I know from experience that life as a stay-at-home mom can feel exhausting, overwhelming, and overstimulating. Finding the right balance of childcare, household chores, and personal well-being can be incredibly difficult. A stay at home mom schedule can assist with building a productive routine that works for both you and your children.
As a moderately messy mom, I try to maintain a level of cleanliness and organization. It might not be spotless, but it’s not overwhelmingly chaotic either. By prioritizing the parts of my day that make me feel like a human being but also a good mom, it helps to create a sense of stability.
In this post, we will discuss how to create a routine that works for your family, as well as two example schedules – 1) two toddlers and 2) a toddler and a baby.
Creating a Thoughtful Routine
As a stay-at-home mom, creating some kind of structure to the day can help to feel more organized and less stressed! There are many advantages for your kids, too.
Children benefit from a consistent, predictable routine throughout their day. It can help improve their sleep habits, independence, social skills, and confidence. Babies and toddlers especially get easily overwhelmed – and knowing what will happen next can provide a sense of stability.
Figure out what your priorities are – what are the non-negotiable parts of your day? When developing a stay-at-home mom schedule, try to figure out how you’re going to do them, but keep these principles in mind:
- Prioritize family time- Don’t forget to allow yourself quality time with your family even if the house is a mess.
- Balance responsibilities- Understand the need to manage household chores, childcare, and personal time.
- Set realistic and flexible expectations- Mess is inevitable, and your level of cleanliness and order may need to be adaptable.
- Efficiency – Moms are the ultimate multi-taskers. Be creative and efficient with your time. Vacuum the floor while having a dance party with your kids. Cook breakfast while helping your kids learn to write. Do squats in the kitchen while your kids are distracted with breakfast.
- Have a sense of humor – If your toddler refuses to get dressed, or you spill milk all over the floor – try to laugh when the day doesn’t go your way (because it usually never does).
Tailoring a Schedule to Your Own Needs
Once you know what your priorities are, try to brainstorm pockets of time in your day where you could make that happen.
If you aren’t sure what those pockets of time are yet, it might take some actual trial and error. You might think folding laundry after breakfast is an ideal solution, but come to find out that getting your kids ready is a better option.
Your routine can always be refined the more and more you learn what works for you and your family.
It helps to write down your proposed “schedule” or tasks you want to complete that day. I often make a list every morning, then check things off as I go – and even make a new list once I feel like most of those tasks have been completed.
Example Stay-At-Home Schedule: Two Toddlers
This was actually my schedule with a 4-year-old and 2-year-old. I am someone who makes lists, follows routine, but is a bit more lenient on screen time (it allows me to get the things that I prioritize done).
Use this as a guide and tweak it based on your family’s needs and preferences.
Stay-At-Home Mom Schedule for Two Toddlers
6:00 am: Wake up and have a cup of coffee.
6:30 am: Both kids are usually awake. Offer milk and a small snack while they sit on the couch and watch TV.
6:45 am: Do a 30-minute YouTube video while the kids are watching TV or playing.
7:15 am: Head to the kitchen to unload dishwasher, put away dishes from night before, start cooking breakfast while the kids are still playing or relaxing.
7:30-8:00 am: Serve breakfast. Make water bottles for the day. Continue to clean up around the house if there is extra time while they are eating.
8:00-8:30 am: Get the kids dressed, brush teeth and hair.
8:30 am: Take a shower and get dressed while the kids play in my bedroom (TV is usually on).
9:00 am: Throw in a load of laundry.
9:30-11:45 am: Get the kids outside, go for a walk, or an activity outside of the house. Sometimes we get together with other mom friends, go to the library, run errands. For a list of fun ideas, read my post on Fun Places to Take Toddlers.
11:45 am-12:15 pm: Prepare and serve lunch.
12:15-12:40 pm: Independent play while I clean up the kitchen from lunch, and check on that load of laundry I had going.
12:40 pm: Start getting my two-year-old ready for her nap and put her down while my oldest plays by herself or watches TV. Sometimes she joins us if she doesn’t want to be alone.
1:00 pm: Nap or quiet time for my four-year old.
1:00-3:00 pm: I relax and watch TV, or fold some laundry when it’s done.
3:00 pm: Offer the kids a snack. They can choose to play or relax and watch TV for a short time.
3:30-4:30 pm: We usually use this time to go outside, or play in the playroom. Work on letters and numbers with my oldest.
4:30-5:30 pm: Attempt to make and clean up dinner.
