How to Make a Stay at Home Mom Schedule

Being a wife, mom, and homemaker is a full time job; so it is essential to have stay-at-home mom schedule to help you and your family thrive.

Some people may think being a stay at home mom means lounging around in sweatpants all day, running around town aimlessly to keep busy, or simply coasting in survival mode until Dad gets home. But that is not the way! Especially if we seek to honor Christ with our days. A christian mother’s day should be set with intention because the work that is set before her is important, meaningful, and eternal. But don’t worry… if you feel overwhelmed as a mom, it doesn’t have to stay that way!

*This blog is reader supported. When you purchase through links on this site (like from Amazon) I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

One way to help make sure we are intentional with our time is to have a stay-at-home mom schedule! Think about it… with any other job there are appointments, people to meet with, important matters to discuss, and a list of things that need to get done in an excellent manner. While being a stay at home mom is very different than being in the corporate world, we still need to understand that there is important work to be done that requires our focused attention. We have children to disciple, a husband to support, a home to care for, friendships to nurture, a church to serve in, etc. It’s not an easy task, and we have a lot on our plates. BUT the most fulfilling work in life is usually not easy, and God is faithful to equip us in each season.

If we do not have a plan, our days will not reflect how we actually want to spend our time. Because of our flesh, constant distractions, & decision fatigue it’s easy for the day to get away from us. Then, we look back and realize we didn’t spend our day how we really wanted to (I know I can’t be the only one!)

One of my favorite books I’ve read on this topic is The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction by Justin Earley. He talks a lot about how setting up boundaries, limitations, & habits produce freedom… not take it away.

“But what if the good life doesn’t come from having the ability to do what we want but from having the ability to do what we were made for? What if true freedom comes from choosing the right limitations, not avoiding all limitations?”

― Justin Whitmel Earley, The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction

So the point is… having a schedule (that is flexible and allows for interruptions) will make us MORE free, not less. Boundaries, routines, & habits free up our minds to focus on the right things at the right time and not be tossed by the wind of every opportunity that pops up in our days.

How to make a stay-at-home mom schedule that works for you

It’s tempting to want to find some sort of sample schedule that you can simply copy and paste onto your own life. But the thing is, every family is different! We all have different needs and are in different seasons. What works for one mom may not work for you. So what we will discuss here are the steps to take to make your own schedule so you can thrive as a stay at home mom and serve your family well.

1. Make a list of priorities

The first thing to think through when creating a stay-at-home mom schedule is to make a list of priorities. What all needs to happen in a week that would make you feel like you spent your time well? Who do you want to spend time with and what tasks do you want accomplished?

Start with things that are most important to you. Is having a clean and tidy house important for you & your family to be able to function everyday? That’s a high priority. Do you homeschool your kids? Making sure you’re teaching them their lessons will be a nonnegotiable. Does your family value home-cooked meals & saving money by not getting take-out? Making time for food prep will be high on the list. As christians, time reading God’s word and prayer should definitely be a priority as well as quality family time. Other examples could be work-from-home obligations, ministry, family dinners, time with friends, etc.

Then, think about the other things in your life that you do (or would like to do.) Things like time for playdates, working out, gardening, volunteer work, etc. Again these are just examples I’m throwing out here. Some of these examples could be things that are on the top of your list or not on the list at all. Talk with your spouse and decide what matters most for YOUR family.

2. Organize your day in blocks of time.

I like to think about my days in blocks and I give them names. For example:

• Early morning: time before my kids get up (about 7:30am)
• Mid-morning: when kids get up through lunch (7:30am – 12:30pm)
• Nap: when my little one takes a nap after lunch (about 12:30-3pm)
• Afternoon: from about 3pm until dinner time at 5pm
• Evening: dinner until the kids go to bed at 7:30pm
• Night: time until I go to bed

I don’t necessarily put things in specific time slots down to the hour & minutes. That would feel too rigid for me! Instead, I like to decide what things I’ll do in each block on any given day. I also only do this for weekdays and not on the weekends. Here is an example of what a Thursday likely looks like in the season I’m in right now as a homeschool mom of 3.

