An Easy To Follow Stay At Home Mom Schedule (+ Template)

Hello there fellow stay at home mom!

While some of us choose to be stay at home moms, other’s more so fall into the role. Either way, it’s important to find happiness and fulfillment in your new job! One of the ways I maintain my sanity is by having a practical stay at home mom schedule: a routine I can stick to most days, but that also leaves room for adventure too! Nobody wants to be locked into a mundane routine every single day… let’s keep things interesting, shall we?!

To be honest I never saw myself becoming a stay at home mom. I spent 8 years in college to become an eye doctor, and I simply didn’t expect to give that up anytime soon. But then, when I was 3 months pregnant with my first, my mom passed away from a very short battle with cancer. My world turned upside down, and I just knew I couldn’t leave my daughter. I had this sudden strong urge to be with her for her youngest years.

Like I said above, being or becoming a stay at home mom is not always a simple choice. Nor do I believe it’s the single “right choice”. As moms, we should have the right to decide what is best for our families. Also, I firmly believe the Universe directs us to the path we are supposed to be on, and I have found a sense of extreme joy in my new role that I never saw coming.

Today I’m sharing my typical daily routine in the hopes that it helps inspire you to create YOUR perfect stay at home mom schedule. Having a schedule helps me ensure I get quality time to myself and don’t completely lose my identity as a mom. Being a stay at home mom really a difficult job – you are on the clock 24/7 with no pay! And somehow these tiny creatures eat up all your time and keep you busier than you ever imagined. With some thoughtful planning you can create a routine that works for you too!

PS – If you continue reading you’ll find you can sign up for a free printable template too. It’s part of my resource library for moms – all kinds of productivity and planner printables. And the best part? They are FREE.

Contents

My Personal Stay At Home Mom Schedule

My Stay At Home Mom Schedule & Daily Routine

Now I’m going to dive in depth on some of these components and explain how I came to create this daily routine.

6:30 wake up & grab a cup of coffee

Actually, I wake up and drink a glass of water first thing while the coffee is brewing. It helps me rehydrate after a full night’s rest.

6:30-7:30 morning routine

It’s so fulfilling to have an hour to myself in the morning before my daughter is awake. I know this part is going to be out the window soon with the arrival of my second, but I also know I will work back to getting this me time too.

Interested in starting an empowering morning routine of your own? Read this post on the 3 crucial components of a successful morning routine!

7:30 toddler wakes up. She has quiet play time while I do some reading or planning.

My daughter will happily have a sippy cup of milk and play with her toys while I journal or finish up my morning routine. It’s a nice quiet start to our day!

9:00 breakfast together

Apparently she takes after me and doesn’t like to eat first thing in the morning. By 9 o’clock we are ready to sit down to breakfast.

Need some breakfast ideas that are picky toddler approved? Check out this post here.

9:30-10:30 play/educational time together, full attention, followed by morning snack.

We love to do puzzles, printable activities, or other fun sensory activities I find on Pinterest. I have plenty of amazing options saved. You can follow me here!

10:30-11:00 clean together

We are all about the weekly chore schedule. It helps me stay on top of things, and takes way less time overall than if I wait until it desperately needs to be cleaned.

Read all about an effective cleaning schedule for busy moms here.

11:00-12:00 get outside for walks, park time or errands

Weather depending, of course. Sometimes this will get switched with exercising at 4pm in the winter, so we can get outside at a warmer part of the day.

12:30 lunch, followed by independent play while I tidy up the kitchen

I have to try to stay on top of the dishes for my sanity. Nothing drives me crazier than a counter full of dishes. Thankfully she’s learned to accept she has to play for a few minutes after eating – and is usually happy to do so since her belly is full!

1:15 nap time routine, 1:45 lights out

We love to read lots of books together to relax before nap. I find sitting in the dark, quiet room with her often makes me feel exhausted as well (especially while I’m pregnant!). A yummy snack, a few minutes outside or a cup of coffee or tea help me re-energize, so I can take advantage of her nap time.

