

Time for the disclaimer! This schedule might make it seem like my days always run smoothly but that is far from the truth. All of these items don’t always happen because of a number of reasons (baby won’t sleep, four-year-old is grumpy, doctor’s appointments, I don’t feel well, etc). But each day I get up and just do the best I can with what I’m working with…even if that means nothing gets done. And you should too.

What does your stay-at-home mom schedule look like? I’d love to know!

Additionally, if you’re ready to use play as a way to help your kids develop physically, emotionally, and socially check out one of my favorite courses called Purposeful Playspace.

It will help you create a designated space where your kids will want to play without you with fewer toys but organized in a simple, way that promotes fun learning and development for your kiddos.