Example schedule:

• Early Morning: quiet time & coffee, make bed & quick bedroom tidy, get dressed, start laundry
• Mid Morning: unload dishwasher while kids eat breakfast, kids do morning chores, homeschooling & sourdough shaping/baking in the kitchen, lunch
• Nap: Little one naps, big kids have free time, I fold laundry & do blog work
• Afternoon: Tidy, dust & vacuum main living spaces with kids’ help
• Evening: Family dinner (leftovers,) clean up kitchen, spend time with kids
• Night: Work on blog work while husband is at men’s group, end the night relaxing with a cup of tea & maybe some reading

This is just one day out of the week! Every day looks different for us. Some days the kids have homeschool co-op. Some days we spend the little one’s nap time doing homeschool reading. Every other day I spend afternoons cooking dinner. Some nights I do blog work, some nights we meet for small group, other nights I relax with my husband. Each day we tackle a different part of the house to clean. But I have my priorities anchored throughout the week so that when I look at my schedule, there’s time designated to what’s most important.

3. Figure out which part of the day you’re most productive

Look at your list. Which things require more physical energy? More mental energy? Schedule those things during the times you typically have the most energy. For example, you might decide to get housework done in the morning while you’re most energized and schedule playdates to hang with friends for the afternoons. If you homeschool, you may decide to homeschool earlier in the day before everyone is worn out, and do your leisurely chores like laundry later in the day. Are you able to focus more having time with the Lord in the mornings, afternoons, or evenings? These are all helpful things to consider and it can take some trial and error to figure it out!

4. Think about what you can multitask

Some say multitasking is impossible, but I do think there’s room for multitasking as long as you aren’t multitasking the same muscles at the same time. For example, you can do something with your mind while also doing something with your hands, but it’s nearly impossible to think about two different things at the same time. Of course, the goal is not to fit in as much as you possibly can in a day and therefore must multitask. But there are some times where multitasking can be beneficial. As you may have noticed on my Thursday schedule, I love incorporating much of our homeschool time in the kitchen when I’m also doing a little baking. Here are just a few examples of things you could potentially multitask:

• Chop veggies or shape dough while doing homeschool with your child at the kitchen counter.
• Listen to audio books while you do chores or fold laundry so you can “read” some of the books that have been on your list
• Do a workout with your kids or go on a family walk so you are spending time with them while also getting exercise.
• Make appointments and answer text messages & phone calls while you’re sitting in car line to pick up your kids.
• Read aloud or do devotions during one of the meal times in the day
• Pick a kiddo to be your helper as you do a task or make a meal. It will teach them a skill and they will get quality time with you.

Look at some of the things on your list and look at what you could potentially put at the same time on your schedule!

5. Create space for rest and recharge

We need rest and space to recharge. I believe that in order for us to pour into our families well we must take care of ourselves. I’m not talking about superficial, worldly “self-care” here that’s like some form of escapism. Actually if we feel like the only relief we can get is to ESCAPE our current reality, it’s a good indication that we need to revisit our lifestyle, our habits and possibly our schedule.

The rest and recharge I am talking about is taking care of your body and soul. This kind of rest is proactive and not reactive.

As christians we are called to serve and pour ourselves out as a living sacrifice. But even Jesus escaped from the crowds to be with his Heavenly Father. We need time in our day to take a breath, to think & process, and to be creative. We are humans, not super-moms. Burn out is real. I am not God and you are not God. We should not plan our day thinking we are God (talking to myself here.) We have limitations and we need to acknowledge that reality when we are planning out our days. Then we can have rest knowing that God will accomplish his purposes through us despite our human limitations. We serve a big God who uses weak people.

Sometimes this rest may look like being alone, sometimes it may look like a restful activity with your family. Here are just a few things in my stay-at-home mom schedule that help me recharge.