2:00-4:00 blog & work 5-6 days a week, errands as needed if dad is working from home.

I am savoring every minute of these longer naps! I know they won’t last forever. I do plan to implement quiet time when she plays in her room and/or rests, so I can still get 60-90 minutes of work done each day before she starts going to part time preschool.

4:00-4:30 exercise together with toddler

Exercising with your kids teaches them the importance of staying active! It sets a good example and isn’t selfish at all. My daughter loves playing with the exercise bands, and even does some yoga moves and squats herself. Of course, she tires of it, and will start playing with toys on her own. Every day when I say let’s go workout she runs to the room with her water bottle and is actually excited about it! It’s so cute.

4:30 snack

Toddlers & kids sure do eat a lot. I feel like a never ending snack making machine.

If you need some snack inspiration, this is the post for you.

4:45-5:30 play time (full attention), get outside again if weather allows

Scheduling in this focused play time helps me ensure I’m not on my phone or otherwise preoccupied, and actually getting in quality time with my daughter. I love finding fun activities and crafts to do together.

5:30 I cook dinner while hubby takes over parenting

My hubby is pretty useless in the kitchen so I do all the family cooking. Thankfully, I love to cook. He plays with S so I can get some cooking done. When she was younger she would play in her high chair with special toys while I cooked.

6:00 family dinner

I’m a big believer in distraction-free family dinners every night of the week (or as often as possible). It’s nice quality time together.

6:30-7:00 I get time to do as I please

To be perfectly honest, I usually use this time to blast a podcast while I shower. In the summer my husband takes S outside to play, and in the winter finds activities inside.

7:00-8:00 family play

We make up silly games, FaceTime with family, tidy up the toys and just hang out together.

8:00 bedtime routine

Time to start winding down for my daughter. We do a bath every other night, read a ton of books, sing lullabies, brush out teeth and snuggle before lights out at 8:30.

8:30-10:00 relax with hubby, do any work, read, self care, etc.

Sweet parenting relief! Ha! This is the time of day I try my best to bond with my husband before winding down for bed myself. I really try not to be online, but sometimes a few things do need to get done. Especially if the toddler didn’t nap well.

10:00-6:30 sleep (8.5 hours!)

Sleep is key to both happiness and productivity. It’s impossible to have consistent energy if you aren’t getting adequate rest. This is a huge priority for me.

Grab Your Daily Stay At Home Mom Schedule Template Right Here:

Blank Stay At Home Mom Schedule Template

4 Things To Consider in Creating YOUR Perfect SAHM schedule:

Are you a night owl or an early bird?
Can you do chores WITH your kids?
Do you have time to yourself at nap time?
Can you avoid the midday slump, so you can actually be productive?

I’ve seen articles declaring you MUST wake up at 5 am to be successful. I think it’s a bunch of bogus. You simply have to consider when you are naturally most productive, and how you can best fit that into your schedule as a mom! Are you a night owl who likes to get things done after the kids go to bed? Great, schedule in that time. Are you an early bird who likes to see the sun rise? Perfect, wake up an hour or two before the kids to get in that much-needed alone time to look after yourself and your interests.

The second one is somewhat rhetorical, of course you can! My 20 month old daughter loves helping me “dust” with an extra swiffer. She also enjoys handing me dishes to unload the dishwasher. Is it the most effective? No. But it gets done, and it sets a good example for her. Doing these things together means I can use her naps for other tasks.

As I mentioned above, if your kids are no longer napping, you may be able to implement a quiet play time. They get a break from stimulation and can read or rest in their rooms, and you can have a bit of time to do whatever it is you want or need to do.

This last one is about hacking your energy and shifting your mindset! If you have some time to be productive, start it off with a healthy snack, a bit of movement or some fresh air. These will help give you a burst of energy and lift your mood. Trust me, sacrificing 5-10 minutes to then be productive for an hour and a half is totally worth it!