5:30-7:00 pm: Every night is different, but we use this time to either go outside, take a bath, go on the boat, take a walk, visit friends, or just hang inside and play. Sometimes we have dance parties and run around the house.
7:15 pm: Offer snack and milk. I do my 10-minute ab video on the floor while they watch TV on the couch.
7:30 pm: Pajamas, brush teeth, then read books during our bedtime routine. My husband usually has my oldest in her room, while I put down my youngest.
8:00 pm: My two-year old is asleep! Now time to tackle my four-year-old.
8:30 pm: Hopefully both kids are asleep, and I have some me time!
Example Stay at Home Schedule: Toddler and Baby
This is an example stay-at-home schedule for a toddler (still napping) and a baby around four months old on three naps. Wake times for the baby on this schedule are usually 2-2.5 hours, and 5.5-6 hours for a toddler on one nap.
Use this as a guide, and be sure to adjust according to baby and toddler’s wake windows or usual nap times.
This schedule works until the baby is on a two-nap schedule – where you often become nap trapped and don’t get much time for yourself!
Toddler + Baby Stay-At-Home Mom Schedule
6:15 am: Wake up and enjoy a cup of coffee in peace.
6:45 am: Toddler awake. Wake up baby. Offer milk/snack to toddler and feed baby a bottle.
6:50 am: 20 minute workout while toddler is watching TV, and baby is playing (may need to entertain while doing your workout).
7:15-7:45 am: Put away dishes, cook and serve breakfast. Clean kitchen.
8:30 am: Make sure baby has finished bottle or offer another breastfeeding.
8:45 am: Put baby down for first nap of the day.
8:45-10:15 am: Get toddler ready for the day. Take a shower. Start a load of laundry, or other household chore. Play time with toddler. Try to get outside if monitor reaches that far. Prepare diaper bag if planning to get out of the house when baby wakes up.
10:15 am: Get baby up from their nap and feed bottle/breastfeed.
10:30 am-12:00 pm: This is a good time to run an errand, go to a playground, get out of the house for a short period of time.
12:00 pm: Prepare lunch for toddler. Feed baby again if hungry before their nap.
12:15 pm: Put baby down for their second nap.
12:15-12:40 pm: Clean up kitchen. Hang with toddler before their nap.
12:45 pm: Put toddler down for their nap.
12:45-1:45 pm: Relax! Take a short nap. Fold laundry. Watch your favorite show. Fit in a workout.
1:45 pm: Baby wakes up. Offer breastfeed/bottle.
2:00-2:45 pm: Practice tummy time. Play with baby.
3:00 pm: Toddler wakes up. Offer a snack. Prepare to go somewhere, or rest time.
3:30 pm: Top baby off with milk if needed, prior to next nap.
4:00 pm: Put baby down for third nap.
**This could also be a good time to get out of the house. The third nap is often a “catnap” and if you have a baby who will still fall asleep anywhere – you could go for a walk, visit family for dinner, etc…
Baby wearing is a great option for that third catnap if it’s difficult to get the baby down, or you’re out somewhere.
3:45 or 4:00 pm: Baby wakes up. Offer feeding.
5:00-5:30 pm: Attempt to cook and serve dinner.
5:30-6:30 pm: Free time. Give the kids a bath, clean kitchen, fold laundry, any other household chore while children are playing or you’re baby wearing.
6:45 pm: Offer baby another feeding. Start getting them ready for bed.
7:00 pm: Put baby down for bed.
7:15 pm: Offer toddler milk and a snack while they watch TV. Take 10 minutes of you time.
7:30-7:45 pm: Get toddler ready for bed and put to sleep.
7:45 pm: YOU time!
Related Posts
— Tips to Prevent Stay-At-Home Mom Boredom
— Prioritizing Self-Care as a Mom
The Perfect Stay-At-Home Schedule Is the One That Works For You!
What works for one mom might not work for another – this is just a guide to create the “perfect” stay-at-home mom schedule for both you and your kids.
You might not be the mom that lets their kids play with kinetic sand on the floor just so you can distract them while you cook dinner – but hopefully you can figure out a way to prioritize yourself in the chaos that surrounds you everyday.
If you’re a SAHM with a toddler and a baby, these 10 valuable solutions for helping children to sleep is a great resource to help fine tune your schedule!
I hope that you can figure out a way to find a balance – and where your needs are met, too. Feel free to subscribe if you want more moderately messy, relatable content on prioritizing you and your health.