Examples for incorporating rest:

• We prioritize early bedtimes for our kids so they are well rested and we as parents get time at the end of the day
• I try to wake up before the kids so I can have time with the Lord and do what I need to get in the right headspace before being needed for the day.
• Our kids nap when they are little, and when they are older they either have “quiet time” or free time outside. This gives me some time by myself in the middle of the day.
• I keep the house tidy as much as I can. This is a form of self care to me. I want to exist in an environment that is orderly and beautiful.
• I find space in the week to be creative and use my gifts by learning new skills and making time for hobbies & interests. Sometimes this is with the kids or on weekends!
• I get myself dressed and ready most days so I can feel pretty, productive and put together for the day.

So decide how you will rest and recharge and put in on your schedule!

6. Create space for margin & flexibility

A world does not exist where schedules are kept perfectly. Also, that would be so boring! Part of the beauty of everyday life is interruptions, changes in schedule, and flexibility to be spontaneous at times.

If you have room, create space in your schedule that doesn’t have anything on it. That way if an opportunity comes up or kids get sick, or whatever it is… you have that space available for whatever you need.

It’s also helpful to think about your top and lowest priorities. If something comes up, what’s the first to go and what are the nonnegotiables that need to stay in place?

A personal example for me is time for friends and playdates. I don’t necessarily keep that carved out in my schedule, BUT when I want to plan one I know what to move around and eliminate on a particular day in order to make it happen. I also know what days are easier than others when I glance at my schedule. I’ll typically just decide not do the cleaning task for that day because I know it’s in my routine again the following week. I’ll move around the time we do our homeschool if needed, and we enjoy our time with our friends!

7. Write down your stay-at-home mom schedule

I refer to my schedule OFTEN! You can have this somewhere digitally or on paper. But when a new block of time in your day rolls around, you don’t have to guess what to do next. Just look at your trusty schedule! This is a game-changer for me. There is absolutely no way I would remember it all. Do your brain a favor and eliminate decision fatigue by writing down your schedule.

I have my schedule on paper, and I also keep my tasks on my phone so I can check them off as I complete them. Personally, I’m very motivated by checking things off a list! I absolutely love using Artful Agenda to keep track of my calendar, to-do lists, and all kinds of other lists I need. The best part about it is it’s actually CUTE like a paper planner and so pretty to look at! Referral code is RR749933 if you want to try it out.

BONUS TIPS:

Get ideas from moms in a similar season as you

It’s helpful to talk to other moms in the same season/stage of life as you. Also talk to moms who are ahead of you and can give you tips! It’s helpful to seek out like-minded moms in your life who have similar priorities. Sometimes just bouncing ideas off of a friend can be so helpful! In fact so many things I’ve implemented have been because I got the idea from talking with another mom friend.

Don’t compare your schedule to someone else’s.

No two mom’s schedules will look the same. We each have different personalities, different needs, skills, & family dynamics. Just because one mom is involved in a lot of outside activities doesn’t mean you have to be. Just because one mom bakes all her bread from scratch doesn’t mean you need to do that. Sometimes we can get so paralyzed just by looking at what others are doing and feeling like we aren’t doing it right.

Each of us moms will spend our time differently and we don’t have to look to cultural norms and expectations to determine whether or not we are stewarding our time well. As we glean wisdom from others, we must remember that at the end of the day we answer to the Lord. We must yield to our husband’s leading and submit to God’s will revealed in Scripture. If we are doing that, then we can be sure that through the Spirit we will yield much fruit.

Summary

Here is a summary on how to create a stay-at-home mom schedule:

1. Make a list of priorities
2. Organize your day in blocks of time
3. Figure out which part of the day you’re most productive
4. Think about what you can multitask
5. Create space for rest and recharge
6. Create space for margin and flexibility
7. Write down your schedule

As we make our schedules, may we all hear at the end of our lives “Well done, my good and faithful servant”

Need a place to write down your stay-at-home mom schedule?

Grab my FREE Feminine Homemaker Planning Sheets! Use the weekly planning printable included in this bundle to put your stay-at-home schedule to paper! This also comes with a monthly calendar and a to-do list sheet so you can stay organized. Grab yours HERE.

Happy planning!

Pin it for later!