Routines for working moms are key to staying organized, getting the most important things done, and finding time for ourselves at the end of a hard working day.
And to stay half sane while doing all these tasks!
Every family and situation is different and there isn’t THE ONE daily routine for working moms.
So I won’t give you one of those working mom daily schedule templates that tells you when you should be cleaning, what time to start your day, or what to do during your morning routine (or evening routine).
But what I’ll do for you in this post is to give you tips on:
- Being more productive
- Maintaining a healthy work-life balance
- Getting the most out of your daily routine
- Making the most out of quiet time
Disclaimer: Some of the links here are affiliate links and I may earn if you click on them, AT NO EXTRA cost to you. Hope you find the information here useful! Thanks.
A Perfect Schedule for Working Moms
With this information, you can create your own daily schedule that gives you room for your personal circumstances.
I don’t know about you, but what I find most frustrating about morning and evening routines for working moms out there is that they are so individual and I find it difficult to relate and integrate these schedules into my own life.
From a single working mom daily schedule over morning routines for working moms to cleaning routines for working moms, there’s an abundance of information on the internet.
Let alone stay-at-home mom routines.
But nothing seemed right for me, hence why I created my own full-time working mom schedule.
So here’s a bit of a different approach to the routines for working moms you’ve seen before.
Organized Working Mom Routine Checklist
Here’s a quick overview of the tips that will make your daily schedule as a working mom less hectic and more productive.
Scroll down for more details on how to improve your time management and feel less overwhelmed.
Routines For Working Moms
- Identify your pain points
- Plan your week
- Wake up before your kids
- Prepare as much as you can
- Do meal planning
- Have a bedtime routine for the kids
- Make time for yourself
- Pick up a special task every week
Routines For Working Moms
1.Identify Your Pain Points
The first thing you want to do is to find out WHY you need a new routine.
What should weekly routines for working moms do for you? How can they help you and what needs to improve in your life?
Identify the main things that cause you to feel stressed and overwhelmed (and sometimes angry).
Related: 71 Anger Journal Prompts to Unlock Your Inner Peace
| Possible Pain Points For Working Moms |
|---|
| 1. I constantly run late having lunch 2. I don’t know what to cook for dinner 3. My to-do list is overloaded 4. I forget a lot of things 5. I don’t have time for myself |
Once you know what causes you most trouble, you can start to work on these points first.
BUT whatever you do – be kind to yourself! Life is already hard enough as it is with everything we need to think about (work, home, kids, partner), so be sure to only use kind and positive words.
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2.Plan Your Week
Planning the week is an important aspect of your full-time working mom schedule.
I like to sit down on a Saturday or Sunday to review the schedule for the following week (check out my Sunday Planning post).
Think about the following:
- Your work hours
- After-work activities
- How many nights you’ll be home for dinner
- Daily chores to keep everything running
Based on the answers you can start to plan. Who does the drop off and pick ups of the kids? What food do you need to get? Etc.
You might need to add or remove a few tasks from your to-do list.
No matter how much you plan though, be prepared to stay flexible. As moms, we know how quickly things can change (did I just hear my child cough again aaargh?!).
3.Wake Up Before Your Kids
I can’t explain what a game-changer this one was for my mom morning routine checklist!
If I woke up at the same time as my little one, I’d be constantly running 5 steps behind. I hated it.
Mornings are now my favorite part of the day.
Even if you’re not a morning person, you should definitely try to do this. You’ll appreciate how relaxed the day starts if you have things done before your kids wake up.
A morning routine for working moms looks different to everyone, but here are a few ideas on how you can start your day:
- Getting yourself ready
- Eating breakfast
- Drinking lemon water
- Journaling
- Meditating or reading affirmations (like self-discipline affirmations or goal achieving affirmations)
- Writing yourself a love letter
- Doing a workout
You might think you’d rather sleep for another 30 minutes but this short amount of time just for yourself makes a huge difference to your day.
On a separate note: try to avoid having caffeine for the first hour of your day (so your body can naturally wake up without any external help).
4.Prepare As Much As You Can
Every little bit of preparation helps you make your mom schedule easier.
For instance, your evening routine checklist could look like this:
- Setting the breakfast table for the morning
- Picking up dirty washing and putting it in front of the washing machine
- Getting everyone’s bags ready
- Picking clothes for the next day
- Going through your to-do list
- Doing a quick house clean-up
- Taking the meat out of the freezer for the next day’s meal
If you have 10 minutes during the day before your kids are home, you could prepare everything in the kitchen, so all you have to do is throw the food in the pan when you get back from picking up your little ones.
5.Do Meal Planning
Yes, I hate it too but do you know what I hate more? Having to think about what to cook every single night and not being prepared for it.
I find it easier to just think about the meal plan once a week. This is why I got myself this simple meal planner (it doesn’t have to be fancy).
You can make meal planning much easier with these tricks:
- Using the same ingredients for different meals
- Doing oven/one-pot/slow-cooker meals
- Using leftovers to not waste food
- Stocking basics
- Cooking different meals based on the main ingredients
Also, have a look in your freezer from time to time to use up whatever has been in there for a while.
Whenever there are leftovers, I like to freeze them for a day when everything goes wrong and there is just no way of cooking up a fresh meal.
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6.Have A Bedtime Routine For The Kids
Before we get to my favorite part that should be included in any evening routine for working moms, you need to set up a bedtime routine for your kids.
Evening routines look different for every family – bath time, reading a book, letting them listen to an audiobook, etc.
As boring as it may be having the same routine every night, it helps you (and your partner) stay sane and frees up what’s left of the evening.
7.Make Time For Yourself
Here we are, finally! Taking time for yourself is SO important.
Your to-do list will never end anyway, so what are 30 minutes that you take to yourself?
You need to fill up your cup regularly so you continue to be a great mom, partner, and friend.
Some self-care inspiration you can add to your working mom evening routine:
- Reading
- Taking a hot bath or relaxing shower
- Drawing or sewing
- Filling out your mood tracker
- Watching your favorite show
- Talking to a friend
- Doing a mindfulness challenge
If you’re short on time, try out these 5-minute self-care activities!
You can do a bit of self-care in the evening but also during quiet time.
What Is Quiet Time?
In case you don’t know, quiet time or rest time is a time of the day that is being spent individually.
Your child spends time by themselves reading a book, playing, listening to music or an audiobook, or having a nap.
While your child enjoys the peace and calm, you can do something for yourself.
I know this doesn’t always work out, but it’s something you can try to incorporate into your everyday schedule.
8.Pick Up A Special Task Every Week
If you’re sick of your overflowing (mental) to-do list, I highly recommend picking up a special task every week so this list slowly decreases.
You know best what these special tasks would be, but here are a few ideas:
- Paying bills
- Writing birthday cards
- Replying to emails
- Cleaning all the mirrors
- Planning a little getaway
- Decluttering
Some tasks take longer than others, but if you only do 1-2 every week, they don’t build up and don’t seem so daunting when you come around to doing them.
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Routines For Working Moms: Don’t Forget This
While having a routines for working moms in place is great for staying organized and productive, it can be demotivating if things aren’t going to plan.
Life happens and every day is different, so remember this when trying to get the best out of your working mom daily routine:
- Be realistic
- Be flexible
- Take it easy on yourself
- Look after yourself
Routines For Working Moms: Final Tips
What helps me with sticking to a working mom routine (most days) is having everything in writing.
I have a calendar in the kitchen where I put in all the appointments and other activities. I keep them on my phone as well, but keeping it visual for everyone in the household makes it easier.
Apart from this, I have a separate to-do list going for things that aren’t too time-sensitive. Just so I don’t forget them.
Depending on what person you are, you might like to get yourself a planner or bullet journal.
Have fun creating your own mom daily schedule – you’ve got this!
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About The Author of Routines for Working Moms
Saskia is a mom, blogger, and freelance writer. She loves sharing tips on how to live a more positive and simple life through self-care, personal growth, and journaling.
Find out more about her here or connect with her on Instagram to get more inspiration.
Bel article, je l’ai partagé avec mes amis.